60 summer 2019
Flowing Fundamentals
Sometimes getting back to basics is the best way to make progress, and it can’t get any more
basic than using your own body in a functional way. “We were literally born to move like this —
crawling, squatting, running and moving in every plane,” Martinez says. “As we get older, we
lose that capacity and have to earn those positions back.”
Animal Flow — the brainchild of Mike Fitch, NSCA-CPT, NASM, NSCA, IFPA, AAHFRP —
was designed to do just that, combining ground-based, multi-planar movements with elements
such as bodyweight training, gymnastics, break dancing, parkour and hand balancing. “Animal
Flow is based on primitive, human movements that are the healthiest for our bodies to master,”
says Lau, who herself is an L2 and L2 Animal Flow instructor. “There is no other fitness system
that gets your body moving so much. It is strength, mobility, core dynamics, cardio, balance,
power, coordination, timing, brain stimulation and self-expression all at once.”
It will also get you into great shape. “I tried flowing because I thought it looked unique, but I
quickly found out how much more challenging it was compared to normal calisthenics — I was
a sweaty mess,” Martinez says.
“I got into the best shape of my life doing this kind of training,” Lau adds. “In fact, I can lift
more weight now than I could before, and I am rarely sore.”Kettle-Benefits
In the last decade, kettlebells have rolled out of the chalky corners of the gym floor into the
limelight and are the current darlings of the weightlifting world. “The kettlebell is an incredibly
versatile tool that allows for so much more than a dumbbell,” says Martinez, who is a master
kettlebell trainer. “The off-centered mass combined with the handle allows for a wide variety of
flows, transitions and nonstop circuits that you can’t do as easily with a dumbbell.”
Kettlebells develop grip and core strength as well as shoulder stability and body awareness.
“They also build incredible flexibility and power in the hamstrings and hips, and help you lose
body fat through fast-paced circuits,” Martinez says.
“They also allow you to move in multiple ranges of motion, which is complementary to
flowing,” Lau adds.If
you’re of
a “certain
age,” you’ll
remember
the Reece’s
commercial
when a man bumps into
a woman on the street
and accidentally jams
his entire chocolate bar
into her weirdly open jar
of peanut butter, thereby
creating the most de-
licious flavor combo
on the planet.
Seemingly disparate
modern-day work-
outs can be similarly
blended, albeit in a less
incongruously machi-
nated way, to create a
completely new training
experience — yoga with
Pilates, barbells and
barre class, and now
kettlebell training and
Animal Flow. The dy-
namic duo of Venus Lau
and Marcus Martinez
melded together these
two disciplines to cre-
ate Oxygen’s new six-
week course Kettlebell
& Flow. Their ensuing
unique training cocktail
is fun and effective and
is all but guaranteed
to make you stronger,
more mobile and more
intimately connected to
your body.Kettlebells
offer more
versatility than
dumbbells and
develop grip and
core strength
as well as joint
stability.H
ai
r^ andMakeup:^Beth
Walker
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ngand^ Shoes:^ Model
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