How to Get Awesome Abs Standing Up

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Ab work. It basically requires getting down on the floor, right? Not so with the wood chop, which challenges the core while you stay upright on your own two feet. Both the wood chop and its kissing cousin, the reverse wood chop, work your midsection dynamically by making the muscles resist the force of a cable stack, band, or (for the reverse wood chop) a free weight. They’re a great progression once you've mastered static planks, says Jeffrey M. Willardson, Ph.D., author of Developing the Core. They're also both exercises that involve a recovery movement back to the start position that is just as important as the action it took to get there—no “rest” for you, but way better effects for your bikini.
 

Wood Chop Basics
You'll need a cable machine or a resistance band. Adjust the cable or anchor the band so that the handle is about arms-length overhead. Stand off to the side, holding onto the equipment handle so arms are extended diagonally overhead. Engage your abs to pull the handle down and across in front of you, ending with the handle next to the opposite hip. As you pull, pivot with your hips and feet so that the rotation happens with your whole body, not just your waist, and follow the handle with your gaze. With the same slow control, allow your arms, hips, and core to return to the start position. In terms of weight on the cable stack, you want enough that it feels challenging for 10 reps, but not so much that you struggle to complete the set; 15 or so pounds may be a good starting point. Don't forget to switch and do a set on the other side, too.
 

 

Reverse Wood Chop How-to
As the name implies, you'll be doing the opposite motion here. Adjust your cable machine or resistance band so that the handle or anchor point is low to ground. If you're using a cable stack, you'll probably lift a bit less weight than you did with the standard chop—perhaps start in the 10-to-15-pound range if you were using 15 pounds for the standard. For the reverse, you can also use a medicine ball or single dumbbell—if you go this route, choose a free weight that’s also slightly lighter than the amount of poundage you used for the standard chop. (FYI: You can only use a free weight for the reverse because you need to be able to pull down for the standard; with a free weight, gravity makes this impossible.) Begin with a slight bend in your knees and the handle/weight to the side of one hip. Pull/lift the weight up and above your head to the opposite side, pivoting your hips and feet and following the handle with your eyes, as you did before. With the same good control, return to start. After 10 reps, switch sides.

It's best to do both the standard wood chop and the reverse wood chop in the same workout to keep things balanced; the standard chop targets the front "six pack" abs, while the reverse puts more onus on the back muscles, and both recruit the side obliques. Aim for two to three sets of each at the end of your workout.