Chip Conrad and Dave Hall with Adex Clubs

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Back To The Beginnings

Using a lighter club to feel the movement

 Forging ahead in any modality of exercise is a great accomplishment. Adding weight to a squat or sprinting in a faster time for a new personal record is exciting. This fosters the initiative to keep on training. Then there are the times when the program fails and the scheduled weight, or time, or number of reps falls drastically short of what was to be expected. Now what?

 If the reason for the failure isn't injury or exhaustion, the cause for failure may be the athlete's technique. Many times, when the focus is on a determined goal, little nuances that were learned to get to that particular point fell by the wayside. Too much emphasis may be placed on the goal of heavier, faster, or more, and the attention to detail is forgotten thus creating a vacuum in the athlete's programming.

 For those who aren't familiar with my training, I use clubs exclusively (which I will detail why in another post) in my personal training program. Some of the exercises are complex movements which require not only strength but a certain degree of skill to execute properly. One of these exercises - the inside mill or just the 'mill' is the club trainer's bench press. Club fanatics always compare mill weight or reps. Since I have been experimenting with the heavier clubs I sometimes fall short of an expected P/R or training goal. My answer to that is go back to the beginning. Lighten that load up for the workout and get in some volume training with a manageable weight. For example, if I completed Monday's mill workout of 10X10 with a 35lb club and Friday's mill workout calls for 5X6 with a 40lb club but my form fails on the first set or maybe the first rep, I'll revert back to a 25lb club for a 10X10 light conditioning set but feel each part of the movement relearning small subtleties that make heavier weights possible. The next mill workout will open with that same 25lb club as a warm up for one set to coordinate the feeling throughout my body before attempting the 40lb club again. Then go on the the 40lb 5X6 workout progressing to ultimately the 10X10 workout with that weight.

 I had learned this type of 'assistance' training way back in the 70's from an old school guy who was built like a bodybuilder but moved weight like a powerlifter. This method was used by the older set of strength trainers, the guys that were before me. Here, on this page I can share some of what they left that may have been forgotten or discarded due to style or ego. Apply it to any of your training, being sure to feel the movement, perform some volume then back to your regular programming. It'll work.

Incomplete Training?

 
 It has been said that some modalities of training are incomplete. That leaves me to wonder what is complete training? First we must begin with the trainee (the one doing the work) and what his goals are. IF, and that is a big if, the trainee's goals are to enter a bodybuilding contest, then weight training is in order with lots of cardio near competition time, and this program is now 'complete'. So this may pose another question is there a truly complete form of training?
 

 Obtaining and maintaining fitness over a lifetime is much different than having the desire to enter a weight lifting contest or triathlon. Most trainees (read non-competing fitness enthusiasts) should be interested in total fitness first, then place the emphasis on favorite specifics such as powerlifting totals, building larger muscles, or sprinting speed, etc. If you weight train solely for fitness, some type of endurance work must be done to make this a 'complete' program, just as with MMA fighting for fitness you may need to add a strengthening program into the mix to build some throwing power by using sandbags, weights, or clubs.

  I delved deeper into this philosophy over this past weekend while reviewing a fitness system for a fellow trainer. Looking at the finished product, the creator put enormous thought and time into this and made it a truly great system that is a 'complete fitness' system. It encompasses strength, coordination, power, speed, agility, everything in quick, concise programming designed to take the fitness enthusiast to his best level in a short amount of time. This is a system for a person who is looking to increase their overall fitness or an athlete who wants to up their game.

 On another note, many of you know that I solely train with clubs, which in some circles has been called incomplete training. There is a reason for this, and that will be discussed one day, but not now. The point that I am making is ANY type of training is complete training IF the desired goals are being or can be met through proper programming. Just the same as any type of training can be incomplete IF it isn't balanced with other areas of what the end results call for. This is why we must have a desired goal, and program our training to make sure that our system is complete, and that puts the end to incomplete training. 

Age Defiant

Adex Club Loaded at 25 lbs

Exercise is great for everyone ESPECIALLY for those of us getting older. Club training or Clubwork is an excellent way for anyone to train, but for us older folks 35+ who want to remain active for our whole lives, clubwork is the crux of fitness. Swinging it at 51. Growing Old Isn't For Sissies Repair, rehab, and keep those shoulders, elbows, and wrists moving. All clubwork exercises translate through the legs without isolation exercises. Restore or maintain your Range Of Motion - ROM in all of your joints. Add muscle to your frame to prevent age related atrophy. If you are over the age of 40 and want to regain freedom or hang on to it for life, inquire at www.adexclub.com for more information

Keeping The Shoulders MobileAdex Adjustable Exercise Club Unloaded

An easy way to begin club training is with an Adex Adjustable Exercise Club. Adex Clubs offer the versatility of owning a complete set of clubs without the high price tag and shipping costs of individual standard clubs. The biggest mistake when making initial club purchases is getting an incorrect weight, one that is too heavy or will be outgrown in a rapid time. Adex Clubs are always the right weight because they adjust quickly and safely by hand. www.adexclubs.com

Get A Grip - Club Training

Regular Grip

 Without huge fanfare, club training will undoubtedly increase your grip strength. This is a given, but as with many good things, this sometimes does not come without pain. Hanging on to a club and maintaining control of it is not an easy task especially on the elbow. Here are some tips to help alleviate some of the medial or lateral epicondilitis that can occur from club training.

         

Forefinger Middle Finger Grip

Pinky Ring Finger Grip

 Begin with your hand grip. Grab your club with one hand and swing it into a clean. Notice to see if you have a relaxed grip or if you're squeezing the living hell out of that club. IF you are doing the latter, try lightening the super crushing force you are summoning up to keep that club welded to your hand. Just relax your hand, hold the club firmly, not crushing, but with enough force to just keep it in the hand. You'll feel the handle pressure more on the meat of the palm rather than throughout the fingers and depending on the direction of the swing, the grip force should change from the index and middle finger to the pinky and ring finger. This is very counter intuitive but will save many lost training days not to mention some annoying pain. Practice holding the club as lightly as you can to develop a feel for when the grip needs to be increased or decreased without letting go. This will allow the club to do it's work providing a pulling or traction throughout swinging movements. The club's weight should feel as if it were drawing through the hand, not prying from it.

Ball Grip

 Another area of interest is the knob. To grip or not to grip is a good question. The knob is there to provide a secure stopping point should the grip slip and fail. It is also purposely used in more intricate movements especially forward and reverse wrist rolls and and with experienced club swingers in movements such as a mill or stiff arm swings. The pinky and ring finger may want to gravitate to residing on the knob during mills and other exercises which may feel insecure, but the newly learned, lighter pressure style of holding the club will keep it from flying out of your hands. Also, getting used to a knob causing friction in your palm may prove to be displeasing at first then slowly go unnoticed as more reps are done.

 Behind the head exercises such as shield casts or Gamma casts place the elbow in an unfriendly position IF not executed properly. Remember to let the club's weight pull down the arm while the club is traveling behind the head. If you try and hold the club higher, that force is pulling upward through the elbow's soft tissues and creates tension where the area should be more relaxed. This will lead to very sensitive elbows and again it isn't good form. Let the club pull the hand downward and don't resist by pulling from the elbow. Which brings us to straight elbows whenever the club is extended out in front, overhead, or to the sides. Having a slight bend in the elbow creates unwanted stress on it's ligaments and tendons.

 Swing safely my friends and let me know how you're progressing or ask any questions.

     

5 Club Exercises For Shoulders

WRITTEN BY DON GIAFARDINO ON JUNE 25, 2015. POSTED IN FITNESS ARTICLES

Club training is synonymous with shoulder exercise. Just about every club training movement has some degree of shoulder activity involved. If you are interested in packing some muscle on to your delts or increasing your OHP (over head pressing) strength, here are some great club training shoulder exercises.

If you are new to club training, please watch the videos on my website to get the basics down and avoid possible injury.

CLUB 2-HAND OVERHEAD PRESS EXERCISE

Begin with the club held in both hands front, elbows bent 90 degrees and press the club straight up toward the ceiling. Keep it steady by imagining a cup of water balanced on top of the club.

As you press upward wring your hands outward which keeps your elbow tissue safe. Return to starting position while wringing your hands inward. This same move can be done with one hand, but instead of starting on your body’s centerline, begin with the elbow married to your side, club held upright straight in front. Don’t forget to rotate your hand and club outward as it travels upward, and reverse on the way down.

CLUB 45 DEGREE OVERHEAD PRESS EXERCISE

The next is a variation of the overhead press, but instead of pushing the club straight up, make the club travel up and away from your body at a 45 degree angle. Some trainers refer to this as the torch press or angle press. The knob of the club should end up about eye level and the arms are fully extended at an angle up and away from the body. Remember to wring the handle. This also can be done with one hand.

CLUB SHOULDER THREAD EXERCISE

Getting away from the pressing moves, let’s add some strength/mobility to the shoulder exercises. Begin by picking the club from the floor, left hand next to the knob, right hand is under, clean it up to ready position, right elbow married to your side, left arm forearm crossing the abs.

Your two arms should form a square, the club is the corner when you look down. Raise the head or muzzle of the club up and dump it over your right shoulder, ending behind your back. Your elbows should be above your head. The right elbow should be pointing fairly forward while the left is pointing toward the left. Move the club behind your back toward the left and draw it back over your left shoulder into the opposite position that you began in. Return the club to your right side by passing it in front maintaining its upright position. This is an excellent move for building a thick powerful shoulder girdle and directly develops the rotator cuff muscles Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, and the Sub-scapularus, easy to remember by SITS. Anatomy lesson – check.

INVERTED CLUB LATERAL RAISE EXERCISE

A shoulder exercise for those who want a bit more deltoid shape is lateral raises with the club held upside-down. Simply grip the knob or the handle and raise the club laterally for medial deltoids, raise to the front for front delts, or bend forward at the waist 45 degrees, drawing the elbows up and to the rear to hit the posterior delts.

CLUB MILL EXERCISE

 The last exercise is a complex and challenging movement for the club training enthusiast. The mill is a shoulder exercise designed to develop strength and coordination. It is similar to throwing a football or cracking a whip. The easiest way to teach this drill is to practice throwing a football but never letting it go. Throw the ball like you were throwing a bomb, but don’t let it go, instead let it return in a downward arc back naturally to the cocked shoulder position.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Once you have that down, practice forceful elbow adduction to the body’s centerline. This will cause momentum when using a club and give it a ‘wag’ when performing a mill to help propel it forward and over the shoulder. Once you feel confident, practice more but using a T-ball bat. These are excellent for learning club training patterns. Get in a good hundred on each arm before using a club with any weight. Form is important here, and mills done with a light weight are excellent for joint conditioning and rehab. Mills performed heavier will be a great addition to your shoulder exercises.

BONUS: PRE-WORKOUT CLUB TRAINING WITH BODYTRIBE

Clubwork Club Training Mills