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Cable woodchops are an extremely effective core exercise for the obliques. It helps with building strength as well as improving balance.
If you have a core workout routine, it’s strongly advised that you make woodchops a part of your routine.
Proper Form of Doing Cable Woodchops
You can do woodchops using dumbbells as well, but cables are the most commonly used equipment for this exercise.
You need to attach the D-bar to the cable pulley machine, and adjust the anchor to the top. Even if you don’t adjust it at the very top, ideally, it should be above your shoulder height. When you’re at the top of the motion, the anchor, your shoulders, and elbows should be in one line.
To do the exercise, hold the bar with your hands, and extend your arms towards the front. Keep your feet at shoulder-width and knees slightly bent. Pull the handle downwards and diagonally across your body, and ensure that it passes the opposite thigh.
Simply rotate your torso during the movement, and keep your lower body, starting with your hips, completely stable. Hold the position for two seconds before returning to the starting position. Do that for at least 15-20 reps per side.
Variations of Cable Woodchop
Here are some variations of the exercise you can add to your workout routine:
Seated Cable Woodchop
If you’ve never done this exercise before, you can begin with the seated variation. It helps with maintaining balance and allows you to understand which muscles should be engaged throughout the movement.
The only difference is that you should set the anchor at shoulder level.
Reverse Woodchop
The reverse woodchop is similar to cable woodchops, but the anchor is adjusted towards the bottom of the pulley machine. Ideally, you move from the bottom towards the top, taking the handle diagonally across your body and over the other shoulder.
High Speed Chop
Another variation of cable woodchops is high-speed chips. While it may not change in any shape or form, the intensity of the exercise will change.
You need to do this exercise at a faster rate, and take approximately ten seconds of rest before doing the reps again.
Common Mistakes
Here are some of the common mistakes that are made while doing woodchops:
Using excessive weight
Cable woodchops use your abdominal muscles. You cannot be using an excessive weight for this exercise, as you won’t be able to pull it diagonally across your body. To reap the benefits of woodchops, ideally, you should use a lighter weight, but focus on higher reps. This exercise is more about intensity over volume.
Lower body locked
While you shouldn’t move your lower body during this exercise, you absolutely cannot keep it locked. It’s important to allow the joints to move around slightly.
Arms bending
Cable woodchops are about keeping the pressure on your obliques. If you bend your arms, your shoulders and arms will do most of the work rather than your abdominal muscles.
So, keep your arms bent so that the maximum amount of work is done by the obliques.
