How to do a Balance Trainer Wood Choppers
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Balance Trainer Wood Choppers
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
The BOSU Balance Trainer Wood Choppers are a dynamic, compound exercise targeting the core, particularly the obliques, as well as the shoulders and hips. By performing wood choppers on a BOSU balance trainer, the instability adds an increased challenge to the movement, enhancing core engagement and balance. This exercise mimics the motion of chopping wood, moving from high to low across the body with added resistance for improved power and rotational strength. It’s especially beneficial for athletes or anyone looking to improve functional fitness, offering a more intense workout compared to traditional wood choppers on stable ground.
- Stand, holding the Balance Trainer in front of the torso with the platform side up and dome side down.
- Squat, rotate and lower the Balance Trainer dome to the floor on one side of the body.
- Stand up, rotate through the center, and continue rotating to press overhead on the opposite side.
- Perform the desired number of reps on one side, then repeat on the other side.
- Maintain a braced core throughout the exercise.
Sets & Reps Calculator
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Alternatives & Variations to Balance Trainer Wood Choppers
1. Cable Wood Chop
76.3 mSCORESWAPPED 82 TIMESThe Cable Wood Chop is a compound, rotational exercise targeting the obliques and core, enhancing rotational strength and stability. It mimics real-life movement patterns, beneficial for functional strength and improving athletic performance. The cable system ensures constant tension, making it more challenging than free-weight alternatives.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
2. Dumbbell Side Bend
38.8 mSCORESWAPPED 35 TIMESDumbbell Side Bend is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the obliques. The use of a dumbbell adds resistance to the movement, helping to build muscle mass and strength in your sides. This is a simple exercise that aids in improving core stability and can be easily incorporated into any abdominal workout routine.
3. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 34 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
4. Cable Wood Chop (Low to High)
65.6 mSCORESWAPPED 33 TIMESThe Cable Wood Chop (Low to High) is a dynamic, compound exercise that targets the core, obliques, and shoulders by moving the cable from a low position to a high position across the body. This variation emphasizes upward rotational strength, enhancing functional fitness and power, crucial for athletic performance. The diagonal movement pattern also engages and strengthens the entire kinetic chain, from the legs through the core and into the upper body, making it an effective exercise for improving overall body coordination and stability.
5. Dumbbell Halo To Oblique Crunch
23 mSCORESWAPPED 27 TIMESDumbbell Halo To Oblique Crunch is a combination of a core and shoulder exercise. It primarily targets the obliques and shoulders. By performing a halo movement with the dumbbell around your head, you engage your shoulders and upper body. Transitioning into an oblique crunch emphasizes the sides of your core, making this an excellent exercise for building functional strength and stability.
6. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 21 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
7. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
8. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 19 TIMESCable Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Unlike Crunches, this is a weighted exercise that does not have you laying on your back. Instead of using your bodyweight for resistance, you use a cable machine. This gives you more control over your resistance, as well as more control over the direction that resistance is coming from.
9. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 18 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
10. Scissor Kick
94.2 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMESScissor Kicks are a bodyweight, core exercise that involve raising your feet off the ground, and kicking your legs up and down. By raising your legs off the ground, you’re already working your core. By continually alternating which leg is raised, you’re constantly forced to keep your core engaged for stability as well as to keep each leg raised.