Thursday 17 August 2006: ANIMAL CONDITIONING


CONDITIONING - ANIMAL STYLE

Today's workout uses a variety of simulated animal movements to improve physical conditioning. This type of workout is especially fun for children, but I think even our more advanced trainees will find it sufficiently challenging.

Advanced:

  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Tiger Prowl
    (Crawl on your hands and feet keeping your body as low to the ground as possible without touching.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Crab Crawl
    (Sitting on the ground, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground and rest your hands on the ground slightly behind your hips. Lift your pelvis taking the weight of your body on your hands and feet, stomach pointing towards the sky. Crawl on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Kangaroo Hop
    (Perform a half-squat and jump forward landing on your feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 15/45 Cheetah Sprint
    (Sprint fast like a cheetah chasing a gazelle.)

Intermediate:

  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Bear Crawl
    (Bend forward and crawl on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Crab Crawl
    (Sitting on the ground, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground and rest your hands on the ground slightly behind your hips. Lift your pelvis taking the weight of your body on your hands and feet, stomach pointing towards the sky. Crawl on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Walking Lunges
    (Step forward and bend your knees. Your front knee should bend to a 90 degree angle; your back knee should bend to 90 degrees and stop just above the ground. Now step forward with the back leg and continue.)
  • 5 minutes - 15/45 Sprint

Basic:

  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Bear Crawl (Go to your knees if necessary, but do so on a soft surface.)
    (Bend forward and crawl on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Crab Crawl (Rest on your bottom if necessary.)
    (Sitting on the ground, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground and rest your hands on the ground slightly behind your hips. Lift your pelvis taking the weight of your body on your hands and feet, stomach pointing towards the sky. Crawl on your hands and feet.)
  • 5 minutes - 30/30 Half-Squats
  • 5 minutes - 15/45 Sprint or Powerwalk

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2 comments:

Neil said...

Completed advanced as rx'd. I really like the progression here. As the Tiger Prowls fried my shoulders, my triceps had to bear more of the Crab Walking. And the Cheetah Sprints were interesting, but I think mine looked a little more like "Planet of the Apes". Do you have any tips on how to perform them properly? Is it more just a low bear crawl sped up? Or is there a different movement pattern?

I like doing workouts like this every so often. My body feels amazing afterward, but it doesn't know why. It's so used to "sets" and "reps" that animal style training throws it for a loop.

Well done, JME!

JME said...

Neil,

I'm glad you enjoyed the "animal-style" workout. I'm actually in the process of putting together a training booklet on this type of training. There are lots of potential variations. We'll let you know when we get the photos shot and the layout finished.

I wasn't sufficiently clear in the description of the Cheetah Sprint. Sorry about that. It could be performed as a regular, upright run. It sounds like you performed it like a fast bear crawl (more like a bear charge!). That too is an outstanding variation, and yes, it looks more like a Planet of the Apes movement than anything graceful. :)