The Horizontal Cable Woodchop exercise is one of the best rotational exercises that can easily be modified and applied to your training regime today. This is primarily due to its strengthening nature of the large number of muscles acting around your trunk, whilst increasing your mobility along your spine and hips which will significantly reduce the risk of lower back pain. Furthermore, it’s a fantastic way to train and strengthen your “core muscles” in an alternate manner when compared to your general core workouts due to the dynamic movements involved. In saying this, it is an exercise that’ll surely raise a sweat and get your heart pumping too!
The Woodchop is an exercise that is diverse in how it can be performed, by making it easier or harder depending on the level you may be at. Although, it is critical as with every exercise, that you build up to the more challenging variations to ensure safety is maintained. Throughout this blog, some exercise progressions and regressions are included, in which further progressions can be implemented which will be discussed in future blogs.
The Horizontal Cable Woodchop is a fantastic functional exercise that targets numerous muscles in one movement. It can be utilised as a strengthening, flexibility, and/or cardiovascular exercise, with all involving aspects of balance, depending on the weight and intensity you perform the movement.
It also is a very relevant movement required in everyday life that will help improve your ability to enjoy life and complete your ADLs.
Noting the benefits of flexibility, the woodchop is a great exercise to further help open up your back and hip muscles to aid with any potential stiffness, which is extremely common in these areas among all adults.
During the woodchop, multiple muscles are engaged, making it a compound exercise. Two major muscles of your core are heavily targeted, them being your transverse abdominals, as well as your obliques. Further engagement of many muscles located in your back, arms (biceps, triceps), shoulders (pecs, rotator cuff, deltoid), and legs (quadriceps, glutes, calves) are activated.
As with all exercises, it is critical that you gradually build up to these more challenging exercises to ensure safety is maintained. Additional considerations must be taken regarding what you are trying to achieve with the exercise and any other medical concerns, so it is recommended to seek professional advice and guidance where required. A safe exercise progression may include the following:
– Pallof Press
– Seated Horizontal Cable Woodchop
– Standing Horizontal Cable Woodchop
– High to Low / Low to High Cable Woodchop
– ½ Kneeling Horizontal Cable Woodchop
– Kneeling Horizontal Cable Woodchop
Note: These exercises can be further progressed for added benefits, however, start with these and get rotating more…..!
The Horizontal Cable Woodchop is a fantastic functional exercise that targets multiple muscles in one movement. Not only can the woodchop be utilised as a strengthening exercise, but it also holds benefits in increasing movement and flexibility in your hips and spine, as well as training your cardiovascular system depending on the weight and intensity you perform the movement. Furthermore, it is a good exercise to test your balance during a movement.
The woodchop is also a very common movement that all individuals perform in everyday life without even realising. The simple motion of fastening your seatbelt, moving a box from the floor to the shelf, or swinging a golf club, is the perfect replication of this. Mastering the woodchop will be very beneficial when having to complete tasks of this movement in your everyday life.
To perform the Standing Woodchop, follow these simple steps;
Note: You should only pull across to where you are comfortable and pain-free.
As previously mentioned, the woodchop exercise can easily be modified to meet everyone’s current fitness levels, medical condition and training goals. As with all exercises, it is critical that you gradually build up to these more challenging exercises to ensure safety is maintained and seek professional advice and guidance where required.
We have provided a safe exercise progression below with video demonstrations of each to help you.
If you have any further questions, please contact us anytime.
Note: These exercises can be further progressed for added benefits, however, start with these and get rotating more…..!
In conclusion, the Horizontal Cable Woodchop exercises are an extremely relevant exercise that holds many benefits comprises but not limited to increasing neuromuscular strength, cardiovascular and overall mobility of your spine and hips. The benefits of the exercise however depend upon its application and these must be considered when introducing it into your training routine.
Another benefit of the Woodchop is that it can be easily progressed or regressed depending on your fitness level, health circumstances and goals. In addition, these movements are an excellent way to reduce the risk and treat many musculoskeletal injuries such as the lower back.
Like all exercises, it is critical that you gradually introduce these exercises that you can safely and correctly perform, before working towards the more challenging and progressive variations as shown within this blog. If you are unsure about any of these, it is imperative that you seek professional advice.
If you need further guidance, please reach out to us and take advantage of a free 15-minute telehealth consultation with our exercise physiologist.
Written by Paolo Mitry, an Exercise Physiologist at Activ8 Health Club
