Grip strength is the key for effective muscle recruitment.

Increasing grip strength is the key to improving overall performance and more effective muscle recruitment.

The sports science journal Shoulder & Elbow concluded that there is a strong correlation between grip strength and lateral rotator strength. ‘In human anatomy the lateral rotator group of the hip is a group of muscles that are part of the external muscles of the hip’ They are:

Piriformis muscle, External obturator muscle, Internal obturator muscle, Lower twin muscle, Superior twin muscle, Square femur muscle. Especially when we lift not balanced weights like Persian Meel /Clubbell or handle traditional dumbbells involving the lower limbs. With pull-ups on the bar or campus board training In addition, grip strength training involves all the muscles near the elbow up to the fingertips which are 35 muscles involved in the movement from the forearm to the hand.

Train Smarter + Harder = Train SMARDER

The Persians relied heavily on missile troops and cavalry in battle, equipped with javelins and recurved bows. Slingers were also employed by the Persians although in relatively small numbers when compared with archers. Infantry used spears as their main weapons, swords being reserved for the more elite units The famous ‘Immortals’, they formed the elite of the Persian army and were called like this because men were assigned to replace the positions of fallen soldiers. This way the strength of the corps was always 10000 men. Only those who had Persian or Medic ancestors were allowed to become an Immortal as they had another important function: in times of peace formed they the bodyguard of the high king.

Weapons

Thrusting Spear

Persian soldiers used a fairly short thrusting spear as their main weapon. Roughly 7 feet long, they were equipped with a broad iron spearhead and counterbalanced by a round metal counterweight. In more elite units the counterweight was silver for soldiers, their officers being equipped with golden ones while bronze counterweights were more common in the rank and file of the Persian army.

Palta

Cavalry and missile troops made up the bulk of the Persian army, many of these troops being equipped with these light javelins. They were roughly 4 feet long, with throwing straps to increase the range and power of the weapon when the iron spearhead struck an enemy. Horsemen used a pair of palta as their main offensive weapons, reserving their swords for defense.

Akinaka

Most Persian infantry did not carry swords, rather large daggers, which they carried on their right side, like the akinakes. They could be used in full hand-to-hand combat like a sword or used to kill wounded opponents on a battlefield. Akinaka were in the 10 to 14 inch range.

Bow

The bow was the core weapon of the Persian army, most of the infantry being armed with a powerful recurved bow similar to the similar Scythian weapon. Recurved bows gained their power by bending the bow opposite to the natural curve of the weapon, creating added tension and force. In battle the large numbers of Persian archers would fire in massive barrages, sending sheets of arrows down on their opponents. allow them to close for hand-to-hand combat.

Sagaris 

Cythian in origin, having been adopted by some Persians in the early Achaemenid Empire. It featured a relatively slender iron axe head coupled with a long handle with a reverse spike opposite the axe blade. The sagaris could be used one handed and was capable of chopping through heavy bronze armor.

Spara

These were large rectangular shields made of reed or whicker, covered with leather and were often elaborately painted. In battle a row of infantry known as sparabara would advance in front of missile troops such as javelin throwers or archers. They would lock the roughly 5-foot spara together, forming a wall behind which the archers could fire safe from enemy cavalry and heavy infantry, while the sparabara engaged the enemy with spears. Spara disappeared from the ranks in the early 4th century BC.

Gerron

The traditional shield of Persian infantry, the gerron was a figure eight shaped shield made of wicker covered with leather. In combat the soldier held the shield by a vertical grip in between the crescent-shaped concave indentations of the gerron. Unfortunately for Persian troops the light construction of the gerron did not stop heavy weapons like spears.

Armor and Helmets

Armor was not very widespread among Persian troops, worn mainly by wealthier members of the army, namely the cavalry and the Immortals. One form of armor not described here was quilted linen armor, similar to the armor worn by Iphikratean hoplites and soldiers like Alexander the Great. As with armor, helmets were scarce in the infantry, but quite common in the cavalry, especially horsemen of the later Achaemenid Empire.

Scale

Scale armor has an ancient tradition in the east and the Persians were no exception. It was often made of small bronze plates sewn together on a leather shirt, although iron and sometimes gold were also used. Infantrymen who could afford to buy such a costly piece of armor sometimes wore it under their clothing. Later Achaemenid cavalry wore elaborate scale hauberks, complete with chaps made of the same material. The image above is a late Achaemenid hauberk which shows heavy Greek influence.

Linothorax

Greek armor made a great impression upon the Persians, since the vast difference in protection between the opposing armies during the Persian Wars had been in part a reason for the Achaemenid defeat on a tactical level. By the late 5th and early 4th century BC,the linothorax was worn mainly by the cavalry, who were made up of the social elite.

Helmets

Helmets were rare in the Persian army, although later Achaemenid cavalry were well protected by bronze helmets. Instead of helmets most soldiers wore a cloth headgear known as a tiara, which featured a scarf that could be pulled over the face. In the early Persian Empire helmets were worn by a small number of soldiers, and even then only by those who were rich enough to buy one. Early helmets were made of bronze, while later helmets were highly influenced by the Greeks. Typically helmets were worn by the cavalry, who were the only soldiers who could afford to buy them.

When you increase the thickness of your tools, the demand placed on the hands and arms increases significantly. You’re forced to exert more muscular force to grip the macebell or clubbels, which means greater mechanical tension in the muscles all the way up the kinetic chain.

Hear we go a simple example, try to Put your left hand on your right biceps, then make a fist with your right hand as hard and fast as you can. What happened? Your biceps contracted nearly as hard as the muscles controlling your hand. This illustrates the major ways that thicker grips will support strength and muscle gain by increasing mechanical tension in the arm muscles. It can builds more muscle and strength.

Keep in mind some rules for the benefits of thicker grip:

-BIGGER ARMS & FOREARMS

The thicker grip forces the muscles in the forearms to work much harder than before. This ensures great growth. Once your forearm growth catches up to your biceps and triceps,

-MORE MUSCLE ACTIVATION EQUALS STRENGTH GAINS

Thick grip activate more muscles in your forearms and arms. By using more muscles, you’re easily able to move more weight.

-REDUCED JOINT PAIN

By activating more muscles in your arms and forearms, you take pressure off the elbow. The thicker bar also spreads the weight over a wider area in the hand, allowing certain joints to relax a little when moving the weight. Finally, thick grip training also improve biomechanics on certain lifts – which is always a good thing for the joints.

-IT’S JUST HARDER

The thicker grip makes it harder to control the weights, so you have to focus more on every contraction and movement.

Good luck and keep on moving!

The shoulder is a dynamic and incredibly complex joint that we need to maintain strong, mobile and stable. We must balance the expansive network of shoulder complex muscles adequately to minimize the risk of injury. We need variability in exercises through multiple planes of motion to allow our shoulders to function like well-oiled machines no matter what position we are in.

Considering the shoulders are involved in almost every pushing, pulling, lifting and throwing movements, in both the gym and daily life, our shoulder joints often take a beating. The shoulder has the largest range of motion of any joint, which is why it is the most commonly dislocated joint, and it can be easily injured without proper strength, mobility, and stabilization.

At SET FOR SET we specialize in the steel mace, and it’s not just a great tool for sports performance, the steel mace is great for rehabilitation and prehabilitation as well. It is an especially effective tool for maintaining a healthy rotator cuff, which is the focus of this article.

Anatomy of the Rotator Cuff

“The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles whose tendons come together to form a covering around the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) and top of the shoulder. Together with the joint capsule, ligaments and labrum, the rotator cuff muscles are important dynamic stabilizers and movers of the shoulder joint.”

Here’s a quick breakdown of each rotator cuff muscle:
Supraspinatus: Performs abduction of the arm, and pulls the head of the humerus medially towards the glenoid cavity – Susceptible to impingement.

Infraspinatus: Externally rotates the humerus and stabilizes the shoulder joint. The most common exercise for beginners is standing external rotation with a band.

Subscapularis: The only rotator cuff muscle that performs internal rotation of the shoulder. It is a powerful defense to the front of the shoulder-joint, preventing displacement of the head of the humerus.

Teres minor: Externally rotates the humerus when your arm is raised to the side

Understanding the rotator cuff

To assist in stabilizing the joint, the rotator cuff pulls the shoulder blade (scapula) and the arm bone (humerus) towards each other and keeps them in position. If the rotator cuff isn’t functioning like it should, the humerus could slide too far forward or upward. This can cause strain on the front of the shoulder or an impingement on the top of the shoulder, both of which can wind up tearing the rotator cuff further.

Note:
The internal rotators (pec and lat) are much bigger and more powerful which is oftentimes what leads to an imbalance if the external rotators are left untrained.

Although the rotator cuff is essential to stabilizing the shoulder joint and ensuring proper shoulder function, tons of people still neglect training this critical muscle group. Most people often only train for shoulder strength.

The rotator cuff necessitates flexibility and stability training as well to function optimally. It’s not all about strength.

The steel mace can be used in numerous ways to effectively target all of the rotator cuff muscles, to ensure optimal function, and to help prevent shoulder injuries… as you will see further below.

The infamous rotator cuff tear – One of the most common shoulder injuries.

What Causes Rotator Cuff Tears?
There are numerous kinds of tears. Many factors can cause these tears. However, a weak rotator cuff doesn’t necessarily correlate to a torn rotator cuff.

The major contributing factor of Rotator Cuff Tears:

• Poor posture
• Bad form when exercising or doing physical activities.
• Overuse in positions functioning in high demand.
• Poor Coordination.
• Inability to stabilize the joint/muscle imbalance.

Preventing Rotator Cuff Injuries:

“Rotator cuff injuries do not often happen when the arm is just flailing about. The damage usually happens when the arm and shoulder are in a loaded position. For this reason, we need to strengthen the muscles in a loaded position. Banded exercises are good and necessary, however, it doesn’t train your body to use the rotator cuff they way it was intended to be used [which is under load]. It’s important to train the rotator cuff loaded so it can be strengthened in a loaded position, which is what it almost always is in during physical activities.”

Michael believes that a steel mace is a great tool for preventing shoulder injuries. The steel mace can help you go beyond the basics of rotator cuff training, so that you can keep your rotator cuff strong, mobile and injury free.

The Steel Mace – the best shoulder rehab and prehab tool.

The steel mace offers ultimate range of motion and variability of weight distribution due to its long lever, uneven weight distribution, and simply, the unique way the steel mace is used. Steel mace training focuses heavily on different kinds of swings and rotations, and the ability to work in multiple planes of motion means the steel mace, aka macebell, offers a lot of benefits you won’t find elsewhere.

You can strengthen and stretch the stabilizing muscles of the rotator cuff very effectively through various ranges of motion and body & stance positioning using the steel mace.

Rotator cuff exercises with the steel mace cause a beneficial separation of the joint, which helps lubricate the joint and boost its overall health. Think of exercises for your joints like a more frequently needed oil change – Keep your joints functioning optimally with frequent stretching and mobility routines.

Mace benefits:
Upper back and scapula
Rotational torque
Mobilizing the scapula
Improving posture
Developing strength in more ranges of motion

Not to mention, steel maces increase rotational force/strength in multi-planes, two qualities that traditional weightlifting often lacks.

A light mace is perfect for a warm-up for the shoulder girdle and rotator cuff.

In regards to the weight, the great thing about the mace is you can increase the difficulty of the exercise simply by positioning your grip differently. This means you can make it harder as you get stronger using the same mace.

Starting with a light mace and working your way up in weight over time is a great way to improve the stability and range of motion of your shoulders safely and effectively.

Rotator Cuff Exercises Using The Steel Mace:

Michael uses the following rotator cuff exercises for rehabilitating and prehabilitating himself and his clients. Here are five moves in multi-planes that you could include in your upper body warm up routine or as a workout in itself to improve shoulder mobility, reduce injuries and to make sure your shoulders can operate optimally in any position.

Mace Rotator Cuff Notes:

• Hold the mace at a controllable length. The forearm can be your limiting factor (training forearm strength, which the mace does amazingly, will in turn help improve your shoulder strength).
• Controlled movement the entire time. This should not be a fast movement as increased torque on the shoulder could cause slight damage.
• Mace should be held in both directions as the center of gravity changes and the motor control is different.

It is necessary to prevent grooving of your movement patterns, where you are only strong in the positions you train. It’s important to train in all different planes so your shoulders can be strong in all positions. By doing so, you will have well-rounded strength and decreased risk for injury when you train in unconventional angles.

Optimum Performance
Warming up before partaking in an intense activity is a must. If you don’t properly condition your shoulders, they can become inflamed quite quickly.

Stretching and mobilizing your shoulders and arms should be included in your training program.

Bulletproofing your shoulders
Bulletproofing your rotator cuff doesn’t require a lot of weight. It is best to use lower resistance with more repetitions. Low resistance exercises will gradually strengthen the smaller muscles that make up your rotator cuff without the risk of injury.

Remember, the four rotator cuff muscles are relatively small, so keep the movements slow and controlled.

Zurkhaneh is a part of the culture of Iran and combines martial arts, calisthenics, strength training and music. In translation zurkhaneh means “house of strength”. The original purpose of these institutions was to train men as warriors and instill them with a sense of national pride in anticipation for the coming battles.This kind of struggle is popular in the countries of Central Asia. Similar types of excercises are also popular in India, Turkey, Afghanistan, etc.

History of origin of Zurkhaneh

The Mithrāic design and rituals of these academies bear testament to its Parthian origin (132 BC – 226 AD). Zurkhaneh was first mentioned in the Safavid era in the 17th century by traveler John Chardin. In his diary, he described a house of power where people from the lower caste organized wrestling. Similar houses were in every city, in the houses of provincial governors.

It is difficult to indicate how old zurkhaneh is, but one thing is clear that traditional sports existed long before the European traveler wrote about it. It is assumed that zurkhaneh existed in pre-Islamic times. Rituals  of zurkhaneh and the place itself were compared with the temple of the god Mitra, while assuming the connection of the sports arenas with mitrism. Zurkhaneh is considered one of the oldest sports and it was registered in the List of the spiritual heritage of UNESCO.

Traditional zurkhaneh performances are held in a special building. Traditionally, Zurkhaneh was near the city bathhouse and resembled a bathhouse in shape. The arena was located on the lower basement floor in order to maintain a constant temperature. The main door was below the average height so that the man, stepping over the doorstep, bowed. The pit for training in hexagonal form is located in the center. The pit was to a depth of one meter, the floor was covered with brushwood, ash and covered with final layer of clay. Now the floor of the pit is covered with boards or linoleum.

Athletic Usage

The participants engage in a variety of bodyweight exercises and forms of weightlifting. They begin with set of movements ranging from dynamic and ballistic stretches to general muscle group warm ups, all performed in time with rhythmic music. Some of these exercises involve bouncing and other movements that have the appearance of dancing, exaggerated by the presence of music.

Following this, participants lift large wooden clubs called Persian Meel, moving them in turn behind the back and over the shoulder. Other weightlifting movements involve throwing light Persian Meel in the air, bench pressing large wooden shields (sang), and waving overhead weighted metal bows with jingling chains attached (kabbadeh).

Bibliography

Lorentz, J. H. (2010). The A to Z of Iran. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Loveday, H. (1999). Iran. Hong Kong: Odyssey Publications.

Burke, A., & Elliott, M. (2008). Iran. Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet.

History of the Zurkhaneh and the story of Hossein e Golzar Kermanshahi [Video file]. Reuploaded Persian documentary with English subtitles.

1- Varzesh-e-Bastani (ancient sport): Is a comprehensive physical exercise session of 60 to 90 minutes, consisting of different kinds of physical activities appropriate for the age groups of 16 to 60-70 years old. These exercises were practiced under special customs and rituals established over hundreds of years. Each session of Varzesh-e-Bastani comprises: Warming up, main body of physical exercises, and warming down.

2- Zurkhaneh (home of strength): Is the very specially designed physical Structure, entangling, a myriad of philosophical, religious, cultural and educational Bases, together with the necessary technical facilities and apparatus for the cultivation of the body and the excellence of mind. The entrance door is low so that body of any walk of life at the time of entrance must of necessity bow in respect and enters this sacred place.

3- Bastanikar: Is everybody who practices Varzesh-e-Bastani and possesses a number of outstanding physical and spiritual traits and characteristics.

4- Pahlevan: Is the first champion among other bastanikars of a village, city, Province, country or the world of the time. This title was awarded only to athletes who were recognized as having had reached perfection in the qualities of both physical Prowess and moral virtue. The significance of Pahlevanship has been well resented in the Farsi language literature and culture. As an example, Ferdowsi, in his outstanding poetic book (Shahnameh), pictures Rostam, the Persian legendary Pahlevan, fighting heroically against depravity, vice, and sinful deeds and thoughts in the purest and most literary forms in the tenth century. Pahlevanship exists in daily life of the Zurkhaneh athletes, the most recognized tradition, Golrizan, happens when someone has a financial problem. In such a case after the Morshed bell the ring (Zang) anybody who wants to help, put the money in the special pot during this traditional charity ceremony.
In each Varzesh-e-Bastani session, the Morshed accompanies all the exercises with chanting the epics and poems that describe the braveries and heavenly prowess and heroism of these Pahlevans for the good of the human beings.

5- Gowd: Is the most significant facility where all the activities of the Varzesh-e-Bastani are performed. The floor of the pit is constructed with different layers of, from bottom to top, crushed tumble weeds, a thinner cushion of dried fine straw, a thicker layer of coal ash and finally, a well packed layer of clay or argil in a way to assure softness and flexibility needed for the safety of the Bastanikars during their physical activities. The Khadem (janitor) of the Zurkhaneh makes regularly sure that this floor is sufficiently well packed and humid before the start of every session. To eliminate the detrimental effects of dust and humidity, especially in an indoor and relatively small space such as the Zurkhaneh, the methods of construction of Gowd’s floor are rapidly approaching the ones used in constructing the other sport activities areas like the contemporary running or playing fields.

6- Morshed: Is an experienced Bastanikars who, at the same time, is a well-educated man who also has some talents in music. He is especially competent in providing the different rhythms that are needed for directing the various exercises of a Varzesh-e-Bastani practice session. He does this job by chanting the epic poems and couplets and by playing the Zarb and Zang that he has at hand. Some times there are two Morsheds who in harmony with each other direct the practice session.

7- Zarb: Is a large hemispheric wooden drum, with a skin of deer, stretched over the larger end of it. Zarb is used to give the Indispensable rhythm and cadence for all the exercises through-out the session.

8- Zang: Zang is a bell that hangs within reach of Morshed’s hand. Morshed will play the Zang for purposes such as signal the beginning or the end of an exercise, attract the attention for making an announcement, honor the presence of a Pahlevan, guest, or a social personality and communicate with the Miandar and the other athletes who are performing in the Gowd.

9- Miandar: Miandar performs at the central part of the Gowd. He is the key person and leader of session.
10- Pishkesvat: Is a Bastanikar, who is characterized by a high degree of expertise, experience and seniority. He also assumes the responsibility of teaching the techniques of Varzesh-e-Bastani to younger Bastanikars.

12- Nocheh or Nokhasteh: Is a beginner (novice) in Varzesh-e-Bastani. He is ordinarily under the direction and the apprenticeship of a Pishkesvat. This is the lowest rank in the hierarchy of Varzesh-e-Bastani. The highest rank in Zurkhaneh is Saheb-e Taj (owner of the crown). It is noticeable that the one who is the first to start each one of the individual exercises is the Nocheh who is at the bottom line in seniority. The last athlete who will finish the exercise bout in the individual events is the Miandar.

13- Sar-Dam: Sar means “place” and Dam refers to “speaking or chanting”. From the technical standpoint, this is the Morshed’s rostrum from where he leads the practice session by his chants, Zarb and Zang.

14- Takhteh-Shena: Is a plank that is used for the different types of push up exercises particular to this traditional sport.

15- Meel: Is a big chunk of hard and heavy wood related with the idea of using it somewhat like Indian clubs, however, it differs with them in a number of ways. First, its base is the largest part of it. Second, it is considerably longer, larger and heavier. Third, Meel are used primarily for weight training. Fourth, one pair of Meel is necessary for exercise in Varzesh-e-Bastani. Fifth, the handle of the Meel is a cylindrical piece of hard wood that is fixed very firmly on the top of the Meel.

16- Kabbadeh: Is a bow shaped iron instrument used for weight training in Varzeshe-Bastani. On this instrument in Zurkhaneh, the string has been replaced by a heavy chain which generally is made of 16 links. In each link there are approximately six metallic discs, each one measuring about the size of a small saucer. Kabbadehs weigh mostly between 11 to 50kg. This weight can be adjusted to athlete’s ability by removing or adding chain links or discs.
17- Sang: Is a huge rectangular piece of hard wood that has some similarities with the ancient shields used to ward off blows or missiles. The side of the rectangular that is moved near the floor throughout the exercise is gently arched. There is a hole at the central part of each Sang with a bar across it that is used as a hand grip around this opening is covered by a soft material to protect the hand. Sangs are used for weight training and one pair of them is necessary for the exercise.

18- Shelang-Takhteh: Is a plank of hard wood. This equipment is used for stretching exercises, muscular endurance and agility of the legs, aimed at running speed and endurance. This is a heavy exercise and 40 to 50 repetitions are considered to be a high performance in this event.

19- Shalvar-e-Bastani: Is a knee-breeches pantaloon that is typical clothing for the Bastanikars. This clothing is made of either leader or of heavy embroidered cloth decorated with elaborate designs and scenes. The firmness and resistance of this kind of trousers make it possible for the athletes to use it as a dependable grip during traditional wrestling of Varzesh-e-Bastani.

20- Kamarband: Is a large and heavy leader belt made especially for Shalvar-e-Bastani. This belt provides a more dependable grip for wrestling specific to Varzesh-e-Bastani.

21- Koshti (Wrestling): The type of Koshti that is performed in Zurkhaneh looks much like the Greek style wrestling where only the upper body of the wrestler gets involved in the technical pinning and holds of the combat.

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Cross training is typically defined as an exercise regimen that uses several modes of training to develop a specific component of fitness.

What are the benefits of cross training?

Here are few of the numerous documented benefits cross training has to offer:

• Reduced risk of injury. By spreading the cumulative level of orthopedic stress over additional muscles and joints, individuals are able to exercise more frequently and for longer durations without excessively overloading particularly vulnerable areas of the body (e.g., knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows and feet). People who are particularly prone to lower-leg problems from running long distances should consider incorporating low-impact activities such as elliptical training, cycling and swimming into their regimens. It should be noted, however, that competitive cross-trainers can experience certain overuse injuries due to inadequate muscle rest, an unbalanced workout schedule, or both.
• Enhanced weight loss. Individuals who want to lose weight and body fat should engage in an exercise program that enables them to safely burn a significant number of calories. Research has shown that such a goal, in most instances, is best accomplished when individuals exercise for relatively long durations (i.e., more than 30 minutes) at a moderate level of intensity (i.e., 60 percent to 85 percent of maximal heart rate). Overweight individuals can effectively achieve a reduction in body weight and fat stores by combining two or more physical activities in a cross-training regimen. They can, for example, exercise on an elliptical trainer for 20 to 30 minutes and then cycle for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
• Improved total fitness. Cross training can include activities that develop muscular fitness, as well as aerobic conditioning. While an individual’s muscular fitness gains will typically be less than if he or she participated only in strength training, the added benefits of improving muscular strength and endurance can pay substantial dividends. For example, research has shown that resistance training can help individuals prevent injury, control body weight and improve functional capacity.
• Enhanced exercise adherence. Research on exercise adherence indicates that many individuals drop out of exercise programs because they become bored or injured. Cross training is a safe and relatively easy way to add variety to an exercise program. In the process, it can play a positive role in promoting long-term exercise adherence by reducing the incidence of injury and eliminating or diminishing the potential for boredom.

Pretty impressive…how can I get started?

The essential fundamentals of cross training are the same whether you are exercising for improved health and fitness or for competition. Try varying your exercise program from workout to workout by engaging in different types of activities, or simply add a new form of exercise (e.g., resistance training, Pilates, a boot-camp class) to your existing workout routine.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate cross training is to alternate between activities (e.g., run one day, stair climb the next, cycle the next). You can also alternate activities within a single workout (e.g., walk on a treadmill for 10 minutes, exercise on an elliptical trainer for 10 minutes and cycle for 10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes of exercise).

The moral of the story is that cross training can offer you a refreshing physical and mental challenge. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and give something new a try!

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Shoulder strength and flexibility. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of Indian club training. As you know, your shoulder sits in a socket and has a wide range of motion. Unfortunately, most strength training exercises that target the shoulders, like the shoulder press, employ a very limited range of movement. Indian club training ensures you work your shoulders using their full range of motion, thus providing more complete shoulder strength and flexibility. If you’re involved in any sport that requires strong, flexible shoulders (and elbows too) like baseball, martial arts, and tennis, you’ll definitely benefit from Indian club training.

Grip and forearm strength. I was surprised how quickly my forearms began to burn when I first started swinging clubs. Holding a weight that’s at the end of a handle requires ample forearm strength. Also, holding onto the clubs so they don’t go flying out of your hands mid-swing helps you build a grip like a vise.

Core strength. The swinging motion requires you to engage your core muscles in order to stabilize your trunk.

Body coordination. Some of the more advanced Indian club swings require highly developed body coordination skills. I feel like a complete spaz doing some of them and have knocked myself in the brain canister a few times as I’ve learned new movements. But I’ve gotten better with practice. In fact, the body coordination benefits were a big reason why the U.S. Army had soldiers train with Indian clubs. According to the 1914 U.S. Army Manual of Physical Training: “The effect of these exercises, when performed with light clubs, is chiefly a neural one, hence they are primary factors in the development of grace and coordination and rhythm.” So not only are you working your shoulder muscles, you’re working the old noodle, too.

Cardiovascular exercise. Once you have a set of moves mastered, you can create a non-stop routine where you transition from exercise to exercise quickly. All that arm flailing can really get your heart going.

Great for rehab and prehab. If you’re nursing an injured shoulder or other upper body muscle, performing slow and controlled Indian club exercises are a great way to rehab. And many therapists recommend Indian club training as a way to “prehab” or prevent injuries from happening in the first place.

It’s fun! I like training with Indian clubs because it’s really quite fun. The challenge of mastering the various swings serves as motivation to keep working with the clubs. I always feel great when I finally get the hang of a new movement.