Planes of Movement

The human body is designed to move in three dimensional space. This makes us able to perform complex movements, both inside and outside of the gym.

Varying exercise parameters such as plane of movement can target specific muscles, as well as making them more or less active.

As a result, plane of movement is an important variable to consider when selecting exercises during program design.

What are Planes of Movement?

We can imagine to segment the body into three anatomical planes:

• Sagittal plane
• Frontal plane
• Transverse plane

In each plane, several different movements occur at the joints.

Sagittal Plane

The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right halves. It's also called longitudinal plane.

It includes two types of movement:

• Flexion
• Extension

Sagittal Plane Exercises

Some of the exercises that occur in the sagittal plane are:

• Lat pull downs
• Bicep curl
• Tricep push down
• Lunges
• Leg extension
• Calf raise

Frontal Plane

The frontal plane divides the body into front and back halves.

It includes the following movements:

• Abduction
• Adduction
• Elevation
• Depression
• Inversion
• Eversion
• Lateral flexion

Frontal Plane Exercises

Some of the exercises that occur in the frontal plane are:

• Side raises

Transverse Plane

The transverse plane divides the body into top and bottom halves. It's also called axial plane.

It includes the following movements:

• Horizontal adduction
• Horizontal abduction
• Rotation
• Pronation
• Supination

Transverse Plane Exercises

Some of the exercises that occur in the transverse plane are:

• Bench press
• Barbell rows

Planes of Movement and Fitness

To carry out movement efficiently and effectively, the musculoskeletal system summons muscles based on the directional requirements of the task. As a result, muscular activation changes based on the plane of movement in which the body is worked.

Varying training variables such as plane of movement can preferentially target aspects of the musculature. Thus, exercise selection may contribute to the degree of selective hypertrophy of specific muscles.

Evidence suggests that it is possible to target not only different aspects of a muscle but also portions of a given muscle fiber. Different portions of one muscle may be called into play depending on the task-relevant demands of the situation.

Maximal hypertrophy can be best achieved by systematically varying the exercises performed and fully working all aspects of the targeted musculature, varying the angles and planes involved, and using both multijoint and single-joint exercises.

Planes of Movement and Exercise Selection

The application of training in various planes to maximize muscular development depends on the degrees of freedom of the joint.

Joints that have multiple degrees of freedom (e.g., ball-and-socket joints) can benefit from multiplanar training, whereas those with a single degree of freedom (e.g., hinge joints) do not.

Selecting the appropriate exercises is an important factor for maximizing muscle hypertrophy.

Conclusions

A variety of biomechanical factors must be taken into account when choosing exercises for a hypertrophy-oriented program. These factors include training variables such as plane of movement.