If you're looking to improve your ability to perform on the job as a first responder, tactical operator, or just looking to improve your resilience at injury prevention, then you need to be incorporating transverse plane training into your workout routine. The transverse plane refers to rotational movements, which are often neglected in traditional fitness routines that primarily focus on linear movements, either push/pull or hinging.
Transverse plane training is fundamental in developing rotational power, which is essential for movements like swinging a door ram, throwing a punch, drawing/firing a weapon, lifting/moving a patient, or manipulating fire rescue gear. It also helps improve trunk stability, which is critical to keeping your back safe in those high-stakes situations. It doesn't matter if you are protecting the community, racing OCR, or performing your day to day normal tasks - you need to be able to maintain stability while performing sudden movements that involve changing direction.
Rotational power and stability aren't the only thing training like this will improve though, transverse plane training can improve coordination throughout movement and increase your body's ability to respond to the demands of increased reaction time. These skills are crucial in tactical operations, where you need to be able to react quickly to ever changing situations and maintain control while navigating tight spaces and obstacles.
Some examples of exercises that we can train in the transverse plane include rotational lunges, medicine ball slams, Russian twists, and cable rotations, but what we find really helps us build our strength and stability is landmine movements. Incorporating the rotational movement of a loaded barbell: through presses', lunges, squats, and explosive movements with that added “twist” you develop rotational power, stability, and coordination which will leave you better equipped to handle the demands of the job and reduce the risk of injury during operations.
So here it is! A slightly different Tribe Weekly Workout then our normal posts -
4sets x 10/side: Landmine Rotational Single-arm Press
4sets x 15reps: Landmine Windmills
4sets x8/side: Landmine Split-Squat Rows
3sets x 20reps: Landmine Russian Twists
As with all exercises, if these movements are new to you, start with an unloaded barbell and increase the weight as you get more comfortable with the movements and then train away to build raw strength with these transverse plane movements.