Loaded Beast

AnimalBW

From Beast, one knee lifts and loads forward toward the same-side wrist, shifting nearly all bodyweight onto the opposite hand and foot. The setup position for Scorpion Reach and other advanced single-limb Animal Flow drills.

Demo: Animal Flow

Sets

3

Reps

3-5 per side, 10-15 sec hold

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Requires solid Beast hold first; avoid with wrist or shoulder pain.

Setup

Start in Beast hold, knees hovering off the ground.

Execution

  1. 1Shift weight onto one hand and the opposite foot
  2. 2Lift the free knee and load it forward, bringing it toward the same-side wrist
  3. 3Keep the supporting arm locked and actively pushing the floor away
  4. 4Keep hips low and level, resisting rotation toward the loaded side
  5. 5Hold, then return the knee to Beast and repeat on the other side

Key cues

  • Load the knee toward the wrist, not out to the side
  • Keep the supporting shoulder stacked over the wrist
  • Resist twisting the hips open
  • Breathe — this is a strength hold, not a stretch to rush through

Common faults

  • Rotating the hips open instead of staying square
  • Supporting elbow caving inward under the load
  • Butt rising too high to compensate for balance
  • Rushing the loading phase instead of controlling it

Tweaks

  • Hold for time (10-15s) on each side
  • Progress into Scorpion Reach directly from this position
  • Add small pulses in the loaded position

Regressions

Beast Position (Hold)

Progressions

Scorpion Reach

Muscles

Primary: Shoulders, Core, Hip Flexors

Secondary: Obliques, Forearms, Quadriceps

Notes

Rated difficulty 4 due to the unilateral loading demand — a significant jump from the bilateral Beast hold.

Sources

Attribution: Mike Fitch / Animal Flow