The cable wood chop is also known as the cable up-down twist.
This exercise effectively strengthens your torso’s twisting movement and enhances its ability to resist twisting forces.
It primarily targets the abs and oblique muscles; it also employs the shoulders, back, and glutes.
You can do wood chops with a medicine ball or dumbbell, but the cable provides a preferable constant tension. It can be part of a core-strengthening or total-body workout.
A recent study has found that assessing the maximal power and endurance of core muscles during the standing cable wood chop exercise is a reliable and sensitive method for evaluating physical fitness in active individuals.
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Cable Wood Chop Muscles Worked
- The primary muscles that work during this process are the abs, obliques, and back, including the erector spinae.
- Secondary muscles worked are the serratus anterior, shoulder, legs, and calf, as well as the gluteus maximus and hip flexors.
How To Do Cable Wood Chop
- Attach a handle to the highest setting on the cable pulley.
- Stand to the side of the machine, feet shoulder-width apart. Now, grab that handle with both hands. You can either interlace your fingers or place one hand over the other – whatever feels most comfortable and secure.
- Stand far enough from the machine, arms outstretched towards the pulley. Your stance will be slightly to the side, which allows a full range of motion.
- Keep your arms relatively straight (a slight bend in the elbows is okay), and pull the handle down and across your body diagonally. Try to move the handle towards the other knee while rotating your body. Think of it like you’re chopping wood – hence the name!
- At the bottom of the movement, pause briefly (think 1–2 seconds) to feel the contraction in your core.
- Slowly reverse the motion, controlling the cable as you return to the starting position. Don’t let the cable pull you back.
- Start with 8–10 repetitions on one side, then switch to the other. As you get stronger, you can gradually increase the number of repetitions.
Tips and Proper Form
- Before you start the movement, brace your core as if preparing for a light punch to the stomach. Maintain this tension throughout the entire exercise.
- Don’t lock the knees and hips. Allow the hips and knees to rotate slightly.
- Keep your chest up and avoid leaning too far forward or backwards during the movement.
- Stop and hold the handle for a few seconds halfway through some reps, thus forcing your body to resist the twisting force.
- Begin with a lighter weight to master the form before increasing the resistance.
- Avoid excessive rotation, especially in the lower back. Focus on rotating through your mid-back.
- Always perform equal repetitions on both sides. If one side feels weaker, consider doing an additional set on that side to help balance your strength.
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Cable Wood Chop Variations
Below are the best cable wood chop variations to increase core stability, muscle hypertrophy, and midline control.
Reverse Cable Wood Chop (Low to High Wood chop)
Many athletic movements, like throwing a ball or swinging a bat, rely on generating power from the ground up. One great way to boost this power is by practising the reverse chop.
The upward trajectory of the reverse chop requires greater activation of the lower abs and oblique to stabilize the pelvis and control the movement.
Horizontal Cable Wood Chop
The Horizontal Cable Wood Chop (aka Cable Twist) works the oblique muscles more.
It’s unique because it helps strengthen the core muscles and is a functional exercise performed on the feet.
Use the cable twist to strengthen your body’s twisting movement pattern. It’s a great idea to stop halfway through some reps, hold the stirrup, and resist the twisting force.
Half Kneeling Cable Chop
The kneeling cable wood chop is a beginner-friendly variation of wood chop.
It is a total-body movement that uses many muscles, allows you to lift a little heavier, and spikes your heart rate.
This extremely versatile exercise can also be performed in a tall kneeling stance, a square standing stance, and a split standing stance.
Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.
Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.