Kettlebell Wood Chop

The kettlebell wood chop is an effective exercise for developing rotational strength and stability.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell with both hands.
  2. Engage your core and rotate your torso to one side, bringing the kettlebell down towards your hip.
  3. In a controlled motion, rotate your torso back to the starting position while lifting the kettlebell diagonally across your body.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

How to perform the Kettlebell Wood Chop

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Kettlebell Wood Chop using your kettlebell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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