Standing Wood Chop
The wood chop is a functional but advanced movement that should be learned in three stages. Get comfortable with stage 1 before progressing to stages 2 and 3.
Stage 1: Spiral rotation of the arms
Stand in a split-stance position with your left foot forward. Hold a medicine in both hands, keeping it close to your body. Contract your muscles to stiffen your torso, holding it vertical to the floor. Pull your shoulder down and back without arching your lower back.
Rotate your arms with the medicine ball to the left, to a starting position high and behind you. Do not rotate your head, chest or torso. Your head, chest and hips should remain facing forward at all times throughout this exercise stage. Keep the medicine ball relatively close to your body.
Repeat the same movement but straighten your arms and maintain this position throughout the wood chop movements. This longer lever increases the loading on the spine, causing the core muscles to work harder.
Stage 2: Spiral rotation of the arms with hip rotation and flexion (bending).
Change your foot position to a stagger-stance by moving the feet wider apart. Assume the same starting position with your bent arms but allow your hips to rotate to the left with your arms, increasing your degree of rotation. Your head, chest and torso should remain aligned with your hips.
Slowly rotate your arms down and across your body to the right, while squatting down slightly to a point where the medicine ball is positioned lower than your right hip and much of your weight has shifted over into the right leg. Rotate your hips, but keep your head, chest and torso aligned over your hips. Keep the medicine ball relatively close to your body.
Repeat the same movement but straighten your arms and maintain this position throughout the wood chop movements. This longer lever increases the loading on the spine, requiring the core muscles to work harder.
Stage 3: Full wood chop with spiral rotation of the arms, hip and torso, and hip flexion (bending).
Assume the same starting position as in stage two but extend your arms and allow your torso to rotate further than your hips, increasing your degree of rotation. Shift more weight into your left foot and allow your right foot to pivot on the floor.
Slowly rotate your arms down and across your body to the right, while squatting down slightly to an end point where the medicine ball is positioned below your right hip and much of your weight has shifted into the right leg. Your torso will rotate further and faster than your hips. Keep your arms fully extended throughout the movement. Hold this end position briefly before returning to your starting position. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction with your opposite leg forward.
Engage your abdominal / core muscles throughout this exercise to stabilize and protect your spine.
Standing Wood Chop Exercise | Exercise Library | ACE