4 Years of Training Knowledge in 5 Mins (User Manual for Your Body)

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Have you ever felt lost watching a workout video full of unfamiliar terms, not knowing what they mean?

Flexion, protraction, depression – is this a workout video or a Latin class?

In this video, I’ll explain the basics of how your body works in a simple and understandable way, so you never feel lost again and can start training effectively – let’s get started!

1. The Planes of the Body

Imagine your body divided by three invisible planes that help us understand movement.

The frontal plane divides your body into front and back parts. For example, when you lift your arms to the side, the movement happens in this plane.

The sagittal plane also runs vertically but divides your body into left and right sides. Movements like squats or push-ups happen in this plane.

The transverse plane runs horizontally, dividing your body into upper and lower parts. Rotational movements, such as twisting your torso, occur in this plane.

2. Basic Concepts of Movement

To understand different movements, you need to know a few fundamental concepts.

Flexion occurs when the angle of a joint decreases, like bending your elbow, knee, or hip – essentially any movement that brings you closer to a fetal position.

Extension is when the angle of a joint increases, like straightening your elbow, knee, or hip – moving away from the fetal position.

An exception is the ankle, where we talk about dorsiflexion (pulling the foot back toward the shin) and plantarflexion (pointing the toes or standing on tiptoes).

Pelvic movements are also important, especially when we talk about activating the core through pelvic tilts.

Anterior pelvic tilt happens when the pelvis tilts forward as if you were pouring water out of it to the front.

Posterior pelvic tilt happens when the pelvis tilts backward, like pouring water out behind you.

Limb movements can also be classified differently.

Abduction occurs when a limb moves away from the midline of the body, such as lifting your arm to the side.

Adduction is when the limb moves back toward the midline of the body.

Pronation and supination involve the rotation of the hand or foot.

Pronation is when the palm faces downward, and supination is when it faces upward – easy to remember if you think of "supination" as holding a bowl of soup in your hand.

At the shoulder and hip joints, we also talk about medial rotation and lateral rotation, where the limb rotates around its axis.

3. Types of Muscle Contractions

The types of muscle contractions are easy to understand through the example of your biceps.

Isometric contraction happens when the muscle tenses without changing its length, like holding a weight in a fixed position with your arm bent.

Concentric contraction occurs when the muscle tenses and shortens, such as lifting a weight by bending your elbow and bringing it closer to your shoulder.

Eccentric contraction happens when the muscle tenses while lengthening, like lowering the weight back to its starting position in a controlled manner.

4. Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Movements

In open-chain movements, one end of the limb is free to move, such as during biceps curls, where your hand moves freely.

The same applies to gym machines where you sit, stand, or lie still while moving your limbs.

These movements focus more on isolated muscle groups with less involvement of the core.

In closed-chain movements, one end of the limb is fixed while the body moves around it, like in push-ups, where your hands are stationary and your body moves.

The same applies to inverted rows, pull-ups, dips, handstand push-ups, etc.

These are more complex movements that heavily involve core stability. You could say they are more functional and develop strength across multiple muscle groups.

5. The Basics of Balance and Stability

One of the most important rules of balance is maintaining the right relationship between your center of gravity and your base of support.

You’re only in balance if your center of gravity is above your base of support.

For example, in a handstand, if your center of gravity shifts too far forward or backward, you’ll fall over. This principle is crucial in all balance positions, from support holds to hanging levers.

The lower your center of gravity and the wider your base of support, the more stable your balance will be.

These are the essential things you should know about movement and how your body works as a beginner.

Unlock your fullest potential for less then $1/day: https://gymnasticsmethod.com/start

Change your life in 90 days with high-end support from a team of experts: https://gymnasticsmethod.com/coaching