Shape America’s physical education standards incorporate movement concepts spanning force, motion, and rotation, within the context of various skills, from overhand throws to back squats. Strength training for many fitness enthusiasts like Thomas Datwyler traditionally focuses on bilateral movements such as squats and bench presses. That said, rotation is a critical concept as well, as it is foundational to many everyday activities.
One example of rotation is walking up stairs, where it’s imperative that the center of mass be controlled in a narrow range over the legs, which provides a base of support. The torso performs a natural rotation away from the back leg with each step up a stair, counterbalancing the shift in weight.
Other activities performed with the aid of rotation include taking down items from a high shelf, picking a box off the ground, and carrying around bulky items such as garbage bags. One technical way of describing this is involving the kinetic chain, or interrelated, sequentially activated segments in a series of movements.
When rotation is restricted, a number of cascading effects occur across functional movement patterns. For example, when an individual like Thomas Datwyler runs in a way that the mid-back offers only limited rotation, the brain signals the body to borrow a range of motion from alternative joints not intrinsically designed to support running. Over time, overuse injuries and chronic pain in areas such as the knee can emerge in runners.
Rotational exercises work to engage the muscles in developing a resilient, strong core that supports stability and the spinal column. In addition to reducing injury risks, this improves the ability to perform dynamic motions such as throwing, striking, and swinging.
For active people, a critical aspect of rotation, commonly applied to swinging a golf club, is the X factor. This describes the angle between shoulders and hips when the arm is cocked for throwing, or when starting in on a golf downswing. With the shoulders and hips separated, the muscles of the hips and trunk rapidly stretch, which creates a well of stored-up potential energy. “Releasing the stretch” allows one to achieve significant force and speed.
This type of rapid motion requires torso strength and benefits from loaded rotation exercises, which explore the range of motion in various positions. A slow, controlled high-to-low chop helps strengthen the torso in the stretched position. Also known as a cable woodchopper, this involves standing with feet shoulder-width apart and holding a resistance band or cable with two hands. As one pulls the cable down and across the body, it keeps the core engaged, switching sides after each set.
Another rotation-enhancing exercise is the Turkish getup roll, which starts with lying on the floor, one leg straight and the other bent at the knee. The arm on the side of the straight leg remains straight and flush against the floor, as one raises the other arm toward the sky. As this sequence unfolds, the bent leg pushes into the floor, rolling the body to elbow support. This position is similar to a side plank. At the apex, it’s time to roll back down and repeat, switching to the other side after a set.
