Clubbell training has been a classical training method that has been implemented for hundreds of years. Clubbells are clubs with handles on one end with the opposite end being weighted. Clubbell training is a great way to improving upper body strength and is a great way of cross training for golf, tennis, martial arts, baseball, and wrestling.
Clubbell workouts range in difficulty by hand placement along the clubs, increasing the weights of the clubs, and increasing the difficulty of the exercises. Clubbells range in weight from five pounds to forty-five pounds. If you are beginner to Clubbell training you should begin with a combination of five and ten pound clubs. The ten pound clubs are best for the easier exercises, while the more difficult exercises are best with the lighter clubs.
You will never reach plateaus in your Clubbell training because you can raise your grip on the Clubbell millimeter by millimeter each day to keep you muscles guessing. This idea of circular strength training can also be used on uneven terrain to increase the difficulty and improve your coordination.
The best way to get started working out with Clubbells is to watch a Clubbell exercise video. It is much easier to understand how an exercise should be performed when you can actually see it done. Anyone who has experience in weight lifting, martial arts, or Kettlebells will pick up these exercises quickly.
Before beginning a Clubbell workout you should warm up your muscles by performing large shoulder circles without clubs. Now you are ready to begin your workout. A few things to keep in mind when getting started with Clubbell training include starting with the more difficult exercises first when you’re fresh and full of energy. You should also concentrate more on quality rather than quantity. This will allow you to work on your technique, which in turn will improve your strength.
Begin your workout with three to five sets of armpit casts. Each set should have three to five reps. This movement should be performed with one club. You will swing the club from behind your shoulder to the front and then repeat. The next exercise is wrist casts in which you rotate the club with your wrist. Begin by doing two to five sets with one to three reps in each set. Finally, perform a combination of inward and outward pendulum swings with side lunge. You should do five sets with ten to twenty-five repetitions in each set.
Between casts you should rest for two to three minutes, longer than the one to two minutes recommended between sets. As a beginner you should begin with only one club at a time and alternate arms worked. After a few weeks, as your strength and coordination increase you can work up to using two Clubbells at the same time.
After mastering these very basic exercises you will be ready to move up to more advanced exercises like the Clubbell hydra, the call to order, and the forward leverage press. Here is an outline on how to perform the Clubbell hydra.
Also known as the two ended swing, the hydra will teach you a concept called “tension in motion”. Simply swing forward while bent low. Raise yourself up enough so the club does not touch the ground. Then flow with it and let the club complete its cycle. The entire time you should squeeze your abs, butt, and leg muscles.
A word of caution before while performing the hydra is to take it slow and easy the first couple times you practice this exercise. If you feel any pain, whatsoever, then you should stop working on this particular exercise for the time being.
This will get you started with a Clubbell workout, but it is best to invest in a video so you can see the proper technique while using Clubbells.
