by Mark Dilworth - Certified Personal Trainer

Created on: February 08, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Integrated training is based on basic science, current research and empirical evidence. Functional training is the key component of integrated training. Training for "function" simply means that the individual's training should prepare him for the demands of every day living. Also, the exercises should closely mimic the individual's actions performed every day (transfer-of-training effect). These actions would include hobbies or sports the individual might participate in. Finally, it also involves training the individual in all 3 planes of

motion while accelerating, decelerating and stabilizing the body at multiple speeds in varying body positions.

Planes of Motion

It is important to remember that although an activity might be one-plane dominant (running straight ahead is sagittal plane dominate), the other two planes of motion must be stable in order to perform the activity efficiently. Also, no motion occurs in one plane only. The three planes are explained below:

Sagittal Plane imaginary bisector that divides the body into left and right halves. The motions involve forward-backward and up-down movements relative to the body and/or joint. Examples would be walking, running, bicep curls, leg curls and seated back rows. Traditional training techniques (such as training with machine weights) have focused on the sagittal plane of motion. This is not an effective training technique if the other planes of motion are ignored during training.

Frontal Plane imaginary bisector that divides the body into equal front and back halves. The motions primarily involve abduction and adduction (side-to-side motions). Abduction takes a limb away from the midline of the body and adduction takes the limb closer to the midline of the body. Examples include exercises performed on hip abductor and hip adductor machines. Other frontal plane motions would be side lunges, dumbbell lateral shoulder raises and lateral spinal flexion. Quickness and agility movements made by athletes require adequate frontal plane stability, strength, power, flexibility and balance.

Transverse Plane imaginary bisector that divides the body into top and bottom halves. The motions are primarily rotational. Obviously, this will be a dominate plane of motion for many daily activities such as turning and twisting.

THE DOMINATE PLANE OF MOTION AND DOMINATE MUSCLE GROUPS USED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL'S DAILY ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE IDENTIFIED DURING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT PHASE PERFORMED BY A FITNESS PROFESSIONAL.

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