Wood Chop Exercise and Progressions

This course discusses the variations, progressions, and regressions of the wood chop exercise. This includes tips and cues for upper body form, lower body form, and arm position (straight arms and bent elbows), as well as variations with bands and cable pulleys. Although this exercise is common in fitness centers and among personal trainers as part of core workouts, it is an exercise that is rarely taught well. This is unfortunate because the wood chop can be an excellent rotational movement (or anti-rotational movement) for core muscles (and when performed with a band, can be a very versatile exercise).

Discussion of core muscle anatomy, core subsystem integration, down chop variations, and inclusion in corrective, fitness, performance, and rehabilitation programming is included in this course. Further, programming the chop exercise during core workouts may aid in setting up more advanced exercises like standing cable chest press, step-up to curl and press, sled push, and variations of medicine ball chest passing. Performing the wood chop exercise with the addition of the drawing-in maneuver may aid in integrating synergies including the Anterior Oblique Subsystem, Posterior Oblique Subsystem, and Intrinsic Stabilization Subsystem, and may contribute to corrective exercise programs designed to address movement impairments like an anterior pelvic tilt or knee varus, and may be included in physical rehabilitation programs for addressing low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, or sacroiliac dysfunction.

Movement and sports medicine professionals (personal trainers, fitness instructors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, occupational therapists, etc.) should consider adding the wood chop exercise to their repertoire with the intent of improving patient/client outcomes for their integrated performance exercise programs and therapeutic (rehabilitation) interventions.

Down Chop

• Kneeling Chop
• Standing Chop
• Single-leg Chop
• Dynamic Chop

Reactive Progressions

• Crunch and Catch

Subsystem Integration:

• Anterior Oblique Subsystem

Caption: Kneeling chop progression targeting the anterior oblique subsystem