Many people assume that learning about anatomical planes and terminology is only relevant for medical professionals or advanced athletes. However, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, understanding the different planes of the body and how they relate to positions and movements is essential for anyone interested in boxing.

As a boxing coach, it is important for you to have a thorough understanding of anatomical planes and terminology. Not only will this knowledge help you teach your fighters proper technique and form, but it will also allow you to better assess their strengths and weaknesses, and tailor their training programs accordingly. By understanding the different planes of the body, you can more accurately describe and analyse your fighters' movements and positions, and identify areas where they may need to focus their training. In short, learning about anatomical planes and terminology is an essential part of being a successful boxing coach, and will help you take your fighters' training to the next level.

Anatomy (Greek, ana "up" + temnein "to cut") is the study of the structure and function of the human body. A thorough understanding of anatomy gives fitness professionals a vocabulary for describing, creating and assessing movements.

An anatomical plane is a hypothetical plane dividing the body that describes (a) location, (b) direction and (c) range of motion.

There are three principle planes:

• The sagittal plane divides left and right.

• The frontal plane divides front and back.

• The transverse plane divides top and bottom.

Anatomical Terms of Location

• Dexter - Right side (relative to the bearer).

• Sinister - Left side (relative to the bearer).

• Superior - Top (head)

• Inferior - Bottom (tail).

• Anterior/Ventral - Front (belly).

• Posterior/Dorsal - Rear (spine).

• Medial - Towards the midline.

• Lateral - Away from the midline.

• Superficial - Closer to the surface.

• Deep - Further from the surface.

• Proximal - Closer to the trunk.

• Distal - Further from the trunk.  

Anatomical Terms of Motion

• Flexion - Bending.

• Extension - Straightening.

• Adduction - Moving towards the midline.

• Abduction - Moving away from the midline.

• Pronation - Turning down.

• Supination - Turning up.

• Inversion - Turning towards the midline.

• Eversion - Turning away from the midline.

• Plantar flexion - Bending down.

• Dorsiflexion - Bending back.

• Elevation - Lifting up.

• Depression - Lowering down.

• Rotation - Movement around an axis.

• Circumduction - Circular movement in a cone shape.

Examples of Movement Description

• Flex the arms.

• Abduction of the arms and legs.

• Pronating the hands.

• Inverting the ankles.

• Plantarflexion of the feet.

• Elevation of the arms.

• Rotate the head.

• Circumduction of the leg.

• The head is superior to the feet.

• Your right arm as from your perspective is dexter.

• Place your palms together in a medial position.

• The abdominals are anterior to your back.

Possible Confusion

Understanding the kinds of movements described by each plane can be difficult.

One way to clarify is to think of each plane as a separate coordinate system, each with two axes:

• The sagittal plane crosses front-back (anterior-posterior) with up-down (superior-inferior) axes.

• The frontal plane crosses left-right (sinister-dexter) with up-down (superior-inferior) axes.

• The transverse plane crosses front-back (anterior-posterior) with left-right (sinister-dexter) axes.

Another way is to imagine the axes of rotation for each plane (as used in describing aircraft rotation):

• The sagittal plane has a lateral axis of rotation (pitch).

• The frontal plane has a longitudinal axis of rotation (roll).

• The transverse plane has a vertical axis of rotation (yaw).