I have a great love for training methods that build functional strength, agility and endurance, especially if they are also fun. In 2003, about a year after I started working out with kettlebells, I discovered clubbell training.
The club is probably one of the oldest of weapons. In ancient Greece, Persia and India, the club was used not only for martial applications, but for strength training and health restoration. Clubbell training was brought from India to England during the days of the British Raj. From there it was introduced to the USA, where high repetition training with light clubbells became part of American physical culture.
It even obtained the status of an Olympic sport for a while, though it was dropped from the Olympics in the 1930s. Eventually it disappeared from American gyms altogether. It has recently been re-introduced by Scott Sonnon, a very innovative strength coach and athlete.
After training with this effective device for a year, I can see why it was once so popular.
Clubbell training has tremendous carryover to all sports, particularly racket sports, baseball and martial arts. The movements work muscles in planes of motion that traditional weight training and kettlebell training do not.
The graceful circular movements of clubbell exercises develop agility, coordination, strength thorough extreme ranges of motion, and dynamic flexibility. They are extremely beneficial for the shoulders and muscles of the upper body, and they can restore mobility and strength to ailing shoulder joints. The heavier clubbells are also one of the best grip-developing tools one can find.
I play with my clubbells at the end of my kettlebell workouts. I believe kettlebells are better than clubbells for general strength and fitness, but clubbells work specifically on upper body agility and strength in a way no other exercise tool does. They are also extremely satisfying and fun to use. If you would like to learn more about this wonderful training tool, please visit Scott Sonnon's website, RMAX International. The banner in the left column also links directly to the RMAX website.