Cable Woodchop
The cable woodchop is a standing rotation exercise where you pull a cable handle diagonally across your body. It mainly works your obliques, the muscles down the sides of your waist that turn your torso, with your abs and the front of your shoulders helping. It suits beginners and experienced lifters who want a controlled way to train rotation with adjustable weight.
Muscles worked
The Cable Woodchop mainly works your obliques, with your abs and anterior delts helping.
Setting up
- Set the pulley high, around head height or just above, and attach a single handle. Choose a light weight to start, such as 5-10 kg, so you can learn the movement.
- Stand side-on to the machine, a step or two away, with feet about shoulder-width apart and knees slightly soft.
- Reach up with both hands and hold the handle, one hand stacked on top of the other, arms extended towards the pulley. Your torso should be turned slightly towards the machine so there is tension on the cable before you start.
How to do the Cable Woodchop
- Stand tall, brace your stomach as if you were about to be nudged, and keep your ribs down over your pelvis.
- Start the rep by turning your torso away from the machine, rather than by yanking with your arms.
- Pull the handle diagonally down and across your body, finishing outside the opposite hip or knee.
- Let the foot nearest the machine pivot slightly as you turn, so your knees and lower back are not twisted against fixed feet.
- Keep your arms long but not locked, and let them guide the handle while your waist does the work.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, feeling your obliques tighten on the side you are turning away from.
- Turn back slowly, resisting the cable all the way up until you are back in the start position. Finish all your reps on one side, then switch.
Form tips
- Think of turning your chest to face the opposite corner of the room. That cue keeps the movement in your torso rather than your arms.
- Keep your hips fairly square and steady. A small natural pivot is fine, but the main turn should come from your ribcage rotating over your pelvis.
- Take about one second to pull down and two to three seconds to return. The slow return is where you control the weight stack.
- Keep the weight light enough that the weight stack does not bang or jerk at the top. If it does, drop the load.
- Keep your head and eyes following the handle, with your neck relaxed and your shoulders away from your ears.
Common mistakes
Pulling with the arms
Keep your arms long and think of them as hooks holding the handle. Start every rep by rotating your torso, and reduce the weight if your arms are taking over.
Using too much weight and jerking
Pick a load you can move smoothly without swinging. If the stack bounces on the way back, it is too heavy.
Letting the weight snap you back
Resist the cable on the return and take 2-3 seconds to come back up. You should feel your obliques working on the way up as well as down.
Leaning or bending sideways instead of rotating
Stay tall with your ribs stacked over your pelvis. Imagine turning around a pole running through your spine, not folding towards the cable.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per side with a challenging but controlled weight, resting 90 seconds to 2 minutes. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3 sets of 10-15 reps per side, with a slow return, resting 60-90 seconds. |
| Fat loss and general fitness | 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps per side with a lighter weight, resting 30-45 seconds, as part of a full-body circuit. |
Pick a weight where the last rep or two of each set is hard but your form stays clean. When every set feels easy, it's time to go up.
Cable Woodchop alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Cable Woodchop FAQs
What is the difference between high-to-low and low-to-high cable woodchops?
High-to-low, which this guide describes, has you pulling down and across from a high pulley. Low-to-high sets the pulley near the floor and you pull up and across, which puts more emphasis on the front of your shoulders. Both train rotation, so choose whichever feels more controlled for you.
How heavy should I go on cable woodchops?
Start light, around 5-10 kg, and increase only when you can complete every rep smoothly, with the same range of rotation on both sides. This is a core control exercise, so heavier is not always better. If you need to swing or use your arms to move the weight, reduce it.
Should my feet move during a cable woodchop?
Keep your feet planted, but let the foot nearest the machine pivot a little as you turn. That stops your knees and lower back being twisted against fixed feet. If you feel any pain rather than normal muscle effort, stop and get it checked.
Track your Cable Woodchop progress
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