The MovNat Before & After Skills Videos

For those new here, or who didn’t notice before, I attended a 5-day MovNat workshop last summer at beautiful Summersville Lake, West Virginia. I blogged extensively about the experience (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5).

Basically: We ate pretty pure Paleo and moved around a lot in a natural setting, hiked the trails, swam in the lake — we picked and ate wild berries.

Dinner of Grilled Beef Veggies Guac
Dinner of Grilled Beef, Veggies & Guac
Eggs and Fuit Nuts in Coconut Milk
Eggs and Fruit & Nuts in Coconut Milk
Barefoot in the Jungle
Barefoot in the Jungle
Summersville Lake Water Training
Summersville Lake Water Training
Wild Berry Find
Wild Berry Find

Thing is, neither those posts, nor those photos above I selected from those posts do the experience any kind of justice. It was just an amazing experience that was a lot of things all in one. It was hard, difficult at times, but I always felt good about it. I was sad to leave.

On a practical level, we were there to learn some skills and hopefully improve. In order to judge that, Erwan & Vic filmed us the very first day, before any practice or training at all and then through the same routine on the very last day.

So I went ahead and mashed up the video clips into one. It’s 5 minutes in total covering about 5 or 6 different skills. I save the biggest improvement for last.

MovNat Skills from Richard Nikoley on Vimeo.

It’s not like we spent all week doing these things. A little we did, but mostly it was other things involving balance, strength, explosiveness and so on. So, make of that what you will but I say just go out and move and by virtue of doing that in varied conditions, your fundamental skills are bound to improve in a lab setting as well.

I was happy to get those videos today and it took me back to a lot of very fond memories. Even this, the very last challenge where they tried to make us puke & cry.

Some Guy
Still all Smiles

So if you’ve ever considered taking the plunge for a MovNat experience I hope this served to push you over the edge and that you share it with others. And don’t forget to watch the original MovNat Inspiration Video in HD.

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Richard Nikoley

I started writing Free The Animal in late 2003 as just a little thing to try. 20 years later, turns out I've written over 5,000 posts. I blog what I wish...from diet, health, lifestyle...to philosophy, politics, social antagonism, adventure travel, expat living, location and time independent—while you sleep— income by geoarbitrage, and food pics. I intended to travel the world "homeless," but the Covidiocy Panicdemic squashed that. I became an American expat living in Thailand. I celebrate the audacity and hubris to live by your own exclusive authority and take your own chances. ... I leave the toilet seat up. Read More

23 Comments

  1. EdwinB on March 14, 2011 at 21:32

    Good video, the congo line of yall bear crawling through the woods looks marginally fruity though ::)

  2. bart on March 14, 2011 at 21:42

    WOW! You actually evolved yourself a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers!

    • Richard Nikoley on March 14, 2011 at 21:50

      Indeed. I think it was mid day three of being out all day that I finally gave in. They were pretty beat up by then.

  3. Robert L on March 14, 2011 at 21:45

    That’s great stuff Richard!

    Clifton Harski is coming to Seattle soon and I really want to make it to that clinic. I’ve been following MovNat since the April 09 mens health issue and it all looks amazing. There seems to be a lot more substance behind it than most other fitness trends tend to offer… like it’s training for the body, mind, and especially the soul.

    Follow your true nature!

  4. Ruben on March 15, 2011 at 00:13

    Looks like a fun way to get in shape. I should really get my fat ass outside more often.

  5. Carla on March 15, 2011 at 02:50

    I think it is time I took the plunge and checked out this MovNat thing 🙂 Thanks for the push

  6. Russ Taylor on March 15, 2011 at 05:03

    Cool video. Very interesting to see what a little bit of instruction can do to skill level.

    • Richard Nikoley on March 15, 2011 at 08:28

      Glad you were able to see a bit of what I felt, Russ.

      I was a bit hesitant to post it cause I didn’t see it as profound or anything and it was just 4 days in between. Confidence had a lot to do with it.

      It sure was a load of fun

  7. Stacy on March 15, 2011 at 06:13

    I think the last photo of you standing by the banner really shows how much you have changed your body. Lean and mean …..

    • jerry on March 15, 2011 at 15:43

      i was thinking the same thing. . .’holy shit, Richard got lean.’ btw, Richard when is your cookbook coming out?

      • Richard Nikoley on March 15, 2011 at 15:52

        Jerry, in all honesty I am not as lean now, suffering the neck, shoulder and arm pain I have since around the holidays. I probably have 5-10 pounds on that.

        But life is ups & downs. I’ll be headed up soon I am sure.



      • jerry on March 15, 2011 at 17:03

        at your age Richard(not saying you’re old or anything), you’re in greater shape than most people of my generation (thanks to playstation and xbox).



      • Richard Nikoley on March 15, 2011 at 19:14

        Here’s to 5o, Jerry.

        I gather you’re not close. Well, don’t let me call you a fucking pussy, later. I would not want to do that. ‘Cause now you now better and every excuse you could have had has been righteously shredded.

        See my “before” photos. This is your advantage. You never, ever have to let yourself get that way and trust me, it’s no fun.

        The worst part? Deluding yourself into thinking you might be attractive to a woman.



      • jerry on March 15, 2011 at 19:49

        No arguing there haha. With all the knowledge i continue to learn from you, Martin Berkhan, Mark Sisson and many others on a daily basis, I don’t think I could ever let my health go bad as I see it would be an insult to you all. I am truly grateful for what you have done for me and your journey is one that I keep in mind on my own path to getting in shape.

        also, my dad, 50, would call me a pussy if I could not keep up with him physically (he can still do standing ab wheel roll outs, that show off)



      • rob on March 16, 2011 at 07:36

        What I hated during the years I was a Giant Sloth was not really existing to women, I was just part of the background … nice to have them pay attention to me again.



  8. Elenor on March 15, 2011 at 06:34

    Bravo, Richard! Very inspiring! You looked tired and happy –a good combination!

  9. Joseph on March 15, 2011 at 11:37

    If Erwan is still around and kicking when I get a real job, I will definitely be attending one of his workshops. Good stuff!

  10. Samson on March 15, 2011 at 12:40

    Richard, how much of what you experienced in this week do you still use?
    Most of your workout if i followed it correct is the leangains thing. Right?

    • Richard Nikoley on March 15, 2011 at 13:03

      I’ve been off just about everything recently with neck/shoulder pain but hoping to get back to both.

      Going forward I plan to try to get in both. LG during weekday workouts and hiking combined with NovNat on one day of the week.

  11. HeMan on March 15, 2011 at 13:30

    Looks like what I did every summer growing up – romp through the woods by the lake, eating whatever we could find/catch.

    Good fun.

  12. Ken on March 16, 2011 at 06:39

    off topic, has a date been set for your debate or did I completely miss a posting regarding it?

    • Richard Nikoley on March 16, 2011 at 08:03

      Guy organizing it said he was still working on the site as of a couple of days ago, so no date yet.

  13. julien on March 17, 2011 at 07:29

    lol, i found myself cheering for you.

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