I have a reputation among my friends and students of dismissing most of the current trends in fitness—mostly because they are dressed up twists on the old trends in fitness or because they are not all they are purported to be. I tell my students that if they can bring me strong physiological support then I will buy in. Rarely do the trends hold up to the test. Usually, they hold some merit, but are really nothing new—just better marketing. So, when I friend asks for advice on something that I am not so quick to reject, it warrants sharing (mostly so my reputation isn’t wholly negative).
Today, a friend asked me for my opinion about a specific product that is essentially a modernized Indian Club (with a fancier and more appropriate name). Truthfully, I find it to be a reasonable product. And I share some of my response in what follows.
“Indian Clubs have been around for hundreds of years. Like kettlebells and the Bulgarian bag, they have usefulness and limitations. These are a lot less trendy than some of the other crap out there. It depends on the goals. I would probably like them more (and kettlebells, too) if they weren’t so expensive and limited. I like versatility, and I am cheap. I want bang for the buck and, as I teach my students, ‘opportunity costs’. What do I have to give up to use them? My workout time is limited, so I am gonna spend as much time lifting free weights and some time doing cardio and my Bulgarian bag. For you and your wife, this might be more up your alley. (It might, for example, be a good counter to the unidirectional rotations in golf.) I haven’t searched, but I might be inclined to fashion a diy club that could be adjustable. In short, it can have limited merit, depending on the goals and intended use. Its biggest limitation is in the lack of overload, but there are uses that are only limited by creativity and time.”
It turns out that my friend was interested in the product for golf. So, this might be useful for the reason stated above. They can also be great for overall motor control, balance, core stability, and the like. They, as do kettlebells and my beloved Bulgarian bag, present a couple of issues.
- They are relatively expensive.
- They are (with limited exceptions) not adjustable, which limits the ability to progressively overload or use different levels of resistance for different movements.
- They offer limited progression, so this limits the usefulness as a strength training tool.
- They will take away from other planned exercise activities, and one must consider “opportunity cost”.
In addressing the cost issue, I might recommend a do-it-yourself option to get started. This would allow one to try them out before investing in a more polished and pricey option. I quickly found diy videos on YouTube. I recommend exploring these for what might be most appealing. Some involve filling toy plastic bats with sand, which is quite simple. The video link shared below is a clever diy adjustable Indian Club that is fashioned quite nicely. If you have the budget, the WeckMethod™ RMT Club is a nice design. Expect to spend up to $110 for an 8 lb club. A similar tool is the Shoulderök by Kabuki Strength. It is more advanced than an Indian Club, but it is adjustable.
Like I mentioned, most Indian Clubs (and most kettlebells) are not adjustable. The link below has a nice adjustable diy design. I would recommend using a threaded rod with a thick thread that will remain durable over time.
Indian Clubs, kettle bells, Bulgarian bags, sandbags, etc. are great conditioning tools—especially for functional core strength. They are not intended (in my humble opinion) as a strength training tool. If you want to get stronger, you must lift heavy weights. They are also not great for cardiovascular fitness (though with the popularity of HIIT these might be marketed as such). Nor are they great for muscle endurance. They are best suited to aspects of motor skill-related fitness—namely, balance, coordination, and agility training. I believe they have a place in one’s fitness programming, it they can fit it.
This brings me to “opportunity cost”. This is the idea that whatever you add into your fitness program is going to take away from something else—unless you have unlimited time to exercise, which I suspect you don’t. So, you have to be judicious in what you include. Prioritize your goals, and, if there is a fit, by all means include these. If you work out at a commercial gym that has these, then feel free to experiment with them. If you work out at home, like me, you probably have to be careful with the use of space and wise with the budget. I, personally, prefer my Bulgarian bag. I have an 18 kg bag that serves me well. I like to squeeze in a few short sets of rotational exercises for the core and/or HIIT sets for a little variation in my calorie burn. My priority is weights for strength and hypertrophy, followed with some cardio. There isn’t always time for something like Indian Clubs (though my friend has me considering a diy adjustable set to have on hand). But, my priorities are not your priorities. So, judge accordingly.
How to make adjustable Indian Clubs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMJkE4Ygldw&feature=youtu.be
WeckMethod™ RMT Club:
http://shop.weckmethod.com/products/rmt-club
Shoulderök by Kabuki Strength:
http://store.kabukistrength.net/collections/frontpage/products/shoulderok
Ironmaster Quick Lock Kettlebell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFS9qFZCwRM
Bulgarian Bag (the real deal):
https://suples.com/bulgarian-bag/
DIY “Bulgarian” bag:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1swIYdmJB1o
Here’s an unfilled/empty “Bulgarian” bag option (you have to provide the sand):
http://mmagrapplingdummies.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=61
or
[NOTE: I do not receive any compensation for suggesting any of the above products. These are merely suggested starting points for your personal shopping. Please, feel free to comment on your experiences with these.]