에니멀 플로우, Animal Flow, Conor Mcgregor, Crocodile Walk Exercise, A Core Cruncher, 애니멀 플로우 구성요소 6가지, 애니멀 플로우 5가지 장점

에니멀 플로우, Animal Flow

인간이라는 동물의 기능과 소통을 향상하기 위해 고안된 지상 기반 운동 프로그램

체조와 요가, 동물의 움직임을 합친 것으로 생각하면 되는데, 운동기구 없이도 코어 안정성과 근력, 관절 근력, 유연성, 신체 인식을 키울 수 있다. 정적인 야수(Static Beast), 게 도달(Crab Reach), 옆으로 여행하는 원숭이(Lateral Travelling Ape) 등 생소한 이름으로 구성된 애니멀 플로우는 대표적으로 6가지 구성 요소

▪손목 가동(Wrist Mobilizations) : 손목의 유연성과 힘을 높이기 위한 간단한 운동
▪활성화(Activations) : 움직이기 전 몸을 연결하기 위한 정적인 버티기 동작
▪특정 형태 스트레칭 (Form Specific Stretches) : 동물 형태로 시작해서 광범위한 움직임을 하는 전신 스트레칭
▪이동 형태 (Travelling Forms) : 동물의 움직임을 모방하는 운동
▪변환 (Switches) : 흐름을 생성하는 동적 운동
▪흐름 (Flow) : 애니멀 플로우의 모든 것이 결합하여 연속적으로 움직이는 것


애니멀 플로우는 이런 요소를 단독으로 사용하거나 모두 결합해 할 수 있고 남녀노소 모두 도전할 수 있다. 운동 전·후에 준비, 마무리용으로 하거나 익숙해지면 애니멀 플로우로만 운동해도 좋다.

 

애니멀 플로우는 마이크 피치라는 사람이 만든 운동. 마이크 피치는 실제로 체조 선수들을 가르치는 트레이너다. 그는 동물들의 다양한 움직임을 보고 애니멀 플로우를 만들었다. 애니멀 플로우라는 이름 그대로 동물을 따라 하는 동작이 많다.

헬스같이 특정 한 부위에 자극을 주는 동작이 아니라, 전신을 다양한 방법으로 사용. 이런 동작은

 

애니멀 플로우 5가지 장점

▪Flexibility (유연성): 머신을 사용하지 않고 온 몸을 놀리는 동작을 통해 부상 위험이 적고 평소에 쓰지 않던 방향으로 관절 운동을 할 수 있다.
▪Coordination (조정력): 다양한 방향을 갖고 동작을 이어나가며, 한 방향이 아닌 여러 방향으로 동작을 바꿀 수 있어서 균형감과 시공간 감각을 자극한다.
▪Strength (근력): 자신의 체중을 이용하여 사용하지 않던 관절과 근육에 긴장감과 자극을 주어 협응력과 근력의 향상시킬 수 있다.
▪Liverty (자유): 모든 움직임과 동작이 다양하게 이어지며 그 과정 속에서 신체적인 자유를 느낄 수 있다.
▪Creativity (창의력): 동작과 동작 간의 다음 Step을 생각하며, 본인 스스로가 흐름(flow)을 이어나가는 운동이기에 창의력에도 많은 도움을 준다.

 
애니멀 플로우 구성요소 6가지

▪손목 가동(Wrist Mobilizations) : 손목의 유연성과 힘을 높이기 위한 간단한 운동
▪활성화(Activations) : 움직이기 전 몸을 연결하기 위한 정적인 버티기 동작
▪특정 형태 스트레칭 (Form Specific Stretches) : 동물 형태로 시작해서 광범위한 움직임을 하는 전신 스트레칭
▪이동 형태 (Travelling Forms) : 동물의 움직임을 모방하는 운동
▪변환 (Switches) : 흐름을 생성하는 동적 운동
▪흐름 (Flow) : 애니멀 플로우의 모든 것이 결합하여 연속적으로 움직이는 것

 

 

 

 

 

The Workout

Warm up, then perform 3 rounds of each exercise, following the prescribed work and rest periods. These moves require a lot of wrist extension and endurance to sustain proper form, so take a break as needed when starting out. Add this workout to your program 1-2 times a week and slowly build up to 3-4 times. You can also use some of these sequences as warmups or even finishers to your program.

Expert Tip: Tense Up

While these exercises should be fluid, create constant resistance by drilling palms into the ground and exaggerating movements, radiating tension through your limbs.

The Warmup

Dedicate 5 minutes to wrist mobilization: Get on all fours and flip your wrists around,
then lean or rock back and forth. After, work through these exercises for 40 seconds
each. They’ll prep your joints for the main animal flow. Perform 2 rounds.

 

Alternating crab reach (A)

 

Warmup 1. Alternating Crab Reach

Start in crab position, feet hip-distance apart, hips hovering 1 inch off ground, and arms behind back, fingers pointing away from body. Bend right arm to midline so hand is 6 to 8 inches from face (A).

 

Transition phase of alternating crab reach (B)

Drive through heels and extend hips up into a three-point stance bridge (B).

 

Final stage of alternating crab reach (C)

Reach your arm up and over toward opposite hand, keeping a soft bend in elbow, eyes gazing at static hand (C). Lower, switching sides with each rep.

 

Beginning phase of Beast Wave Unload (A)

 

Warmup 2. Beast Wave Unload

Start in loaded beast position on all fours, pushing hips back toward heels as you reach arms forward (A).

 

Beast Wave Unload transition phase

 

Hike hips toward ceiling. Once knees are fully extended (B), tuck chin into chest and slowly roll your spine, emphasizing the curve in your back (C). When shoulders pass wrists, come into an upward-facing dog.

 

Beast Wave Unload transition phase (D)

Open your chest, pull chin to ceiling, and squeeze glutes (D). Reverse the wave and repeat.

 

Beginning phase of Alternating Scorpion Reach (A)

 

Warmup 3. Alternating Scorpion Reach

Start in loaded beast position (A).

 

Transition phase of Alternating Scorpion Reach (B)

Drive through balls of feet to bring left knee across body toward right wrist, keeping a slight bend in right knee (B).

 

Final phase of Alternating Scorpion Reach (C)

Extend arms as you drive left leg back, bending the knee and opening your hip, pressing shin toward ceiling (C). Bring left knee across body again before returning to start position, then repeat on opposite side.

 

Deep Ape position (A)

 

Workout 1: Deep Ape to Side Kick Through

Start in a deep squat, with feet hip-width apart or wider for comfort, feet slightly turned out, and arms between knees, keeping a flat back and proud chest (A).

 

Deep Ape to Side Kick Through transition (B)

Shift weight forward as you plant right hand to the ground (B) and kick right leg through, pointing toe and pulling left elbow back, palm facing away (C).

 

Side Kick Through (C)

Return to deep ape position, then switch sides. Work 40 seconds on, 20 off.

 

Crab position (A)

Workout 2. Crab to Underswitch Taps

Start in crab position (A), then drive through your right toe and left hand to pivot your body (B) onto all fours.

 

Crab to Underswitch Taps transition (B and C)

As soon as your limbs tap the ground (C), immediately redirect your momentum to the starting position (D).

 

Final position of Crab to Underswitch Taps (D)

 

Switch sides on each rep. Work 30 seconds on, 15 off.

 

Start position of Traveling Beast (A)

Workout 3. Traveling Beast

Start in beast position, with hands directly below shoulders, and knees stacked over hips, hovering 1 inch off the ground. Engage your core, keep your trunk level and low, then take a small step forward, moving right hand and left foot, resisting rotation through your hips (A).

 

Traveling Beast (B

 

On the next rep, move left hand and right foot, making sure they pick up and land simultaneously (B). Work 30 seconds on, 15 off.

 

Loaded Beast start position (A)

Workout 4. Loaded Beast to Front Step Through

Start in loaded beast position (A), then explode through the balls of your feet (B) and jump forward with control.

 

Loaded Beast to Front Step Through transition (B)

 

Forcefully drive your left leg into full extension, toes pointed, as your right arm assumes a “guard” position at your midline, elbow bent with hand in front of face (C).

 

Final position Loaded Beast to Front Step Through (C)

Reverse the motion to return to start, switching sides with each rep. Work 20 seconds on, 10 off.

Finisher Flow

Beast to left-leg underswitch to right-arm crab reach to jumping left-leg underswitch to right-leg side kick through to right-leg full scorpion to left-leg underswitch to beast. Repeat opposite side. Work 60 seconds on, 30 off. Repeat 3 times.

 

 

 

 

 

Crocodile Walk Exercise: A Core Cruncher

 

Try this bodyweight move to build your core as well as strong abs, arms and legs

When detailing the best features of a crocodile, impressive core strength would probably not make your top five. But make no mistake, behind those terrifying teeth and limb-rending claws is a muscle-bound mid-section any fitness fiend would be proud of.

Mimicking the crocodile’s walk is thus an excellent way to strengthen your own core, and the movement is also especially taxing on the arms and shoulders. The crocodile walk is a combination of press-ups, the plank and crawling, so it targets a whole load of muscles at once.

 

 

The Benefits

The crocodile walk is a total-body workout that will improve your endurance, and build strength in your core, arms, legs and shoulders. Keep the movement slow and controlled for maximum benefits. That said, if you want to really go for it, a real crocodile can hit 11mph on land, so that’s something to shoot for.

 

 

 

How To Do It

 

1. Start in a press-up position, with your legs and arms shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself down until your torso is as low as it would get during a press-up. You should aim to keep your upper body as low as possible throughout the exercise, bracing your core and glutes to ensure your posture is correct.
3. Begin walking by bringing one knee up towards the elbow, simultaneously moving the opposite arm forward. Then repeat on the other side.

The croc crawl is surprisingly hard, so don’t set yourself too big a distance the first few times you try, instead aim to keep going slowly for 30 seconds (you can go backwards if you run out of room), before taking a break and trying again. It’ll get easier once you become accustomed to the technique, and then you can add it into circuit training.

Crocodiles are not the only animal whose perambulation is worth copying if you’re on a fitness kick. If the croc walk is proving too tricky, you can instead opt for the bear crawl. The premise is the same, crawling along on all fours, but you don’t have to get your torso so close to the ground, making it slightly easier on your upper body.