Core · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Wood Chop Squat
How to do the dumbbell wood chop squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold one dumbbell with both hands. Squat down and bring the dumbbell toward the outside of one hip, then stand and drive it diagonally up and across your body toward the opposite shoulder. Rotate through your torso on the way up and control it back down, finishing one side before switching.
- 1Obliques driving the diagonal chop as you rotate up and across
- 2Glutes and quads powering the squat-to-stand on each rep
- 3Core staying braced as the dumbbell travels across your body
Common mistakes
- Twisting only from the lower back instead of rotating through the trunk
- Letting the knees cave in during the squat
- Using just the arms to swing the dumbbell instead of your whole body
Muscles worked
The dumbbell wood chop squat mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the upper abs, quads, glutes, lower back, hamstrings, and front delts assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell wood chop squat 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.