In 2020, I researched Ancient Greek athletics, and from there I started exploring training techniques in other cultures
These are my favorite “ancient” exercises with timeless health and performance benefits
1. Hindu Squats
Hindu squats are known as Baithaks, Pelewan wrestlers routinely do 1000 a day as part of their training (they build up this over time)
I like this movement because it trains FULL knee bend, & strenghens the knee & ankle joint
Notice in these pictures how upright their torso is
Done correct these get your toes & feet, ankles knees & quads, they train proper alignment with the inside ankle bone being elevated and your arches of your foot not collapsing
Also powerful cardio building
Everyone should be able to do these
Start with 10-20 reps in a set
2. The Halma, the Ancient Greek quintuple jump
There is ZERO historical record of the ancient greeks ever doing squats (I wrote an entire book if youre interested)
They did however do a ton of sprinting & jumping
Their version of the long jump was actually FIVE jumps in one
They did this holding halteres, small hand weights that weighed about 2kgs
Whats so great about jumping? Its a full body plyometric movement that develops immense power and elastic, explosive athleticism
You cannot claim to be athletic and be bad at jumping
The ancient greeks did these in a sand pit, but you dont need to perfectly imitate their version
You can get similar benefits by doing standing broad jumps. If you have enough space, try doing 5 broad jumps in a row. Even 2-3 is challenging
Do not do more 10-15 jumps total
3. Deltoid Raises and Isoholds
If you look at enough greek statues, and pottery, and mosaics of athletes, you notice quickly
They have very developed deltoids.
Thats not accidental.
Ancient greeks were obsessed with shoulder training, its one of the few Exercises they did
that is specifically mentioned in historical records
They did front raises, lateral raise, overhead raises. They did with halteres, they did them isometrically, they did them partner resisted
Even their lunges they did with arms held straight out to train the shoulders more
The ancient greeks did not train their shoulders “heavy”. Their developments came from high reps, and time under tension
Add in this simple routine into your next shoulder day
20 front raises, 20 lateral raises, 20 curls to overhead press
Do 3 rounds, no rest between exercises
4. The Horse Stance
This comes from China, its found in practically all Chinese martial arts, in Tae Kwan Do, and Kung Fu
Its a wide stance squat position, held isometrically
There are a few ways of doing it (theres lots of great video youtube)
Horse stance is not usually done as up-down squat, rather its an Isometric position
Holding this position builds immense muscular length and strength in the adductors, which are essential for kicking
Its also Mental training, horse stance can be held for up to an HOUR or more
Adding this into your regular leg training would definitely benefit your hip flexibility and overall movement ability.
Try doing 4 sets of 30 seconds to get started, and then go for longer holds from there
5. Indian Clubs (or Persian clubs, depending on who you ask)
In India they are called Gada, In Persia they are called meels
They were believed to be physical preparation for war, training the necessary muscles for carrying a sword, spear, war club, and other weapons
In the 19th and early 20th century, club training became Extremely popular in the British empire. Clubs were formed and gyms were built around “indian club classes”, they were even in the Olympics in 1932
Swing Your Way to Fitness was a real movement
These classes were similar to the classes done in Persia, or modern Iran
The classes and exercises have not changed in thousands of years
-If interested in Indian clubs, I suggest finding an experienced instructor. They’re fantastic for shoulder health
6. The Hindu Pushup
I LOVE this exercise. Done correctly it develops strength, muscle, flexibility all at the same time. It trains all of the upper body muscles, short of lats
Indian wrestlers typically do 500 daily
The common version is called Sadharan Dand. This is the one I recommend
I suggest aiming for 50-100 total reps on your next upper body day.
If you can do 25 in a row, you have exceptional upper body strength compared to most people
7. Boxing
In ancient greece Boxing was one of the preeminent sports, it has at least a 3000 year history
The equipment of boxing has not changed in millennia
hands wraps, Gloves, and heavy bags were all used
Boxing is a combat sport obviously. Again, hire a qualified coach if you want to learn how to box
Boxing is an art and science. To be in fighting shape is a whole different level of fitness compared to most sports
8. Power Breathing
The ancient greeks specifically defined this as “Full and Loud breathing”
breathing practices are also found in India, Thailand, China, and practically all Asian martial arts
Power breathing was not meant to be done daily…
its specifically named as a “violent” exercise, meaning highly exertional
To perform it, the athlete would breathe in as deep as they could, holding as much air as possible, & then exhale as forcefully as possible
this thoroughly trains the respiratory muscles of the lunges
Conclusion
If you made it to the end of this thread & want to learn more, I wrote an extensive guide on ancient greek athletics and healthcare
This is by far the most interesting subject I ever researched, and compiled all of it together for my newsletter readers
It’s called “Ancient Athletics”. Get it now.
