WHAT IS A STEEL CLUB?
Steel Clubs look somewhat like a bowling pin with the majority of the weight held at the end (the barrel) far away from your grip. It’s this leverage that makes heavy clubbell training incredibly challenging.
Rather than being lifted in a linear path like traditional strength training tools, they are swung around the body through multiple planes of motion which creates enormous torque and tension and builds strength.
Made from steel they can weigh anywhere from 5lb-45lb and are extremely versatile which lends itself perfectly to fun flow workouts that challenge the entire body.
Dangerously Fit’s superior quality Steel Clubs build real World strength like nothing else and are of the finest quality found anywhere on the planet!
Our Clubs are powder coated to assist gripping & resist chipping, forged from a single machined piece of steel, have a longer handle for increased leverage, a sphere pommel end, a perfectly weighted barrel AND sport an elegant traditional Indian Club design.
FEATURES
WEIGHT IN LB
The steel clubs weight (in lb) is on the muzzle for easy identification so you don’t need to waste time aimlessly searching for your desired weight mid-workout.
POWDER COATED FINISH
Powder coating paint has a smooth, but grippy texture that improves gripping when your hands are sweaty. The paint also holds chalk better than other options like matte or epoxy.
POMMEL
The pommel which sits at the end of the handle is designed to rest against the heel of the hand stopping the steel club from slipping from your grip during swinging movements.
LONGER HANDLE
Dangerously Fit Steel Clubs have a slightly longer handle than traditional clubbells. The longer handle means more leverage and even greater benefits from training with steel clubs.
PERFECTLY WEIGHTED BARREL
Each weight is individually moulded precisely to the specific weight. This precision moulding gives the club a perfectly weighted barrel which is so important for steel club swinging.
MACHINED PIECE OF STEEL
Steel is a heavier metal than iron and more resistant to rust and damage. Dangerously Fit Steel Clubs are made of a machined piece of steel making them virtually unbreakable!
WHAT SIZE CLUB SHOULD I BUY?
Steel clubs are deceptively heavy because the point of contact (your grip) is far away from the centre of mass of the club, this is called the leverage disadvantage and what makes tools like the steel club and steel mace so effective and challenging.
A 15lb steel club will feel much heavier than a 15lb kettlebell or dumbbell, so starting light whilst you develop the skill required to control, stabilise and move the club is recommended.
Another factor to consider is your training goals, lighter clubs are fantastic for mobility, rehabilitation and pre-rehabilitation.
Medium weight clubs are excellent for conditioning and developing muscle endurance, and heavy clubs are great for building strength.
We recommend buying two lighter clubs for your double exercises (a club in each hand), and a heavier club for your two handed exercises.
One the great things about steel clubs is you do not need every weight. If you start with a pair of 10lb clubs for your doubles and a 15lb club for your two handed exercises, when your skill and strength increases and you’re ready for a new challenge simply purchase a single 15lb club for your double exercises and an 20lb club for your two handed exercises.
RECOMMENDED WEIGHTS
| PROFILE | CLUB WEIGHT |
| Average Male | Pair of 10lb Single 15lb |
| Strong Male | Pair of 15lb Single 20lb |
| Very Strong Male | Pair of 20lb Single 25lb |
| PROFILE | CLUB WEIGHT |
| Average Female | Pair of 5lb Single 10lb |
| Strong Female | Pair of 10lb Single 15lb |
| Very Strong Female | Pair of 15lb Single 20lb |
BENEFITS OF STEEL CLUB TRAINING
GRIP STRENGTH & ENDURANCE
Unlike kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells that have a conventional handle that rests on the skeletal structure (pulls against the fingers or rests in the heel of the hand).
When swinging the Steel Club you have to actively engage your forearm flexors to grip the club as it tries to pull through the fingers.
FUN FULL BODY WORKOUTS
One of the many benefits of steel clubs and something that makes them lots of fun and highly effective is the ability to sequentially chain movements together into ‘steel club flow workouts’.
A ‘steel club flow’ is where three or more exercises are combined into one seamless sequence, ideally you’ll begin an exercise where the last one finished.
CORE STRENGTH
Another benefit of club training is the ability to train the core whist standing upright on two feet (rather than laying on the floor), the way we were designed move in every day life.
A powerful core allows you to generate force from the ground up which is especially important for all of the athletes out there.
DECOMPRESS JOINTS & TISSUES
Traditional strength training exercises like bench press, squats and deadlifts create a large amount of compressive force causing joints to become compacted.
Swinging the club through rotational exercises creates tractional force which decompresses your joints and lengthens your connective tissue.
SHOULDER STRENGTH, MOBILITY & STABILITY
Steel Clubs are particularly good at strengthening and dynamically loading shoulder girdle muscles. The dynamic control needed to accelerate and decelerate a Steel Club swung at speed relate to many sports and helps develop shoulder strength, stability and mobility. Strength + stability + mobility = durability. Durability is your body’s resilience to injury.
REHAB & PREHAB
Lighter clubs are fantastic for rehabbing the joints, tendons and smaller muscles found in the shoulder, elbow and wrist.
The steel club is also an excellent tool for warming up and strengthening those key areas before an intense workout therefore reducing the risk of injury (prehab).
MULTI-PLANAR MOVEMENT
The ability to swing the club through multiple planes is what separates the steel club (and steel mace) from other strength training tools which generally target sagittal and frontal plane movements.
Transverse plane exercises which involve swinging, rotating and twisting is something that is overlooked in most strength and conditioning programs.
ROTATIONAL STRENGTH
The design of the steel club makes them perfect for swinging, chopping and twisting movements that develop rotational force which is known as ‘torque’.
Very few training tools can challenge the body to move in rotational movement patterns, the steel club takes transverse plane training to a whole new level!
HISTORY OF CLUB TRAINING
ANCIENT WAR WEAPON
The club was a training tool thousands of years ago in ancient Persia, warriors trained with a club to build strong shoulders and a powerful grip required for swinging heavy weapons in war.
Ancient warriors from many cultures have since trained with a club to mimic the chopping movements used in battle, they knew that strong shoulders and a powerful grip would deliver a deadlier blow when striking an opponent.
Later, with the introduction of stronger body armour, heavy club training allowed warriors to use heavier weapons to pierce the sophisticated body armour.
In recent centuries the club was embraced by martial artists from Persia (Pahlavani), India (Kalaripayat) and Russia (SAMBO) to build strength, increase mobility and restore joints and connective tissues.
The club then made its way to Europe and the West when British soldiers were stationed in India during the 19th century.
The US and British military later introduced club training to soldiers as part of their physical training program and Indian clubs even appeared as a sport in the 1904 and 1932 Olympic games.
However, with the invention of machine weights and pulley systems the popularity of Indian Club training began to dwindle as the focus became more about lifting heavy weights rather than functional movement.
In recent years Indian clubs and heavy steel clubs have made a comeback, especially with athletes and fitness enthusiasts that require superior circular shoulder strength, grip strength and rotational core strength.
STEEL CLUB EXERCISES
Traditional steel club exercises like mills and shield casts are excellent for building bullet proof shoulders, a strong core and powerful grip.
However, the club isn’t limited to just upper body strength. It’s an incredibly versatile tool that can be used to challenge the entire body.
The versatility of the steel club lends itself perfectly to ‘steel club flow’ workouts where combinations of 3 or more exercises are performed in a logical sequence one after another without rest.
To learn more about steel club exercises and steel club flow workouts check out my Steel Club Supremacy Certification below. Steel Club Supremacy is my level 1 and level 2 steel club certification courses.
Inside ‘Steel Club Supremacy’ you’ll discover 83 steel club exercises including bullwhips, mills, 180’s and much more!
