Precautions
Asides from knowing how the wood chop exercise works, there are certain precautions and considerations to put in mind, such as:
- The trunk should be kept stable during the exercise. In most cases, the spine may bend or flex forward during the chopping motion. This can place excess stress on your spine.
- Begin with a smaller weight than you think you will require to do this exercise. As you progress, you can increase your weight while maintaining proper control.
- Physiotherapists advise people that feel pains during the movement to reduce their range of motion and their speed. In some cases, reducing the amount of resistance used could help. if the pain persists, then you should see a healthcare professional.
There are several ways to spice and adjust the challenge of the movement, they are:
Stance – wood chop exercise can be done from a half-kneeling (lunge) position. Begin with one leg in front and your rear knee bent directly under your hips. Raise the weight from the outside of your rear hip and to the outside of your head on the side of the leading leg. This exercise can also be done in a half-kneeling position with the knees parallel to each other.
Increasing or reducing the degree of challenge – put your feet or knees closer together to reduce the base of support and make the exercise more challenging. This will elevate lateral instability and force your muscles to work harder to maintain balance while doing the exercise.
The amount of weight or resistance can be changed. It is important to watch the weight and resistance if you are going heavier, to avoid excess rotation of the spine.
You should also change the speed at which you are doing the movement for a greater challenge. You should maintain a regulated speed while bringing the weight down and gradually taking the weight back to its starting position if you are using a cable machine or resistance band.