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There’s a new beast in town — your body. "Primal" workouts have been quickly gaining in popularity; they require little to no equipment, include functional movement, and are just plain fun. The exercises mimic the movement patterns of the strong, graceful, and powerful animals found in nature — with a human-fitness twist, of course. Crawling like a leopard helps increase flexibility in your hips and shoulders, balancing like a bird engages your core, and leaping like a frog will spike your heart rate.
Our from-the-wild workout is designed by Dasha Libin Anderson, MS, NASM-PES, MKC, NASE, M-KBIA, creator of the Kettlebell Kickboxing program. The moves, featured in the "animal calisthenics" routine on Anderson's latest DVD, are inspired by animals but also pull from her background in martial arts. The end result: improved strength, flexibility, agility, endurance, and killer muscles.
The 10 exercises ahead are anything but basic — no squats, burpees, or curls here. Instead, you’ll engage your muscles by moving, twisting, and balancing like you're on top of the food chain. Haven't you always wanted to find your fitness spirit animal?
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