14 Transverse Plane Exercises for Rotational Power & Injury Resilience

Table of Contents

• 3 planes of motion
• Why the transverse plane gets neglected
• Rotational vs anti-rotational exercises
• 3 types of rotational movement
• 14 transverse plane exercises
• Technique tips
• 2 transverse plane workouts
• Warm-up ideas
• FAQ

Life is lived in three dimensions, which means our bodies have to move through three planes of motion. The problem is most people train in only two. Lots of forward/back and up/down, maybe a little side-to-side, and almost no dedicated rotation.

Everyday life is rotation-heavy. You twist to grab groceries, shovel snow, load the car, or reach for something behind you. Athletes take this even further since sports demand explosive rotation and the ability to resist rotation.

If you want well-rounded strength, better mobility as you age, and fewer annoying tweaks, you need transverse plane training in your plan.

3 Planes of Motion: Sagittal, Frontal, and Transverse

Sagittal Plane: This plane divides the body into right and left sides. Movements are flexion and extension (forward/back or up/down), i.e. bicep curls and squats.

Frontal Plane: This plane divides the body into front and back sides. Movements are abduction and adduction (side-to-side), i.e. dumbbell lateral raises and lateral lunges.

Transverse Plane: This plane divides the body into top and bottom halves. Movements are rotational (internal and external rotation), i.e. woodchoppers and medicine ball throws.

Transverse Plane Exercises: The Most Neglected Plane of Motion

All 3 planes deserve equal respect. Yet the transverse plane (also called the axial or horizontal plane) is the one most people forget about.

Most training programs include sagittal plane staples (squats, deadlifts, bench press) with a few frontal plane movements (side lunges, lateral raises). But dedicated rotation and anti-rotation work is often missing.

Note: Some sagittal lifts include resisting rotation, but that is rarely enough to build strong rotational mechanics and control.

Transverse Plane = Rotational and Anti-Rotational Movements

Rotational vs Anti-Rotational Exercises

What are rotational exercises?

Rotational exercises require you to twist through a rotational pattern. Your internal and external obliques, serratus anterior, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis are primary muscles engaged when you twist your torso.

Rotational training helps you move fluidly, produce power, and transfer force from lower body to upper body through the core.

What are anti-rotational exercises?

Create stability through the core without moving at the spine.

Anti-rotation is resisting a force that is trying to make your trunk rotate. Your goal is to stay square, stable, and braced.

Understanding Anti-Rotation vs Anti-Lateral Movements

Do not confuse anti-rotational movements with anti-lateral movements. Holding a weight offset while upright is usually anti-lateral (resisting a sideways lean), not anti-rotation.

To make it anti-rotational, you need to resist a force that is trying to make you rotate, not lean. A simple filter: is the force trying to twist me or tip me?

3 Types of Rotational Movement

1. Spinal Rotation
Imagine a line running vertically down through your head into your spine. Rotating around that axis is transverse plane movement.

2. Limb Rotation
Rotation inward or outward from your body is limb rotation. Turning outward is external rotation. Turning inward is internal rotation.

3. Shoulder and Hip Rotation
When your arm or leg is positioned out from your body and rotates around the shoulder or hip joint, that is transverse plane work. This is why movements like chest flys and hip rotation patterns still count as transverse plane mechanics.

14 Transverse Plane Exercises for Rotational and Anti-Rotational Strength

These transverse plane exercises involve bodyweight-only movements, resistance bands, kettlebells (or any weight), and a wall ball.

1. Kettlebell Lunge Twist (0:10)
2. 180˚ Squat Jump with Toe Touch (0:25)
3. Low Lunge Twist with Reach (0:34)
4. Pallof Press (0:48)
5. Single Leg Hip Rotation (1:04)
6. Kettlebell Rotational Swing (1:14)
7. Wood Chopper Low to High (1:27)
8. Wood Chopper High to Low (1:41)
9. Russian Kettlebell Twist (1:57)
10. Rotational Forearm Plank (2:07)
11. Plank Pull Through (2:22)
12. Stability Ball Kettlebell Torso Twist (2:40)
13. Rotational Wall Ball Throw (2:50)
14. 180˚ Rotational Wall Ball Throw (2:58) 

Exercise 1: Kettlebell Lunge Twist

1. Stand with feet hip width apart and hands out in front of you.
2. Step forward with your left leg into a lunge position and twist your torso to the left.
3. Return to starting position then switch sides
4. Repeat for desired reps

This exercise can be done without a weight. But, to make it more challenging, hold a kettlebell (or medicine ball or weighted plate) in your hands as demonstrated.

Related: 20 Best Kettlebell Ab & Core Exercises + 4 Workouts

Exercise 2: 180˚ Squat Jump with Toe Touch

1. Start in a squat position with feet wider than your hips
2. Jump up and spin 180 degrees, landing facing the opposite direction from starting position and reach down and touch in front of opposite foot
3. Jump back to beginning side and reach down to touch in front of opposite foot
4. Repeat for desired reps

Exercise 3: Low Lunge Twist with Reach

1. Start in a forward lunge position with your right leg forward.
2. Drop your left knee to the ground.
3. Put your right elbow on the inside of your right knee.
4. Push your right elbow into your right knee then rotate your torso to the left.
5. Reach back with your left arm until you feel a stretch in your lower back and right groin.
6. Hold for about 20-30 seconds then slowly release
7. Repeat with your other leg.

Exercise 4: Pallof Press

1. Using a resistance band or cable machine in the gym stand at a distance and where the band/cable is taut
2. Holding the band/cable at your chest press your hand straight out in front of you while bracing your core
3. Hold for 1-2 seconds then bring hands back to your chest
4. Repeat for desired reps

Related: 17 Best Cable Ab & Oblique Exercises 

Exercise 5: Single Leg Hip Rotation

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart with your arms out to the side
2. Lift your right knee up in front of you open hips up bringing your right knee out to the side
3. Return to starting position
4. Repeat for desired reps then switch sides

Exercise 6: Kettlebell Rotational Swing

This exercise will have you pivoting as you swing the kettlebell from the left to right. Please watch the video (1:14) and pay attention to how his feet pivot with each swing.  

Practice the movement without a kettlebell first. Get a hang for the mechanics of the pivot and swing. If you want you can hold onto something light like a shoe. 

Exercise 7: Woodchopper Low to High

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart.
2. Clasp your hands around the band then twist your torso to the right and raise your hands until they’re over your right shoulder while pivoting your left leg inwards.
3. Swing hands down across your body down ending at the left side of your body.
4. Repeat movement 20 reps each side.

Exercise 8: Woodchopper High to Low

This is the same exercise as the one above but in reverse, from high to low.

Exercise 9: Russian Kettlebell Twist

1. Sit with bent knees, feet off the floor then sit back keeping your spine straight
2. Rotate waist side to side and touch hands to the floor on each side of your body
3. Repeat for desired reps

This can be done with or without a weight.

Exercise 10: Rotational Forearm Plank

1. Get into plank position then bring hands inward across your chest
2. Rotate to one side with inactive hand is placed on hip
3. Return to starting position then rotate to opposite side
4. Repeat for desired reps

Exercise 11: Plank Pull Through

1. Get into a high plank position with the kettlebell to your right side.
2. Grab the kettlebell with your left hand and pull it through to your left side.
3. Place both hands back to the floor and then grab the kettlebell with your right hand and pull it through to the right side. 
4. Continue you like this for the desired reps. 

The key to this exercise is to not rotate your body. Try to always keep your hips squared forward to the floor.  

Exercise 12: Stability Ball Kettlebell Torso Twist

1. Place your back to the stability ball with your legs at about 90˚ and feet flat to the floor. 
2. Press the kettlebell so your arms are extended right above your chest.
3. Rotate at the torso so as you bring the kettlebell down to one side (move with control). Your hips should remain squared forward shooting straight up. 
4. Bring the kettlebell back to your centerline (arms still extended) and repeat on the opposite side. 
5. Continue alternating sides for the desired reps. 

If you need to, practice this exercise without a weight first just to get a hang of the movement. 

Exercise 13: Rotational Wall Ball Throw

1. Hold the medicine ball/slam ball with both hands
2. Stand in a staggered stance with your left foot back then bring the ball towards your left side
3. Rotate in the opposite direction and throw the ball against the wall
4. Switch stance and catch the ball on the other side
5. Repeat for desired reps

Do this exercise with a workout partner to make it more fun while challenging yourself.

Exercise 14: 180˚ Rotational Wall Ball Throw

This is the same exercise as the one above but you are doing a one 180˚ hop so you can alternate sides with each throw. 

Transverse Plane Workouts

Sample Transverse Plane Workout #1:

1. Plank Pull Through - 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each side)
2. Russian Kettlebell Twist - 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each side)
3. Pallof Press - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
4. Woodchopper High to Low - 3 sets x 10 reps each side
5. Woodchopper Low to High - 3 sets x 10 reps each side
6. Low Lunge Twist with Reach - 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each side)

Sample Transverse Plane Workout #2:

Circuit #1 x 3 rounds:

• Kettlebell Lunge Twist x 10 reps (5 each side)
• 180˚ Squat Jump with Toe Touch x 10 reps (5 each way)
• Plank Pull Through x 20 reps (10 each side)

Circuit #2 x 3 rounds:

• Pallof Press x 10 reps each side
• Woodchopper High to Low x 10 reps each side
• Woodchopper Low to High x 10 reps each side

Circuit #3 x 3 rounds:

• Stability Ball Kettlebell Torso Twist x 12 reps (6 each side)
• Kettlebell Rotational Swing x 10 reps (5 each side)
• Rotational Wall Ball Throw x 10 reps (5 each side)

Rest between rounds and circuits, but keep rest time to a minimum while maintaining good form.

What Should a Warm-Up Before a Transverse Plane Workout Look Like?

Warm up your thoracic spine and hips first. A few minutes of easy trunk twists, opposite toe touches, hip openers, and band pull-aparts goes a long way.

If you are using a steel mace, do light shoulder and upper back prep first so your upper body can move smoothly and you can keep the spine controlled.

Your Core: The Center of Your Universe

Your core includes more than visible abs. It is a girdle of muscle around your torso that connects to hips and glutes and helps you transmit force safely.

So how do you build it? Train in all 3 planes of motion, and keep practicing rotational and anti-rotational patterns consistently.

Buy Kettlebells from SET FOR SET

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One of the Best Tools for Transverse Plane Training: The Steel Mace

The steel mace is an underrated tool for rotational and anti-rotational training because the offset load forces control. You cannot fake clean mechanics for long. If you like athletic training, it is worth experimenting with.

Check out the steel mace.

Want a full guide?

FAQ

How often should I train the transverse plane?

Most people do great with 2-4 total transverse plane movements per week. That could be 2 exercises in 2 sessions, or 1-2 exercises sprinkled into 3 sessions.

Should beginners do rotational power work?

Beginners should start with controlled patterns (Pallof press, slow chops, plank pull-throughs). Add explosive throws and rotational swings once control and positioning are consistent.

What muscles do transverse plane exercises train?

Obliques, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, serratus anterior, and the hip complex. Rotation also relies heavily on glutes and lats for power transfer.

Now let's get into some examples of transverse plane exercises with the steel mace taken from the Instagram Steel Mace community. 

The following exercises in the transverse plane of motion are best done in sets of 10-15 reps each side.

Transverse Plane Exercises using a Steel Mace

A post shared by Anthony Rock (@rocksfitnesstraining) on Jan 27, 2018 at 12:21pm PST

A post shared by Kelly Manzone (@kellsbells88) on Oct 31, 2017 at 3:27am PDT

A post shared by "Hacksaw Heibert" (@itrainu4u) on Dec 4, 2017 at 12:58am PST

A post shared by Rich Thurman III MA CSCS FRCms (@coach_rt3) on Nov 2, 2017 at 11:47pm PDT

A post shared by Hip Skipster (@_the_unc0nventi0nal_mrs) on Oct 12, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

A post shared by SET FOR SET (@setforset) on Dec 6, 2017 at 9:10am PST

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A post shared by SET FOR SET (@setforset) on Jun 7, 2018 at 7:48am PDT

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the mace, including hand placements, starting positions, grip orientation, and tons of video exercises so that you can become a pro mace user/trainer.