Core · Bodyweight
Diagonal Claps Woodchopper
How to do the diagonal claps woodchopper, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width and clasp your hands together. Sweep your arms up and across to one side overhead, then chop diagonally down across your body toward the opposite hip, rotating through the torso. Repeat, then switch directions.
- 1Your obliques driving the diagonal chop across the body
- 2Rotation flowing from the waist, not just the arms
- 3A braced core controlling the change of direction
Common mistakes
- Chopping with the arms while the trunk stays still
- Rounding the back at the bottom of the chop
- Letting momentum yank you off balance
Muscles worked
The diagonal claps woodchopper mainly works the obliques, with the lower abs, lats, upper abs, quads, and glutes assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the diagonal claps woodchopper for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.