Wood Chop

How to do it

Hold the bell in both hands at one shoulder, feet about shoulder-width. Rotate through your hips and core to chop the bell diagonally across your body, down to the opposite hip — your back foot pivots, your knee bends, your trunk turns as one piece. Reverse with control. The arms move because the trunk moves, not the other way around.

Why it's good for runners

The diagonal pattern matches how power transfers through your body when you run — hip to opposite shoulder, through the core. Training this connection makes your arm swing and leg drive work together more efficiently.

Common mistakes

If the movement looks like an arm swing, you've cut your trunk out — slow down and lead with your hips. Don't round your spine to reach lower; the chop tracks the diagonal line of your body, not below it.