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MB Diagonal Chop Exercise Tips

At CIDA Fitness, I’m always looking for exercises that don’t just make you look fit—but actually make you move better. One of my all-time favorites for building athletic, real-world strength is the Medicine Ball (MB) Diagonal Chop.

This movement is powerful, dynamic, and incredibly functional. Whether you’re an athlete, a busy professional, or someone who simply wants to stay active and capable for decades to come, the MB Diagonal Chop deserves a place in your training program.

Why the MB Diagonal Chop Matters

Life doesn’t happen in straight lines.

We rotate to put groceries in the car.
We twist to reach for something in the back seat.
We turn explosively to hit a tennis ball or swing a bat.

The MB Diagonal Chop trains your body in the way it was designed to move—in multiple planes, especially rotational and diagonal patterns.

This exercise strengthens:

  • Core musculature (especially obliques and transverse abdominis)

  • Glutes

  • Shoulders

  • Upper back

  • Hip rotators

  • Total kinetic chain coordination

It also enhances:

  • Rotational power

  • Athletic explosiveness

  • Core stability

  • Neuromuscular coordination

  • Balance and deceleration control

And here’s the key: it trains your body to transfer force efficiently from the lower body through the torso and into the upper body. That’s what real performance is all about.

Starting Position

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

  2. Hold a medicine ball with both hands.

  3. Engage your core and keep your chest tall.

  4. Position the ball high near one shoulder (as if preparing to swing an axe).

Your knees should be slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed. Think athletic stance—not stiff, not loose.

Movement Instructions

  1. Initiate from the hips, not just the arms.

  2. Rotate your torso and hips diagonally across your body.

  3. Chop the ball downward toward the outside of your opposite knee (or slightly past it).

  4. Allow your back foot to pivot naturally to protect your knees.

  5. Keep your core braced and spine neutral.

  6. Return under control to the starting position.

  7. Repeat for the prescribed reps, then switch sides.

If performed explosively, this can be a power movement. If performed under control, it becomes a tremendous stability and anti-rotational strength builder.

The key cue I give clients:
“Move as one connected system.”

Safety Considerations

This is where smart coaching matters.

  • Avoid rounding the lower back.

  • Rotate through the hips and thoracic spine—not the lumbar spine.

  • Start with a light medicine ball until form is mastered.

  • Do not “muscle” the ball with your arms alone.

  • Keep the core engaged throughout the movement.

  • If you have a history of lower back issues, begin with controlled tempo before progressing to explosive reps.

When performed properly, this movement actually strengthens and protects the spine by improving force distribution across the body.

Why It’s Essential for Athletes

If you play:

  • Soccer

  • Tennis

  • Baseball

  • Golf

  • Basketball

  • Any rotational or field sport

Marcos Moore
Photo Credit: The Rise SC

You need to produce and control rotational power.

The MB Diagonal Chop mimics sport-specific movement patterns. It teaches your body to accelerate and decelerate rotational force—both of which are critical for performance and injury prevention.

Athleticism isn’t just about strength. It’s about how well you apply strength.

Why It’s Essential for Everyday Life

Even if you’re not an athlete, you are still a human being designed to rotate, bend, and move dynamically.

As we age, we don’t lose strength first—we lose coordination and power. And that loss affects our ability to:

  • Carry luggage

  • Lift grandchildren

  • Do yard work

  • Play recreational sports

  • Move confidently and without fear

Functional training helps preserve the quality of movement that makes life enjoyable.

In his book Functional Training, Juan Carlos Santana explains that effective functional exercise must be “multi-planar, multi-joint, and performed in an upright position that integrates acceleration, deceleration, and stabilization.”

That description fits the MB Diagonal Chop perfectly.

Programming Suggestions

For stability focus:

  • 2–3 sets

  • 8–12 controlled reps per side

For power focus:

  • 3–4 sets

  • 5–8 explosive reps per side

  • Full recovery between sets

This movement works beautifully in warm-ups, strength circuits, or athletic performance sessions.

Final Thoughts

I love the MB Diagonal Chop because it respects how the body truly functions. It connects the hips, core, and shoulders into one integrated system. It builds power. It builds resilience. It builds capability.

And capability is what we’re really after.

Fitness isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about staying ready—ready to compete, ready to move, ready to live fully.

Train movements that matter. Train patterns that transfer. Train for life.

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Colombian “Hormigas Culonas”: A Bold, Nutritious Tradition Worth Trying

If you’ve followed my work at CIDA Fitness, you know I appreciate traditional foods that combine culture, simplicity, and solid nutrition. One of the most unique snacks I grew up knowing about comes straight from my family roots in Bucaramanga, Colombia: hormigas culonas — literally “big-bottomed ants.”

My mother is from Bucaramanga, and that’s how I first learned about this tradition. When visiting relatives in Colombia as a kid, I remember occasionally enjoying this crunchy snack with family. At first, the idea sounded adventurous. But once you taste them — toasted, lightly salted, and nutty — you understand why this has been a regional delicacy for generations.

Let’s talk about the history, culture, and yes — the nutrition.

What Are Hormigas Culonas?

Hormigas culonas are large leaf-cutter ants harvested primarily in the Santander region of Colombia. They are traditionally toasted in clay pots with salt and sometimes a little oil. The result? A crispy, earthy, slightly smoky snack with a surprisingly pleasant flavor profile.

They’re not an everyday food — they’re seasonal and special.

The Seasonal Harvest Tradition

Each year during the rainy season — typically March and April — the winged queen ants emerge from their colonies for mating flights. This is when locals in and around Bucaramanga collect them.

The tradition goes back centuries, even to pre-Columbian Indigenous communities. Families often gather together to collect, prepare, and roast the ants. It’s a community experience — part food, part celebration, part heritage.

Because of their limited seasonal availability, hormigas culonas are considered something of a prized treat rather than a daily snack.

From Santander to New York City

What was once a regional Colombian specialty has made its way onto gourmet menus. In recent years, chefs in New York City have featured hormigas culonas as a delicacy in high-end restaurants.

Due to their rarity and the labor involved in harvesting them, prices can reach approximately $80–$120 per pound in specialty markets or gourmet import shops in the United States. That price reflects their seasonal nature and growing global demand.

Nutritional Profile (Per 1 oz / 28g toasted ants, approximate)

Hormigas culonas are surprisingly nutrient-dense.

  • Calories: ~150

  • Protein: ~13g

  • Fat: ~9g

  • Carbohydrates: ~2g

  • Sugar: 0g

  • Fiber: ~1–2g

Why They’re Considered Healthy (In Moderation)

  1. High-Quality Protein
    With around 13 grams of protein per ounce, they offer a dense source of amino acids — comparable gram-for-gram to some traditional animal proteins.

  2. Healthy Fats
    Much of the fat content comes from unsaturated fats, contributing to satiety and energy.

  3. Low Carbohydrate & Zero Sugar
    For individuals managing blood sugar or aiming for metabolic health, this makes them an interesting snack option.

  4. Micronutrients
    Insects naturally contain minerals such as iron and zinc, both important for immune function and oxygen transport.

Of course, this isn’t something you eat daily. But as an occasional traditional snack, it’s both culturally rich and nutritionally respectable.

Cultural Meaning Beyond Nutrition

Food connects us to identity. For me, knowing that my mother grew up in Bucaramanga and that I was introduced to hormigas culonas during family visits gives this snack deeper meaning.

It reminds me that “healthy eating” isn’t just about macros and micronutrients. It’s about tradition, community, and remembering where you come from.

Final Thoughts

Would I recommend eating ants every day? No.

Would I say they’re a delightful, protein-rich, culturally meaningful snack when enjoyed occasionally? Absolutely.

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is embrace whole, traditional foods that have stood the test of time. Hormigas culonas from Bucaramanga are a perfect example — seasonal, nutrient-dense, and rooted in heritage.

And if you ever find yourself in Santander during harvest season, don’t be afraid to try one. You might be surprised.

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Salmon: The World’s Best “Forever Young” Secret

If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know I’m a big believer in simple, nutrient-dense foods that deliver powerful results. There’s one food I come back to again and again with clients, athletes, and busy professionals:

Wild salmon.

In fact, if I had to choose one “forever young” food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be salmon (with sardines right beside it).

This isn’t just my opinion. In his book Forever Young, Dr. Nicholas Perricone dedicates significant attention to salmon and sardines as daily staples for vibrant health and youthful aging (see pages 258–259). He is unapologetic about it: these fish are foundational to his anti-inflammatory nutrition plan.

And after years of coaching clients in nutrition and fitness, I agree.

 

Why Salmon and Sardines Are So Powerful

According to Dr. Perricone, salmon and sardines are among the most anti-inflammatory foods you can eat. Chronic inflammation is at the root of:

  • Accelerated aging

  • Wrinkles and skin breakdown

  • Joint pain

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • Cognitive decline

  • Metabolic dysfunction

What makes these fish so special?

1. Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA & DHA)

Salmon and sardines are loaded with long-chain omega-3 fats, particularly EPA and DHA. These fats:

  • Reduce systemic inflammation

  • Support cardiovascular health

  • Improve skin hydration and elasticity

  • Enhance brain function

  • Help regulate mood

  • Support fat metabolism

Dr. Perricone emphasizes that these omega-3s are crucial for maintaining youthful skin and preventing inflammatory damage at the cellular level.

2. High-Quality, Complete Protein

Both salmon and sardines provide complete protein with all essential amino acids. This matters because:

  • Protein supports muscle preservation

  • Muscle mass supports metabolic rate

  • Amino acids help repair tissue and skin

  • Protein stabilizes blood sugar

Stable blood sugar = lower insulin spikes = less inflammation.

That’s a longevity win.

3. Astaxanthin: Nature’s Internal Sunscreen

Wild salmon contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant responsible for its pink color. Astaxanthin:

  • Protects skin from UV damage

  • Reduces oxidative stress

  • Supports eye health

  • Protects mitochondrial function

This is one of the reasons salmon is considered a “beauty from within” food.

4. Brain & Mood Support

DHA is a primary structural fat in the brain. Regular intake supports:

  • Memory

  • Focus

  • Mood stability

  • Long-term cognitive protection

When clients tell me they feel sharper and more balanced after increasing fatty fish intake, it’s not placebo. It’s biochemistry.

5. Cardiovascular Protection

Salmon and sardines help:

  • Lower triglycerides

  • Improve HDL cholesterol

  • Support endothelial function

  • Reduce clotting tendency

  • Decrease inflammatory markers

Dr. Perricone makes it clear: if you want to protect your heart while also improving your appearance, this is the place to start.

“You Can Eat It Every Day”

One of the bold claims in Forever Young is that salmon and sardines are so beneficial that they can be eaten daily without drawbacks.

When sourced properly (wild-caught, low in contaminants), these fish are low in mercury compared to many larger species and provide such a dense concentration of protective nutrients that they become a nutritional foundation.

In my own coaching, I often recommend salmon or sardines at least 4–6 times per week. Some of my most disciplined clients eat them daily and thrive.

The Madonna “Salmon Rejuvenation” Craze

About 15 years ago, pop star Madonna announced she was embarking on a “salmon rejuvenation” program to “knock twelve years off her appearance.”

Now, I’m not a fan of her music or what she represents culturally. But nutritionally? She was on to something.

The idea that salmon could dramatically improve skin, vitality, and overall health wasn’t hype. It was grounded in real biochemistry. The anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fats truly do enhance skin tone, elasticity, and cellular resilience.

When celebrities latch onto something evidence-based, it can create a craze. In this case, the craze actually had merit.

A Quote Worth Remembering

Dr. Nicholas Perricone writes in Forever Young that salmon and sardines are among the healthiest foods you can consume daily because of their unmatched anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to protect the body and skin at the cellular level.

He strongly advocates these fish as core staples of a longevity-focused diet, emphasizing that their combination of omega-3 fats and high-quality protein makes them uniquely powerful for preserving youthful structure and function.

That’s not marketing. That’s physiology.

My Personal Take

If you asked me for a “forever young” formula, it wouldn’t be complicated:

  • Strength training

  • Quality sleep

  • Daily movement

  • Deep faith and gratitude

  • And a steady rotation of wild salmon and sardines

Grill it.
Bake it.
Pan-sear it in olive oil.
Pair it with leafy greens, avocado, or roasted vegetables.

Simple foods. Consistently applied.

You don’t need exotic powders or expensive anti-aging creams when you have one of the most powerful rejuvenation foods available at your local grocery store.

Salmon isn’t just food.

It’s fuel for longevity.

And in my opinion, it may be the world’s best “forever young” secret.