In the fall of 2002, I did a series of seminars in the U.K. and Ireland. ’twas London herself, though, where a martial arts master told me the following:
“I did 500 Hindu squats the first day I received your Combat Conditioning book and DVDs in the mail. I wasn’t able to do all the reps without stopping, but I knocked them out in about 30 minutes. I wanted to prove to myself that your workout was no big deal. And I could barely walk for about a week after.”
I was stunned with this man’s story. His grit and determination are part of what have made him into one helluva martial artist. Yet, I think he would be the first to forewarn you, “Don’t be an idiot. Make haste slowly.”
As for myself, I didn’t do 500 Hindu squats in a row the first day I learned the proper form. Nor did I do 500 cumulatively throughout the day. I did a couple sets of 40 and one of 20, and I was finished. And that was too much, as I was sore for three days. Yes, I was still able to walk. I did enough reps to be sore, but not even close to as sore as my friend in the U.K.
Over a period of weeks and months, I was able to knockout more reps per set. But I was making one big mistake that was holding me back. That mistake was doing squats every other day. When I switched to EVERYDAY, my results shot up much, much faster.
If you do as the U.K. martial arts master did, you cannot do Hindu squats the day after you trained because you abused your body beyond belief. But if you begin with a “slow and steady” mindset, you most certainly can do “at least some” Hindu squats everyday.
Once I embarked upon daily Hindu squats, I was able to do 100 in a row for the first time within a couple more weeks of training. Keep in mind, though, I’d been doing them 3x per week for many weeks prior to the upgrade.
After doing 100 in a row, I learned a few secrets that enabled me to blast through numerous plateaus. In hindsight, I realize it took longer to get to 500 in a row than I expected when I began the journey, but once I was there, the time it took seemed, as the song says, “like a flicker.”
One of the unheralded benefits of doing Hindu squats everyday is how it changes your brain. When you become the type of person who refuses to skip a day, this mindset transfers into other areas of your life. You become super-focused and productive. Anything you put your eyes on, you accomplish. And you do it with far greater ease than most.
The benefits of doing Hindu squats on a daily basis are numerous, but make sure you begin slowly. The trick isn’t how many you can do the first day; it’s becoming the type of fitness phenom who can do some every single day.
Some people, believe it or not, should only do 1-5 repetitions the first day. And they should make no attempt to double that number in the beginning. Just prove to yourself that you can stick with a program of 1-5 reps daily. Prove to yourself that you can set a simple daily goal and stick with it. Do you realize that most people can’t and/or won’t. Sad but true, weakness runs amuck, and the best way to stop being mentally weak is doing something that begins to physically strengthen you.
Always start small and allow yourself to naturally and spontaneously make improvements, without forcing yourself into it.
People who ignore this message and do tons of reps the first day, tend to be the types who NEVER do them again. Why? Because the exercise itself is a reminder of the trauma they inflicted on themselves.
So ignore the pop-psychology of “getting out of your comfort zone,” and “taking massive action.”
Start slowly and be consistent, and the time it takes you to do 500-straight Hindu squats will, in retrospect, seem as though it flew by.
Kick ass – take names.
Matt Furey
P.S. If you don’t have the Combat Conditioning book and DVDs, then you’re avoiding a life-changer. You want results, then follow the Furecat.
P.P.S. You already have the program and you want to go to the next level, to 500-Hindu squats in a row, then make sure you get the coaching I offer on my membership site.
