Muscles worked in the wood chop exercise
The wood chop exercise when done frequently can work on several muscles, such as:
- Core muscles
The trunk and core muscles are very important in providing stability during movement. The oblique muscles (external and internal) [3] and transverse abdominis are greatly used during the exercise.
- Hip muscles
The hip muscles are used as stabilizers during this movement. The upper gluteal muscles (gluteus Medius and minimus) [4] are the major muscles used.
- Thigh and calf muscles
The muscles in the thigh are used to extend and flex the knee joint and they provide stability to the body during movement. Your calf muscles on the opposite side of the direction you are moving towards helping to provide strength.
- Shoulders
The scapular is a triangular bone that stabilizes the shoulder blade when the arms are in motion. Your deltoids [5] and rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus, and teres minor) [6] are vital for the strength needed to move from a high to a low position.
You can use a medicine ball or kettlebell for the weight; they both provide variety with hand position and grip to add challenge. In some cases, a cable machine with the pulley placed at the highest point or a resistance band joined to a high point is used for the chopping motion.
You can stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the handle position at the left side. Hold the handle and pull down towards the opposite hip. These method talks amplifies the oblique muscles on the side you are pulling toward.
To amplify the lifting motion, change the anchor point to a low position. Do the movement again, from low to high. The muscles that extend the trunk and shoulder are emphasized in this version.
Conclusion
The wood chop exercise is majorly used to train the core. It can be done in different ways, with different kinds of tools to accommodate your requirements and spice things up.
References
[1] https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/overview-of-back-muscles
[2] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dumbbell
[3] https://biologydictionary.net/oblique-muscle/#:~:text=Oblique%20muscle%20refers%20to%20two,the%20external%20and%20internal%20obliques.&text=The%20external%20oblique%20is%20the,before%20reaching%20the%20pubic%20bone.
[4] https://geekymedics.com/muscles-of-the-gluteal-region/
[5] https://www.physio-pedia.com/Deltoid/
[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/bone-health/rotator-cuff-anatomy