Clubbell Training

This tutorial contains advanced coaching for high performance in the Clubbell Mill. This is not a beginner tutorial and not recommended for someone who has no prior exposure to Clubbell training. Visit www.coachsteer.com for links to basic training resources for the Clubbell and for other Circular Strength Training Disciplines.

The High Performance Clubbell Mill Tutorial goes into precise technical detail regarding the mechanics of executing the Mill at a high level of competency. These are the details which helped me win the RMAX International Internal Power Challenge. Winning the contest as a relative lightweight (145 lbs) is further testament to the efficiency, effectiveness and importance of the tips contained in this tutorial. It is over seven minutes of priceless information that you can watch over and over again.

"Martial arts around the globe have used the club not just for combat but for health restoration and strength development, most notably in India, Iran, Okinawa, Burma and Russia. The records go as far back as Ancient Egypt, reaching its zenith at the end of the 19th century. Early versions of the club were espoused by US President Grant, and it was recognized as "the oldest known implement for military gymnastics" (Posse 1894) - a critical section of exercise in the 1914 US Army Manual of Physical Training. From 1904 to 1932 club swinging was an Olympic Sport which resurfaced in the form of the lightweight bats included in Rhythmic Gymnastics, though the club was then viewed more as a juggling implement than as a tool of physical exercise. (See History of the Club for more.)

At the turn of the 21st century Scott Sonnon resurrected this discipline with his engineering marvel, the patented Clubbell®. Scott went further to integrate, evolve, and refine the club into one of the most "simply sophisticated" exercise approaches ever created -- the Circular Strength Training® (CST) system. Going far beyond the small handful of rote fancy twirling movements of old style "Indian Clubs", Scott specifically created a proprietary collection of nearly 100 Clubbell® Athletics exercises - and that's only 1/3 of the entire CST system!"

Find out more about CST and Clubbells at RMAX International

The engineering superiority of the genuine Clubbell is evident on many fronts. The constant COM prevents the "sloshing" of plate or shot loaded instruments. The Clubbell, with its long handle and micro-adjustable Grip Choke possibilities, provides a truly incremental progression versus the jumps in weight required from a plate loaded tool. Thick polyurethane coating and a sleek profile add safety compared with the wide and clunky profile of plates. The unique Crinkle Coating provides the best possible "ergonomic grip," avoiding the dangerous slipping of a smooth handle or the hand shredding of an over grippy surface.

The training advantage of the Clubbell over other types of training tools involves its inefficiency. Because the mass of the Clubbell is free to move in all three planes, the Clubbell athlete must constantly work to reduce restrictive forces and increase driving forces in extreme ranges. This mimics the three dimensional demands of life and sport. It is becoming increasingly clear that the relatively one dimensional nature of conventional S&C does not clearly translate to life and sport.

Because the mass of the Clubbell does not travel in a straight line, the effort required to perform a movement is exponentially increased and variable depending on the speed of the Clubbell head and the radius of its arc (small circle / big circle / choke depth). This makes for a highly adjustable and demanding tool. The inertial force created by this torque also pulls through the grip of the athlete, allowing us to become more efficient by strengthening the myofascial web to compensate for the inefficiency of the tool (as compared to the linear and fixed grip of a dumbell for example).

Finally, the inefficiency of the Clubbell requires the athlete to create stability internally through torsion, by which stabilizing chains are activated, simultaneously providing both the core stability and mobility of the appendages. By assisting the prime movers through their angular motion we can stimulate the range and depth required in life and sport which are often unpredictable and contra-lateral in nature.

The more efficient a tool is (fixed grip, fixed and linear trajectory, etc) the less efficient our bodies need to be in order to manipulate it. Because the Clubbell is inefficient (moving in three dimensions, creating torque, requiring torsion) the Clubbell athlete must become more efficient.

The following is from the RMAX International website.
"Ask your physician permission to begin this type of strenuous and circular resistance exercise. Physically fit adult males get started with the Big Book of Clubbell® Training, the Encyclopedia of Clubbell® Training, and a pair of 15lbs Clubbells. Physically fit adult females get started with the Big Book of Clubbell® Training, the Encyclopedia of Clubbell® Training, and a pair of 10lbs Clubbells. For both men and women, these weight selections have been challenging at first but they adapted over the first two weeks or so and some were even ready for a heavier size within the first month or two. Men with thorough strength training experience and above average strength have begun with a pair of 20lbs Clubbells and women - a pair of 15lbs Clubbells.

My personal experience parallels the advice given above. I started out with a pair of 15 lb Clubbells. I was skeptical when I ordered them. Afterall, I had been strength training since I was in my early teens and 15 lbs sounded pretty light. But when I took them out of the box for the first time I was a little taken aback at how hard they were to handle. But with proper training and focusing on the basics of the 7 Key Components of structure I was quickly on my way. Several months later I ordered a "Bruiser" (45 lbs Clubbell). Let me tell you, when I took that thing out of the box I thought I had made a BIG mistake. But again, with incremental progression I was able to progress quickly to being able to handle the beast. My latest addition has been a pair of 25 lbs Clubbells. With the 15s, the 25s and the 45 I feel that I have a well rounded gym and am able to accomplish pretty much any training goal I have in mind. I still use the 15s as a staple of my training, so heed the advice of RMAX International and invest in a 10 or 15 lbs Clubbell to start. You will always use it!

Visit RMAX International to order Clubbells.