{"id":68484,"date":"2025-10-09T20:02:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T20:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/68484\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T20:02:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T20:02:16","slug":"the-wood-chop-is-the-underrated-core-exercise-youre-missing-out-on-heres-how-to-do-it-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/68484\/","title":{"rendered":"The wood chop is the underrated core exercise you’re missing out on \u2013 here\u2019s how to do it right"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a strong, functional core<\/a> that stabilises your spine and reduces injury risk, you need more than crunches. Ideally, your midsection should be trained across all three planes of movement \u2014 sagittal (forward\/backward), frontal (side to side), and transverse (rotational) \u2014 because that\u2019s how it operates in everyday life. Think of how often you bend to pick something up, twist to reach behind you, or carry shopping bags. Your core drives all of it. So, how do you make sure you\u2019re hitting every angle? Try the wood chop.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you\u2019ve never come across the wood chop before, think of it as one of the most effective ways to train your core to do what it\u2019s designed for \u2014 creating and controlling rotation,\u2019 says Daniel Booth, performance coach at MyoLab. Don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s no actual wood chopping involved. \u2018It mimics the motion of swinging an axe, building strength that connects your upper and lower body through the core. It\u2019s a multi-directional, full-body movement<\/a> that develops power, stability and coordination all at once.\u2019<\/p>\n

What muscles does the wood chop exercise work?<\/p>\n

According to Booth, the wood chop hits a lot of areas at once \u2014 a true bang-for-your-buck move. \u2018The focus is your obliques and deep core stabilisers \u2013 the muscles that control rotation and keep your spine supported,\u2019 he explains. But you\u2019ll also feel it in your shoulders, lats, glutes and legs if your form\u2019s on point. \u2018Essentially, it trains your body as one connected system rather than isolated parts, which is how we move in the real world,\u2019 Booth says. \u2018From a performance standpoint, this is gold \u2013 you\u2019re teaching your body to transfer force efficiently from the ground up.\u2019<\/p>\n

What to Read NextWhat are the benefits of the wood chop exercise?<\/p>\n

The wood chop builds rotational strength and stability in your core, improving how your body performs movements it repeats every day. Booth adds that the benefits go beyond that. Incorporating wood chops into your training can:<\/p>\n

Improve power transfer. \u2018It teaches your body to move energy from your lower body through your core and out through your arms<\/a> \u2013 exactly how you generate athletic power,\u2019 says Booth.Enhance movement quality. The exercise builds coordination between your hips and torso, boosting balance and control.Support injury prevention. \u2018It strengthens the muscles that protect your spine and pelvis from overload or rotation under stress,\u2019 Booth explains.How to do the wood chop exerciseStand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a cable handle, resistance band, medicine ball or dumbbell above one shoulder.Engage your core. Keep a slight bend in the knees, tall posture and a braced midsection.Rotate your torso and hips together as you drive the weight diagonally across your body, finishing near your opposite hip.Slowly return to the start under control \u2013 this is where the real work happens.Complete all reps on one side before switching.\"Image<\/p>\n

If the wood chop feels too advanced, Booth suggests trying it from a half-kneeling position. \u2018It takes the legs out of the movement so you can focus purely on trunk control.\u2019 To make it harder, he recommends a reverse wood chop (moving from low to high) or medicine ball slams to develop power.<\/p>\n

Common mistakes to avoid<\/p>\n

A few common errors can reduce the effectiveness of the movement \u2013 or worse, increase injury risk. Avoid:<\/p>\n

Using your arms instead of your core. The motion should start from your hips and torso.Losing control of the weight. \u2018Don\u2019t let it swing \u2013 control every inch of the range,\u2019 says Booth.Rounding your spine. Keep your chest lifted and spine neutral.Keeping your hips fixed. \u2018Let the lower body move with you \u2013 you\u2019re not glued to the floor,\u2019 Booth says.Going too heavy too soon. \u2018Nail the technique before adding intensity.\u2019Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Abbi Henderson is a freelance journalist and social media lead who covers health, fitness, women\u2019s sport and lifestyle for titles including Women’s Health, Stylist and Marie Claire.<\/p>\n

Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy.<\/p>\n

With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality.<\/p>\n

She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she\u2019s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For a strong, functional core that stabilises your spine and reduces injury risk, you need more than crunches.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[5218,54874,2117,565,134,2116,111,139,69,54873],"class_list":{"0":"post-68484","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-default","9":"tag-contentid-87b5eece-aaa6-48fa-9cf6-b6b44aae9b05","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-locale-gb","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-shorttitle-how-to-do-the-wood-chop-to-strengthen-your-core"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}