cable woodchop

The Cable Woodchop is a highly effective exercise primarily targeting the oblique muscles. It is performed on a cable machine and offers a fantastic way to strengthen and load your obliques.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform the Cable Woodchop, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Performing the Cable Woodchop

The Cable Woodchop focuses on the following muscle groups…

Obliques: The obliques, located on the sides of the abdomen, are the primary muscles worked during cable woodchops. They play a crucial role in trunk rotation and lateral flexion.

Abs: The abs are engaged naturally during this exercise, they help support the spine throughout the cable woodchop movement. Your abs will help you to maintain proper posture and control during the exercise.

Glutes: The glutes help stabilise the hips and pelvis during this exercise. They assist in helping you to maintain balance and control as you rotate your body.

Shoulders, Scapular Stabilisers, and Arms: While they are not primarily targeted, these muscle groups assist in controlling the cable, while you maintain proper form throughout the exercise.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

How to Perform the Cable Woodchop

To execute the Cable Woodchop:

1. Equipment Set-up: Begin at a cable station and adjust the pulley so that it is positioned above shoulder height.

2. Add Weight: Choose your desired weight and attach a standard handle to the cable.

3. Start Position: Stand perpendicular to the machine, facing away from it, and grab the handle with both hands.

4. Foot Position: Position your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, with a slight bend in your knees for stability.

5. Woodchop: With extended arms, grasp the handle firmly and pull it across your body and down toward the opposite knee, rotating your torso. You may also shift your back foot position in the direction of the pulley if this feels natural for you.

6. Full Range of Motion: Reach as far as you can while maintaining control and return to the starting position through the same controlled movement.

7. Go for reps.

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Other Weight Types You Can Use to Perform This Exercise

While using the exact same range of motion as the Cable Woodchop, you can also perform this exercise with a kettlebell, dumbbell, medicine ball, or any other weight you can grasp firmly in both hands.

Keep in mind that the cable plays a role in controlling this movement for you, if you perform it with any free weight you will have to pay even closer attention to the diagonal line you are moving the weight through.

Benefits of the Cable Woodchop

The Cable Woodchop offers numerous benefits:

Oblique Strength: Target and isolate the oblique muscles so that you can further build your core stability.

Enhanced Rotational Control: Develop your ability to twist and turn your torso with precision.

Better Coordination: This exercise forces you to coordinate through the correct range of motion as you “chop wood”.

Improved Functional Fitness: More core strength translates to better performance in daily activities. You’ll be surprised how everything becomes easier with a stronger core.

Cable Woodchop: Common Mistakes to Avoid

To maximise the effectiveness of the Cable Woodchop, be mindful of these common mistakes:

Maintain Correct Posture: Avoid excessive upper body movement or unnecessary foot repositioning; focus on rotating the weight through your torso with your feet planted into the floor.

Use the Correct Weight: Use a weight that challenges you, but also isn’t too heavy. Going too light will make the exercise ineffective, but too heavy can lead to painful repetitive strain or acute injury.

Good Form: Maintain proper form throughout the exercise to effectively engage the intended muscle groups and avoid compromising your results.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets for the Cable Woodchop should align with your fitness level and objectives:

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep it light to begin with and focus entirely on ensuring you are performing the exercise correctly. Once you’re there, slowly increase the weight to an amount that starts to challenge you around the 8th rep of a 10 rep set. Then perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Cable Woodchop More Challenging

There are a couple of ways you can make the Cable Woodchop more challenging:

One option is to add more weight, or a different kind of weight. For example, you can also perform this exercise standing with a medicine ball or kettlebell. This puts a different twist on it since you are no longer assisted by the cable on the machine.

Another thing you can do is slow down the movement and ensure you are working through the full range of motion, so ensuring you are twisting as far around as you possibly can before coming back to start position.

If you’ve exhausted your options for making this exercise more challenging you should look to other Core Exercises.

How to Incorporate the Cable Woodchop into Your Workouts

You can add the Cable Woodchop at the end of almost any workout. Abs and Core exercises tend to fit best as finishers, because they are smaller muscle groups and these are best performed after you’ve prioritised your larger muscle groups and bigger lifts.

You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to the Cable Woodchop

Pair this exercise with other core-strengthening exercises, such as Hanging Leg Raises, Russian Twists, and Spiderman Planks, for a well-rounded core workout. You can also try any of the other Core Exercises at the bottom of this page.

Incorporating a variety of these exercises into your routine can provide a well-rounded approach to core strengthening and development. If you become overly comfortable with an exercise, it’s a sure fire sign that you need to make it harder or try something else for a change.

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