Understanding the planes of motion can be complicated when digging through articles of dense anatomical vocabulary. To keep it simple, the 3 planes of motion are as follows:
Sagittal - any exercise where the body is mirroring itself when divided into left and right halves. For example a barbell squat is performed with the legs spread evenly apart and the body moves up and down as a whole, there is no difference in movement between the right and left side of the body.
Frontal - any exercise performed with the intention of moving side to side. For example the lateral lunge is performed by lunging to the left and then to the right, executing side to side movement through the frontal plane.
Transverse/Horizontal - any exercise performed that involves rotation of the spine, hip, or shoulder joint. For example a chop and lift would be rotation of the spine, abduction and adduction machines are rotation of the hip, and the bench press is rotation of the shoulders.
Working through the 3 planes of motion is essential to keeping our bodies functioning properly and helping us move well as we age.
For more information or to discuss how this can be integrated into your workouts, please contact us!
ANGELO SABATINI LEVEL 2 TRAINER