50 Weird and Challenging Animal Movements (Exercises) To Apply To Your Training

www.VigorGroundFitness.com
The notion of using animal-inspired exercises for training is nothing new. Traditional disciplines, such as Shaolin kung fu, use animal-like exercises to create movements of incredible strength and grace. And if you visit any playground, you’ll see kids crouching, crawling, and climbing just like other mammals do.
If you’ve ever observed an animal in the wild or at the local zoo where they have access to a natural environment, the first thing that might impress you is how fluid and natural all the movements appear to be. Whether they are swinging from branch to branch or prowling about in front of their young ones, everything they do seem to be smooth and graceful.
The fundamental principle is that the movements mimic those you’d find in nature. That’s why many of the locomotive patterns are directly named after bears, gorillas, rabbits, or cats. You are emulating moves that have been honed by millions of years of evolution and natural selection.
While humans can sprint at speed, we cannot possibly compare to the cheetah. While people can excel at climbing, we have nothing on the bonobo. And while humans can crawl, slither, or jump, we cannot compare with the unique movements of a bear, alligator, or kangaroo. Hence why these movement patterns are challenging for most.
Generalization Not Specialization
If you think about the conventional exercises performed in the gym, such as the bicep curl, most of them isolate one or two muscles at a time. Only a few exercises, such as the squat, actually involve the full body working as a unit.
That’s something that training like an animal tries to functionally overcome. One way to optimize strength, flexibility, mind and body control is by involving the spine and trunk - what many refer to as “engaging your core.” We do this with locomotion, especially with quadrupedal movements.
Instead of a specialized movement for just one muscle, the idea is to develop generalized movements for multiple muscles and joints at one time. These are known as compound movements.
A classic example is the “bear crawl” -, which is crawling on the ground, without using the knees. This involves the arm and leg muscles, as well as the engagement of the hips, back, shoulders, and trunk. The very act of moving-on-all-fours forces you to focus on orientation, flexibility, coordination, and fluidity.
How to Train with Animal-Inspired Exercise
You Are Your Own Gym: to do these exercises, you don’t need additional weight. All you need is your body weight. You’ve never seen a tiger or lion working out with weights in the jungle (bench pressing tree trunks?), so why would humans need weights to get beast-like strength? Move with purpose.
Jack of all Trades and Masters of One: Humans are unique in our ability to climb, run, jump, lift and carry. These exercises promote stability and orientation without creating the type of muscle that might get in the way of mobility, grace and control. Work on a variety of movement patterns at different intensities.
Sit Less and Move More: In modern Western society, not all the movements we are capable of are put to good use. Most of us lead rather sedentary lives, where the ability to sit in a chair for hours at a time during the day and recline on a couch for hours a time during the night are what we “train” most often.
Think of Our Roots as Hunter-Gatherers: as humans evolved into an upright, bipedal species, we gradually lost touch with our natural roots. Our history as hunter-gatherers bears little resemblance to modern technological society, where everyday survival has nothing to do with foraging long distances for food or escaping wild animals. This means we’ve lost touch with nature. Four-legged locomotion is something that rarely occurs to most of us, even though that’s exactly how our babies learn to crawl.
Focus on Function: Focus on “functional movement” - the type of action that can make you more efficient and productive in your everyday life. What does that mean to you? This might include exercises that make it easier to take a few flights of stairs, play with your kids or practices that make it simpler to carry heavy groceries to and from the supermarket.

[@CoachLain]

What I think I love the most about this video is that you didn't edit out some of the takes where it looks like you guys stumble a little or are clearly figuring out the movement as you go along! I LOVE that! Great video, thank you so much!!! I'm going to be incorporating these into my pieces of training IMMEDIATELY! :D

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

(Monday); First 10 walks completed ✓

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

(Tuesday) 10+10 = 20 walks completed ✓

[@astharai7711]

(wednesday) 10+10+8=28 walks completed √ Ye hard tha guru bas lizard hi lizard hai !

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

(Thursday) 28+5 = 33 walks completed today ✓

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

(Friday) 33+7 = 40 movements completed ✓

[@MarkMcArthey]

I'd been working out a lot of these ideas in my head and, as luck would have it, you did a lot of the hard work already! Great, thanks so much for sharing!

[@brotherdarkness89]

I'm glad to see these functional exercises be put more out there especially in these Covid times.

[@asnsto]

Guys, this video is a whole treasure! Thank you for sharing!

[@Ronin13881]

Gold. Found. Thank you.

[@ssrushti]

This is so goood!!!!

[@blaisetzu]

Incredible collection! Very creative and dynamic. This going to creative some super human mutants for sure 💯

[@rsun2226]

I got bored of doing repeated 100 burpees (even with variations) & now this seems interesting & refreshing to try next. Thank you for effort & sharing this to the world!

[@Gurman_Singh_Sidhu]

Wow just wow !!!

[@The-Contractor]

Just ran across this channel. Great addition to my Animal Flow collection. Keeping it fresh keeps me motivated.

[@fruzsijne5465]

This is amazing Luka, thank you so much for sharing this :) Love your videos! :) I only knew a few of these exercises so far

[@BobbySanders-bf2fr]

Thank you.....

[@Vicstricks]

Love these animal exercises.... Will incorporate some in my workout..

[@AFRIKTODAY]

I do not understand how you guys are not more popular! WTF!!!!

[@seansartor]

Bruh, I agree these exercises are EXCELLENT !!!!

[@pz3j]

You men are awesome! Excellent demonstration of some very interesting techs. This is the best instruction I've seen on this topic. Thanks to both of you. I wish you health, vitality, peace and freedom all of your lives. May you both see 120 years.

[@robertfostertos]

Awesome video. Great demos. So functional. So fluid. Well done gents

[@gilianeavice6737]

This is by far my favourite video! I cannot wait to do them all! You’ve truly made my day. Thank you so much 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

You doing currently?

[@melenducas]

Woow thank you guys!!! Those exercises are awesome!!

[@ChristinaLimCPT]

This is so great!!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@stevepaul9452]

Mate brilliant selection and demo. Wow! Big thanks

[@themassacrecat5653]

your videos and workout are always awesome and the best thank you

[@delta6794]

Great Video! Many Thanks!

[@Full_Circle_Piano]

Great video. Thanks for posting

[@michellechang2538]

Lots new ideas ....love it !

[@rog809]

love every movement

[@gustavodominguez2222]

Excelente! Gracias x el aporte

[@davidquiroz45]

Great! Thanks coach.

[@seanbellruns]

Amazing guys! love your work

[@yavierooo]

Estoy aprendiendo y avanzando en el break dance y esto me parece que ayuda mucho, lo recomiendo gracias.

[@flaviodequeirozbahia]

Thank, you my friends! I'm 60yo and I'm practising these exercises! Nice! Greetings from Bahia!

[@mohsenajam6836]

So Amazing. Excellent.

[@BennoKlass]

So nice, thanks for these great Movements

[@RpgmaniacNo1]

Multidimensional movement ( human appropriate movement ) Thank you for the beautiful video , Luka

[@ArmenKassabian]

So helpful ❤❤ thanks for making this wonderful content for us!

[@NnamdiDo]

I love the way you titled them. Awesome video 👍

[@gloriarowshan2645]

Love it

[@iqrakhan8934]

You are awesome, never found a channel like this

[@jayashreemrutyunjay8648]

Visual treat ❤

[@LorenzoKiki]

Wow, many of them NEW to me! 👍

[@paluwaskalolo2344]

Great mobility exercises

[@joeschmo7957]

These are, by and large, outstanding activities for those who are new to exercise and wish progress from the basics. This will build the core and upper body strength, overall stability and balance. Ideal work. Many of these may be modified for the elderly to strengthen them for assistance getting off the floor, if they ever find themselves there.

[@Gurman_Singh_Sidhu]

You kidding dude these are advanced level , an average person can’t do it , first you need flexibility in your overall body and stability too then only you can do these

[@user-to8tg1ly3r]

This is awesome!

[@pelumiogungbenjo3013]

Really great stuff

[@shawnrank9007]

amazing!!!!

[@Mr3c2b1a]

Thank you for gift x

[@lMobiuscidl]

You guys are legit. I hope you get wau more subs over time.

[@victorramireztorres4971]

amaizing video bro thanks

[@t.e.g.fitness5875]

Awesome vid as per usual, what’s the music playing??? It’s rad

[@pfcaraujo]

This is what I needed in my life

[@Fitnessiology]

This is great mate- new fan here

[@snaggycheesehead4065]

I love your videos.

[@lezlieobrien]

Woah, this shit is on fire. Love the montage of all these creative shapes and mvmts.

[@petrichor30]

Amazing ,,💪👍

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

Thanks man !

[@veyselsis5877]

thanks man

[@PhenomenalFitness]

Thanks!

[@joshuakelly997]

Awesome

[@avnerdayan6302]

So cool

[@titoubrouwers2017]

genious

[@fg-mx4nz]

grazie

[@lionofistanmusic7311]

Soooo good

[@dimitrimols7935]

Nice gym!!

[@MarioCastro]

Hello guys, excellent video....how long would you recommend to do this excersices (distance, time, etc) and how would you structure a session?, i'm interested and a bit lost here, don't want to fall neither in undertraning nor overtraining....Thanks

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

Do any 10 walks daily and complete this all walks in this video in 5 days. Per day 10 walks !

[@TheRhythmOfLife1972]

Now i see the Bloody Titles but still Wished these were Numbered, Time stamped or Chapter Headings to jump to my faves. Can you do a do-over or sell a poster ❔

[@fitfortunesYogaschool]

Great.im into yoga. I want learn these

[@mgbodyworkoutforever]

nice moves!

[@elisa3945]

Increíble

[@shwetarana583]

Can you please post a vedio on knee strengthing exercises.

[@codedxxx]

These are really good for joints. With all these movements there’s no need for a gym in one’s life.

[@zumbawithsharon6168]

Absolutely fabulous omg the flea wtf 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Luv it 🙏❤️. Thanks for sharing 🥰

[@shelmithseth8650]

hahahahahah! yea the flea was hilarious

[@kinestheticskills]

Awesome video!! What is the music??

[@luisaugustocruzalves744]

Great job ☝️ 💪💪👍👍👍👍🏆🏅🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@MrColdShoot]

wow this is a work out in itself, how many reps would you go for ? thanks alot !

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

01. [00:04] Crouching Tiger 02. [00:15] Baboon 03. [00:26] Sneaking Baboon 04. [00:37] Horse Walk 05. [00:49] Lazy Dog 06. [00:57] Sneaking Ape 07. [01:05] Lateral Ape 08. [01:16] High Hip Lateral Ape 09. [01:29] Jiu Jitsu Monkey 10. [01:38] Sneaking Ape Multi-Directional 11. [01:58] The Worm 12. [02:09] Inchworm 13. [02:29] Crab Walk 14. [02:43] High Hip Crab 15. [02:55] Duck Walk 16. [03:13] Flat Foot duck 17. [03:28] Bear Crawl 18. [03:40] Scorpion 19. [03:56] Scorpion Transition 20. [04:13] Scorpion Walk 21. [04:25] Gorilla 22. [04:34] Bear / Crab roll 23. [04:47] Chameleon 24. [05:01] Leaping monkey 25. [05:15] The Zipper 26. [05:30] Lizard 27. [05:38] Low Lizard 28. [05:47] Reaching Crab 29. [06:01] Seal Walk 30. [06:09] Bunny Hops (Hands Down) 31. [06:14] Bunny Hops (Hands Up) 32. [06:19] Spider Crawl 33. [06:30] Aligator Walk 34. [06:37] Low Alligator Walk 35. [06:43] Frog jumps 36. [06:52] Jumping Spider 37. [07:01] Cricket 38. [07:08] Elephant Walk 39. [07:33] Flea Jump 40. [07:43] Gorilla jump 41. [07:55] Leaping Lizard 42. [07:59] Crustacean Crawl 43. [08:12] Monkey Roll 44. [08:25] Crawl #1 45. [08:34] Crawl #2 46. [08:48] Multi-Directional Crawl 47. [09:09] Figure 4 w/Sweep 48. [09:24] Squat to Side Kick 49. [09:32] Quadruped Sit Out 50. [09:39] Donkey Kick to Sit Out

[@nandanrai8974]

Thanks❤

[@cedricsalentiny959]

great movement... look easy but not. And good for cardio and heart rate...

[@shinchan2530]

Can u plzz post tutorial of these moves

[@cjfilenius1446]

I’m slowly transferring from yoga to animal it fits me well!

[@SherrickDuncan]

Why not do both?

[@falconag8684]

The leaping monkey is the hardest one for me

[@adiyogiyogclasses6477]

There is any difference between mobility and movement sir,

[@joysuryabiswas7294]

Timing of each exercise?

[@HarukoHinako]

Here is the list from this Animal movements with links. I recommend to slow video to watch every movement. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 01. [00:04] Crouching Tiger 02. [00:15] Baboon 03. [00:26] Sneaking Baboon 04. [00:37] Horse Walk 05. [00:49] Lazy Dog 06. [00:57] Sneaking Ape 07. [01:05] Lateral Ape 08. [01:16] High Hip Lateral Ape 09. [01:29] Jiu Jitsu Monkey 10. [01:38] Sneaking Ape Multi-Directional 11. [01:58] The Worm 12. [02:09] Inchworm 13. [02:29] Crab Walk 14. [02:43] High Hip Crab 15. [02:55] Duck Walk 16. [03:13] Flat Foot duck 17. [03:28] Bear Crawl 18. [03:40] Scorpion 19. [03:56] Scorpion Transition 20. [04:13] Scorpion Walk 21. [04:25] Gorilla 22. [04:34] Bear / Crab roll 23. [04:47] Chameleon 24. [05:01] Leaping monkey 25. [05:15] The Zipper 26. [05:30] Lizard 27. [05:38] Low Lizard 28. [05:47] Reaching Crab 29. [06:01] Seal Walk 30. [06:09] Bunny Hops (Hands Down) 31. [06:14] Bunny Hops (Hands Up) 32. [06:19] Spider Crawl 33. [06:30] Aligator Walk 34. [06:37] Low Alligator Walk 35. [06:43] Frog jumps 36. [06:52] Jumping Spider 37. [07:01] Cricket 38. [07:08] Elephant Walk 39. [07:33] Flea Jump 40. [07:43] Gorilla jump 41. [07:55] Leaping Lizard 42. [07:59] Crustacean Crawl 43. [08:12] Monkey Roll 44. [08:25] Crawl #1 45. [08:34] Crawl #2 46. [08:48] Multi-Directional Crawl 47. [09:09] Figure 4 w/Sweep 48. [09:24] Squat to Side Kick 49. [09:32] Quadruped Sit Out 50. [09:39] Donkey Kick to Sit Out

[@INDIAN-uf2nz]

Thankyou so much

[@apzzpa]

god bless you internet stranger

[@rauberhotzenplotz6886]

I do this in the gym now i am in the zoo😮

[@swenkugler8450]

👍👍

[@transformxruby]

is there a list of all of these tomewhere haha? it moves too fast

[@thechino]

Screw all that functional fitness nonsense. *This* stuff teaches your body to be functional.

[@muigor]

❤

[@alesitalagi8854]

Wow this new to me but all depends to fit people I'm scare now

[@muhammadhaqqulyaqin_yayak]

❤❤❤❤❤👍🏻💪🏻i like this video very much 🏋🏻‍♂️ 💪🏻🏋🏻‍♂️💪🏻 Please make a 10 or 8 minute exercise video with a variety of movements: Bodyweight exercises and Dumbbell exercises for : forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, neck, back, lats, chest, abs, lower back, obliques, upper abs, lower abs, glutes, hips/kegels/pelvis, waist, hamstrings, quadriceps, thighs and calves... and also ask for your help in making a video of exercises for the fingers, soles of the feet, palms, toes....... and exercise for symmetrical slanted bodies such as shoulders, face and other body parts..... And tall sports / to increase body height such as basketball athletes, cardio sports with and without dumbbells, as well as delicious bulking and cutting, recipes for delicious food and healthy food that we can cook at home...... Don't forget to upload warm-up and cool-down videos with and without dumbbells I hope the video can be uploaded soon for my practice at home and I will share it with my friends. Sorry if there are any wrong words from me. I say...... thank you for your attention and and good luck always.... From : Muhammad Haqqul Yaqin *YAYAK* your fans 👍🏻💪🏻🏋🏻‍♂️ Please make a video bodyweight workout / home workout and Dumbbell workout for train muscle forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, neck, back, lats, chest, abs, upper abs, lower back, obliques, lower abs, waist, glute, pelvic / kegel, hamstring, quads, thighs, and calfs and finger workout, palm workout, face workout, body symmetrical workout, sole feet workout, tall workout, etc ...... please make that video because i love workout ....... thank you for your attention 🙂👍From your fans YAYAK ❤ i like this video very much 🏋️‍♂️💪🏻👍🏼👍🏻 Ask for help to make a video of : Bodyweight exercise and Dumbbell exercise for : forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, neck, back, lats, chest, abs, lower back, obliques, upper abs, lower abs, glutes, hips/kegels/pelvic, waist, hamstrings, quadriceps, thighs and calves... and also ask for help making a video of exercises for finger, sole feet, palm ..... and exercise for symmetrically slant the body such as shoulders, face and other body parts.... And exercises to tall like basket ball player, cardio with and without dumbbell and how to bulking and cutting.... don't forgett to upload video warm up and cooling down with and without dumbbell 🙂🙂😊 Sorry if there are any wrong words ....... for your attention I say....... thank you very much From : Muhammad Haqqul Yaqin *YAYAK* your fans 💪✊👍 💪🏻🏋🏻‍♂️💪🏻 Please make a 10 or 8 minute exercise video with a variety of movements: Bodyweight exercises and Dumbbell exercises for : forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, neck, back, lats, chest, abs, lower back, obliques, upper abs, lower abs, glutes, hips/kegels/pelvis, waist, hamstrings, quadriceps, thighs and calves... and also ask for your help in making a video of exercises for the fingers, soles of the feet, palms, toes....... and exercise for symmetrical slanted bodies such as shoulders, face and other body parts..... And tall sports / to increase body height such as basketball athletes, cardio sports with and without dumbbells, as well as delicious bulking and cutting, recipes for delicious food and healthy food that we can cook at home...... Don't forget to upload warm-up and cool-down videos with and without dumbbells I hope the video can be uploaded soon for my practice at home and I will share it with my friends. Sorry if there are any wrong words from me. I say...... thank you for your attention From : Muhammad Haqqul Yaqin *YAYAK* your fans 👍🏻💪🏻🏋🏻‍♂️ V.T Dumbbell workout for forearm,bicep,tricep,shoulder,trap,neck,back,lat,lowerback,chest,abs,obliques,lowerab,kegel,hamstring,calf,thigh,quad,glute

[@Magicarpas]

Can someone put timestamps just so that when im in a hurry and my trainer ask for ONE of the 50 exercises I don't have to see them all.

[@xszykonixx2541]

Hello guys

[@marcey5699]

Hi

[@tokiohotelx3er]

The chameleon looks like it requires coordination on top of strength. #goals

[@ajgor989]

pozdro 6e 6c xD

[@pimanmoghtaderi3203]

💋💗❤💗❤💗❤💗❤

[@dischargesummary8794]

Beach workout

[@renehinojosa1962]

These movements are from ginastica natural, we used to do them as a warmup in Brazilian jiu jitsu. That was back in the early 90s but yeah these stuff is nothing new, he's even renamed some of the movements!

[@anastasiafalcon4637]

"Lazy dog" lmao

[@nicp5640]

The real question is: Do baboons get back pain?

[@Vishal-bro2000]

And fish can get headache?

[@depressivepumpkin7312]

1:00 dont call freestyle wrestlers animals....

[@DYELGAINZ]

Underated comment

[@nicholasmartin4559]

Love everything except elephant walk...LOL!... Look Kinda Meh!

[@xgalactixtoo]

JDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD