The Floreio Project

12/16/2014: For the Low Bridge Rotations (in the floreio movement section), I added an intermediary progression you could do after you master the Bridge Rotations Using the wall… and that is to do them with ONE arm. So… One Arm Wall Bridge Rotations.

11/07/2014: Updated the “Gatherings” section with written details of the variations.

10/20/2014: Ido Portal just posted a new video and i found this gem movement… so i just made this into a GIF:

• lizard walk to QDR rotation

10/11/2014: Just a tiny change… made the “info/intro” section collapsed so it doesn’t  clutter up the space when you’re looking on your mobile phone.

9/30/2014: Many little updates!

Ido Portal recently did a Q&A on reddit which I have added to the podcast section. He didn’t answer every question or give tremendously helpful info. But, some great info came out regardless!  Most notably, insight as to the wrist strengthening exercises, which I have updated in the mobility section.  Palm pulses were already in the list, but I added this clip of Johnny Sapinoso doing them in a handstand (handstand palm pulses) so you could see how far you could take these things.

• Wrist rocks! (Found a clip for the wrist rocks and made this a GIF!)
• Fingertip (knee) pushups
• Back of wrist (knee) pushups

Found some new bridge movements found from this youtube clip so I made this new gif: bridge rotations using a wall… IN A DEEP SQUAT and added it to my tutorial for learning bridge rotations using a wall.

Made a GIF of this Shoulderstand Roll and added it to the strength section (even though it’s really skill work but whatever).

7/30/2014: The low bridge rotations have two progression exercises, the “Low Bridge Slide” and “Rotations using Wall.” I found the wall progression to be really great so I made a video tutorial on that specifically. Here’s my breakdown of a progression exercise I learned from Ido Portal for rotating in and out of a low bridge.

7/9/2014: The floreio section was too long for my liking, so I moved the area where you could combine floreio movements into another blog post all together here: Combining Floreio Movements

7/2/2014: Added, prerequisite for rotations into high bridge (rotations in the low bridge!)

Updated wrist mobility motions (some were worded improperly). Updated mobility google doc to reflect changes.

7/1/2014: Fixed formatting errors that somehow were messed up from god knows what.

Added cruel-tutelage of ido portal video featuring many of his speeches from his workshops.

6/30/2014: Stopped the html5 clips from autoplaying to reduce
processor load.

6/29/2104: Added forum posts from gymnasticbodies

Ido a ‘movement specialist’ that has been inspiring the world to MOVE, get MOBILE and STRONG.  He believes that one should master their own body with control before even trying to move heavy objects outside of oneself. Watch this video to get a better idea of what he preaches.

More info:

• Ido makes regular updates on his Facebook page.
• His original blog is idoportal.blogspot.com and his newer site is IdoPortal.com
• Read like an assassin: Read Ido’s every blog post, every facebook post, every comment, watch each video 10 times. I have even included a compilation of his best posts at the very bottom of this page.
• Remember to get off your ass! People spend more time reading about stretching/training when they should actually be moving!

Ido originally inspired me to take on the 30-minutes a day squat challenge. Thanks bro.

How to use this page?

This is a general outline of how the workouts may go…

• Warm up (e.g., jump rope for 5 minutes)
• Mobility. This is of paramount importance.
  • Hips/Legs
  • Shoulders
  • Wrists
  • Ankles
• Skill Work: Choose ONE area to focus on for the day:
  • Floreio movements at your level (e.g., Beginner variant), usually rotating circuit style
  • Equilibre (Air Baby and Handstand)
  • Locomotion (“Walking” in challenging ways)
• Strength work, resting adequately in between sets (or sometimes, rest in a squat!)
• Prehab: Good to do once a week at the end of your workout, basically just do 2-3 runs of the mobility work.

I have organized this page and his videos according to this outline to best match the workout routines he has posted. If you have questions about particular moves, look for the “More Info” link that will take you to the relevant blog post with complete details.

If there’s anything you do out on this page, do mobility work. We need to do it. All of us. That’s why I made GIF/HTML5 clips of them. That’s also why I put all the detailed instructions on one page in this mobile/printer friendly version. Now you have zero excuses to skip this.

• Google Docs: Mobile/Printer Friendly version of Mobility Work.

ProTip: If you do all the squat (or shoulder) mobility all in one go, it may be too tiring and you lose quality. To give your legs and shoulders a break, alternate between the four mobility sequences below. Start with squat clinic, then move onto shoulder rom/stabilization, then do squat clinic 2.0, then finish with scapular mobilization. That is the way Ido has ordered this stuff in his old routines.

A common question is “Does the squat clinic 2.0 supersede the original squat clinic?” No, it only adds to it. The first squat clinic is all about opening up the hips/legs/toes.  The second squat clinic is all about mobilizing the spine to help improve the squat.

Hips/Legs/Spine (Rehab your squat)

All the floreio work always starts/ends with a squat so you bet your ass you can’t skip this.

• Ido’s Squat Clinic (More Info)
  • Dynamic Soleus Stretch
  • Hip Rotations on all fours (note how he rotates only on the balls of his feet or his toes)
  • Squat Hip Rotations
  • Static Toes Stretch (good stretch if you have plantar fasciitis)
  • Dynamic Toes Stretch
  • Static Squat Position
  • Dynamic Squats

• Ido’s Squat Clinic 2.0: Do 10-30reps if dynamic or 10-30secs if static (per side)
• • Start with knee push aways (If possible, straighten elbow completely)
  • Knee push away / Hold knee out (static hold)
  • Sky reaches (if possible, extend range)
  • Sky reach (static hold)
  • Buddha prayers (Extend range by fist against fist)
  • Squat bows with thumbs up (extend range by fist to fist or down to your elbows)
  • Squat bow (static hold)

Shoulder

These require the use of a resistance band.

Tips: It’s impossible to recommend the ‘perfect’ band because everybody has different levels of strength and flexibility. So I recommend you just get a set like this that comes with multiple resistances and have handles, allowing you to do both arms at once.

Ido’s thoughts: “Thera Bands may be good, but test them first and make sure you get enough tension out of them. For me, even the stronger ones are a bit too easy, but it may be suitable for you.”

If you have a theraband, I have found that doubling up the black theraband (black=”special heavy”) feels perfect for shoulder dislocates but too easy for everything else. One step heavier than that (the silver one; “super heavy”) feels more effective for strengthening the rotator cuff. But again, these don’t have handles and it’s better you just buy that set so you are good for life. An old/used bicycle tube, free at any bike shop, may work as well.

• Basic Shoulder ROM and Stabilization Routine (More Info)
  • 10-15 reps of external rotation
  • 10-15 reps of lateral raise to 45deg (0:13)
  • Arms Overhead: 10 rotations clockwise
  • Arms Overhead: 10 rotations counter-clockwise
  • Arms Overhead: 10 forward and backwards. Hold the stretched position in the end for 10sec. (0:21)
  • Arms in a T position with band behind: Repeat the same protocol (0:39)
    • 
      

      10 cw/ccw rotations, 10 reps forward & back, hold final stretch for 10sec

  • Arms down with band behind: Repeat the same protocol (0:58)
    • 
      

      10 cw/ccw rotations, 10 reps forward & back, hold final stretch for 10sec

• Scapula Mobilization routine (More Info)
  • Band Scapular Push Ups
  • Overhead Straight Arm Pull Down (0:27)
  • The Whippet (0:48)
  • Band Dislocates (1:13)

Wrist

• It is IMPERATIVE that you warm up the wrists each and every time. I stress this because it is what has made wrist sprains a thing of the past.
• Ido’s recommended wrist warm up is here. However the video is not the easiest to follow.
• As an alternative, this video by GMB is a lot easier to follow and quite excellent:
  • Finger Pulses
  • Palm Pulses (Johnny Sapinoso doing handstand palm pulses)
  • Side to Side Palm Rotations
  • Front Facing Elbow Rotations
  • Side to Side Wrist stretch (lean/push away)
  • Rear Facing Wrist stretch – palms down
  • Rear Facing Wrist stretch – palms up
  • Rear Facing Elbow Rotations (star trek vulcan salute)
  • Forward Facing, Lean Forward as much as possible
• Extras:
  • Wrist rocks (GIF!)
  • Fingertip (knee) pushups
  • Back of wrist (knee) pushups

Ankles

I found this article by a student that had attended his workshop and shared the ankle series.

• 10 Heel Raises. On 10th rep, take 10 steps forward and 10 back while on toes.
• 10 Toe Raises. On 10th rep, take 10 steps forward and 10 back while on heels.
• 10 Inversions (lift inner arches to go on the lateral aspect 10x). Then, 10 steps forward/back on lateral aspect.
• 10 Eversions (roll onto medial aspect of foot 10x). Then, 10 steps forward/back on medial aspect.

“Our ultimate goal with the Floreio practice is to be able to flow freely on the ground, using our body and the space around us to create this physical expression.” -Ido

Ido Portal has combined his skills from capoeira and other movement arts to come up with what he calls the Art of Floreio. He has poured in countless hours of work into breaking down these movements into their SIMPLEST motions so that even beginners could have a starting point. I have done my best to organize them. The beauty of these movements are that they build active flexibility and strength in new ranges you’ve probably never had to get into before. Plus, they’re really, really fun and make your brain work differently. (Ido says the human mind craves movement complexity.) And if you do any of these for time (e.g., Role for 3 minutes nonstop), it doubles as metabolic conditioning.

These are the 6 bread and butter movements. Start by learning the beginner versions of each.

1. Role
2. Au Cortado
3. Corta Capim
4. Rotations Into Low Bridge
5. Rotations into High Bridge
6. QDR Rotational Push Up

“Notice the quality of movement, the fluidity and control. These things are what makes this practice unique. Quality is central here. Its better to shoot for an easier variation, but perform it with control, quality and fluidity, than to do a harder one but not controlled, ugly and rigid.” – Ido

1. Role (More Info. Useful for transitions, gaining momentum, etc)

• Role (Start/end in a deep squat, the feet stay in contact with the floor at all times.)

2. Au Cortado (‘Cut Up Cartwheel’) (More Info)

• Half Au Cortado (don’t look at the ground, bend the knee of the lifting leg)
• Au Cortado (as you come around, bend the knee of the second leg/hip like you did with the first one)
• Au Cortado Presses

3. Corta Capim (‘Grass Cutter’)

• Corta Capim Spin Progressions (More Info)
  • Use your hands to spin slowly
  • Use hands only when about to lose balance
  • No hands, keep center of mass above pivot point
• Reverse Corta Capim Rotations (More Info)
  • Tip: watch how the planted foot lifts to let the leg pass

4. Rotations into Low Bridge (More Info)

“Some movements are like windows. Others are like doors. This [low bridge] is a DOOR.” -Ido Portal (Source)

For someone used to only getting into a static high bridge but never a low bridge or rotating within it, this is quite a great feeling.

• Rotations into Low Bridge (Beginner)
  • Bridge Rotations using Wall
    • One Arm Wall Bridge Rotations
  • Low Bridge Slide
  • Rotations into Low Bridge
• Rotations into One Arm Low Bridge (Advanced)

5. Rotations into High Bridge (More Info)

• Prerequisite: Rotations into Low Bridge
• Rotations into High Bridge (Beginner)
• Rotations into High Bridge (Advanced)

6. Queda De Rins (‘Stab/Fall of the Kidneys’) (More Info here and this article on Scribd) QDR Rotations (More Info)

• QDR Rotational Push Ups Beginner Start here!
• QDR Rotational Push Ups Intermediate & Advanced
• QDR Circles (Very advanced; More Info here)

Static, One Arm QDR Progressions (More Info)

• Prerequisite: QDR Rotational Push Ups
• Static Queda Batido Progressions – easy to advanced
  1. 3 point support closed position QDR resting the upper knee on the non supporting elbow.
  2. 3 point support closed position QDR knees in the air.
  3. 3 point support open position QDR.
  4. 2 point support open position QDR. (no head)
  5. 1 point support + fingertips open position QDR.
  6. 1 point support QDR.

QDR Batido Progressions (More Info)

• Prerequisite: Static QDR
• Queda Batido – Easy Variation
• Queda Batido – Advanced

Combining Floreio Movements for a Closed System Flow (CSF)

• This section has moved to another blog post, to reduce the clutter:
• The Floreio Project: Combining Floreio Movements

Note: Please make sure you did the wrist mobility drills as it’s imperative you avoid unnecessary wrist pain during hand-balancing work! (It can put you out for days/weeks!)

Air Baby Progressions (More Info)

• Frog Stand (Crow Pose) (Note: If you have trouble with this, my video tutorial is here)
• Air Baby Extensions
  • Extend into position
  • Extend back and externally rotate hip to open it
• Static Air Baby Progressions (requires mastery of the air baby extensions)
  • Two Arms
  • One Arm + Fingertips
  • One Arm + 2 Fingers
  • One Arm

Handstand Progressions (More Info)

• HS Body Line Wall Drill
• HS Straighten Into Line
• Out of Hand
  • Freestanding HS down into Pike
  • Straddle Press and down
  • Pike Press
  • Legs adduction/abduction
  • Alternate bending lower legs
  • Straddled rotations
  • Bent leg straddled one-leg extensions
  • Light swaying
  • Light one arm shift onto finger tips
  • Light one arm shift onto one finger
  • One arm handstand
  • Straddled one arm handstand
  • One arm handstand kick up
  • Bent leg straddled one-leg extensions into one arm hs
  • Block work
• Handstand Block Climbs

Locomotion = “Walking” in challenging positions.

Martial artists often study animals and mimic them to add to their movement repertoire and to capture the ‘essence’ of the animal behavior. Each movement provides a different and valuable component in the workout, from mobility to strength endurance, stabilization and more. (More info)

• Locomotion Conditioning Routine Beginner
  • Walking while swinging into HS (alternates the kicking up leg each time!)
  • Duck Walk (walking in squat)
  • Bridge Walk
  • Horse Walk (horse stance in motion, keep your butt low)
  • Lizard Walk (stay low to the ground)
  • Ostrich Walk
• Locomotion Conditioning Routine Intermediate
• • Handstand walks
  • Stay closer to ground in lizard walks
• Locomotion conditioning routine Advanced
• • Handstand walking with elbow to knee
  • Push explosively in ostrich walks
• More Locomotion [Research]
  • Extra: Lizard walk to QDR rotation

Supplemental info: The ‘walking while swinging into HS’ with alternating the kick up leg has vastly improved my control in a handstand and helped even me out.  The duck walk, horse walk and ostrich walk are sometimes in the “mobility” section of Ido’s old routines.

Support Holds using Stall bars (Swedish bars) (More Info)

• Swedish Bars Front Support
• Swedish Bars Back Support
• RTO Support Hold: If you have rings, check out my tutorial to learn a proper support hold on the rings.

Tripod Headstand Press Work (More Info)

• Gatherings Beginner Variations
  • Moving fluidly from Frog Stand to Tucked Headstand and reverse
  • Moving fluidly from Frog Stand to Tucked Headstand and extending legs and back down
• Gatherings Intermediate
  • Variation 1: Raise one leg as you set your head down and raise the other up to get into headstand, then bend knees, flex hips (tuck), straighten legs to ground and reverse.
  • Variation 2: Raise one leg as you set your head down and raise the other up to get into headstand and do pike presses.
• Gatherings Advanced (freestanding handstand recommended)
  • Piked Kipping Headstand Push Up

Bridge work (More Info)

• Basic Bridge Push Ups
• One Leg Bridge Push Ups
• One Arm Bridge Push Ups

Core (More Info)

• Swedish Bench Hanging Leg Raises
• 0-90 Hanging Leg Raises (L to V to L to V…)
• One Arm Hanging Leg Raises (if this is too difficult, do 0-90 hanging leg raise, holding 5 sec at top for 5 reps)

Pulling (More Info)

• 90-90 Iso Pull Up Hang
• 90-90 One Arm Iso Chin Up Hang

Pushing (More Info)

• NDA Lateral Push Ups (NDA = Negativa de Angola)
• NDA Lateral One Arm Push Ups

Explosive Leg Work (More Info)

• Jump onto Box from Standing
• Jump onto Box from Squat
• Explosive Flipping Exercises

Shrimp Squats (More Info)

• Shrimp Squats (Beginner & Intermediate)
• Shrimp Squats (Advanced)

Harop Curl (NLC) (More Info)

• Natural Leg Curl / Harop Curl (Beginner)
• Natural Leg Curl / Harop Curl (Advanced)

Full Body Conditioning Combinations (More Info) Note: These side push ups from pistols look easy. THEY ARE NOT. If you want to get better at pistols, check out my video tutorial here.

• Eccentric Pistol + Side Push Up (Beginner)
• Eccentric Pistol + Side Push Up (Intermediate)
• Eccentric Pistol + Side Push Up (Advanced)

Miscellaneous

• Shoulderstand Roll (Here’s a vid by kevin secours that talks about how to do the neck roll)

Ido’s Workout Routines from his blog

These routines are well thought out and chock full of good info. Each routine has an option for beginner or intermediate.

• Floreio Workout #1 (Intro to Squat Clinic, QDR Rotational Push Ups, Rotations into Low Bridge)
• Floreio Workout #2 (Intro to Au Cortado and Rotations into High Bridge)
• Floreio Workout #3
• Floreio Workout #4 (Intro to Equilibre and Role and Gatherings)
• Floreio Workout #5 (NDA Push Ups, Role into QDR)
• Locomotion Oriented
• Another Locomotion Oriented one
• Mobility Oriented
• Explosive Leg
• Another Workout
• Pulling and Air Babies
• Bridge Push Up Workout

Demonstrations by Ido Portal

• Floreio Art
• Flo(a)w
• Self-Dominance (Relevant Post)
• Out of Hand
• Corta Capim (Relevant Post)
• Playing with some cubes
• Freedom
• One arm straddle handstand (relevant blog post)
• Extended Hollow Back Handstand
• Mechanical Advantage Set Planche Push Ups
• Standing 30 min on hands
• Training on the road
• Packing for the road
• Passive Flexibility Tests (Relevant Post)
• The cruel tutelage of Ido Portal

Ido’s older blog posts before the floreio project came out

Most of his blog posts (and especially the comments) are worth reading, but these are the highlights that are a must:

• The Floreio Art (A MUST READ, July 2009)
• Equilibre: The Art of Balance (Jan 2009)
• Jack of all trades (Nov 2008)
• Bringing back the style in capoeira
• Art and Creativity (Oct 2006)
• Soft tissue work
• Fucking pigs
• Freedom
• Ido’s first blog post ever
• Optimal Eating: An account of Vilhjalmur Stefansson from 1935
• First day with Claude victoria (equilibre)
• Second day training with Claude Victoria
• Claude’s Stories
• Old video clips of Ido’s Rodas
• Review of training with Coach Sommers
• Las vegas
• Finding new floreio (old clips of him doing it)

Informative Facebook Posts

You’ll find interesting posts my Ido here, and if you want more info, he usually replies once or twice to peoples questions in the comments.

• Four most important concepts to practice, if you are human
• About the Planche
• About the Handstand
• About the Front Lever
• About the Rope Climb
• About DIET (tl;dr, avoid grains; earn your fruits)
• Help someone
• Elevated Shrimp Squats
• Grip and Scapular Control
• Mechanical Advantage
• Gymnastics in a nutshell
• Five amateur things
• Hollow Back Handstand
• Moving your body without toys
• Old School Russian Plyometrics
• Scapular Control
• Difference between those that make it and dont
• Chunking vs Chemistry Model
• Stretching.. good or bad?
• Real Skill has No Pill
• Expose your practice (This is pretty much my way of life and why my blog has 780+ articles, all free, written by me.)
• I am color blind (and so are you)
• Long Isometric Holds
• Open your shoulders
• Body of a bmw and engine of a lada
• Want more? There’s plenty more… You could also read his NOTES and captions on his PHOTOS.

Ido Portal in Podcasts

• Full Interview from Take It Uneasy Podcast
• Ido Portal on Paleo Diet, CrossFit, Gymnastics, Motivation, Movement & More – RawBrahs
• The Improper Alignment Speech (clip from workshop)
• Ido Portal Interview by Steve Atlas
• Ido Portal Interview by The Garage Warrior
• Ido Portal: Price of Specialization
• Ido Portal: Complainers
• Ido Portal: Improvisation in Movement
• Q&A on Reddit

Ido’s posts from GB Forum (Programming / Nutrition)

Ido was removed from GymnasticBodies (for whatever reason) but his posts are still on there as “Guest_Ido_Portal_*”. These are a few posts:

• Gymnastic Work vs Classical work: this post is about isometric holds and how to choose the right progression.
• The scapula craves complexity: After you could do 5 reps of a pull up, move to a harder variation.
  • Note: If you watch his students videos, you will see they adhere to a specific tempo with the pull ups:  30X1 tempo (3 second eccentric, no pause at the bottom, explosive concentric, 1 second isometric hold at the top of the movement)
• Ido’s recommended reading list
• Ido on eliminating grains from your diet: “I have never witnessed someone, in over 10 years of work with clients, who was taken off grains and did not show positive results in health status, body fat, performance. Period.”
• Ido answering random questions about deloading/programming

Hanging Month Resources

(PLEASE FORGIVE THE MESS, THIS SECTION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SHOULD BE DONE BY LATER TODAY)

Ido Portal recently had a hanging challenge, for people to hang for 7 minutes a day (non-consecutively).  The number 7 isn’t really that important. It’s more just to help inject a simple movement (hanging off things) into their lives!

He created a blog post here about it and so did I.

Hanging Basics

• The Passive Hang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIVg_KK_Uzs
• Active Hang (Arching Scapular Pull In)
• Side to Side Stationary Swing
• Arching Active Hang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C995b3KLXS4
• Front Stationary Swing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQgD_GLkoyg

One Arm Hanging Work (More Info)

• One Arm Passive Hang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNT51BMAR-Y
• One Arm Active Hang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekZmL4LVkvA
• The Shawerma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep7h1781wHo

Hanging Routine Integration

• Swing Grip Hanging – Beginner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGMOHygNNmg
• Swing Grip Hanging Routine – Advanced https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WsYQE3Yk1o
• Ape Swing – Figure 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLF790cEjA