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Exercise library · Abs

Band woodchopper

Trunk rotation for the abs with a resistance band.

How to do it

1 of 3

Side-on to the anchor, band at shoulder

  1. Starting position

    Stand sideways to a high anchor with your feet wide and hold the band in both hands near your shoulder.

  2. The movement

    Pull the band diagonally across your body to the opposite hip, rotate your torso and return slowly.

Most common mistake

Don't pull with only your arms, turn your chest and let your back foot pivot.

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Muscle group
Abs
Equipment
Resistance band
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The band woodchopper trains your trunk to rotate with control. The obliques do the bulk of it as your chest turns down towards the opposite hip, and the rectus abdominis helps because the pull also travels diagonally downwards. Unlike a cable, the band gets heavier the more it stretches, so the resistance is greatest down by your hip and lightest at the start of the pull.

Common mistakes

  • The anchor is not secure. A band that slips can snap back at you. Fix it to something that cannot move. If you use a door, it should be shut and open away from you, so your pull presses it into the frame.
  • The band is too strong. With too much resistance you lose your position and start leaning to get the band moving. Pick a band that lets you rotate calmly and resist it all the way back.
  • You bend forward at the end. The pull should go diagonally across your body, not down to the floor. Keep your chest up even when your hands are down by your hip.

Variations and alternatives

  • The cable woodchopper is the same exercise in the gym, with steadier resistance and weight in small steps.
  • The band pallof press uses a band in the same way, but there your trunk holds still instead of turning.
  • The Russian twist works on rotation sitting on the floor, for when you have nowhere to anchor a band.

Sets and reps

Ten to fifteen reps per side at a calm tempo, over two or three sets, is a good plan. Do the same number in each direction and rest for about a minute. The basics are in the guide to sets and reps.

With a band you can add resistance in two ways: a step further from the anchor stretches the band from the start, and the next band up gives a bigger jump. Start with the steps away from the anchor, as they are the smallest. Both are progressive overload with a band. If your back hurts as you rotate, and it is more than tired abs, stop the exercise and have a doctor or physiotherapist look at it.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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