Exercise of the Month: The Wood Chop

I’m all about efficiency when it comes to strength training and core work is no exception. Hence, the wood chop–it works your obliques, abs, and many other muscles throughout your body all at the same time!

There are many different names for this exercise, but I like to call it the wood chop. Why? Simple–the movement reminds me of swinging an ax at a tree (not that I’ve ever actually done that).

My clients usually say, “well, no, it’s more like swinging a baseball bat.”

Or maybe a golf club. Anyway…

No matter what you call it, trunk rotation is one of the most basic functional movements. All I mean by that, is it’s something that might come up in day to day activity.

Wood chops can be performed at different angles: high to low, low to high, straight across, and everything in between. You can also mix it up by doing them with various pieces of equipment like cable machines, resistance-bands, kettlebells, or medicine balls. More experienced gym-goers should try combining wood chops with one of my other favorite exercises–lunges!

Trainer Tips:
Stay mindful of your posture while performing this exercise. If you can’t keep your shoulders down and your back straight then you should try using less resistance. If you lean forward, do it from your hips, not your spine.

When performing the wood chop/lunge combo, rotate in the direction of your front leg. (When your left leg is in front, twist from right to left.)

Al Kavadlo, CSCS has been a personal trainer to hundreds of clients from various fitness backgrounds, including an overweight 72 year old grandmother and a two time Olympic medalist. He’s also a fitness writer who holds a BA in English from Binghamton University. Go to www.AlKavadlo.com for more info.