The importance of strength training can not be overlooked. Whether you are a competitive athlete, a weekend warrior or just trying to stave off the aging process, putting stress through the neuromuscular-skeletal system is imperative.
This concept has been well adopted even outside of the strength and conditioning community. The Importance of Strength Training (Mayo Clinic, 2023) purports that strength training is a key component of overall health and fitness for EVERYONE.
Image: Diagram of sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes of motion
So where did we go wrong in the strength training community? It lies in the cardinal planes of motion which are universally identified as the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes. The sagittal plane refers to movements that incorporate flexion and extension (think squats, lunges, deadlifts.) The frontal plane refers to moving our limbs away from or towards the midline of the body (think lateral leg raises, hip abduction machine for glutes or “butterfly” machines at the health club, or crab walks using mini-bands.) Finally, the transverse plane involves rotational movement patterns like cable chops, medicine ball throws or one arm cable punches.
Image: Athlete performing squat in sagittal plane
Historically, strength coaches/personal trainers have done a tremendous job of programming for the sagittal plane of motion: squats, deadlifts, lunges, 45 degree hyperextensions and even hip thrusts have become staples of any solid program. However, ALL of these drills are performed in the sagittal plane. Don’t get me wrong, many movement patterns in sports and daily life occur in the sagittal plane (jumping up to block a spike in volleyball, sprinting straight down the field on a fast break in soccer or even lifting up a bag of soil and dumping it into a planter box while gardening) are sagittal plane dominant moves. So here is the problem, if you look at the biomechanics of many other sport moves, a running back changing direction on the football field, a hockey player skating in an arc behind the goal or even a mom lifting her child sideways up into a car seat, these moves occur in multiple planes of motion (especially the frontal plane.)
Image: Football player demonstrating frontal plane cut
One of the “ten commandments” of strength training was developed by Hungarian-Canadian researcher Hans Seyle and called the S.A.I.D. principle (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands.) The SAID principle states that the body adapts in specific ways to the stresses/demands put upon it (ie: if we train really hard in the sagittal plane we will be good at movements in that plane of motion, however, if the other planes of motion are neglected, the adaptations don’t necessarily carry over.)
Folks, this is not rocket science; we get good at what we continually train for. If all you do is squats, you will be good at moving up and down, but if you add frontal plane loading you will then also be good at moving side to side. If you are an athlete, or coach an athlete, that changes direction laterally, uses a three step jump approach or skates on ice, does it make sense to add more frontal plane loading into your workouts and if so, how do you do it?
Image: Athlete performing crab walk
Ok, thank god, we still got you here! There have been some attempts to introduce frontal plane loading into strength programs; for instance, many strength coaches warm up with something called a crab walk which is a great lateral glute isolation exercise. The only problem is the crab walk is hard to progressively overload (another one of the “ten commandments” of strength training) in which as the athlete gets stronger, we increase load/resistance to continue to stress the muscles and force growth and subsequent strength. Unfortunately, the crab walk is typically used as a mere warm-up, not a strength drill; part of this might be because to increase load, the athlete would have to take off the mini-band and then place a new, stiffer, band on for each subsequent set, which is inefficient and time consuming. Additionally, many athletes form starts to deteriorate with heavier mini-bands as there are tremendous loads placed on the core to maintain and athletic posture.
Image: Athlete using Glute Slide with resistance
This is where the new Glute Slide can bridge the gap between a frontal plane movement pattern that is not just a warm up but an actual strength training move. Because the Glute Slide has rigid handle bars to hold onto, the athlete can focus on loading the lateral hip muscles that are responsible for frontal plane movement without worrying about posture and positioning deficits that occur with heavier mini-band crab walks. Additionally, the athlete can create some unique angles with their drive foot pushing into the foot wedge which allows for a “rock-solid” anchor for driving power. Finally, resistance can be changed quickly and easily “on the fly” with the patented push-pin resistance adjustment mechanism that only requires the push of a pin to pick up anywhere from 0-180lbs of resistance and can be changed without having to get off the machine.
Image: Glute Slide coached session with resistance cues
In conclusion, building strength in multiple planes of motion is a solid strategy for enhanced sports performance and activities of daily living. The frontal plane often gets overlooked or is only addressed in a warm-up phase of the workout. The Glute Slide provides a novel approach to frontal plane resistance training which allows for a stable base, easy resistance changes and progressive overload. As a piece of glute workout equipment, it offers far more function and versatility than a traditional glute adduction machine or abductor machine for glutes.
Whether you're trying to improve hip strengthening, enhance glute isolation, or add variety to your glute training program, the Glute Slide is a powerful addition to your toolkit.
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Pete Holman
Physical Therapist, CSCS, US National TaeKwon-Do Champion
