Movement analysis

• Lever


  A bone
• Fulcrum


  A joint
• Effort


  Muscular force
• Load


  Weight of a body part or object
• First class lever


  • Load-fulcrum-effort
• First class lever sporting example

  • Extension of the neck (lifting of the head) as a footballer prepares to header a ball
• Second class lever


  • Fulcrum-load-effort
• Second class lever sporting example


  • Raising up onto the toes as a basketball player uses the ball of the foot to take off for a shot
• Third class lever


  • Fulcrum-effort-load
• Third class lever sporting example

  • Flexion of the elbow during the upward phase of a bicep curl
• Mechanical advantage


  The ability to move a larger load with a small effort due to the effort being further from the fulcrum than the load. The most efficient lever system is 2nd class as it has mechanical advantage.
• Plane of movement


  Three dimensional movements of a joint
• Sagittal plane of movement


  • Split of the body into left and right parts - for example, running occurs in the sagittal plane
• Types of movement at sagittal plane

  • Flexion and extension
• Frontal plane of movement


  • Split of the body into front and back parts - for example, star jumps occur in the frontal plane
• Types of movement at frontal plane

  • Abduction and adduction
• Transverse plane of movement

  • Split of the body into upper and lower parts - for example shoulder rotation occurs in the transverse plane
• Types of movement at transverse plane

  • Rotation
• Axes of rotation


  Imaginary lines about which a body can rotate
• Longitudinal axis of rotation


  • A vertical axis/line which runs from the top to the bottom of the body - for example, a 360 degree turn in trampolining
• Frontal axis of rotation

  • A horizontal axis/line running from the front to the back of the body - for example a cartwheel in gymnastics
• Transverse axis of rotation

  • A horizontal axis/line running from side to side - for example a front somersault in gymnastics