3 Degrees of Freedom with Suspension Straps

In today world of exercise and fitness there are tons of new workout methods and styles. We hear new fangled terms like periodization , hypertrophy and planes of motion, just to name a few.

Let me take a moment to discuss that last one, planes of motion. This is also referred to as degrees of freedom, more specifically, 3 degrees of freedom.

The 3 planes of motion are as follows:

Sagittal: movement from front to back
Examples are curls and extensions of arms or legs as well as lunges and squats.

Frontal: Movement from side to side
Examples are lateral raises (for shoulders) and side lunges.

Traverse: Horizontal or rotational movements
Examples are bench presses or cable wood chops.

Why is this information important? Because if you can balance your workout routines through all three degrees of freedom, then you will become a stronger athlete. You will also significantly reduce your risk of injury due to having exposed all your muscles to movements that require them to work together and become stronger as a unit.

Athletes that focus on individual body parts and muscles often times create workout routines that are incredibly unbalanced in this regard. These routines, while creating strength in the intended muscles, will unfortunately result in muscular  imbalances and joint tightness. Movement dysfunction is another side effect. These imbalances will reduce an athletes ability to move through the frontal and traverse planes.

Here are a few tips on how to create a multi-planner workout routine.

1) Base the program around major joints of the body – Hips, Shoulders, Trunk (yes the spine has many joints)
2) Focus on providing an exercise for every plane of motion.
3) Emphasize movements that include multiple joints.
4) Do not think about muscle groups. Rather focus on the joints and planes of motion, and the muscle groups will take care of themselves.

For a much more in-depth article on this multi-planner theory check out the TRX blog