Better Is Better

What does the Clubbell Mill "do"?

The other day, I was faced with the question of what exactly the Clubbell Mill "does."  I take the question to mean "what muscle does this work?"  This of course is the question we have been trained to ask by the mainstream fitness industry over the past 20 years, so it is hardly surprising.  However, armed with a full understanding of how the human locomotive system works, it becomes a somewhat different question. 

The parts of the body do not, in fact, work in isolation.  Instead they work in concert to create movement by pulling over large swaths of connective tissue known as the myofacial matrix.  This web of tissue surrounds and gives shape and function to the entire musculoskeletal system.  So when you ask what an exercise "does," the question becomes much more broad and inclusive.

It is hard to say exactly which muscles get "worked" by the Clubbell Mill.  Although the day after a run at the Trial-by-Fire you may be able to come up with a few good candidates... ;-)

However, if you look at the movement instead of the muscles the picture becomes much more interesting.  We can think of any exercise as existing on a spectrum of complexity.  On one end of the spectrum resides isolation and on the other exists integration.  Circular Strength Training® encourages and facilitates the migration of our training towards the integrative end of the spectrum.  And the Clubbell Mill is an excellent example.

For anyone who is not familiar with the Mill, here is a short Clip using a 25 lb Clubbell.

So back to what it does.  The most evident movement pattern which can be seen on casual inspection is the spiraling or coiling action similar to pretty much any throwing action.  So the Mill develops the strength and coordination of the sequential delivery of force along what might be called the Spiral Line (reference Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains).  This kind of sequential spiral, from the ground up through the hips, torso, shoulders and out into the arms can be seen in a myriad of movements including throwing, punching, swinging a bat, taking a slapshot, etc.

Next, you may notice a dynamic "lifting" motion to bring the Clubbell Head back up towards the shoulders at the end of the bottom swing.  This is much like a Clean movement performed to the side, but on an object already in motion.   Going back to the myofacial lines from Anatomy Trains, the Front Arm Line as well as the Lateral line on the same side are activated through this motion.  And the same qualities are going to be transferable to things like lifting a heavy object to your shoulder, retranslating force laterally (think a ski turn or sharp turn in hockey) or even initiating a throw in judo.

As the Clubbell swings through Back Position, you will also notice the creation of stability through muscular resistance in an extreme range of motion in the shoulder.  Clubbell exercises like the Mill allow us to take the mobility we develop through programs like Intu-Flow and put it under progressive and incremental load.  By building the driving forces necessary for either resistance or force generation in extreme ranges we reduce the risk of injury when we are forced into such ranges.  In this case you can see the utility for a grappler or any kind of thrower (pitcher, javelin, etc).

I really like a pithy quote I once blogged about from coach Charles Staley. 

I was mid-way through a power clean session when a well-meaning but hapless inhabitant of a nearby Smith machine asked "Hey- could you tell me what muscle that works?"

"Ya know when you're, say, on a football field, and someone throws you the ball, and you sprint and catch it?" I replied

"Sure"

"It works that muscle."

I think that sums it up pretty well.  There are so many other things that the Mill potentially trains us for.  The three things listed were those that came to me off the top of my head, but the list is far from exhaustive.  The point is, when you are looking at what an exercise does, look at the movement rather than the muscles.  Look for the patterns.  And above all, when choosing exercises, migrate towards the integrative end of the spectrum when possible.  Train to sprint down the field, turn and catch the ball. :-)

I just couldn't stop...

I caught myself thinking this destructive thought today.  "Once I started, I just couldn't stop."  The stray rumination was in reference to a huge bag of roasted and salted cashews which consumed me the night before (OK it was me who consumed the cashews...).

Upon thinking the thought, it dawned on me how ridiculous the notion is.  I mean, is it really true that it would have been impossible for me to stop myself from eating all of those cashews (or whatever else I may claim to override my sense of self-restraint)?  Of course not.

Don't get me wrong.  I entirely accept the reality of addiction and the chemical and hormonal draw which can seriously challenge our free will.  I simply think that we have to admit to ourselves the difference between the difficulty of making the right choice and the idea that some of our actions are completely beyond our control, which is what is implied by the aforementioned maxim.

And since self-talk has been proven to be an important player in shaping our reality, through its effect on our paradigms, it seems like an even more important distinction to make.  So the next time you catch yourself thinking that you "couldn't stop yourself" or that you "couldn't help yourself," it may be helpful to reframe that as "this time I let it get away from me, but next time this is what I will do to keep my urges in check..."

I know, it sounds simple.  Of course it is not.  I think we all know that from experience.  But sometimes it helps to be reminded of a little piece of the puzzle in short circuiting those urges we don't want to indulge ourselves in...

Quick and Dirty Training

Lately I have been putting into practice some of the training approaches that I use with my clients who are very busy in physically intensive jobs.  Fire fighters, construction workers and even high-stress managers may be totally beat at the end of the day, but that doesn't protect them from getting de-conditioned and even fat...  So to help them ensure that they continue working towards their conditioning and body composition goals I have them perform 2 to 3 very high-intensity, but very short, sessions per week in addition to regular "recovery" and "prehab" work which can be done in snatches when time permits.

I really believe in these very short bursts of high-intensity work for people in this situation.  Although they are already working hard, their bodies need a regular "kick-start" to push them out of homeostasis and invigorate their metabolism.  And at the same time, by keeping the sessions short, we avoid the risk of pushing their already taxed systems into a state of over-reaching or over-training.

I've spent the last two weeks coaching ski pros all day and doing the occasional training sessions in the evening with clients or classes.  I'm pretty physically beat, but I have been making time for 15 to 20 minutes of high-intensity training every 2-3 days (depending on my perceived level of fatigue / recovery).  I'm always loath to start.  But I always come out of it feeling more energized, not just immediately afterwards but in the days following.  And I also am reassured in the fact that I am continuing to work towards the physical objectives which I have set for myself.

Generally, these session consist of a Metabolic Resistance Circuit.  Basically, this is a collection of 4-5 resistance exercises strung together, one after the other, in a circuit.  The circuits I devise usually last between 2-3 minutes and I'll use varying rest periods and means of progression depending on the goals.  The exercises can be bodyweight, clubbell, pull-ups, rings, sandbags, dumbells, barbells or whatever else is appropriate for the goals you are trying to achieve.

Even with clients who are not working physical jobs, this is the tool of choice as far as I am concerned for energy system development for most purposes.  It gives you an incredible bang for your buck.  You get strength development in various planes while simultaneously garnering an excellent cardiovascular training effect.  In fact, it has been clearly shown that this type of training will elicit significant improvement in both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

So why spend all that time running or biking when you can get the same benefits in a fraction of the time... (unless you like those activities and enjoy the time spent).  If you want some significant return on investment, try this type of Metabolic Resistance Circuit.

Cheers,
Adam

PS A great example is the RMAX 4x7: Magic in the Mundane DVD.

Health First

I read an article this morning by Rob Faigin.  I thought the following quote was an interesting expression of the Health First paradigm of Circular Strength Training.

This raises the
question: correctly for what? For
winning? For hormonal enhancement?
To illustrate this point, if Pete
Sampras practices tennis for 6 hours a
day, is he training "incorrectly"? Yes,
if his goal is optimal hormonal status.
No, if his goal is to be the best tennis
player in the world. If one thing is
clear, it is this: competitive athletes
striving to attain greatness have other
concerns besides optimal health. This
is why they sometimes take steroids,
diuretics, amphetamines, etc. and
engage in dangerous sports such as
football and boxing.

The beauty of CST is the integration of performance and health goals.  CST Coach Scott Sonnon often explains that he is above all concerned with the longevity of his athletes.  But within that paradigm he trains highly competitive athletes.

Relative Strength

Stuff like this just makes my jaw drop!  Many people hold that strength relative to bodyweight is one of the most important factors in athletic success.  I think Dominic Lacasse qualifies...