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Woodchopper medicine ball partner exercise

This is an excerpt from Partner Workouts by Krista Popowych.

The wood chop is an exercise training staple. Generally the movement travels across the body from a high to low position, but in this set, the motion is performed in the opposite direction, from low to high, as well. The diagonal pattern of this movement activates both the internal and external oblique muscles.

Equipment

• Medicine ball or plyo ball
  
  

Movement Cues

1. Stand back-to-back, with partner A holding the medicine ball.
2. Both partners drop into a squat, with the feet wider than shoulder-width apart, the core engaged, the knees bent, and the torso long.
3. Partner A holds the medicine ball with both hands below the right hip, then lifts up the ball diagonally across the body and passes it over the left shoulder to partner B.
4. Partner B receives it from near the top of the right shoulder and brings it down diagonally across to below the left hip, to pass it to partner A’s right side below the hip.
5. The movement continues in a smooth rotation from low to high and high to low in both directions, and repeating for reps.

Tips and Variations

• To increase the challenge, use a heavier medicine ball, increase the passing speed, or get lower into the squat.
• Partners can also step slightly farther apart, requiring more of a reach to pass and receive the ball.

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