Core · Bodyweight
Twisting Woodchopper
How to do the twisting 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 apart and clasp your hands together. Swing your arms down and across from high on one side to low across the opposite hip, rotating your torso through the chop, then reverse the motion back up and repeat both sides.
- 1Rotate from your core and obliques, not just your arms
- 2Feel a fast, athletic chop with your hips turning into it
- 3Brace your midsection so the twist comes from your trunk
Common mistakes
- Don't move only your arms while your torso stays still
- Don't round or arch your lower back at the bottom
- Don't let your knees cave inward as you pivot
Muscles worked
The twisting woodchopper mainly works the obliques and lower abs, with the upper abs, lats, quads, glutes, and front delts assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- LatsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the twisting 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.