The Simplicity Of Animal Movements

We live in a society where making things complicated (knowingly or not) is the norm and the Fitness industry is no different. You find programs that have major holes and reeking of bullshit that it is hard to fathom whether it works or not. For the most part, a lot of programs do work but not the way you want to believe. You see a lot of these programs cater to a specific audience or the general population and expect that demographic to take the workout schemes and ads at the word of the author, trainers or by every positive review. The biggest thing many programs lack is simplicity.

Simplicity is basically taking the most basic elements and molding them into a easy to follow progression system where an individual can take on the tasks without overthinking and being stress-free about it. The problem is however, as an individual, it can be very difficult to determine what is simple and what can look confusing. This is where I feel Animal Style Movements have the greatest form of simplicity. Forget the trendy versions of Animal Movement for a second and let's focus on the realistic arena of Animal Moves that have the formation of the best possible version of mimicry.

Take the Bear Crawl, very simple movement, get on all fours with your ass in the air and start moving in all sorts of directions. There's really only 2 variations there is in this case, slow and fast as hell. This exercise alone can be done by just about anybody from young to old and can be modified to a person's level. Let's take it for what it is and not break down every single little mechanic that would only confuse somebody.

Another great movement is the Frog Jump, building that explosiveness and leg strength; you squat down as low as possible and than jump, easy to remember. If you're not keen to have the ability to jump, just touch the floor with your palms in the squat position, once you get better, do little jumps in place, than big ones, next jump forward and so on. The major problems with simplicity is that many people think it is not enough or not interesting enough and want a variety which ironically gets them into trouble and not wanting to do the program all together.

Have you ever watched an animal program like Planet Earth, Monkey Planet or any show based on Wildlife in Africa, Alaska, Europe? We are just captivated by how animals move and as kids, we had the wild imagination of being our favorite animals. What happened to that excitement and enthusiasm? I'll tell you what happened; life, growing up and being told that those childish games shouldn't be done anymore. Why can't we just go back and be wild and free? The truth is, we can but with modifications. As kids, we had energy like no tomorrow and had great time learning things and figuring things out on a whim. As adults, we become more analytical, complicating things and stopped showing the passion and curiosity. We need to get back to these things but on a level that works for us because in this generation, we have let kids use too many electronics and not enough play time to get in the habit of using the body as a form of tool to develop our minds, motor skills and coordination using various areas of the brain.

This is where the simplicity of Animal Movements come in, we get to go back to that state of child-like entities but with a greater purpose because let's face it, as we get older our bodies begin to change and not always for the better so it is important to have an upkeep and take hold of the idea of keeping our bones, muscles and even our brains strong. Animal Moves generate a lot of brain activity, producing muscular definition, building hormones and reduce pain. I may still be a young buck compared to those over 40, 50, 60 and 70 but I'm not going to let my body just take hold of old age, at nearly 34 I'm in the best shape I've been in but I also want to keep that up as long as I can with that enthusiasm and drive. 34 may not be old to many but many people in my age range are already letting themselves go or overdoing it to the degree where injuries are more common and takes longer to recover.

Be simple regardless o your age and get moving with the best of intentions. Do it at your own pace but also make it fun and interesting. The more you utilize your imagination with movement, the better off you'll be.

Beyond Exercise: The Practice Of Seeing Animals As Gods

For eons, mankind has been fascinated by the wild animal in some form or another. Even in ancient times, animals worshipped as deities or the embodiment of god or as gods. The shaolin monks mimicked animals for practicing martial arts, the greeks saw the Bull as a being beyond the physical of a beast, the lion is called king of the beasts, cats were considered deities of ancient Egypt and other animals such as the Turtle were represented as a symbol of longevity.

Animals throughout history were seeing as mystics or mythological representation of our imagination. Look at stories about Dragons, the mythical Griffin that is a mixture of the Eagle & Lion, the amphomorphic Greek/Roman god Pan that has the upper body of a man and the lower body of the Goat representing our inner desires, the wild of the forest and living life to the fullest. The wolf has always looked at from two different sides such as the evil incarnation of man becoming the beat within or the ideal leader of the pack.

It's a desire to be a part of nature even though in today's society we have lost sight to what makes us hone our instincts, our inner power to fight and reveal our taste for mating. It is a fact that we cannot develop the realistic strength and condition of animals in their respective skill set, it's just not possible. We can however, adapt our human strengths and create other skills that has allowed us to run, jump, climb, crawl and condition for sport. In early man, we hunted, fished, used our minds to take down the toughest beasts in order to survive but, there was still a level of respect of man and animal. That respect is based on primal fear and when the dawn of civilization came about, we used animals in many ways, more cruel than others but we also bowed down to them in fear of killing us if we pissed them off.

We celebrate animals, they're part of the signs of the zodiac, they're represented in either evil or good (depending on your intrepertations) and used in many stories including the bible. In Greek Mythology, Hercules conquered many animals on his quest of the 12 Labors; he killed what was thought an unkillable lion and used his Mane as protective armor, destroyed the Hydra and even a wild boar. Early Fairy Tales depicted animals mainly as a hellish entities, giving us a reason to not go into the woods or trust a snake in the jungle, get involved with a Mermaid or piss off a family of bears. Animals gave us lessons in how to treat life and using your conscience to make choices and decisions that will affect your journey one way or another.

Whether you see Animals as Gods, deities or just plain mystical; it is important to respect what they can do and what they represent on this earth whether they were real or mythological. We may eat animals as food but good meat brings us nourishment, testosterone giving properties and giving man strength and primal power. When we practice the art of movement, mimicking their actions, we become more in tuned with nature itself, getting our bodies back to a more primal state and opening up our inner beast to develop the real strength and power of the species that came before us. We are bringing forth more of the respect, the natural laws and giving feedback to what makes us animals ourselves.

Circuit Training For Insane Conditioning

You can use all kinds of exercises to put into a circuit but the ideal is to use as basic as possible because if you use too many advanced movements, it can wear you out more than needed. When I was doing Circuits, I would look into more themed type workouts and stick to a more bodyweight style plan. Although they may not look like much, the more rounds you do, the tougher they are.

Should you do Circuits everyday? It depends on your fitness level and the intensity of the workouts. If they're more towards a HIT style, don't go more than 3x a week. If you're looking for circuits to aid in other workouts, I'd suggest using those circuits as finishers to burn off extra fat. If you plan on wanting to do circuits daily, vary the intensity so you don't burn out after something like three workouts in a row. For this let's say you do 10-12 rounds one day, do no more than half the next. You want to have the best recovery possible.

There are some circuits way too advanced for certain people so pick ones that give you a run for your money but not to the degree where you're gassed in the first 2 rounds and your form becomes sloppy, when that happens the chances of injury increases. The very best circuits I've seen were from the Darebee site where you can pick and choose all kinds of circuits for your fitness level. Circuits can be extremely useful for those going out for sports, training for competition, fit for life, weight loss, fat loss, muscle building, strength training and overall conditioning.

Here are a few of my favorites.....

Although these workouts at times go no more than 7 rounds, I like to go to a full 10 at times to really even out the numbers that hit 100-200 total reps of each exercise. These have helped me get in fantastic shape and aid in agility, flexibility and tendon strength. For rest periods, the 2 minute max is ideal but not everybody is meant to rest for that period of time. I feel that if you can rest at max for 2 minutes or the minimum of 30 seconds that's great and it tells you you're in fantastic condition but at the same time, rest as long as needed, not as long as you have to. Many of these workouts are so intense, recovery is of great importance. Some treat a workout more like a sprint than a marathon so adjust accordingly and do what is possible for you and build from there. Deep breathe as much as possible for the rest you have.

To help the site, donate a dollar or more or you can buy one of their volumes that have up to 100 Workouts for you to choose from.

Darebee Book Vol. 1

Darebee Book Vol. 2

Circuit Training For Martial Artists (30-Day Program)

100 Circuits For Office Workers

Short Workouts Of Animal Exercises

Animal Moves are intense as it is because you're utilizing every muscle to stabilize, move and shift directions. The great thing about them training wise is by putting in workouts that can last as long as you want or as short as you want. Doesn't matter if you're a beginner or advanced, short workouts can aid in producing more fat burning entities and develop greater lung power and strength. Here are a few ideas on workouts that can be done in 5-10 minutes.

30 sec. Bear Crawls

30 sec. Off

30 Sec. Crab Walk

30 sec. Off

Shoot for up to 5 rounds

10 min. Of The Animal Dice Game

-Tabata

20 sec. Frog Jumps

10 sec. Off

20 sec. Bear Crawls

10 sec. Off

20 sec. Gorilla Walk/Run

10 sec. Off

Repeat for as many rounds as possible in 6 min.

500 Yards Of Bear Crawls in under 10 minutes.

20 Duck Walks

10 Kangaroo Jumps

As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes.

1 minute Crab Walk

1 minute Duck Walk

1 minute Bear Crawl

Rest & Repeat 2 more times.

There will be days where time isn't your best friend but still want to get a killer workout in. These can turn you into a rugged conditioning machine. They can also be used as a finisher to your regular workouts. Make it what you need to and become that animal as you move.

Be sure to check out the Animal Courses on the right side of the blog for more workouts and animals.

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Let The Wild Rumpus Start

I read this book a long, long time ago called Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It is the story of a little boy named Max and it starts out him going to bed without having dinner. While sitting in his room doing time, Max creates this vast and extraordinary world in his imagination where monsters roam a wild forest. He takes the role of King Of The Wild Things.

As he celebrates he shouts out "Let the wild rumpus start," as he and all the wild things of the forest join in a joyous dance and have the time of their lives. The author created a message in one of the main themes of this classic tale on how children handle being bored and frustrated. Now this gets me thinking at times that it isn't just adults with this issue but us adults as well. As adults and getting into fitness or being in it for a while, it does get to a point where you're bored from a routine and having a hard time shifting things around.

This is where Where The Wild Things Are can come in handy believe it or not:

The Wild Things- Doesn't matter if they're monsters or animals, it can be a cure for getting rid of boredom and frustrated entities just like for little Max. Better yet, even moving like a wild beast because Animal Moves are never boring and are fun as hell to do. Frustration would be a thing of the past because these exercises are very effective in channeling that emotion and turning it into happiness and joy just like the celebration Max has for being King.

Imagination- Even for someone like Max learning to cope with boredom and frustration, it can be a major key. Imagination is a powerful tool especially when you exercise. Just IMAGINE being a mighty animal in the wild and having strength and power the average human wished they had. Don't just move all chalantly, really get into being that animal and FEEL what it would be like to have the strength of a gorilla or the agility of a bird, the endurance of a tiger or the jumping ability of a frog. Learn this idea and you can make your results come faster.

The wild things are right here with you, so grab the insane book Animal Kingdom Conditioning 2: Call Of The Wild and dive into a world of movement, imagination and development of awesome strength and conditioning. Your kid can have the same fun as you so grab Wild Animal Fitness For Kids and let their imaginations run WILD and get into the habit of moving like an animal in the Wild Forest.

Now lets all shout out LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!!!

Taking A Beautiful Form Of Exercise And Over Complicating It

Don't you just get irritated sometimes when some person takes the simplicity of exercise and turns it into a fiasco of over complicated structures? In my research into how Animal Movements work for various reasons and how to apply them to other forms of training, it keeps coming up with over complicated ideals and workouts that just seem to be more trendy than useful. Granted nothing wrong with a trend, it comes and it goes it is that simple but that doesn't excuse the fact that you're taking a beautiful form of nature and turning it into some kind of "Over-Humanized" style that just seems more wrong than right.

Animal Movements are nothing new, but wherever you research, most of the time you come up with a fancy workout that barely talks about the application of the movements themselves and making it look like some infomercial. There's no real simple form anymore and when you do find realistic animal movement training principles, it's rarely even recognized. Yes there is a rule that in order to get the most benefit, we have to cater that movement to the most efficient way possible for us humans because let's face it, we don't have the realistic luxury of moving like a tiger or the grip strength of an ape or even the ability to climb walls like a spider but making it so damn fancy, it sucks the fun out of making it simple and attempting the best way possible for us.

I believe in simplicity and making it something for what it really is and not watering it down into the depths that it destroys the realism and learning process. There are some forms of Animal Movement I do like, like Animal Flow, it is a great combination of locomotion, yoga and break dancing which makes it fun and interesting but I also tend to go beyond just the cool combos. Whenever I do teach somebody certain forms of training, I make it simple, fun and basic because regardless how fit or unfit you are, the basics bring out the greatest foundation. It's like building a house, you don't start with the roof, you start laying the ground work for what it literally builds up to. Exercise in this day and age have become so confusing you don't know where to start.

Our attention spans have decreased quite a bit over a number of years because we feel that if we want something, we need to have it right then and there. If you want results right away, you're not going to succeed the way you envisioned. It takes time, effort and patience because if you tried to shoot straight to the top at anything, it's going to bite you in the ass. When I started walking again, I didn't start out being able to do 100 Squats in a row or hold a bridge for 3 minutes let alone be able to even remotely do a Bear Crawl for 30 straight seconds. I busted my ass to get where I wanted to be and there were days where it sucked and had no motivation but I did it anyway because I made a choice.

The reason why I do Animal Movements frequently isn't because they're trendy or cool to do, I do them because they're amazing teachers and give me a sense of purpose, something that truly gets me into the very core of why I'm so passionate about fitness and I get to do something that not only makes me happy but brings out the best in what I can do. Why can't we just go back to being simple and doing something that isn't going to confuse the F*ck out of you. It's like music; you can have the coolest sounding guitar riff and have a kick ass set of instruments banding together (pun intended) but you'll never have a lasting sound that hits you right in your soul that lasts a lifetime. Simplicity lasts and trends come and go, its a vicious but realistic cycle.

Don't make things complicated and never let some douche tell you to do do 50 different things just to get 5 exercises going. Learn the simple ideals and everything will fall into place. 

Isometrics: A Top Method For Shaping The Body

Back in the 1960's, Isometrics was a huge trend that really hit it off with athletes and president John F. Kennedy at the time. It teaches the ideal method of pushing, pulling against an immovable object or using muscle against muscle. The funny thing is, it goes beyond the physical yet the fraction of the population really understands that. There are a lot of ways to use isometrics and one is through Muscle Control which was taught by legendary Physical Culturists Maxick & Otto Arco. Another way to work Isos is by using your own body as self resistance or you can use a wall, a doorway, a bench or anything where you can't move the muscles themselves yet in a state of contraction or flexing.

Bruce Lee was a big advocate of Isometrics after coming back from a near fatal back injury, legendary Iowa wrestler Dan Gable made Isometrics a big part of his arsenal due to their abilities of giving him pinning strength that even guys twice his size had no clue how to handle. The Great Gama who was undefeated in 5000 matches used Isometrics to men even far heavier than him look like lightweights when he threw them and Gama was well over 260 pounds of pure muscle in his prime. Isometrics aren't just exercises that make you strong; they can be healers too as was part of the experimentation of using Isometrics to help heal injuries from wounded soldiers of WW2.

There are a limitless number of exercises that can be used as isometrics ranging from bodyweight to weights, holding up certain objects such as stones, kegs, farmer's walk, bending steel and more. There is no limit to what your imagination can come up with. It can even sculpt your body into a lean, mean fighting machine using specific methods to help rid of unwanted bodyfat and make muscles denser and hardened. They don't take long either as you can get an awesome workout in under 30 minutes. With a specific form of breathing, you an even lower blood pressure and get a great cardio affect out of it as well.

Do your research and look into more of utilizing Isometrics as a part of your program and if you're a MMA Fighter, think of the punching power and speed you can possess and not to mention some serious grip strength plus having lethal tendon power when you slap on submissions. I is essential for those from all walks of life.

Isometric Mass 

7 Seconds To A Perfect Body

Power Isometrics: The Complete Course That Allows You To Build A Strong And Athletic Body In Only 30 Minutes A Day! (Animal Kingdom Workouts) 1st Edition

Tapping Into The Animal Spirit

Today, let's tap into something that we should be doing more often than not and that's unleashing more of the animal within us. We were meant to be naturally strong and incredibly mobile. Inside the soul of all creatures on this planet and in the universe, move naturally without getting all hopped up on typical exercise.

Many of us humans on this planet do exercise because in reality, we're not moving in a natural state that is organic, flowing and instinctive. Sounds like B.S doesn't it? Sad thing is, that is the case. Closing ourselves off is more natural than we are lead to believe. According to society, we go by these rigid rules and stiff structures. Losing our instincts and organic state of being has become more of a problem and you're a fool if you don't see it.

We put ourselves into little packets and feel like we can't get free, well newsflash bro, you were lead to do that. We all have the need to express our true calling and when we limit our way of showing this, we feed that limitation. How can we put a fire on this disease and burn it to ashes? Let's start by expressing ourselves more. Get out of that little bubble and put forth your ability to be free and little by little let those limitations go. Explore what your body is capable of. Move like a wild animal.

One of the steps you must take to get out of your comfort bubble is by letting yourself be silly. Not so much childish but more childlike. Being too serious is an expression of rigidity. You don't have to always be graceful but eventually with practice, you can get better and it can inspire someone to do the same.

We all have a form of talent but to truly unlock it, it is important to practice and find the best possible ways that keeps you being expressive and full of exploration. Switch things up if you get bored or find a solution to what doesn't work and find what does and take advantage of it. We don't always know how good we really can be if we don't step up and take a shot. Regardless of what you do, there will be limitations that you can't control but that is ok, make the most of what you can do and learn how to adapt.

Be expressive, move like the wild beast within and unleash that spirit within you. Once you get a hold of it, never let go, learn more about it and be free with it. 

How Long Does An Animal Workout Have To Be?

Depending on your fitness level and where you're at in terms of progression, it's all on an individual. There's no set limits to what you want to do with Animal Movements because unlike other forms of exercise, Animals keep you moving in all sorts of directions and will determine where you're at and what you can strive for. For beginners, its good to start with 5 total minutes (30 sec.- 1 min. per animal of 5) and as you get better, add time or repetitions. You get to decide.

Some days I don't have a ton of energy to do a big playout of animal moves but I always get in at least a few minutes. On days where I have a great amount of energy, I'll go sometimes 30 minutes or longer. You get to pick and choose what you want to do and like the animals, go on instinct and not by necessity. That's not what the Animal Moves are all about.

If you were to time yourself, you can do it one of two ways; you can set an allotted time and just go from there whether it's playing the dice game, tag with a buddy, circuit style to see how many rounds you get or you can test yourself and go non-stop. The second would be to just use a stopwatch and when you feel like you've had enough, just press stop. Like I said, there's no set limits to this method of exercise, it's not about rushing it or be fixated on sets and rep schemes. Make an adventure out of it.

Animals in the wild really don't have concept of time, they move fast to run from being eaten or catch what they want to eat. They just move and use instincts and skills developed when they were little. It is the same with exercise, do what works for you and use your brain and not a controlled entity. You're not pavlov's dog my friend.

If you're pressed for time, just do a few minutes as fast as possible, believe me its an ass kicker in itself. Learn the movements and create what you want out of them and in return, you'll be in the shape you were meant to be in. Let them be useful and use your wits and training to get the very best out of your fitness.

Animal Workouts (Book)   

Animal Workouts (DVD)

Animal Kingdom Conditioning: Survival Of The Fittest

Animal Kingdom Conditioning 2: Call Of The Wild

Wild Animal Fitness For Kids