My Top Three Clubbell® Exercises - Part one of three, The Clubbell® Side-Semi

Clubbell® Fundamentals

I’m a big believer in fundamentals. I think that building a strong foundation in the  basics will pay huge dividends when we move to more complex variations on a theme. And working with the Clubbell® is no exception. So my top three exercises are not necessarily the ones that I have the most fun with, they are the ones that have the power to teach the widest array of fundamental concepts. These concepts transfer seamlessly to more sophisticated Clubbell® exercises and reduce the time required to absorb and learn new material.

The Clubbell® Side-Semi

This is a two-handed exercise, meaning both hands are on one Clubbell®. It draws it’s name from the semi-circle shape scribed by the club head as it travels from one side to the other. This is often the first two-handed exercise that I teach my students and it forms an excellent base for all the others. It also addresses some very specific building blocks.

How to perform the Side-Semi

A picture is worth a thousand words–and a video is worth a thousand pictures–so I’d like to share this clip that I put together for one of my online students several months ago. Since I’m no longer running my online coaching programs due to demands on my time, I think it’s OK to start sharing these resources.

 

This tutorial was filmed using a twenty-five pounder. For two-handed work of this nature, I generally work with a Clubbell® which is fairly heavy for the student. If it is too light, the lessons we talked about earlier will be more difficult to acquire. If you aren’t yet familiar with the power of Clubbell training, I encourage you to check out some Clubbell® videos and tutorials then visit this Squidoo lens to find out more.

The 6 Degrees of Freedom: Yawing & Swaying

The concept of the 6 Degrees of Freedom is pivotal to the Circular Strength Training® system (CST), and takes us past the idea of moving in three dimensions to unlock uninhibited flow. I’ve covered this topic in detail using sandbag exercises as an example.

One of the main Degrees of Freedom inherent to the Side-Semi is rotation around the vertical axis, known as Yawing. The other is a side-to-side movement along the lateral axis, called Swaying.

Swaying, in this instance, also introduces the idea of “counter movement” which is fundamental to many Clubbell® exercises but also to sports performance. Essentially, it involves moving in the direction opposite to the force or resistance that is acting upon you. So as the Clubbell® travels in one direction, you are moving your mass in the opposite direction. This reduces the total distance travelled by the club head and increases your movement efficiency, something which has clear implications in many sports.

CST’s 7 Key Components of Structure

Biomechanics can get very complex and involved. But when boiled down to the essentials, can generally be parsed into 7 Key Components, which is another of the pivotal concepts of CST. The keys–covered in detail in Coach Sonnon’s Big Book of Clubbell® Training–are Spinal Alignment, Shoulder Pack, Arm Lock, Grip Confirmation, Core Activation, Hip Recruitment and Leg Drive.

Pretty much all human movement will tap into all of these points on some level, but the Side-Semi is particularly good at teaching Arm Lock, Shoulder Pack, Hip Recruitment and Spinal Alignment.

Because one hand is higher than the other on the shaft of the Clubbell®, it is challenging to keep the elbows completely locked out and still ensure that the shoulders stay pulled down away from the ears. These elements are important because we want to learn how to transfer force from the core into the Clubbell and also absorb and redirect energy from the Clubbell® through the core. Bent elbows and raised shoulders will cause wasted energy and will increase the chances of soft tissue injury. You can think of these points as force couples. If they don't maintain structural integrity, power is wasted.

Without proper Hip Recruitment, in the form of side snap, this exercise is impossible to perform. The execution of the Side-Semi hinges on the marriage of forces generated through the inertia of the Clubbell and the rotational forces generated from the snap of the hips, guiding the club through to the other side. Someone who is weak, inhibited or stiff in the hips will immediately discover a hole in their game which can then be addressed and overcome.

Finally, Spinal Alignment, in the form of a spine which is stretched long, allows proper rotation around the vertical axis (Yawing). This has obvious transfer to sports like golf which rely on this kind of structural integrity to deliver power through the golf club into the ball through rotational power. If the axis is crooked, energy leaks.

Benefits of the Clubbell® Side-Semi Exercise

Apart from reinforcing basic movement mechanics, which will be transferable to both daily activities and to sports, the Side-Semi confers other wellness benefits.

Traction: Because the weight of the Clubbell® is constantly pulling through the grip and away from the body, it confers certain benefits which are hard to reproduce with more conventional tools. Grip is enhanced due to having to constantly hold the weight back from flying off into space. And because the weight is constantly pulling outwards, your joints enjoy a certain “distraction” (pulling apart) which decompresses them and allows fluids to circulate, bringing in nutrition & lubrication while washing out toxins.

Torsion: Unlike a weight machine, or even free weights to some extent, the Clubbell® is a very open chained tool which is inherently somewhat unpredictable. That means there is a lot of torsion–twisting force–being created within the body. Because the Clubbell® doesn’t do all the stabilization work for you, your body, and especially your core, must learn and adapt physically to doing that work. That’s why the Clubbell® is so well known for building that wiry tensile strength and that hard bodied look. You’re not just training a muscle, your training every fiber–both muscle and connective tissue–along an entire chain of tension and contraction.

Torque: Like a rock let fly from a slingshot, a swinging Clubbell® creates exponentially more perceived resistance than its actual scale weight. This means that as you progress in strength, endurance, timing and coordination, you can add speed of execution to your means of progression. Swinging the weight faster will simultaneously progress each of the other attributes at the same time by increasing the perceived load, without changing the actual tool.

What if I don’t have a Clubbell?

I think everyone should have at least one. It’s one of the most versatile tools you’ll ever lay your hands on. But, if you don’t have one yet, you can use a bodyweight exercise that explores a few of the same principles. Try the CST Leg Swoop and try to apply the principles explored above to this versatile exercise. Have some fun with it and post your comments below.

And as usual, all questions, comments and anecdotes are welcome.

Cheers,
Adam

PS Don't forget to spread the word about the Intu-Flow Giveaway on Twitter!

Comments

[Rob]

Great breakdown!
Super thanks for posting this!

Rob

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

Awesome analysis of the Side Semi, Coach!

[Sarah Rippel]

Hi Adam!

I really enjoyed your Bodyweight Exercise Revolution article in the latest issue of Trainer Nation! I am honored to be a part of the issue along with you and the other top-notch professionals! Furthermore, I am prompted to once again "think outside the box," as I have been intrigued by Clubbells for a while now. Actually, the entire CST system really intrigues me. I have really gotten into kettlebells, although I do not advocate the exclusive use of them as some proponents do. I prefer to blend what I feel is the best of several approaches into my "own" style of training. With this being said, I am in awe of the obvious benefits Clubbells can provide for shoulder mobility and overall conditioning! I WANNA KNOW MORE! I guess the first step is to order one? :) Didn't mean to talk your eyes off...i'm just another geek about the fitness stuff, so i'm sure you know the feeling!

Yours in Health,
Sarah E. Rippel

[Virgie]

As a person who is planning to begin an Occupational Therapy Program I'd like to thank you for the care that you take in these video and other materials to make sure that your participants understand the proper way to perform these movements.

[Adam]

Sarah - I'm honored to have you stop by here! I really enjoy your contributions over at the Super-Trainer forum. Let's talk. I'll drop you an email.

Virgie - I really appreciate the feedback. I try to make sure readers have the information they need to apply CST safely and effectively. I'm glad that you feel that I am doing the job right...

Cheers,
Adam

[Adam]

John & Rob - Thanks guys!!