"Trial By Fire" - First Attempt - 15lb Clubbells...

I completed the "Trila by Fire" this morning with the 15lb clubbells in 35:18. It was very tough as my grip started to give way half-way though the workout! I can only compare it to how my hands/grip feels at the end of Viking Warrior Conditioning with a 16kg bell (80 Sets of 8). My heart rate was through the roof at about 5 minutes and stayed there the whole time. It is going to take me some time to work up to the 25lb clubs. I plan on taking tomorrow OFF as my hands and forearms will need it.

The following is taken from Coach Steer's blog about clubbells:

"The Trial by Fire is quite simply one of the most grueling full body tests of strength-endurance that I can think of".

The official Trial by Fire is done with a set of 25 lbs Clubbells®, and consists of:

130 One-handed Mills on each side
130 Double Swipes and
130 Two-handed Hammer Swings (65 per direction)



The exercises themselves are presented on the following link in the middle of the page:

http://www.squidoo.com/trialbyfire

"Suffice it to say that the Trial by Fire will rip the skin off your hands and wring every last ounce of muscular strength-endurance from your entire body while it taxes your cardio-vascular system to its limit. It will test your mental toughness and require absolute technical efficiency".
 
I would agree with the above statement 100%!

Kettlebell Triples....

My training looked like this today:

Goblet Squats - 40kg - 3x3 - 9 reps
One Arm Rows - 48kg bell - 3x3 each arm
Double Deadlifts - 40kg bells - 3x3 - 9 reps
One Arm Incline Press - 36kg bell - 3x3 - 9 reps
Upright Row - 40kg bell - 3x3 - 9 reps
Pullovers - 36kg bell - 3x3 - 9 reps
 
 
 
My training schedule going forward should look like this:
 
Monday - Heavy Day (Triples,5x5,etc)
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Clubbells (Trial By Fire, Freestyle, etc)
Thursday - Off
Friday - Flow Yoga
Saturday - EDT (Kettlebells, Clubbells, Bodyweight, Etc)
Sunday - Kettlebell Viking Warrior Conditioning (MVo2)
 
That way I get:

• 1 heavy/low rep strength day
• 2 off days
• 1 day metabolic conditioning with clubbells (Trial By Fire)
• 1 day if yoga
• 1 day of EDT (stength/strength endurance combo)
• 1 day of metabolic conditioning with kettlebells (MVo2)

Seems like a good plan. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Got My Second 15lb Clubbell Today!

I plan on trying the "Trial By Fire" on Wednesday with the 15lb clubs. It is meant for the 25's but I do not have them yet and have not even tried double swipes with the 15's. Should be interesting.

Just to recap:

The following is taken from Coach Steer's blog about clubbells:

"The Trial by Fire is quite simply one of the most grueling full body tests of strength-endurance that I can think of".

The official Trial by Fire is done with a set of 25 lbs Clubbells®, and consists of:

130 One-handed Mills on each side
130 Double Swipes and
130 Two-handed Hammer Swings (65 per direction)

The exercises themselves are presented on the following link in the middle of the page:

http://www.squidoo.com/trialbyfire

"Suffice it to say that the Trial by Fire will rip the skin off your hands and wring every last ounce of muscular strength-endurance from your entire body while it taxes your cardio-vascular system to its limit. It will test your mental toughness and require absolute technical efficiency".

For me it is something to shoot for as I get more familiar and adept at clubbell training. I am going to have to work up to using double 25lb clubbells but I make the comparison to a kettlebell snatch test - How fast can you complete a number of reps with good form.

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.

Kettlebell, Clubbell, Bodyweight & "Shot" Training...

I mixed up kettlebell, clubbell, bodyweight & "Shot" training today for 500 reps. I tried to rest as little as possible and hit my body from as many angles as possible.

My training looked like this today:

Kettlebell Swings - 24kg bell - 100 reps
One-handed Mills - 15lb club - 100 reps
One-handed Swipes - 15lb club - 100 reps
Shield Casts - 15lb club - 100 reps
Plyometric Incline Push Ups - 75 reps
Hanging Pike - 25 reps
Overhead KB Hold Walks - 24kg bells - 2 reps @ 150ft
High toss Lunge - 12lb "shot" - 30 reps

I finished with:
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb club - 75 continuous reps

Viking Warrior Conditioning - Vo2max - 40 Sets of 8...

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 40 sets of 8 in 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 40 sets of 8 - 320 reps

I finished with:

Farmers Walks - 40kg bells - 4 reps @ 150 ft each

Video: One-handed Clubbell Mills

Attached is a short video of myself doing One-handed Clubbell Mills with the 15lb club. My wife shot this after my training today and I was wiped so my form and grip strength was not the best. Notice the kettlebells behind me at the gym.

EDT - Kettlebells & Clubbells...

My training looked like this:

PR One - 15 Minutes:
Incline Kettlebell Press - 32kg bells - 80 reps
One Arm Rows - 40kg bells - 80reps

4 Minute Rest

PR Two - 10 Minutes:
One-handed Mills - 15lb clubbell - 80 reps
One-handed Swipes - 15lb clubbell - 80 reps

I finished with:

BArbell Leverage Curls - 10lbs - 50 reps
Check out how to do them - Crazy Arm Exercise!

I am going to post a short video of myself doing One-handed Clubbell Mills with the 15lb club. My wife shot this after my training today and I was wiped so my form and grip strength was not the best. Notice the kettlebells behine me at the gym.

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.

Clubbell Viking Warrior Conditioning - MVo2 - 40 Sets of 7...

I began my experiment with MVo2 and clubbells this morning. I started doing sets of 8 but found I had to reallly rush to get 8 reps per 15 seconds and I was sacrificing form. So 7 is the number with the 15lb club for me. My heart rate got up there quickly and I felt great after I got into the grove but I will say that my grip started to go after the 30th set. You can really see the difference in grip strenth between kettlebell snatches and clubbell mills. I do not know if 80 sets of 7 is possible without launching the clubbell a few times as your hands and grip start to tire. My shoulders, arms, lats and chest were all wiped at the end.

My training looked like this:

I did timed One-handed Mills with the 15lb clubbell today. I did sets of 7 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 40 sets of 7 in 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

One-handed Mills - 15lb club - 40 sets of 7 - 280 reps

I am taking tomorrow off from training and plan to start to take at least every Tuesday & Thursday off. I may even try to add a third day off a week for a while to ease back and recover.

Gained 33lbs of Athletic Muscle and 40 Years of Life!

Impressive feat by coach and Clubbell inventor - Scott Sonnon who @ the age of 39 gained 33lbs of lean muscle in 10 months just by diet and exercises!

As he says - "I had to be both coach and athlete, always… be intelligent, consistently driven and meticulously honest about every repetition and each bite of food".



Great advice from Scott. Check out the rest of the story in the following link:

http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=620

Clubbell Training & A Question: Viking Warrior Conditioning With A Clubbell???

My training looked like this:

One-handed Mills - 15lb club - 75 reps
One-handed Swipes - 15lb club - 75 reps
Two-handed Hammer Swings - 15lb club - 75 reps
Incline Barbell Push Ups - 75 reps
 
I finished with:
 
Shiled Casts - 15lb club - 30 reps
Shoulder Casts - 15lb club - 30 reps
 
I plan on doing Viking Warrior Conditioning tomorrow with the 16kg kettlebell.
 
I was thinking about VWC & MVo2 training in general wondered if you could do it with a clubbell? Also, if you could what exercises would be best suited in terms of recruiting the most muscle and getting the heart rate up? My answer was the One-handed Mill.
 
The One-handed mill is a good compliment to the kettlebell snatch because the range of motion is almost opposite of the snatch and you are using your legs and hip snap to help drive the club from the bottom position.
 
I am going to start to working on One-handed Mills at 8 reps per 15 seconds with 15 seconds off in between sets with the 15lb club. I might need to adjust the club weight and/or the reps per 15 seconds but we shall see.

How Do Kettlebells And Clubbells Differ?

As I have begun to train with clubbells in addition to my kettlebell training I have been getting questions about the difference between the two and how they compliment each other. I found a series of articles that deals with that very question.

"Kettlebells and ClubbellsTM do tend to emphasize different parts of the body as you use them. The kettlebell, as used in exercises advocated by the party, works the body in more of a "ground up" fashion. The clubbell works more from the hands down. When you pick them up, they are very clumsy to handle, you constantly try to balance them ".

Read the entire article here - Kettlebells & Clubbells

Flow Yoga...

I took an hour long flow yoga class this morning after my weekend eating frenzy. Nice to work out the toxins and get ready for another week. Yoga definately points out the tight areas of your body and helps you stretch and lengthen the muscles. It is a great compliment to my other training.

Kettlebell, Clubbell & Bodyweight Training - 500 Reps...

I mixed up kb, cb and bw training today for 500 reps. I tried to rest as little as possible and hit my body from as many angles as possible. I will time it next time to have a point of reference.

My training looked like this today:

Kettlebell Snatch - 16kg bell - 100 reps
One-handed Mills - 15lb club - 100 reps
One-handed Swipes - 15lb club - 100 reps
Gama Cast - 15lb club - 100 reps
Push Ups - 75 reps
Hanging Pike - 25 reps

Kettlebell & Clubbell Escalating Density Training PLUS Viking Warrior Conditioning...

I felt great today after yoga and pushed it hard. I am going back to carbs today after 5 days off and am looking forward to 36 hours of eating pleasure.

Check out my diet - http://www.kettlebellinc.com/kettlebellinfo/obrien-leanandstrong.php?art_id=0&art_auth=obrien


My training looked like this:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Swiss Ball Incline Press - 28kg bells - 60 reps
Renegade Rows - 28kg bells - 60 reps

2 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 1/2 Minutes:
One-handed Mills - 15lb clubbell - 40 reps
One-handed Swipes - 15lb clubbell - 40 reps

Then I did:

Two-handed Hammer Swings - 100 reps
Clockwork Squats - 15lb clubbell - 100 reps

I finished with:

Timed snatches with the 16kg bell. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 20 sets of 8 in 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 20 sets of 8 - 160 reps

Barbaric Tool For The Truely Hardcore...

Great article by Marty Gallagher that states - "The Clubbell is a patented strength training tool which combines modern technology with ancient science. Here is an ultra basic, elemental Clubbell workout that a true hardcore trainee can sink their teeth into - The Mill & The Swipe".

Check out the article in it's entirety -

http://www.rmaxinternational.com/images/barbarictool.pdf

Flow Yoga...

I practiced Flow Yoga this morning for the first time in about 2 years. It was great! I have not sweat like that in a long time and really needed to get the toxins out, stretch my muscles and push myself mentally in addition to physically.

I really do feel kinda euphoric during the whole process and it allows me to press reset and try to prioritize my life's craziness. I know I am getting a bit philosophical and I apologize but it is nice to step back once and a while and smell the roses.

I have a beautiful wife, four great healthy kids, a great job and home....and am healthy. I need to remember this more and care less about sets, reps, and body fat percentage.



Here is a description of the class:



"Flow Yoga covers a wide variety of yoga styles. Including; Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Bikram and Baptiste. It is a vigorous practice that strengthens the core muscles in the body, enhances flexibility, while encouraging deep concentration and focus. Flow Yoga is practiced in a heated room. The heat encourages perspiration, which helps to detoxify and cleanse the body. The muscles respond to the heat by relaxing and allowing us to move deeper into a posture. This practice will tone and sculpt your body and heal your soul. Be prepared to sweat, and discover your inner strength!"



I am going to try to practice Yoga 2/3 times a month in addition to my other training methods.

Clubbells - "Trial By Fire"...

The following is taken from Coach Steer's blog about clubbells:

"The Trial by Fire is quite simply one of the most grueling full body tests of strength-endurance that I can think of".

The official Trial by Fire is done with a set of 25 lbs Clubbells® (15 lbs for the Ladies), and consists of:

1. 130 One-handed Mills on each side
2. 130 Double Swipes and
3. 130 Two-handed Hammer Swings (65 per direction)

The exercises themselves are presented on the following link in the middle of the page:

http://www.squidoo.com/trialbyfire

"Suffice it to say that the Trial by Fire will rip the skin off your hands and wring every last ounce of muscular strength-endurance from your entire body while it taxes your cardio-vascular system to its limit. It will test your mental toughness and require absolute technical efficiency".

For me it is something to shoot for as I get more familiar and adept at clubbell training. I am going to have to work up to using double 25lb clubbells but I make the comparison to a kettlebell snatch test - How fast can you complete a number of reps with good form.

Clubbell Core Work...

I used the clubbell this morning to do some core exercises that I would normally used a kettlebell. It was a nice change of pace.

My training looked like this:

Woodchop - 15lb clubbell - 60 reps
Hand 2 Hand Clean - 15lb cubbell - 60 reps
Windmill - 15lb clubbell - 30 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb clubbell - 60 reps
Gladiator - 6 reps @ 30 seconds
Hot Potato - 15lb clubbell - 60 reps
I finished with:

Hanging Leg Raises - 24 reps

300 total reps.

I also found a great website for clubbell info from Coach Steer : http://www.squidoo.com/clubbell-exercises. Check it out.

Clubbell EDT (Escatating Density Training)...

I decided to try EDT with my 15lb clubbell this morning. It felt great and I plan to use this method with the 25lb club when I get it. I will use the 15lb club for more high rep training or to back off in intensity and density.

My training looked like this:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Mills - 80 reps
Shield Casts - 80 reps

2 minutes rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Barbarian - 40 reps
Shoulder Cast - 40 reps

I finished with:
Parry Cast - 50 reps

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.

Tools Of Choice...

Kettlebell

Clubbells

Xvest

"Shot"
Now - Just do it!

EDT...

My training looked like this:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Swiss Ball Incline Press - 32kg bells - 50 reps
Renegade Rows - 32kg bells - 50 reps

2 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Reverse Flys - 32 reps
Alternating Bottoms Up Curl - 16kg bells - 40 reps

I finished with:

Upright Rows - 32kg bell - 25 reps
Hanging Pikes - 25 reps

I plan on taking tomorrow off from training as I have not taken a day off since September 3rd. I also want to start doing hot yoga on Fridays.

Viking Warrior Conditioning - Vo2max - 40 Sets of 8...

I did VWC today for the first time since August 29th - 2 weeks. It was tough for the first time out in a while - especially after my 1000 clubbell reps yesterday.

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 40 sets of 8 in 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 40 sets of 8 - 320 reps

Clubbell Training - 1000 reps!!!

I was inspired somewhat by Viking Warrior Conditioning this morning and decided to do a marathon clubbell session today (1000 reps) . It took me 1 hour and 19 minutes to complete.

My training looked like this:

Mills - 15lb club - 100 reps
Shield Cast - 15lb club - 100 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb club - 100 reps
Hand 2 Hand Cleans - 15lb club - 100 reps
Torch Press - 15lb club - 100 rep
Slingshot - 15lb club - 100 reps
Arm Cast - 15lb club - 100 reps
Shoulder Cast - 15lb club - 100 reps
Barbarian Torch Press - 15 lb club - 50 reps
Crucifix - (2) 5lb clubs - 100 reps
Mills - 15lb club - 100 reps

I tried to rest as little as possible between sets, reps and exercises and can probably get it to about and hour if I push it. Maybe down the road I will try.

I can't wait for my 25lb club to get here so I can start mixing that in as well.

EDT, Clubbell Casts & Hanging Pikes...

My training looked like this:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Corkscrew Press - 24kg bells - 50 reps
Renegade Rows - 32kg bells - 50 reps

3 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Reverse Flys - 20 reps
Alternating Bottoms Up Curl - 16kg bells - 40 reps

Then I did some casts with the 15lb club:

Arm Cast - 40 reps
Shoulder Cast - 40 reps
Shield Cast - 80 reps

I finished with:

Hanging Pikes - 30 reps

Snatch/Pull Ladders & Clubbell Training...

Today I did ladders with the 24kg bell on the Snatch and Pull Ups. I did 3 ladders with 5 rungs on each ladder.

The 3 ladders looked like this:
Snatch - L & R then Pull Up
1 x 1 1 rep
1 x 2 2 reps
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps

I did the above 3 times.

There were 15 reps each ladder for a total of:
45 Snatch reps left
45 Snatch reps right

90 total Snatches
45 total Pull Ups

Then I did some clubbell training:

Mills - 15lb club - 100 reps
Front Squat Pendulum - 15lb club - 100 reps

Zuzana's 2nd Kickass Clubbell Fitness Challenge...

I got the following from Scott Sonnon's Facebook page:

Clubbell: Ancient Tool for the Modern Warrior - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=13764434167

Zuzana returns with another Kickass Clubbell Challenge. In 20 minutes, how many rounds of the following circuit can you complete? Zuzana finished 6 rounds with 20 seconds to spare!

Here’s the circuit:
* Front Lunge Pendulum - 20 repetitions
* Sumo Jumps - 20 repetitions
* Dive Bomber Pushups - 5 repetitions

Here’s her video performance: http://www.flowcoach.tv/?p=610

Zuzana says, “Working out with the clubbell provides great resistance, because of the way the weight is distributed. You would never guess how heavy a 10 pound clubbell feels in your hand, but it is great because you can leverage the weight to make the exercise either easier or harder simply by changing your grip. As I mentioned in the intro video, you do not need a clubbell to take part in this challenge and practice this workout. You can use either a medicine ball or some other weight, or even just the resistance offered by your own bodyweight. This workout is not about the equipment, it is about your effort and how much energy you are willing to invest in yourself. If you give this workout a try, even if you don’t make it a time challenge, please let me know how it went for you.

“Besides the Front Lunge Pendulum, you can change up the variation in your routine by substituting Rear Lunge and Side Lunge Pendulums. Here are 3 tutorials on how to complete these muscle-building, fat-burning incinerators: http://www.flowcoach.tv/?p=610

And if you don’t yet have a real Clubbell, check out this do-it-yourself homemade Clubbell until you can afford the real thing. And don’t think I’m crazy for giving you a homemade design, because once you experience the training value of this tool (the oldest fitness tool in history and the most popular fitness tool worldwide!!!) you’ll want the real thing! http://www.flowcoach.tv/?p=610

Just Ordered Another Clubbell!

I am loving the clubbell training and just ordered a 25lb bell! I have two 5lb clubbells and a 15lb clubbell. The 25lb club will be a nice addition as I try to eventually work up to the 45lb club!!!

3x5...

I decided to go a bit heavy today and keep my reps on the low side for a change of pace.

My training looked like this:
One Arm Incline KB Press - 40kg bell - 15 reps per arm
Upright Row - 40kg bell - 15 reps
Renegade Rows - 40kg bells - 15 reps per arm

I finished with:

Cable Flys & Cable Curls

Clubbell Training - 500 Reps!

My training looked like this:

Mills - 15lb club - 50 reps
Shield Cast - 15lb club - 50 reps
Lunge Step Pendulum - 15lb club - 50 reps
Shoulder Cast - 15lb club - 50 reps
Head Cast - 15lb club - 50 reps

Then I did used the club for some exercises where I usually use a kettlebell - it was a great change to pace!

Snatch - 15lb club - 100 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb club - 100 reps
Slingshot - 15lb club - 50 reps

EDT...

My training look like this today:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Renegade Reverse Fly - 12kg bells - 50 reps
Incline KB Press - 32kg bells - 50 reps

2 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Triple Crush - 16kg bell - 23 reps
Two Hand KB Curl - 32kg bell - 23 reps

I finished with:

Upright Row - 40 kg bell - 25 reps

Bodyweight, Kettlebell & Clubbell Training....

I got the first exercise of my bodyweight training from Steve Maxwell's blog -

http://maxwellsc.blogspot.com/2009/02/forget-economy-why-you-cant-afford-to.html.

It is called the L - Seat Pull-UP. It was a nice change of pace from my regular pull ups.

My training looked like this:

L - Seat Pull-Up - 25 reps
Explosive Clap Push Up - 25 reps
Handstand Push Up - 25 reps
Prisoner Squats - 50 reps

Then I did some hand to hand kettlebell work:

Figure 8/Hold - 16kg bell - 100 reps
Hand 2 Hand Cleans - 16kg bell - 75 reps

I finished with some clubbell exercises:
Mills - 15lb clubbell - 70 reps
Crucifix - (2) 5lb clubbells - 30 reps

"300" - Clubbell Training & Snatches...

Arm Cast - 15lb club - 60 reps
Barbarian Torch Press - 15 lb club - 30 reps
Shield Cast - 15lb club - 60 reps
Crucifix - (2) 5lb clubs - 60 reps
One Arm Dive Bomber Push Ups - 30 reps
Shoulder Park Squats - 15lb club - 60 reps
Mills - 15lb club - 30 reps

300 reps with the clubbells. The Barbarian Torch Press and One Arm Dive Bombers were tough!

You can check out those exercises at the following link:http://www.rmaxi.com/flowcoach/?p=609

I finished with 100 snatches with the 16kg kettlebell.

Great Clubbell Video From Scott Sonnon..

"In addition to the superior muscle gain and fat burn, there’s another unique feature to swinging a Clubbell. It has to do with getting to your greatest strength. But how does a Clubbell do that? You can hold more than you can lift, and you can yield (or brake) more than you can hold. So, if you’re only lifting weight, you’re only never tapping into your greatest strength reserves.

Instead of performing conventional short range “negatives” and “iso-holds” - the Clubbell elicits a continual negative with no rest position. Even the “order position” is an isometric hold building the biceps and traps. Swung, the Clubbell must be accelerated by your piston-like action of your legs, while braking with the strength of your core and torso. It’s the best of all worlds for tapping into your potential and giving you fast, full results

Combining the “time under tension” superiority of swinging weight, with the virtue of tapping into concentric (lifting), isometric (holding) AND eccentric (yielding) strengths, my 18 Minute Abs and Arms Workout will absolutely give you chiseled arms, shoulders and abs! Implement this workout 1-2 times per week for 3 weeks."


Check out the video here: http://www.rmaxi.com/flowcoach/?p=608

EDT with Kettlebells, Barbells & Bodyweight...

My training look like this today:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Incline Bench Press - 135lbs - 40 reps
Snatch Pull & Press - 24kg bell - 40 reps

3 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Chin Ups - 45 reps
Dips - 45 reps

I added 20 more reps from last time to make it 170 reps in 15 minutes work. That equates to a 13% increase in volume over the same work time.

Another Day Off...

I am taking another day off as I am swamped with work and am going to the Patriots game tonight. I am planning on an EDT training session tomorrow and MV02/Clubbells on Saturday.

Kettlebells In Motion....

I kept it simple today trying to hit my muscles from all angles in a circular strength fashion.

My training looked like this:

Iron Cross - 24kg bells - 25 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 24kg bell - 50 reps
Swings - 24kg bell - 100 reps

Day Off...

I am taking today off after 4 days of hard training.