I tend to work out in spurts... I'll work out really hard for a few weeks and then I'll slack off for a while. Recently, I decided I needed to whip myself into better shape again (for ski season) after a bit of slacking period and started doing some very brief workouts.

I was interested mainly in trying some different ways to help my lower back pain and scoliosis and I decided that maybe if I just clean and pressed a kettlebell and held it overhead for a while, one side at a time, that might do me some good.

Well I started out the first day with the 36lb kettlebell, and that was no problem, holding it overhead for about a full minute on each side. The second day I did it again, but then I decided that I should try it with the 54lb KB as well. It wasn't too much trouble, until I decided I should lower it to shoulder position doing a slow negative.

Bad idea.

I didn't feel like I injured myself (just a twinge, really), but a couple of days later... woah. I could barely move my left (weaker) arm. Today it feels better, although it's still tender. Problem is that now I have to lay off for a while to make sure my arm/shoulder heals and I don't aggravate it further.

So, just remember that even if you could lift at a certain level once, doesn't mean you can take a break for a month and then go right back to where you were before. The funny thing is that if I had just waited a week before tackling the bigger kettlebell, I probably would have been fine.

by Connie Brown, CST

A swipe is a Clubbell® combination exercise composed of a Forward/Backward Swing combined with an Armpit Cast. This is one of the first combination routines that we recommend, and it's fun, easy to learn, challenging to refine, and an exercise that you'll never, ever outgrow.

What are Swipes good for? Swipes challenge the cardiovascular system no matter what size Clubbell® you use. With heavier clubs they also build muscle throughout the entire body, especially the arms, legs, and core. I vividly remember how Coach Doug Szolek, when I asked him what he did to achieve his incredible hypertrophy, told me he spent a year mostly on Swipes with increasingly heavier weights.

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Would squats from shoulder park followed by a good morning be a decent substitute for deadlifts? Does anyone have any other ideas?

Also, what are some Clubbell® exercises that hit the lats and mid back?

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I have a pair of five pound Clubbells®. I want to be able to do some pull-ups but am having trouble, my goal would be to do 10. I also need to lose a few pounds around the abs.

What are the best exercises to build up with the Clubbells® in order to be able to increase my pull-ups? Also, what exercises would be best to build up the abdominal muscles?

Recommendations on books or videos would be appreciated as well.

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Written by Robert Verdell, CST

It dawned on me when I attended a seminar by Joshua Resnick on Judo "Pick-ups", at the Metro Fight Club, how great Circular Strength Training™ (CST) with the legendary Clubbell® is for Judo. I’m not going to go into detail on the history of it, but I will say its grandfather, the Indian club (pictured left on the right of a 15lbs Clubbell), was used by old-time wrestlers, strongmen and even the great judoka, Yamashita, used a Japanese version of a Clubbell® called a Chashi.

Some of the pickups we did required strength and flexibility in ranges of motion that are difficult to explore with normal linear strength training. In Judo, you are often exerting effort from very odd positions. Positions you don’t begin your traditional weightlifting activities from, and your bodies often travel in ranges of motion, most never explore in their the sport preparation.

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Written by Mike Mahler, RKC.

Training with weighted clubs has been around for centuries. The famous Indian wrestler Gama used to train with clubs weighing over 80lbs and his strength was legendary. Recently, training with weighted clubs has become very popular due to the efforts of Coach Sonnon and RMAX.tv Productions. I was pretty skeptical about the benefits of Clubbell® training when I first heard about them. However, I was also really skeptical about kettlebell training as well a few years ago. Fortunately, I kept an open mind regarding kettlebells and now make a good chunk of my living doing kettlebell workshops around the US and overseas. Hundreds of people have benefited from my workshops and my articles and I receive a lot of positive feedback daily. Regardless, there is nothing wrong with being skeptical. Especially, in an industry full of gimmicks and false promises. However, being provincial is not a good thing in this business and will result in one missed opportunity after another. As a regular guy that may not be a big deal. However, as a strength coach that line of thinking is unacceptable. Athletes pay me to teach them how to get stronger, faster, and increase sports performance. It is my job to know about new developments and at the least be aware of anything that could give my clients an edge. After hearing about the benefits of Clubbells® from a lot of people that I trust and after getting a great deal of questions from my clients regarding Clubbells®, I decided to get Coach Sonnon's Clubbell® video to see what they were all about.

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There is no substitute for the commercial grade quality Clubbell®. However, until the funds arrive, some people experiment with homemade substitutes.

I cannot endorse anyone's homebrew concoctions for many obvious legal reasons, though I did want to apprise you of one of the forum member's webpage on how to construct a homemade Clubbell® substitute.
http://www.geocities.com/fightraining/klub.html

I do support making Circular Strength Training™ more accessible to people and the 'filled bat' is about the least dangerous (all homemade inventions were/are to some degree) I used before making the Clubbell®.

More ideas

This article was written by John Myers, Jr., CST

Few days will go down in the history of my training, to compare to the morning after of CST Beta. Exhaustion is a good descriptive word, but it leaves out the dimension of mental "brain fry" we so often hear about. Sensory overload would be a bit more technical but we need not go beyond that to get my meaning. It’s a major info dump coupled with challenges you don’t often face daily.

CST brain fry comes from your personal attempt to place the elements of mind, body and soul into a crucible (a.k.a Training Floor) and extract the new product (a.k.a. You). You can’t do that in two days, no matter how long the day. But you can load the crucible, you can stoke the fire, and you can get the ore good and hot. Your brain fry comes because, the whole seminar has an air of camaraderie, and physical exuberance, and it infects you quickly. You simply push yourself to the limit in that atmosphere, seeking to go beyond even your own expectations in hopes of seeing that "new product" in you. Your days spent in Flow after your CST will reward you, as long as you do your diligence.

I am a 15 year student of Karate, Judo and Korindo Aikido. I train each day and I have a routine that seems to work well in enhancing my ability to do work (I struggled long with my ego till I was ready to adapt that terminology). I am 29 years old, healthy and I weigh about 150 pounds over 5 feet 6 inches.

If possible, will you offer advice as to increasing controlled mobility, absorption, transfer of energy and explosive power using the arms and torso at the back and overhead? I have one 15 pound Clubbell® that I integrate into my evolving program and your advice would be greatly appreciated.

I train in Systema as well as Aikido and I do not compare it to anything else not do I say that body flow or Softwork are anything else. I am just glad to have them all as steps in the ladder pointing to the heavens.

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I love doing Turkish Get-Ups with a kettlebell, but can't figure out how to do it with a Clubbell®.

Can anybody help?

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