I Like To Call It Clubwork

by Don Giafardino

 Unconventional fitness is on the rise and is becoming a big business in the fitness industry. All sorts of equipment and implements are being used to train ourselves for the real world. Instructors using sandbags, wheelbarrows, and sleds are showing up at gyms everywhere and for good reason, after all, who does a bench press movement when not training? This makes perfect sense and one of the oldest, if not the oldest fitness tool ever developed is making a huge come back and it’s the club. You read that right, the club as in that big bat portrayed in comics of cavemen.

 Club training was used by ancient warriors to develop the strength and speed necessary to do battle with sword, spear, and shield. Many of the training movements in clubwork emulate sword strikes, spear throws, and shield swings.  The development of bi-lateral coordination is also a huge benefit. Have you ever tried to throw a ball with your non-dominant hand? Over time clubwork will develop your nervous system and musculature to give you the proper mechanics to use the non-dominant side of your body with a higher degree of proficiency. Think of the warrior who injures his dominant arm and is now able to continue in battle using his other. Also, with this development comes the lessening of injuries which most commonly plague the weaker side of the body such as hip, low back, and shoulder problems.

  Now that you have read this far, it’s time to introduce the club itself. Standard modern clubs are called leverage clubs, power clubs, Indian clubs, and Clubbells®. They are made in various weights starting at 1 pound and going over 80 pounds. Most are now made from metal and some are still produced in wood. Almost all clubs are manufactured in set weights (pounds or kilos) like dumbbells. Before you sneer at the seemingly light weight scale, consider going outdoors with a shovel and holding that shovel straight out at arms length. The average variety garden shovel weighs in at 4 pounds. A 25 pound club generates about 700 foot pounds of torque when swung. Pictured to the     left is a 25 pound Adex Adjustable Exercise Club®, it adjusts to 6 different weight settings. The shape of clubs are basically the same consisting of a muzzle or end, a barrel, handle, and knob. Most exercises are performed by holding the handle with one or both hands though some are done by holding the barrel and handle or just by the knob.                                                            

 Adex Adjustable Exercise Club

 Key rules to remember when beginning clubwork is good posture - chest up, neutral back, shoulders blades pressed downward. Your grip will be determined by the movement such as a straight, full handed grip for heavy swings and presses verses a relaxed thumb and two finger grip for lighter, complex swings involving wrist and elbow articulation. Grip placement on the handle is also a factor in that it changes the leverage weight of the club. Gripping the club near the barrel decreases the force of leverage while gripping further down the handle closer to the knob increases it, so the same weight club can be fine tuned to each user.  Remember to have a clear, open area with plenty of space and height - you are adding almost another 2 feet to your arm length. Also, watch for pets and children.

 Clubwork exercises will add a new dimension to your training whether it is for strength, rehab, or endurance. The exercise are multi-linear, meaning they work muscles throughout a complete range of motion or ROM. Most weight training exercises are single or two planed movements which don’t allow the muscle, tendons, and ligaments to travel their full range. This alone is what makes clubwork an excellent choice as a stand alone training system or as supplemental training to another modality. Clubs are also an awesome tool for pre/rehabbing injuries, especially the shoulders, back, arms, and chest due to the full ROM and traction on the connective tissues.

 When trying clubwork for the first time, don’t be fooled by the weight. A 25 pound dumbbell may seem light but a 25 pound club is serious business. Most men tend to do well with a 15 pounder while most women could use a 10 pound club. These weights prove challenging for basic two hand and some one handed movements. Big two handed moves strengthen the whole body, including the legs. There are many good instructional videos online to learn how to use the clubs but nothing is better than a certified instructor.