# Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop

A half-kneeling rotational exercise that carries a medicine ball diagonally from beside one hip to above the opposite shoulder. It trains the obliques, and the kneeling stance keeps your hips from helping the turn.

- Beginner · Compound
- Equipment: Medicine ball
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/med-ball-half-kneeling-wood-choppers/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/half-kneeling-medicine-ball-woodchop/

## Muscles worked

- Obliques: 9/10
- Abs: 6/10
- Lower back: 4/10

## How to do the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop

1. Kneel on one knee, ball in both hands beside the kneeling-leg hip.
2. Rotate and lift the ball diagonally above the opposite shoulder.
3. Keep your hips facing forward and your arms nearly straight.
4. Lower along the same path, then switch sides after all reps.

### Full technique — 8 steps

1. Kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front and the front shin nearly vertical.
2. Hold a medicine ball in both hands beside the hip on the kneeling-leg side.
3. Tighten your stomach and keep your back straight.
4. Rotate your torso and lift the ball diagonally across your body with your arms nearly straight.
5. Finish tall with your arms extended and the ball above the opposite shoulder.
6. Keep your hips facing forward as your torso turns.
7. Reverse the path under control back to the low starting position.
8. Complete all reps on one side, then switch your kneeling leg and repeat.

## Common mistakes

- Pulling mostly with the arms
- Rounding through the lower back
- Twisting the hips with the torso
- Cutting the diagonal path short

## Form cues

- Move through the trunk
- Keep hips square
- Finish high across body
- Tighten stomach each rep

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift explosively
- **Muscle growth**: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps · rest 1 min · 3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Half Kneeling Dumbbell Low-to-High Woodchop](https://seto.fit/exercises/half-kneeling-dumbbell-low-to-high-woodchop/)
- **Barbell**: [Tall Kneeling Landmine Rotation](https://seto.fit/exercises/tall-kneeling-landmine-rotation/)
- **No equipment**: [Twisting Back Extension](https://seto.fit/exercises/twisting-back-extension/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Tall Kneeling Dumbbell Woodchop](https://seto.fit/exercises/tall-kneeling-dumbbell-woodchop/) — Beginner
- **This exercise: Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop — Beginner**
- Harder: [Single Arm Dumbbell Cross Body Crunch](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-arm-dumbbell-cross-body-crunch/) — Intermediate
- Harder: [Side Plank Reach Through](https://seto.fit/exercises/side-plank-reach-through/) — 45% of bodyweight

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop work?

Primary: Obliques 9/10. Also works: Abs 6/10, Lower back 4/10.

### When should I do the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop in a workout?

Accessory. Goes after the main lifts. ≈ 7 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps, rest 1 min, 3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop?

Dumbbells: Half Kneeling Dumbbell Low-to-High Woodchop. Barbell: Tall Kneeling Landmine Rotation. No equipment: Twisting Back Extension.

### What is an easier version of the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop?

Tall Kneeling Dumbbell Woodchop (Beginner).

### What is a harder version of the Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Woodchop?

Single Arm Dumbbell Cross Body Crunch (Intermediate), Side Plank Reach Through (45% of bodyweight).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

---
seto — Fast, simple, clever workout tracking — offline-first by design. https://seto.fit/

Video licensed for playback on seto only — copying, downloading, or redistribution is prohibited. https://seto.fit/terms/