Ape

AnimalBW

A deep squat hop pattern where the hands plant on the ground in front, then the feet jump forward to land just outside the hands, and back. Builds explosive hip mobility, coordination, and grip-to-floor timing.

Demo: Animal Flow

Sets

3

Reps

8-10 reps

Rest

45s

Contraindications

Avoid with knee pain in deep flexion; regress to Deep Squat Hold.

Setup

Start standing, feet just wider than hips, in a deep squat with hands planted flat on the floor in front of the feet.

Execution

  1. 1From a deep squat with hands on the floor, jump the feet forward to land just outside the hands
  2. 2Absorb the landing softly into a deep squat, hands staying grounded or lightly repositioning
  3. 3Reverse by jumping the feet back to the starting position
  4. 4Keep the head up and spine long throughout
  5. 5Keep the movement rhythmic and controlled, not sloppy

Key cues

  • Land soft, like a cat
  • Hands stay active on the floor guiding the rhythm
  • Keep the chest lifted, don't round the back
  • Feet land just outside the hands, not on top of them

Common faults

  • Landing hard and flat-footed
  • Rounding the spine to reach the floor
  • Losing hand contact/control on the floor
  • Moving too fast before mobility allows control

Tweaks

  • Add a small pause in the deep squat between reps
  • Travel forward across the floor for distance
  • Combine into Ape Sweep for a rotational variant

Progressions

Ape Sweep

Muscles

Primary: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hip Adductors

Secondary: Calves, Shoulders, Core

Notes

One of the six foundational 'travelling forms' in the Animal Flow system.

Sources

Attribution: Mike Fitch / Animal Flow