How to do Ab Cable Woodchoppers

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ajmRaAmfL8[/youtube]

Another interesting functional training for your obliques would be the ab cable woodchoppers exercise. Without you noticing it, there are various tasks that you do daily which could involve twisting or rotating yourself and to prevent any spinal strain or damage, you will need exercises like the ab cable woodchoppers to strengthen your oblique muscles which are primarily responsible for these movements.

From the name itself, ab cable woodchoppers mimic the motions of a woodchopper through the use of a cable over your head that adds resistance. To ensure you get the actual benefits of this exercise, maintain the correct form of as you are pulling, you do so not with your arms but with your obliques so that the appropriate pressure is most felt in the right target muscles. While pulling itself would engage the shoulders as a secondary muscle group worked, the act of rotating should be carried by your obliques and your arms should remain straight throughout the execution.

Whether for sports activities or everyday tasks, ab cable woodchoppers are a good core strengthening training to add to your six pack abs exercises. To fully see the proper form to doing this, check out the video below.

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Place your cable at the top of the post and face outward so the post is on your side.
  2. Stand perpendicular to the cable, about two steps from the post, until tension is present with the cable.
  3. Keep feet shoulder width apart or closer together to add difficulty.
  4. Hold on to the cable through the rope attachment.

Execution

Pull the rope down across the front of your body, mimicking a chopping motion with an axe.

Return

Carefully ease on the cable’s slack by slowly returning the rope to its original position.

Repeat

After a few reps, do the same on the other side.

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