Issue 055

October 2009

Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a 3rd dan black belt in judo. A strength and conditioning trainer to some of the UK’s top MMA fighters (including TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson), he is available for seminars and workshops upon request. For details or to contact him with any questions or queries, email [email protected]. Check out his DVD ‘Train Hard, Fight Easy and Win’, available from grapplefit.com.  

This month we’re looking at the use of clubbells for our conditioning needs. This is another piece of kit, like kettlebells, that has seen a revival of sorts over recent years. Clubs like these have been used in physical culture for years, most notably by Indian wrestlers and more recently by Karl Gotch, the ‘God of Pro-Wrestling’, a legendary figure who taught everyone from Ken Shamrock to Josh Barnett. 

For our needs they’re really useful in providing a rotational type of strength, similar to the type gained by using sledgehammers, rather than pushing or pulling in straight lines. These ‘circular’ movements give you strength at extreme angles.  

The good thing about the clubbell is that you can increase or decrease the resistance by moving your hand up or down the handle, thereby increasing or decreasing the leverage. I found this useful as I got more tired!  

This time round we’re going to focus on three exercises, namely the swing, the armpit cast and the barbarian squat. Sounds cool already, 

doesn’t it?  

The swing is performed by holding the bell in one hand, feet just less than shoulder-width apart. Sit back and drop into a partial squat (1/4 of the way down) allowing the bell to swing back. As you fire up from your legs, you bring the bell forward to chest height. Repeat as required.  

The armpit cast is performed by starting with the bell at your sides. It should be mentioned here that the key position for the clubbell is known as ‘cleaning to order’, just as the kettlebell has the ‘rack’ position. With the bell at your side pointing down to the floor, you clean it to order (where your elbows are at right angles and the bell points upwards. From here, take it back over your head (keeping your elbows at right angles) and then reverse the movement. Repeat this for your desired time or reps.  

The barbarian squat is done by starting with the bell held in both hands, pointing down behind your back. As you squat down you bring the bell in front of you with arms extended (as if you’re striking something with it). Ensure you keep the end of the bell pointing up. Come out of the squat and reverse the movement. Make sure you bring the bell down around your neck and not straight over your head.  

So now, let’s put it together. Set a timer for six minutes and try the following:  

Swings 45–60 secs right hand

Swings 45–60 secs left hand

Armpit casts 45–60 secs right

Armpit casts 45–60 secs left

Barbarian squats 45–60 secs right hand forward

Barbarian squats 45–60 secs left hand forward 

A six-minute round equates to one minute over the requirements of a standard MMA round. I know this makes you hurt, but when it comes to fight night, the extra minute you’ve been putting in will make a world of difference.  

Rest for 60 seconds then repeat this circuit for a total of 3–5 rounds. See how you feel with the addition of clubbells to your routine. With regular use, you should notice an increase in shoulder stability and mobility, as well as the rotational strength across your shoulder girdle.