Animal Flow

What Animal Flow does

Animal Flow is a ground-based quadrupedal movement training (QMT) fitness education company founded in 2010 by Mike Fitch, operating under the legal entity Global Bodyweight Training and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. The company's core technology is a proprietary movement system built on six integrated components (Wrist Mobilizations, Activations, Form Specific Stretches, Traveling Forms, Switches & Transitions, and Flows) anchored by three foundational base positions (Ape, Beast, Crab). The methodology draws from breakdancing, parkour, gymnastics, and hand balancing, and is supported by multiple peer-reviewed published studies demonstrating improvements in functional movement scores, pain reduction, cognitive flexibility, and joint reposition sense.

The product portfolio spans a tiered certification system (Level 1-3 workshops at $347-$795), a recurring On Demand subscription accessible via web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire, a multimedia book for martial arts practitioners ($149), branded apparel, premium mentorship retreats in Bali, advanced retreats in Colorado, an annual Virtual Summit ($295-$350), and the International Animal Flow Day global community event. Revenue is diversified across one-time workshop fees, monthly subscriptions, one-time product sales, and experiential programming, with CEU/CEC approvals across ACE, NASM, AFAA, ISSA, and UAE REPs supporting professional credentialing of certified instructors.

Animal Flow serves three primary customer segments: fitness professionals seeking certification (personal trainers, group fitness instructors, yoga instructors, coaches, physical therapists, PE teachers) who are the economic anchor of the business; general fitness enthusiasts engaging via On Demand or local classes; and martial arts and combat sports practitioners addressed through the MACS book. Distribution is global, with 23 employed Master Instructors operating in person and via Zoom across 10+ languages, a certified instructor directory covering 60+ countries, and community events (IAFD) reaching 200+ local gatherings. The company is privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Animal Flow

Legal name

Global Bodyweight Training

Website

https://animalflow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Animal Flow is a Boulder, Colorado-based fitness education company that delivers a proprietary ground-based quadrupedal movement training system through tiered certification workshops, a global On Demand subscription platform, branded apparel, and immersive retreats, serving certified fitness professionals, general fitness enthusiasts, and martial artists across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fitness Education and Movement Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Fitness & Mobility Training (HSADAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual) (HSADAAAA), Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming (HSADAAAM), Strength & Conditioning Personal Training (HSADAAAB)

Keywords

• Bodyweight fitness training
• Movement certification programs
• Quadrupedal movement training
• Fitness instructor workshops
• Exercise video streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workshop Registrations: Revenue from in-person and online Level 1, 2, and 3 certification workshops. Two-day intensive workshops priced $347.50-$795 depending on level and early bird status. Fitness professionals can complete certification to become authorized instructors.
2. On Demand Subscription: Monthly subscription service providing unlimited access to tutorials, flows, and full-length classes across all difficulty levels. New content released weekly including Flow of the Week. Includes 14-day free trial and instructor discount rate available.
3. Educational Products: One-time purchase of multi-media books including the AF for Martial Arts and Combat Sports (MACS) book at $149, featuring 230+ pages and 170+ videos. L1 workshop attendees receive 20% discount.
4. Apparel Sales: E-commerce sales of branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, and long sleeves in various styles and colors, priced $29.95-$59.95. Separate product lines for general Flowists and certified Instructors.
5. Gift Certificates: Digital gift certificates available in amounts from $20-$2500, valid for two years from purchase date. Can be applied to workshop registrations, online courses, apparel, and On Demand subscriptions.
6. Virtual Summit Tickets: Annual virtual summit event with 12 hours of content. Priced at $350 regular or $295 early bird. Includes 6 months of recording access. CEUs pending with NASM and ACE.
7. Mentorship Programs: Week-long immersive experiences combining science lectures, movement sessions, and adventure. Hosted at premium locations like Bali's Komune Resort with accommodation options and all meals included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Animal Flow sells a ground-based quadrupedal movement training (QMT) system through tiered in-person and online certification workshops (Level 1, 2, 3), a recurring On Demand streaming subscription platform, immersive mentorship and retreat programs, a multimedia book (AF for MACS), and branded apparel. The offering is designed to certify fitness professionals as instructors while enabling general fitness enthusiasts to practice the methodology independently via digital content, in-person workshops, and a global network of certified instructors.

Product overview

Animal Flow is a ground-based movement fitness system organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include: the On Demand subscription platform providing digital access to tutorials and classes; a tiered workshop certification system (Level 1, 2, and 3) for instructor training; and the Advanced Transitions online course as an add-on module. The company also offers immersive experiences including Mentorships and Advanced Retreats, along with a multimedia book (AF for MACS) and apparel sub-brands (Silhouette Series, Flowist, Instructor). Content distribution spans iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire platforms. The portfolio is unified around quadrupedal movement training (QMT) principles with the Six Components framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Flow On Demand Subscription streaming service providing unlimited access to Animal Flow tutorials, flows at all levels, and full-length classes, accessible via web, iOS app, Android app, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire, with offline download capability and a 14-day free trial. Targeted at fitness enthusiasts and certified instructors wanting ongoing practice and reference content.
• Level 1 Workshop Two-day intensive workshop teaching all Level 1 movements, regressions, progressions, and variations. Prerequisites for fitness professionals to become Certified Animal Flow Instructors. Available in-person globally, online live via Zoom, and hybrid formats. Approved for 1.1 CEUs (ACE, NASM), 11 CEUs (AFAA), 13 CECs (ISSA), and 13 CPDs (UAE REPs).
• Level 2 Workshop Two-day workshop providing a deep dive into Level 2 movements, including Tuck Balance training, energy transfers, tempo control, and the incorporation of Traveling Forms into flows. Open to Level 1 graduates.
• Level 3 Workshop Intense two-day workshop advancing flow practice, science, teaching methods, and coaching qualities. Covers the Four Pillars of Animal Flow, progressive Tuck Balance, Float training, anatomy and biomechanics, and advanced movements. Open to Level 2 students.
• Advanced Transitions Online Course Self-paced online course offering an exclusive collection of unique transitions and Switches & Transitions not included in L1, L2, or L3 curriculums. Includes lifetime access with updates and new movements. Available to Level 1 students.
• AF Mentorship Week-long immersive experience combining science lectures, movement sessions, extensive Flow practice, adventures, and social activities. Led by Mike Fitch and Master Instructors. Currently hosted at Komune Resort in Bali with accommodation options and all meals included.
• Advanced Retreats Advanced retreat focused on flow design and performance using advanced moves and transitions. Led by Mike Fitch. Currently offered in Colorado with a co-located 2026 event.
• Animal Flow for Martial Arts and Combat Sports (MACS) Multi-Media Book Over 230-page multimedia training guide plus 170+ embedded videos showing how martial artists and combat sports athletes can integrate Animal Flow for mobility, strength, conditioning, and injury prevention. Covers energy systems, strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and specific MACS disciplines. $149 one-time purchase, with 20% discount for Level 1 workshop attendees.
• Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates valid for two years from purchase date. Applicable to workshop registrations, online courses, apparel, mentorship, and retreat registrations on the Animal Flow website. Available amounts range from $20 to $2,500.
• Virtual Summit Annual virtual summit hosted by the Master Instructor team featuring 12 hours of lectures, interactive workshops, and pure movement sessions on research, flow design, and sports and rehab applications. Includes 6 months of recording access. CEUs pending with NASM and ACE. Priced at $350 regular or $295 early bird.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant improvements in FMS composite score (1.62 vs 0.33 control) and FMS advanced movements (0.81 vs 0.01 control) after 8-week protocol
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ZUU Fitness: ZUU is a bodyweight-based fitness certification program explicitly cited by Animal Flow as a comparator. Both target fitness professionals with multi-level instructor certifications and global instructor networks focused on equipment-free conditioning.
• StrongFirst: StrongFirst is a global strength and movement education brand offering multi-level instructor certifications, in-person seminars, and online content. Comparable to Animal Flow in leveraging certified-instructor networks and bodyweight/movement training pedagogy.
• Original Strength: Original Strength is a movement-based training certification and content company focused on reflexive strength and primal movement patterns, with a similar instructor-certification and online-content model targeting fitness professionals.
• Polestar Pilates: Polestar is a global Pilates education and certification organization delivering instructor training across multiple countries. Comparable to Animal Flow in offering tiered movement-based certifications with an international instructor network and recurring continuing education.
• WeckMethod: WeckMethod offers functional movement and rotational training certifications and workshops targeting fitness professionals, similar in scope to Animal Flow's certification-led model with proprietary movement frameworks.
• GMB Fitness (Gold Medal Bodies): GMB sells online bodyweight training programs and certifications (including movement/mobility and animal-inspired locomotion skills) aimed at fitness enthusiasts and trainers, with a similar subscription-plus-course revenue model targeting overlapping customers.

Broad incumbents

• CrossFit: CrossFit is the dominant functional fitness brand globally with a vast affiliate gym network and L1/L2/L3 instructor certification program. While broader than Animal Flow, it sets the benchmark for the certification-led functional training model Animal Flow operates within.
• F45 Training: F45 is a large functional training franchise offering group classes. It overlaps with Animal Flow on the functional-fitness consumer base but operates through a much broader studio franchise model rather than a methodology/certification model.

Others

• ACE (American Council on Exercise): ACE is a major fitness certification and continuing-education provider that approves Animal Flow's L1 for CEUs. Relevant as the governing credentialing ecosystem that drives B2B demand for Animal Flow workshops.
• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine): NASM is a leading fitness certification body whose continuing education framework Animal Flow's L1 workshop integrates with. It is a partner/standards body rather than direct competitor, but defines the credentialing ecosystem Animal Flow sells into.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/animalflow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQY9gDxN4_xk4WiKtoKwbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/animalflow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animalflow
• Instagraminstagram.com/animalflow

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Animal Flow