TMU Mondays: Train along the movement planes

The movements the human body executes can be classified into three planes of motion -

1. Sagittal plane - this plane runs from the head to foot at the center of your body and divides it into the left and right halves.

2. Frontal plane - this one divides your body into the front and back halves, these halves are also called anterior and posterior halves

3. Transverse plane - this one runs through the hips and divides your body into the top and the bottom halves.

Sagittal plane: When you’re walking forward, you’re essentially walking along the sagittal plane because your legs are carrying you forward along the plane. The same goes for when you’re walking backward or when you’re pushing something away or pulling something towards your body (this push/pull movement can also be argued to be done along the transverse plane).

Here are a few examples of exercises that involve this plane - forward/reverse lunge, squats, crunches, rows, push-ups, dumbbell bench presses, deadlifts.

Frontal plane: Think of walking sideways, side steps, and other movements done along your sides. Here, your body is split between the frontal side and the back side (anterior and posterior). Typical examples of exercises are lateral raises, side leg raises, side lunges, side bends, shoulder presses, pull-ups, and pull-downs.

Transverse plane: This typically involves trunk rotational movements but there is also some overlap with horizontal pushing/pulling movements like bench presses, push-ups, rows. Typical exercises involve hip rotations, the presses and pulls mentioned before, dumbbell flyes, reverse flyes, leg abduction/adduction exercises.

Training the foundational movement patterns is fundamental for a good training routine, but it is also important to know that any movement your body executes in your everyday life can be classified into these planes or across these planes in combination so training across these planes is just as important for a training program to be functional and holistic. So, a sample full-body session covering the foundational patterns and the movement planes could look something like this -

1. Back squat (Sagittal plane, squat pattern)

2A. Bench press (Sagittal/Transverse plane, upper body press)

2B. Pull-ups/Pull-downs (Frontal Plane, upper body pull)

3A. Romanian deadlifts (Sagittal plane, hinge pattern)

3B. Side lunges (Frontal plane, lunge pattern)

4A. Core exercise - Russian twists (Transverse plane, hip rotations)

4B. Any accessory exercise focusing on calves/biceps/triceps - take your pick.