FILEX 2015
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hen a new program takes its
influence from a wide range of
established and much-loved
bodyweight practices such as martial arts,
capoeira, gymnastics and parkour, people
from all corners of the alternative fitness
world take notice. And when the juggernaut
of the US fitness industry, Equinox, buys the
exclusive rights to the program for its first
year, the wider fitness world starts to pay
serious attention, too.
This is the case with Animal Flow – an
incredible ground-based, bodyweight
workout that develops strength, power,
endurance, balance and agility while
encouraging total body communication
and fluidity.
Animal Flow creator, Mike Fitch, was
inspired to create the program by his
own personal journey into bodyweight
disciplines. After more than 12 years of
working as a strength coach, personal
trainer and post-rehabilitation specialist,
Fitch started feeling unchallenged in his
own training and, frustrated by niggling
joint pain, felt the need to head in a different
direction. Enter bodyweight training. After
experimenting with various disciplines Fitch
discovered that the more he did, the more he
wanted to do: ‘It’s a constant learning and
progression process’ says Fitch, ‘and one
W
The 30-second article
• Animal Flow is a ground-based,
bodyweight workout that develops
strength, power, endurance, balance
and agility while encouraging total
body communication and fluidity
• It takes its influence from a range of
established bodyweight practices
such as martial arts, capoeira,
gymnastics and parkour
• Animal Flow comprises six
components: wrist mobilisations,
activations, form-specific stretches,
travelling forms, switches and
transitions, and flow
• Bodyweight training forces the body
to ‘communicate with itself’, linking
all the stabilisation systems and
synergising the muscles of the
entire body.
12 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2015
with infinite possibilities once you start to
combine them.’
‘Bodyweight training is 100 per cent
progressive and skill-based, so with every
workout you are attempting to advance your
personal progress. It’s a pass/fail scenario,
you can either perform the exercise or you
can’t, there’s no middle ground.
I believe that translates into a greater
sense of accomplishment when you reach
your goal – for example, it might be great to
add a few kilograms to your bench press,
but you’ll never forget the day you get your
first muscle-up, or nail your first human flag.’
The bodyweight difference
Fitch continues: ‘The way you achieve
results is different with bodyweight
training. Since you’re not adding external
loads, you have to challenge yourself by
adding complexity or figuring out a way
to take a higher percentage of your own
weight. For example, just changing the
angle of your body can make an exercise
much more difficult.
You can also improve any specific
ability like strength, endurance or power
by manipulating your tempo, volume, reps
or complexity. If you just want to focus
on mass, you can choose a bodyweight
variation that will keep you in a certain rep