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Bodyweight Question Concerning Push Ups

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CarlU314

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Something that I have always wondered and I am hoping to get some insight.

Hindu Push Ups vs Conventional Push Ups. Which is actually better?

It seems like whenever I read/watch a video about push ups, they only talk about conventional push ups.

Why is that?

Thanks
 
Welcome to the forum @CarlU314

I find both to be very different so it's hard to qualify one as better than the other. Both have their place and usefulness depending on your goals.
 
Hindu Push Ups vs Conventional Push Ups. Which is actually better?
Better For What?

Your question amount to asking which is better, a hammer or a crescent wrench

Objective

Your objective is he determinate factor in if you use a hammer or crescent wrench.

As Benjamin states...

it's hard to qualify one as better than the other. Both have their place and usefulness depending on your goals.
 
As has been stated above, it’s a question of goals. Standard push-ups will give you a different core stability training and more chest activation. Hindu push-ups, on the other hand, will give you a larger range of motion, hit more angles of pushing, including incline press (as a negative) and decline press (similar to a dip). You can also turn them into a stretching exercise.

Generally, I would argue that push-ups especially lend themselves to doing variations. Doing one variation exclusively is more of a temporary approach imho, and one that should be chosen for a specific reason. With Hindu push-ups, the connection to Kushti should be mentioned, since they mimic specific phases of wrestling (sprawls and parterre defense), as do half-moon push-ups (parterre defense, especially leg lace defense). However, in modern wrestling, they are usually just one of a number of push-up variations done in training, since the corresponding movements are done quite a bit differently on mats compared to on sand. But then again, these are quite specific aspects, which likely won't be relevant unless you actually are a wrestler.

Long story short: unless you know exactly what you are doing and why, I would advise to do several push-up variations. It will prevent you from becoming too one-sided in your training and prevent common overuse problems.

Cheers

Period.
 
Thank you for the information.

What I am actually asking is why are conventional push ups more popular than Hindu push ups. For example, when I see push push up challenges on social media, it is just conventional push ups. On T-Nation, there was an article saying something like you should be able to do like 3 or sets of 30-40 reps of push ups. I'm just wondering why Hindu push ups aren't mentioned because they are harder and do more. I like doing Hindu push ups. They do a lot for my shoulders and I feel them in my lats.

Even in Q&D it is a power push up vice a Hindu push up.

Thank you for the information. Love these forums.
 
Thank you for the information.

What I am actually asking is why are conventional push ups more popular than Hindu push ups. For example, when I see push push up challenges on social media, it is just conventional push ups. On T-Nation, there was an article saying something like you should be able to do like 3 or sets of 30-40 reps of push ups. I'm just wondering why Hindu push ups aren't mentioned because they are harder and do more. I like doing Hindu push ups. They do a lot for my shoulders and I feel them in my lats.

Even in Q&D it is a power push up vice a Hindu push up.

Thank you for the information. Love these forums.
My thoughts:

-Hindu Pushup:
-More about mobilizing the body.
-Done without the "double push" (only pushing up into the arch, not back through the bottom position) they hit a pushing motion "closer" to a dip.
-While you're technically getting a semi-verticle push on the eccentric phase of the motion, the way most people align their shoulders here (elbows flaring out to the sides, back has to arch anyways) would not translate to verticle presses. I do invite others to chime in if they've seen definite carryover to overhead presses from hindu pushups.
-I view hindu pushups as a way to mobilize the body more than purely strengthen it.

Standard pushup:
-Likely translates to other pressing movements better.
-Easier to keep better shoulder alignment imo (elbows in, etc)
-Q&D calls for a POWERFUL motion, and I think it's fairly easy to see how a standard pushup can generate MUCH more power than a hindu pushup.
-Core activation/stabilization (once again, translates to other pressing movements)


At the end of the day, though, do what you enjoy :) If hindu pushups make you feel good, then do hindu pushups. If you have other "pressing goals" then I'd re-evaluate unless you're seeing progress in the places you want to see progress.
 
Thank you for the information.

What I am actually asking is why are conventional push ups more popular than Hindu push ups. For example, when I see push push up challenges on social media, it is just conventional push ups. On T-Nation, there was an article saying something like you should be able to do like 3 or sets of 30-40 reps of push ups. I'm just wondering why Hindu push ups aren't mentioned because they are harder and do more. I like doing Hindu push ups. They do a lot for my shoulders and I feel them in my lats.

I wouldn't overthink it - it's a (fairly low) standard for exercise X, nothing more. One might argue that muscle-ups "do more" than pull-ups or cleans and jerks "do more" more than bench presses, but still, standards for the former are more common today than standards for the latter. And while either may not be the most appropriate exercise for your goals, they are still all valid options.

Cheers
Period.
 
The conclusion I came to is that it's easy to start overanalyzing if this or that exercise is better but, in the absence of more specific goals, it's fine to just find the ones that you like and that work for you and try to keep improving at them.
 
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