Beginner Guide to Clubbells

If you’re getting into clubbells (or steel clubs), you may a bit lost on where to start on how this tool can be implemented into your workouts. Typically, most are aware of kettlebells and steel maces when curious about clubbellls (that’s personally, how I got into them in 2016). However, just in case you are unaware — what all these tools have in common (pictured below), it is their center of mass is distal from the handle (being asymmetrically loaded). Making them perfect for ballistic athletic movements like swings, cleans, 360s, and snatches.

I’ve become well experienced with all these tools for almost a decade, and can tell you with confidence out of all three . . . clubbells are the most challenging because they combine the best of both worlds from steel maces and kettlebells. Steel maces are critically known to have a very long handle (far left), and kettlebells have a very short rounded handle (middle). This is where clubs are in the middle ground being distally loaded between the two (being not too long, and not too short).

Beginner Clubbell Weight Recommendations:

So with all this in mind, it’s important a beginner knows where to start weight wise. Many think getting a 20LB+ clubbell will be a good start, and this will not only be a waste of money, but will risk injury. Trust me when I say, clubbells WILL strike down any ego you may have thinking how strong you are (even if you have kettlebell experience). So please take the listed recommendations below from someone who has not only used them for years, but has coached many one on one when first beginning with clubbells:

What’s great about clubbells is we can work with two, and single handed positions with a single. Then advance the foundational clubbell movements with doubles. I personally use Onnit Steel Clubs at my gym, and in my YouTube video tutorials.

How do I workout with Clubbells?

Luckily, my YouTube channel is well known for clubbell (or steel club) workout tutorials since 2016, and have recently updated a new series for 2024. Below are three workouts that evolve from beginner, intermediate, and advanced so you can get the most out your clubbells with both singles & double variations. All the repetitions and sets are listed after each following video tutorial below:

So if you liked what you read and want to progress your skills with clubbells — checkout my ebook program GADA Club: Guide for Indian & Steel Club Strength Training on sale now and can be purchased HERE. It features 30 different indian club warm up drills before you get into the strength training with your 40 steel club workouts. If you’d like to know more about indian clubs, I also wrote another article on them HERE. I hope I gave you a better understanding about steel clubs and what they can offer for your fitness regimen.

USE CODE: GOINGCLUBBING10

Ian Vaughn