Today, guest author Hannah Maxwell is going to explain how your body can be as flexible as animals, and why it’s good for you.

What’s your take on evolution? While many people believe in it, there are so many others who think that the whole monkey to man story is far-fetched. Whatever your beliefs, you may still have some unanswered questions on the topic. You may be wondering how evolution is related to fitness… Here’s how!

What is the Animal Flow workout?

The Animal Flow workout combines the evolution theory with fitness. It taps into the animal inside you and makes you embrace fitness like never before. Let’s begin with a few basic whats and hows.

In simple words, Animal Flow is a no-equipment workout with cardio and toning exercises. It is the ultimate versatile workout which can improve your mobility, strength, endurance, and power. It combines movements from various body weight training disciplines to form a challenging and fun workout.

Why is it called ‘Animal Flow’?

In this workout, you will be mimicking animal or primal moves. The workout is inspired by the natural movement of animals where you will be training with the help of your own body weight and no other external equipment.

A complete Animal Flow workout

Animal Flow workouts can be broken down into various categories. You can use them to warm-up or as a complete workout. It can even be combined with your regular workout routine forming an interval training session. Let’s take a look at a few routines.

The idea of a warm-up is to prepare your body for an intense workout session. A good warm-up should increase mobility, lubricate joints and reduce the risk of injury. The animal flow warm-up sessions are made of multiple planes of motion satisfying the above requisites of a good warm-up.

Warm-up 1: Crab Reach

The crab reach is an excellent warm-up. It improves the flexibility of the muscles and also helps you with improving your balance.

How to do:

•    Begin with the Crab position
•    Ensure your hip is one inch above the ground and your toes are pointing away from the body
•    Bend your right arm in front of your chest in such a way that it is between your legs
•    Now extend your right arm over your head as your raise your hips above the ground
•    With your left arm and your legs balancing your weight, relax your right arm at a 90-degree position
•    Repeat the move with your left arm

Warm-up 2: Scorpion Reach

This warm-up is definitely for the experts who have an exceptionally flexible and well-balanced body.

How to do:

•    Begin with your hands and legs on the ground with your hips lifted and chest pushed back
•    Now tighten the grip of your hands and extend your right leg up forming 90 degrees with the torso
•    Your body weight should be focused forward and not on the resting leg
•    Lower your right leg as you bend the right knee and extend your left leg
•    Repeat the workout by extending your left leg up

Animal Flow move 1: Side-Travelling Ape

The side-traveling ape targets the shoulders, abs hips, and quads. This workout requires shoes which provide an excellent grip. CrossFit Shoes are the perfect pick to master animal flow moves.  

How to do:

•    Begin with a deep squat position, ensuring your hands and feet are in the right position    
•    Keep your core tight as you raise your hips and swing your legs laterally
•    Now kick out the lead leg and land the trailing leg first
•    Land both the legs on ground move your hips back to the start position
•    Repeat the move for a good 8-10 reps

Animal Flow move 2: Beast Reach

The beast reach is to tone your shoulders, triceps, abs, glutes, and legs. You will attain an exceptionally well-balanced body once you master the beast workout.

How to do:

•    Stand with an upright torso and feet hip-width apart
•    Crouch down as you stretch your arms forward and place them on the ground and head between your hands
•    Extend your legs bringing your torso forward and aligning your shoulders over your hands
•    In this full plank position, bend your right knee to meet the right elbow
•    Hold position for 30 seconds and then extend the right leg
•    Repeat the exercise by bending your left knee

Animal Flow move 3: Vertical Frog jump

Are you a fan of jumping jacks? Then I am sure you will love this move.

How to do:

•    Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart
•    Get into a deep squat position and place your hands on the floor
•    Jump high and extend your hands overhead
•    Return to squat position and repeat the workout

What can Animal Flow do to Your Body?

•    Animal flow can increase your body’s strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and power.
•    It can increase your mental awareness and improve the neural drive to all the muscles of the body.
•    Increased shoulder and wrist stability
•    Increase muscle gain and noticeable arm and shoulder development
•    Ensures full-body workout and guarantees muscle endurance

So are you ready to wake the animal within you? Whatever your fitness goals are, animal flow workouts will help you get there!

About the author:

Hannah is an ardent fan of Fitness and Life. She is fitness preacher who loves and makes life a happy and healthy one. Her goal is to inspire people to embrace their individual fitness journeys by sharing her first-hand experiences. She’s also getting better at not making a huge mess in the kitchen courtesy of a very patient better half.

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