How to Cable woodchop: Form, Muscles and Mistakes

What it is

A cable movement in which you pull a handle diagonally across your body, from high to low or low to high, rotating through the trunk. Unlike the anti-rotation Pallof press, this trains the obliques as movers rather than as brakes.

Muscles worked

Primary: Obliques. Secondary: Core (rectus abdominis), Glutes, Shoulders, Glutes.

How to perform it

Set a cable at shoulder height or above and stand side-on, feet about shoulder-width.
Take the handle in both hands with your arms fairly straight and rotate towards the machine.
Rotate away from the machine, pivoting the back foot and driving the movement from your trunk and hips rather than your arms.
Return under control, letting the cable rotate you back to the start without losing your brace.

Common form faults

Pulling with the arms rather than rotating the trunk. Keep the arms fairly straight and let the torso do the work; if the elbows are bending, lighten the load.
Rotating through the lower back rather than the hips and mid-back. Allow the back foot to pivot so the hips can rotate; forcing rotation with the feet planted loads the lumbar spine.
Going too heavy and using momentum. This is a control exercise. Moderate weight, deliberate speed, full range.

Programming

A core accessory in moderate to higher reps per side. Useful for rotational sports, and a good complement to the anti-rotation work of the Pallof press.

Frequently asked questions

Is trunk rotation bad for the spine?

Loaded rotation is fine when it comes from the hips and mid-back with a controlled load. The problem is forcing rotation through a fixed lower back, which is what happens when the feet are planted and the weight is too heavy.

High-to-low or low-to-high?

Both. The high-to-low version emphasises the obliques with the trunk flexing, the low-to-high adds more hip drive. Rotating between them covers the pattern better.