Where's the rotation?

[Dan Hollingsworth]

I have been doing the Crossfit thing for a couple of months now, and I love it. Have seen some good results, but seems like something is missing. All the exercises that i have done to date focus on only the sagittal plane. Where's all the transverse and frontal plane movements (ie rotation)? A lot of the activities that we do in daily life and in sport involve rotation, makes sense that we should be training in those planes also.

I just looked through all the exercise demos on the home page and didn't see anything outside of the sagittal plane. Am I missing it, or is it not there?

[Lenora Galitz-Pfeffer]

I'm sure the experts and gymnast type experts will be able to answer you regarding specific form on the exercizes. Here's my entry: Ring work, Rope climbing. I'm sure the list will grow.

[Howard Wilcox]

I think Laurie Bowler tries to emphasize this more, IIRC. She and her husband, Kurtis, run Rainier Crossfit. You might drop her a note and ask (if she doesn't chime in).


howard

[Alexander Kornishev]

Interesting question. The simplest example of a rotation like movement would be throwing something with one hand (grenade for ex.) It is definitely a functional movement. Will be interesting to hear the answer.

[Lenora Galitz-Pfeffer]

You guys have gotten me curious. What about work with the medicine ball, i.e. wall ball, and slam ball? There may be a few things done with kettle bells as well.

[Dan Hollingsworth]

Not long after I posted this question I recalled a couple variations of Burpees that we do that involve rotation. We do 180 degree jumps over paralettes and onto boxes. But those are the only exercises that I can think of that we do.

There are tons of rotational exercises with medicine balls, but the classic wall ball and slam ball exercises that we do at the gym I go to are still strictly sagittal plane.

[John Seiler]

I agree. I also think we should do more sprint work. (Talk about a basic human movement pattern.) So I add or substitute those things. If you're advanced enough to be thinking along those lines you're advanced enough to come up with appropriate adds/subs.

Good luck.

[Dan Hollingsworth]

I do add those things into my own personal workouts. I'm a physical therapist, so I have access to lots of equipment at work and I will often work those things in before or after I run during lunch.

I think these things should be included in the overall CF program for the general CF populace. Would love to see them worked into the WODs.

[Brandon Oto]

I believe it was the finding of Glassman & HQ that specifically rotational movements have little benefit, and the general midline stabilization we do has the same carry-over.

But I couldn't quote you when.

[Wade Smith]

Dan, I was wondering the EXACT same thing last night... remembering the days with "wood-chop" and other oblique related exercises or torso-twisting lifting.

I just assumed Coach wasn't including these twisting exercises because other exercises were hitting those muscles and/or the twisting exercises weren't as functional. Add me to the list of the curious. Would love someone in-the-know to speak to the poster's question.