Rotational Exercises

A few years ago I flew to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding. I had just landed in Honolulu and was walking through the terminal when I noticed that my shoe was untied. So I placed my carry-on on the ground and tied my shoe.  Once I finished I grabbed my bag and simultaneously stood up and OUCH!  I totally f*#$ed up my back! CRAP! 

Being the overly dramatic person that I am, I thought my trip was ruined.  Fortunately I still had a great trip, but I couldn’t believe such a small motion could cause me such pain!  However, many injuries are caused from this type of movement:  multi-planar rotation.  Many people hurt their backs by unloading the grocery bags from their car trunks, grabbing an item from a cupboard, or picking an item up off the ground.  All of these movements involve trunk rotation. 

Unfortunately most people do not train their bodies to function in this manner.  The majority of us lift weights in two planes of motion:  the frontal and the sagital planes.  Some exercises performed in the frontal plane are side raises, lat pull downs, and standing leg abduction.  Sagital plane exercises are bicep curls, chest press, and front delt raises to name a few.   The plane of movement involving rotation is called the horizontal or transverse plane.  Here are two exercises that utilized the horizontal plane.

One arm seated row with trunk rotation

• Connect a handle to the cable clamp.  Sit upright on a seated cable row bench. Place the handle in your right hand, tighten your abs and pull the handle toward your right side while simultaneously twisting your upper body to the right.  Untwist and straighten your arm to the starting position.  Perform 10-15 reps then switch sides. 

Multiplanar Lunges 

• Stand with your feet together.  With your right foot take a big step forward and lunge.  Remember to keep your upper body erect and try not to bend forward at the waist.  Push back and return with your feet together. 
• Step out to the side with your right foot, keeping your hips facing the front, bend your right knee. As you lunge side bend over at the waist and touch your left hand to your right foot. Return with both feet together.  As you push off your right foot do a little over a quarter turn to your right and lunge with your right foot forward.  In other words, your lunge should almost be facing the opposite direction that you just were.  Push off your right leg and turn back to the front. 
• It is very important with all three lunges to make sure your knee is in line with your foot.  Do not allow the knee to bend in toward the body.  These three lunges work all three planes of movement.  Perform 5-6 reps of each lunge then switch sides.     

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(Photo: Getty Images)

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A.C.E.- and N.A.S.M.-certified, Bobby Solorio has been personal training for over 10 years. You might recognize him from Bravo TV's "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," where he trains his now-A-list client. For more info check out Bobby's website.