Choosing your first Clubbells® May 14 2014

The choice of which Clubbells® to purchase is an important and sometimes confusing process. They are so very different from

conventional strength training devices that it is difficult to make comparisons with previous experience. It is important to remember that the

displaced center of mass of the Clubbell® can create torque up to 4 times its actual weight when being swung.

The Clubbell® is available from 5 lbs to 45 lbs.

Many people are reported to put their Clubbells on a scale when they first receive them because they can’t believe they are not heavier.

But at the same time we cannot be scared off by the perceived weight and we must choose the Clubbell® which will allow us to begin

working with it immediately and will provide long-term challenge. The following should help you make this choice.

The Official Word From the RMAX International Website

"Ask your physician permission to begin this type of strenuous and circular resistance exercise. Physically fit adult males get

started with the Big Book of Clubbell® Training, the Encyclopedia of Clubbell® Training, and a pair of 15lbs Clubbells. Physically

fit adult females get started with the Big Book of Clubbell® Training, the Encyclopedia of Clubbell® Training, and a pair

of 10lbs Clubbells. For both men and women, these weight selections have been challenging at first but they adapted over the first

two weeks or so and some were even ready for a heavier size within the first month or two. Men with thorough strength training

experience and above average strength have begun with a pair of 20lbs Clubbells and women - a pair of 15lbs Clubbells.”

So, how do you pick your own ideal Clubbell® Weight?

Unfortunately, there is no perfect answer. Of course the best course of action is to seek out an instructor near you and take a

Clubbell® session with him or her before making your order. This will allow you to handle the Clubbells and at the same time

receive first hand professional advice as to which weight is best for you. However, sometimes it is difficult to find a CST Professional

in every area.

If you cannot try before you buy, your best option is to rely on your previous strength training experience. Let’s start with men. If

you have absolutely no strength training background, you may want to start with a pair of 10lbs Clubbells. This could also be your

best option if you are in post-rehab and need to slowly build range strength in any one area. If you are healthy and have some

strength training background, you may be better served by the 15lbs Clubbells. These seem to cover the widest range of individuals.

The 15s can be used effectively by men with a wide variety of experience. The difference for the advanced and novice strength

athlete, when using the 15s, will be in the exercise and protocol selections with which they begin their training. Only in very rare

instances would we suggest that anyone start with a pair of 20lbs or 25lbs Clubbells. However, athletes with a competitive background

in weightlifting or powerlifting may want to consider them.

Most women should be able to start with 10lbs Clubbells. Experience in any kind of strengthening activity, including yoga or pilates,

should be enough of a base to allow someone to start with the 10lbs. Again, in cases of absolutely no exercise background, or

in cases of post-rehabilitation, the 5lbs Clubbells may be warranted. We

know many women who can heft around the heavier Clubbells,

but it is rare for women to start with anything higher than the 10lbs Clubbells. Women with competitive backgrounds in athletics

may however find the 15lbs to be their best option, especially in sports known for strength or power.

Some people also choose to start off with Two-handed Clubbell® training using one heavier Clubbell®. If you want to immediately

experience the feeling of doing heavy Clubbell® work, this may be an option for you. Heavy, Two-handed Clubbell® work

can provide significant core training and full-body coordination of strength. However, we tend to lean towards starting out with a

pair of lighter Clubbells for Double work (one in each hand) and then proceeding to Two-handed work later in the progression.

Some recommendations for both Double and Two-handed Clubbell® weight selection are included in the following chart.

How to get started with your first Clubbells® May 14 2014

Thankfully, the Clubbell® offers us almost limitless ways to tailor our training to suit our current needs and abilities. Exercise selection,

training protocols, grip choke depth and more will provide ample opportunities to adapt Clubbell® Athletics to your current level of

strength, fitness and joint health.

The options for Incremental Progression are limitless.

If you are thinking of getting started with Clubbell® training, the following information should smooth out the ride a bit. But it is crucial

that you also seek out instruction in the proper mechanics of Clubbell® use (referred to as the 7 Key Components). The best option is

always live training with a Certified TACFIT/CST Professional (http://tacfit.com.au/locations), but barring that, we provide resources

in-store that can get you started safely and effectively.

Exercise selection

Each Clubbell® exercise varies in complexity and in character. When starting your Clubbell® journey, it is important to

choose Clubbell® exercises that fit your own personal profile and the type of training that you wish to do. If you want to jump

directly into high volume training, you may want to choose starting exercises with a fairly low level of complexity, meaning that

it is not too difficult to consistently maintain the 7 Key Components of Structure throughout. This will go a long way to preventing

injury and ensuring a consistent training effect. Examples of Clubbell® exercises that I use to start off many of my clients

are Clubbell® Swings, Clubbell® Forward Pendulums and Clubbell® Rock-Its.

Exercises of greater complexity may be a good choice for slow moving and low volume work, either to augment coordination,

move with load through certain ranges of motion for post-rehab work or prepare the way for more vigorous execution of complex

movements in the future. Such exercises may include the Clubbell® Parry Cast and Reverse Parry Cast, the Arm Cast or

the Torch Press.

An individual’s joint health will also be a factor in determining initial exercise choice. Any movements which cause a Rate of

Perceived Discomfort of 3 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst pain you have ever felt) must not be performed before

comfortable range of motion is restored in that joint (see the 'Free to Move®' and 'Primal Stress' programs available for download at

http://tacfit.com.au/training-programs ). Also, high volume work should be done with exercises that elicit almost no discomfort (note that

discomfort does not refer to the feeling of exerting substantial effort).

The very best way to start your Clubbell® training is with the coaching of a TACFIT / CST Certified Professional. There is nothing like

the confidence that comes with knowing you have side-stepped all the guess work and are firmly established on the right track,

with the right exercises and the right program for you and your needs and goals. If you can’t find a CST Pro in your area, keep

in mind that my Momentum Online Distance Coaching clients have met with great success. You can visit our website to find Certified

Instructors http://tacfit.com.au/locations.

Grip choke depth

The Clubbell®, with its long handle and micro-adjustable Grip Choke possibilities, provides a truly incremental progression to strength

development

The closer you grip the Clubbell® to the center of mass, the more leverage you have over it and the less torque you create

while swinging it. The closer your grip gets to the knob the less leverage you have and the more torque you create. The beauty

of the Clubbell® is that you can make those adjustments a millimeter at a time if need be. So you never have to subject yourself

to huge jumps in load. When starting out, match your choke depth to the exercise selection and training protocol you have decided

on. So if you choose to do Sets of Arm Casts, select a grip depth that allows you to perform the reps you have decided on

without causing discomfort beyond a 3 on the Rate of Perceived Discomfort scale. If you are not familiar with the exercise, or

find it difficult to complete the volume you have chosen, you may have to choke up more and gradually reduce the choke depth.

If you start off with an exercise that you feel comfortable with, you may be able to go directly to Zero Choke (grip right at the

knob).

These are just a few variables that can be manipulated to tailor your Clubbell® experience. This is truly the only tool which

provides you with an almost infinite potential for sophistication and intensification of skills, allowing you to benefit from it over

an entire lifetime of exercise.

Essential resources

At the risk of being repetitive, the very best way to start out is with the guidance of a CST Pro. This can either be live (visit

RMAX to find a CST Pro near you) or through innovative online coaching options (visit my website to find out more). However,

excellent resources are available to help you get started on your own.

Essential Resources

As mentioned previously its best to source a Certified Instructor. However we also recommend the following resources:

The Encyclopedia of Clubbell® Training 

The most comprehensive Clubbell® Training course ever created, this is the definitive

guide to 140 core Clubbell® exercises - over 4 hours of heart-pounding,

muscle-building, core-activating routines that cannot be found anywhere else.

Available as a 5 x DVD set here in store

TACFIT King of Clubs.

Takes your Clubbell practice to the next level. includes free Band-Ageless and Atlas Yoga programs

Available for download at http://tacfit.com.au/training-programs

TACFIT™ Clubbell® vs RMAX CST Clubbell® April 08 2014

The all new TACFIT Clubbell is noticeably slimmer than the CST Clubbell, which makes it a little easier to wield.  Being a little smaller should also reduce the potential to club oneself! Having a smaller profile will also make it a little easier when you want to travel with your Clubbell.

The knob has been redesigned to eliminate potential for breakage or malfunction.  Sometimes if the CST Clubbells are dropped, the knob could break.   The new TACFIT knob uses an oversized bolt, while the CST one is screwed into the CB by using a headless bolt welded at the CB itself.

The knob was also redesigned to be a little more ergonomic, however I haven’t had any issues with the previous knob on the CST Clubbells.

The new TACFIT clubbell was re-engineered to improve balance and distribution throughout the length. It is made from a solid piece of steel that is milled to get the final shape. This does result in a bunch of material being wasted, but in doing so, it gives to each Clubbell a perfect balance and a really smooth feeling while performing movements.

The CST Clubbells conversely are made by using a solid base of steel, that is welded to an empty cone (the middle part of the Clubbell and on which the handle is welded. If you look at it during the production and without the cone, it looks like a kind of hammer. Of course, this way of production is quite cheaper but it move the weight of the whole Clubbell 90% on is base, so really far from the grasping area and really far from the fulcrum of the movement (user’s hand).

CST CBs are painted and then protected with a kind of sock made of Recycled PU. It is a good way to protect the CB but one of the worst side effects is the bad smelling of the recycled PU (get it PeeU), together with its oily surface.  When I received my CST Clubbells, I did notice an oily feeling on the recycled surface, but I didn’t notice any smell.

The TACFIT Clubbells are coated with a special kind of Polyurethane Painting. The painting process involves using 3 layers of coating.  The first layer is an anti-rust primer, the second one is the color, the third one is the PU layer, but unlike the CTS CB, it’s odorless and greeseless.  It comes out in a pretty blue with a soft-and-grippy-touch-feeling.  The coating also means that the Clubbells will be harder to scratch under normal conditions.

Both the CST Clubbell and TACFIT Clubbell have rounded edges so as to avoid cutting oneself accidentally while swinging. both included a lanyard (rope), that can be tied to the wrists.  The rope is there for beginners who might accidentally drop or throw the Clubbell.  Not good if you have a bunch of people using them in a closed space.

The top knob (guard knob) has been redesigned on the TACFIT Clubbell using rubber and a smaller profile.  It is lighter than the one on the CST Clubbells and even smaller. It was designed so as to not affect the balance of the Clubbell (to eliminate the weight behind the wrist of the user).  The design also hits the user’s wrist less,  than the traditional sphere-shaped knob used in the CST Clubbell and most indian clubs.