IGX

Clubbell Review

by: Lich

Ordered two 25 lb. Clubbells
on: Wednesday, Sept. 20th, 2006, at 1:24 p.m. CDT.

Received order
on: Thursday, Sept. 28th, 2006, at 5:00 p.m. CDT

Time training with clubs before reviewing them: 4 days.


Prior to ordering clubbells, I was completely against even giving them an honest try. My mindset has always been that ‘heavy = good training’ period. I was put off by the cost per lb. of clubbells in comparison to weight sets, and by the notion that they were light. It also didn’t help that their promoter, Scott Sonnon, has a questionable character in terms of credibility, i.e., especially in the bias of the reviews on his site, and his martial arts exploits. Basically, I wasn’t about to give clubbells the time of day.

Then there was a thread on IGx about Indian Clubs with the standard foul mouthed comments, questions, and retorts going back and forth. Amidst the vulgarity, and the typical pro-Sonnon members who defend him constantly, were posts from guys like Makena White, Tom Furman, Joe Carugan, and one or two others who had positive insight on clubbells. Because, and solely because, I have some respect for the things these guys say in terms of training, I decided to drop some money and order the two 25 lb. set.

Skepticism is only good as long as it leads to investigation. Otherwise, it’s called being a negative prick.


My Review

When I received my clubbells, I was very pleased with the quality of them. The construction is really good. Also, I have to correct an earlier statement I made about clubbells; I stated I had previously tried them via a friend of mine in Minneapolis, who owned a couple. But, I am wrong as it turns out. The actual clubbells I received are completely different, and definitely a lot better than those I tried. In retrospect, I think those clubs I tried in Minneapolis were Bearclubs (see http://www.intensefitness.co.uk), Stan Pike’s version of clubbells.

Anyway, I put my Rmax clubbells to use, using Dave Randolph’s references in Dolfzine, that one “indian club flux 64 pageâ€

Nice review.

They are a specialty item. I've had a 25 & 45 for almost two weeks. My last workout was the first one where I started to honestly feel the benefit. My hands still need to toughen up to handle the work. I'll post a review in another month or so.

Lich nailed it on the head though, they just won't fit for some/many. They didn't for me for years. I still don't own a single KB though...

I guess I don't get it. You don't like them because why? They don't make you better at lifting barbells?

Fat Cat wrote:I guess I don't get it. You don't like them because why? They don't make you better at lifting barbells?

I don't like them because they are black.

It isn't that I don't like them. I just can't find a place for them within my training goals. But then again, I lost sight of my goals quite a while ago and have been nomadically venturing from training protocol to training protocol.

Since none of you fuckers wants to buy two brand new 25 lb clubbells for $30 off the retail price, then I guess they'll be here, and might get some use here and there when I don't feel like anything else.

Re: Jack O'Lantern

What do you mean? First of all, maybe I'm not understanding the whole circular strength thing in the first place... but if I am, and I think I am, what benefits are you talking about insofar as your comment goes? Why will a clubbell make me stronger than using a barbell or leaner than running fartleks? I mean, to me, this is the KB all over again. It's a non-incremental device that, I'm sorry, costs a lot, and yields benefits not unique to the world of fitness. The micro-loading concept is swell and neat, but its the same - or comparable - to swinging a KB faster or lifting a bar with more force. But where I will outgrow a club, I'll not outgrow a bar.

As it stands, I'm going to have to say that heavy basic moves win again, and IMO, I need to stop being pulled away by the lure of new devices, nostalgic concepts, and the like.

Your thoughts?

Dazed wrote:Lich nailed it on the head though, they just won't fit for some/many. They didn't for me for years. I still don't own a single KB though...

Different people have different reactions to different training protocols. Not only that, but different people have different attributes they want to develop.

Let me give you an example of what I mean in the first sentence before going on;

I’m 5’ 11â€

Nice, Lich. Well reasoned, well thought out. Although I like 'em, I personally have never thought that Clubbell/CST training style was for everyone, and your review (and followups) is as honest and sincere a reaction as a person could hope to encounter.

But where's the foul mouthed ignorance? Wasn't there supposed to be some foul mouthed ignorance in the post? Or is that just the FSF?