Work Flow - How to Cheat in Maya

A friend recommended this book to me, its full of helpful animation tricks and tips. "How to cheat in Maya 2010" I really love the work flow here where they go through and animate a Ninja jumping into the scene, dodges some shuriken, and front flips out of camera.

Work Flow - outline

1. Plan
2. Create a simple outline of the action
3. Study video reference using youtube, video sites, or your own video clips.
4. Create simple sketches, and focus on areas where you can push a golden pose.
5. Set up you character files, keep frame zero the base pose, stage / camera / props.
6. Create story telling or golden pose based off the outline.
7. Create key poses based that will support golden pose.
8. Move your poses out and get a rough timing, work in step mode.
9. Create breakdown poses between all your key poses with "Tween Machine"
10. Key all bones for each pose, and readjust the timing. 
11. Hold extreme poses for a few frames.
12. Switch to spline mode and your done with blocking
13. Polish time =).

Tip - during blocking stage, there should be at least one key for every 4 frames, do not let the animation program tween your poses.
Tween Machine for 3DsMax - http://www.themichaelsmith.com/p/tutorials.html

I am currently exploring this work flow to help improve myself as an animator. Will keep this blog updated.