Why Use Cable Woodchops?
Cable woodchops are one of my favorite drills to use with athletes. It’s great for developing core strength and stability through the thoracic spine and trunk. One of my favorite ways to use the cable wood chops are with baseball guys to better develop their rotational force for hitting or pitching.
For more information on core integration for athletes, check out this post.
How to Perform Cable Woodchops
Begin setting up a cable machine so the handle is set high, above your shoulder. Stand laterally to the machine and reach over to one side to grab the handle with both hands. Next step the feet wider, set beneath the hips, then twist to the opposite side keeping just a slight bend in the elbows. Use your core to twist from one side to the other and pivot the feet so that you maintain weight on the balls of the feet.
As you go, aim to bring both hands “to the opposite pocket” for a full rotation and think about closing the hip as you pivot for more power.
Check out how to perform cable woodchops here.
Common Mistakes
I recommend to pivot the feet while moving, almost as if throwing a punch so you keep the knees safe and move more naturally. This will help to better translate to your batting and pitching work.
Programming
The cable woodchop is a strength drill that I’ll typically implement as an auxiliary within an upper-body focused workout. Go for 2-3 rounds of 10 reps on each side at a comfortable weight which allows you to move fluidly.
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