Name: ReGroove Fitness
Address: Portland, OR, 97211, US
Price range: $$

This versatile core exercise has a lot of great benefits for your core.

Multi-planer movement: This exercise challenges the 3 planes of motion:
1. Sagittal Plane: Forward and backward movements.
2. Frontal Plane: Side-to-side movements.
3. Transverse Plane: Twisting movements.
PNF movement: The Wood Chop exercise is in the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation pattern, because of diagonal arc of motion within the midline of the body. PNF movement is fundamental to the human movement that involves spiral vectors or diagonal line of actions within the body using simultaneous coordination of several joints.
Versatility: Can be used for stabilization, strength, and power training depending on modification and acute variables. Sitting, standing, with an object, without an object, cable, or with bands…

The Seated Wood Chop

Position: Sit on an object that will give you ideally 90 degrees of bend in your knees. Let your feet be flat on the floor and a shoulder width open or more. A wider stance will dictate the level of intensity of stability. A stability ball and the ilk will give balance a greater challenge as to a stable object.
Resistance: You can choose to hold an object for resistance or you can use a cable system or bands. Be sure to orient yourself where the anchor of the resistance is on your flank. In other words, if you are starting with your left, the anchor point would be located to your left as you are facing forward. You will ideally have the anchor point higher than your shoulder.
Motion: Clasp the resistance with both hands above on either side, then bring it down and across your body towards your hip on the other side below. Depending on the condition of the body, the most gentle variation is to not rotate the spine.
Benefits: Targets the shoulders, core, and hip complex while limiting demand on the body’s lower half.

The Kneeling Wood Chop

Position: The width of your stance will dictate the intensity. Tucking the toes of the back leg will provide more stability.
Benefits: Targets the hips, core, and shoulders in a more integrated manner.

The original gangster of of Wood Chops!

Position: Your stance can vary in width as long as your feet is at least a hip width apart and your knees are aligned over your feet.
Resistance: This exercise is typically used in gyms with cable systems, and almost anywhere with resistance bands. Similarly to the seated version, you will ideally have the anchor point higher than your shoulder.
Motion: Using an athletic stance, clasp the resistance with both hands above on either side, then bring it down and across your body towards your knee as your rotate to the other side. Be sure to push with the leg closest to the anchor point and get triple extension (ankle, knee, and hip. Abs in and maintain optimal spinal alignment.
Benefits: A wide “horse” stance integrates the foot and ankle. An athletic stance (wider than shoulders) is a sporting position that is used in most sports. A narrow stance will increase the stability challenge.

Position: If using the left side first, get into a split stance with the left leg forward and the right leg back. The heel on the back leg can be on the ground or can be up off the ground to enable greater intrinsic foot muscle action.

Motion:
- Ipsilateral: If using the left side first, step back with the right leg into a lunge while you perform the wood chopping motion down towards your right hip. Keep your knees from touching the ground.
- Contralateral: If using the left side first, step back with the left leg into a lunge while performing the wood chopping motion down towards your right hip.

Motion:
- Ipsilateral: If using the left side first, stand with your left foot off the ground while you perform the wood chopping motion down towards your right hip.
- Contralateral: If using the left side first, stand with your right foot off the ground while you perform the wood chopping motion down towards your right hip.