Golf, Squash, cricket and many other sports require a lot of rotational movements, some requiring more intensive rotation than others. The external obliques are one of the primary muscles involved in rotational movement. An effective exercise to strengthen this important area is the woodchopper. Correct technique is crucial otherwise the wrong muscles will be used to perform the exercise and the intended target (the external obliques) missed.
Using one side of the cable cross over machine, elevate the cable grip to its highest position. Fully extend your arms out to the left or right depending on which side you’re working. If your working your left side grab the cable grip with your left hand from the right side of the machine with an underhand grip and then put your right hand (overhand grip) over your left. From there assume the correct stance, feet slightly outside shoulder width, have a slight bend in your legs and keep your torso upright.
With your arms fully extended use your trunk (primarily your external obliques) to bring the cable grip from your top right down to your left hip. It’s very important that you focus on using the rotational force of your trunk and not your shoulders to perform the movement.
Perform 15-20 reps 2-3 times on both sides. Start with a relatively light weight, focusing on correct muscle activation.
