What Is the Sagittal Plane & How Does It Relate to Exercises?

The sagittal plane is the plane that divides your body into right and left halves. Exercises that involve forward and backward as well as up and down movement, happen on the sagittal plane. A traditional approach to working out often isolates muscle groups and trains on only one plane at a time. Understanding which movements and exercises happen on which plane can help you identify and address areas of muscular imbalance more easily. It can also help you develop a strong foundation for functional training, making you less susceptible to injury.

  1. Flexion

    • Bending your elbow to perform bicep curls demonstrates flexion on the sagittal plane.

      Flexion involves decreasing the angle of a joint by bending it. Flexion is one type of movement performed on the sagittal plane. When you lift a dumbbell to perform a bicep curl, you are using flexion in the sagittal plane. Lifting your heel toward your glutes to do a hamstring curl is another example. The hip flexion involved in stepping forward is probably the movement you do most often in this plane of motion.

    Extension

    • Straightening your arm to finish a bicep curl demonstrates sagittal plane extension.

      Extension involves increasing the angle of a joint by straightening it. Lowering the weight to complete a bicep curl or extending your arm to perform a triceps kickback are both examples of sagittal plane extension. A step backward and a backward stepping lunge also both employ extension as your hip actually hyperextends on the sagittal plane to complete each motion.

    Direction of Movement

    • Forward and backward movement happens on the sagittal plane.

      In addition to bending and straightening, flexion and extension are also responsible for directional movement. For example, when you flex to do a traditional lunge, you move forward, and when you hyperextend to do a backward stepping lunge you move backward. Movement that carries you forward and backward or straight up and down happens on the sagittal plane. Think about walking, lunging and squatting as common examples of movement occurring on the sagittal plane. Runners and other athletes who train for sports that primarily involve sagittal plane movement, can benefit by doing strength training activities and cross-training cardiovascular activities that also use sagittal plane movement.

    Other Planes

    • Pitching a baseball requires movement on the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes.

      You rarely move in a way that uses solely the sagittal plane of motion. It is therefore important for you to understand the other two planes as well. The frontal plane divides your body into front and back halves and involves the sideways movements of adduction and abduction. The transverse plane divides your body into upper and lower halves and involves rotation. When you think about the functional activities you do on a daily basis, you can easily see how they involve harmonious movement in all three important planes.