Yes, like a walker for people who have trouble walking – THAT kind of walker.

There was no note, no card, nothing to explain why, I, a perfectly healthy and mobile young man received a walker via FedEx delivery.

I had a few theories at first.

My brother Joe bought me a high-tech cane as a joke awhile back, and this could have been an upgrade – you know, just in case. Or, my brother Jim could be sending me something to make fun of me because I’m always doing my “mobility moves.” This could be a secret message that someday my silly mobility moves won’t mean jack when I’m immobile. Regardless, I started putting this fold-out contraption to use right away.

I tested it for its structural integrity and then performed a set of parallel bar dips, then some bodyweight rows. Before long, I was experimenting with some moves I had always wanted to try.So, here is a quick video demonstrating some exercises you can do with parallel bars:

Playing with Parallel Bars for Strength Training

These are just strength training exercises, and my technique isn’t perfect during some of them, but I wanted to give you an idea of how many training options we really have at our disposal. It turns out my brother Jim bought this for me because he had been trying to find a way to do parallel bar dips at home, and this was his best solution.

We don’t always have a perfect training environment, or perfect training equipment, and it’s important that we take inventory of what we do have and use it to our advantage. That doesn’t mean compromise on safety, rather draw on what we know to be safe.

I’ve been reflecting lately on how much we have that is extraneous and on what we could live without. The truth is that specialized training equipment is a luxury we enjoy from an abundant lifestyle. My recent experience with MovNat reminded me of this – that we should be able to practice and train anytime, anywhere. If we don’t have a gym membership, no problem. If we don’t have space in our house for exercising, no problem. We’re people, we adapt to the situations around us, and we don’t necessarily need to try to micro-manage and control everything about our lives.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love playing with new equipment, and as long as I have it, I’ll use it. However, I may just build some parallettes after all to prevent any future faceplants…

To your health and success,

CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
Fitness Professional

P.S. Find instructions for do-it-yourself parallettes here.

-Shane

ANSWER: Hi Shane, Thanks for your question. Any condition that increases the pressure of the abdominal cavity may contribute to the formation or worsening of a hernia. So, heavy lifting is a very common cause of hernias, among many other health problems. This isn’t because lifting heavy directly increases abdominal pressure, per se, but because heavy lifting is usually accompanied by power breathing, which is a dangerous practice that most trainees should avoid.

Traditional power breathing is usually performed by taking a deep breath through the nose until your lungs are mostly filled (about 75%). The inhale travels into the diaphragm, and the belly distends forward – it shouldn’t solely expand the chest and ribcage. Then, while performing the lift, you will exhale through the mouth while hissing through your teeth until the full repetition is completed.

With power breathing, you will get an immediate improvement in your power and strength. However, that power is translated through a false foundation of abdominal pressure, not structural tension. You wouldn’t use a balloon to support a heavy weight, would you?

Now, for some people, power breathing is an essential aspect of living. Military, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and high level athletes may choose to put their duties and goals before their personal health. This is perfectly fine, it’s just not the healthiest option and eventually the body will break down with continued use.

For those pursuing health, fitness, and athletic goals with longevity in mind, power breathing should not be included in your regular training program. Instead, you need to condition yourself to maximize your structural tension through proper strength training and breathing methods, and you can do that by learning Performance Breathing. My coach, Scott Sonnon, has an excellent article about how to practice Performance Breathing: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=428

So, the point I’m trying to make is that the METHOD that you use to lift weights is far more important for preventing injury and staying strong than your age is. Age is actually much less relevant, and proper lifting should fortify your body against injury, not increase the risk.

Now, you asked, “what age should a person stop lifting heavy weights? Or should a person ever lift heavy weights to begin with?”

You should stop lifting weights when you cannot lift without pain. That’s the general rule of thumb. But I’d like to focus on your second question about whether or not we should lift heavy or not.

Lifting heavy weights will definitely produce strength training adaptations – you WILL get stronger by going heavy. However, there is a risk:benefit ratio that should be considered. Heavy weightlifting, time and time again, has been associated with injuries. That’s the risk, or the cost. If you want to get super-strong like a powerlifter, then you’ll get injured along the way – it comes with the territory, and competitive weight lifters will be the first to admit it.

So, you need to decide what you want to do based on your priorities and goals. I have a lot of friends, who are fantastic strength and conditioning coaches who choose this route, and I completely respect their decisions. I just want to inform people about the risks, so they know the full story before committing. Here’s an article I wrote about injuries when weightlifting:

Lifting Heavy Weights Will Make You Injury-Bound

Now, what most strength coaches still don’t realize is that you can get similar strength adaptations with lighter weights or no weight at all, if you know how to do it. For example, weight swinging and bodyweight training both involve much lighter “weights” and can be used to increase strength and athleticism, build muscle, or shed bodyfat – all the same things that more traditional, and often heavier, dumbbells and barbells are used for. In fact, you can get comparable “real world” strength adaptations with significantly lighter weights than you may think.

No, bodyweight training or weight swinging will not necessarily help you to bench press 400+ pounds, or squat “6 wheels.” But it will build real world strength that can be applied to everyday living. You don’t need to be the strongest, only strong enough for your life.

And I hate to break it to you, but the skills you develop through heavy weightlifting do not transfer over to functional or athletic performance because of the law of Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. I wrote an article about Specificity in Training here:

Specificity In Training: How much carry-over does weight lifting have in real life? Will your time under the iron help you on the field, on the mat, or in the ring?

Also see Does General Conditioning Even Exist?

So, just because someone can deadlift a 400 lb barbell, doesn’t mean that they can deadlift a 400 lb stone, or pick up a 200 lb unconscious man. If you change the training tool, it’s a completely different skill and it won’t necessarily transfer over. That high bench press doesn’t have much real life practicality from a physiological standpoint. The good news is that most people can reach their strength goals through safer, health-first methods, without even touching a heavy barbell.

So, I have to ask myself – “why would I lift heavy weights that is known to cause injuries if the strength doesn’t even transfer to real life applications, especially when I know of different ways to build that strength with a much lower risk of injury?”

It sounds like a no-brainer to me.

This is one of the reasons why I love clubbell training so much. The nature of swinging weights means that you can use a much lighter load to accomplish a high strength adaptation. The faster a weight swings, the more momentum it creates, meaning the more force that is required to control it. So, you can use a relatively light clubbell to achieve the same amount of force as a much heavier dumbbell or kettlebell.

Both the displaced center of mass and the resulting leverage disadvantage create a lot of torque when swinging the Clubbell, which can be done without adding any weight at all. If you swing a clubbell faster, it will create more torque = more foot lbs for you to control.

I know what you’re thinking, “there’s no way a little clubbell can be used to build the strength that heavy barbells and dumbbells can. It’s just not possible to make a 15 lb clubbell feel like a 90 lb dumbbell!”

But that’s exactly what I’m saying. More torque requires more control, which requires more strength. It’s just simple math. And if you’re still skeptical, pick up a 35 or 45 lb clubbell (aka “the Bruiser”) and get back to me on how much strength you think you can develop with it. They don’t say “you can’t lie to the Bruiser” for no reason. It will reveal weaknesses you probably didn’t even know you had, especially if you’re only accustomed to training with 2-dimensional barbells and dumbbells.

Another reason I like clubbells is that weight swinging creates traction in the joints, instead of just compressing them under a heavy load. Traction helps make the joints stronger, since the weight is pulling away from the body, and thus, pulling on the joint capsules. This is what I mean when I say that strength training is meant to injury-proof your body – not increase the likelihood of injury. All proper training should be health-first.

I haven’t even touched on the fact that clubbells are swung in three dimensions, and through the six degrees of movement freedom – just the way we live and move in real life and sport. Clubbells can be used to STIMULATE real life movement patterns (to build strength through an entire range of motion) without SIMULATING the actual movement skill. So, it builds strength that will improve your actual performance in specific skills, unlike the simulated 2D nature of barbells and dumbbells.

So, if you combine a good clubbell training program with some health-first bodyweight exercise (like from the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution), you’ve got a solid plan for lifelong strength training that will help you stay injury-free. Two of the most important goals of a strength training program should be to build life-applicable strength and to fortify your body from injury. That is health-first fitness.

The Bottom Line

So, lifting heavy weights will make you stronger, yes, but at the expense of probable, ongoing injuries. You can lift heavy weights until your body breaks down, or you can adopt a health-first strength training method including weight swinging and bodyweight exercise as staples in your program. With a health-first approach to fitness, you’ll be building strength well into old-age instead of crapping out at 40 or 50.

*For injury prevention, I also recommend a prehabilitative joint mobility routine such as Intu-Flow and proper Compensatory Movement such as Prasara Yoga.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. I interviewed Coach Adam Steer, the Creator of the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution, all about bodyweight training on this page:

http://johnsifferman.com/blog/bodyweight-exercise-interview-adam-steer/

P.P.S. I also have a lot of information about bodyweight training, joint mobility, clubbell training, and prasara yoga here on my site if you poke around a bit.

This is my first official clubbell competition, and I competed in the 15 lbs division.  Here are my results…

Total Double Clubbell Swipes completed in 10 minutes: 160

Total Single Clubbell Mills completed in 10 minutes: 128 (129R, 128L)

Total Score: 288 Points

Notes:

A hot day and a mild headache are perfect conditions for high rep clubbell swinging! I warmed up with some joint mobility exercises from head to toe, core to periphery – most were taken from the Intu-Flow program. During the swipes event, I tried to focus on nothing except me and the clubbells. I just wanted my mind and body to be entirely wrapped up in the act of swinging, since I knew that my grip would fatigue eventually (around rep 80). I didn’t focus on numbers or the time except the occasional glance. It was just me and movement.

I did make one mistake during the swipes. After coming out of shoulder park, I should have placed them into back position before casting forward.

After the swipes event, I spent some time doing full body vibrations ala RESET style and some more joint mobility to stay loose and recover for the mills event. I also stood in front of the fan with an ice pack on my head, trying to drown out the headache and bring my body temperature back down. 25 minutes later, I was back at it again.

I was very confident going into the mills event, knowing that I shouldn’t need any rest since I’ve done high rep mills before. However, I can say with assurance that I left every single repetition I had in me on that platform with the mills. That last rep with the left arm was all I had left. I had never done a timed event for mills, so I sped through it a little too fast than I should have. Good learning experience!

All in all, it was a good experience and a fun time. Can’t wait to get a pair of 25’s to start playing with!

If you’d like to learn more about club swinging or get involved with clubbell sport, then here are some resources:

Official Clubbell Site:
http://clubbell.tv

Clubbell Shop:
https://rmaxinternational.3dcartstores.com/Clubbells_c_8.html

My Clubbell Resources here on the blog:
John Reviews the Clubbell Training Tool

Two-handed clubbell training highlights video

Interview with Clubbell Inventor and ICS World Record Holder Scott Sonnon

Interview with CST Head Coach Adam Steer about clubbells and more.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Clubbell Athlete

P.S. In case you’re not familiar with International Clubbell Sport, here are the official rules as summarized by Scott Sonnon on the Cross World Clubbell Competition Facebook page:

Double Swipe (2 clubbells): most number of repetitions in 10 minutes without clubbells touching the ground. One repetition requires both clubbells to be completely behind the head, and then completely behind the knees. Clubbells can be held or rested on the, but not below the knees, on the feet or ground.

One Arm Alternating Mill (1 clubbell): most number of repetitions in 10 minutes without clubbell touching the ground. ONE HALF repetition requires passing centerline in front with elbow locked until passing centerline to the side, with the clubbell finally (at least partially) passing the centerline behind the head. Hands can be freely alternated at any time. However, total repetitions equal the common number between the two hands; i.e. if 124 mills completed right side, and 126 left side, then only 124 total points are counted.

No more than 30 minutes between the two events for rest.

Due to consistency of weight distribution, only authentic clubbells can officially compete, but you can participate unofficially with any club. The clubbell is the most difficult design to swing, which is why.

Winner of each weight class will win a t-shirt. We’re working to have a trophy as well.

Weight classes:

10lbs Clubbell
15lbs Clubbell
20lbs Clubbell
25lbs Clubbell
35lbs Clubbell

I wish our culture took this message to heart when it was spoken 60 years ago. We would have saved ourselves from so much trouble.

Weight machines are extremely efficient contraptions, meaning YOU don’t have to be efficient to use them effectively. All of those cables, pulleys, and points of leverage make it fairly easy to elevate the weight stacks – with or without magnetic add-ons. We all know that most people can lift more weight on a machine exercise than during a free weight exercise, but why is that? It’s because with a machine, you are only pushing against weights, NOT controlling them. The pads, the handles, the seat adjustments all contribute to requiring less efficiency from your body – because the machine handles some of the workload for you. Essentially, training on a weight machine means that you’re training your body to become less efficient.

By using a machine, you are dumbing down your nervous system. Can you tell that I don’t like machines? I do think they serve a purpose, and there is definitely value in training on a machine, but only in special circumstances like being a complete beginner to strength training or when in a rehabilitation program with a qualified physical therapist. If you’re not in one of those two situations, steer clear!

Free weights are an excellent tool for strength training purposes, and they rest much higher on the hierarchy of strength training tools than machines do. But, then again, not all tools were created equal.

From an efficiency standpoint, barbells are a much more efficient tool than dumbbells. You can lift more weight in a barbell exercise than during an identical dumbbell exercise because the barbell is a more efficient training tool. If we’re trying to make the body more efficient (and thus more effective long-term), then dumbbells are a better alternative than barbells because dumbbells require much more CONTROL over the weight. Dumbbells are not as “fixed,” they are more free to deviate from their expected path.

If we go a step further, kettlebells are an even less efficient training tool than the dumbbell because their weight is displaced away from the handle. Since you aren’t supporting the load from the middle (as with the dumbbell), but from the side – this tool requires more efficiency from the lifter to control it. Another major benefit of the kettlebell is that it can be swung and lifted. Swinging weight creates force by traction and torque. The faster the weight is swung, the more force is required to control it. Again, the kettlebell is a LESS efficient tool.

Wouldn’t it also be true that if the kettlebell is a less efficient tool, requiring more efficiency from the lifter, that another tool with an even greater leverage disadvantage would be an even better option?

It’s true, and that is exactly why the clubbell was invented – not only because club swinging is the oldest form of strength training, but because swinging a club requires much more control than lifting a dumbbell or swinging a kettlebell. The clubbell is the LEAST efficient tool, requiring the MOST amount of control to use it effectively.

This control transfers to what I call, REAL WORLD STRENGTH, strength that is applicable to our everyday lives. It’s true that you can develop real world strength with any of the above tools (maybe not with machines because we don’t execute most daily tasks sitting down, laying down, or wearing a seatbelt – duh!). Although, I think the clubbell is the highest on the hierarchy of free weight strength training tools, especially when it comes to efficiency.

Strength is specific and strength is a skill. Having high numbers in the bench press, deadlift, and squat proves that you are strong in those activities, but not strong in other activities. A high squat number will not transfer to better performance on the field or in the ring – we’ve been deceived.

I’ve been training with the clubbell for the past three years, and I can attest that it is one of the best tools for building strength that is applicable to athletic and everyday activities. The interesting thing is that I haven’t touched a barbell in years, and yet the other day when out-of-the-blue testing my 1RM in an exercise, I had only lost 10% of my former max in that particular lift. Yet, I feel so much stronger because I am stronger.

If you want strength that is not only functional, but applicable to real life needs, then I strongly encourage you to look into the clubbell as a viable training tool that will last you the rest of your life.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Clubbell Athlete

P.S. I setup a page about to help you find the best deals on clubbells here:
Where To Buy Clubbells

If you’d like to learn more about clubbells, then visit the official site here: http://clubbell.tv

Olympic Barbell with Bumper Plates

This past weekend, I pulled out my old 300 lb olympic weightlifting set because my brother wanted to start lifting weights on top of his bodyweight training routine.  So, I helped him set it up and decided to test out the bench press exercise for old times sake. Now, I haven’t used a barbell in my own training for almost three years, and haven’t practiced the bench press exercise in over 4 years, back when I was experimenting with a musclebuilding style strength routine with my training buddy.  It was no surprise that my technique was spot-on, as it’s a fairly simple exercise, but I was shocked when I realized I had only dropped back by 10% of my former best lift. With a few days of rest and a proper warmup, I may have been able to meet my former personal record (article on how to prepare for a one rep max strength test).

I wasn’t testing in ideal circumstances, by any means – I had already completed a moderate intensity workout that day, I was already fatigued, tight, and didn’t perform any warmup other than a few sets. And yet, I came so close to a former PR. This got me thinking about barbell training, and I wanted to share with you why I have dropped the barbell as one of my tools of choice in the past few years.

Disclaimer: I am not against barbell training at all. I place this training tool on a hierarchy of value with all other training tools, and it is above and below other tools depending on the training goals. It may sound like I’m anti-barbell, but that’s not true. I’m anti-barbell for MOST training goals, especially since I believe the barbell is one of the most misused and abused training tools in fitness culture. If you use barbells regularly, I challenge you to question why you use them and consider the idea that there may be a better alternative depending on your training goals.

In my forthcoming article, The Hierarchy of Training Tools, the barbell is ranked number 9 on my list of 15 training tools.

9. Barbells

Defined: A barbell is usually a steel bar that is 5 to 7 feet long. The diameter often varies from thick to thin, but it is usually about one inch, and is engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters maintain their grip. Weight plates are slid onto the outer portions of the barbell on either side to obtain the desired total weight. These weight plates are usually secured with collars to prevent them from sliding off during the exercise (which can result in injuries). A barbell is used in weight training, Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting.

Barbell Training is Best Used For:

The barbell shines most bright when used for heavy weight training. Thus, it is the tool of choice for competitive powerlifters, olympic weightlifters, and to an extent bodybuilders. There is no better tool for measuring the body’s ability to lift raw weight up and down than the barbell. The best barbell exercises are compound lifts such as back squats, front squats, overhead squats, zercher squats, deadlifts, rack-pulls, stiff-leg deadlifts, sumo-stance deadlifts, bent-over rows, bench presses, overhead presses, cleans, jerks, snatches, power cleans, push presses, and power snatches.

Advantages of Barbell Training:

The barbell is very simple tool, so it is easy to learn the basic lifts quickly. With proper coaching, anyone without any debilitating pre-conditions can learn most barbell exercises in under an hour. The olympic lifts may be an exception for some, but I was taught each one in about an hour’s time.

The weight is fixed and stable, so the tool itself is less likely to deviate from a normal range of motion. This is an advantage for the barbell because, when under heavy load, you do not want the barbell to deviate at all, as this could result in immediate injury. This could also be seen as a disadvantage, because intelligent training should have components programmed in that will take the trainee outside the scope of their sport or activity – effectively training extreme ranges of motion as a safety-valve for when a movement does deviate from what is expected.

Another advantage of the barbell is that unlimited progression is possible because you can always add more weight to the bar. Of course, every lifter has their own genetically pre-determined maxes that they can handle. So, in theory, one could reach a point in their training where further progression is impossible. Being able to add more weight easily makes progressing with this tool very simple.

The barbell is just a tool, and often incorrectly used as a system itself, instead of the other way around. As part of an effective training system, one can use the barbell to reach a variety of training goals.

Disadvantages of Barbell Training

The greatest disadvantage of barbell training is that the only ultimate way to progress with this tool is to increase weight on the bar. By lifting heavy loads, the body is placed under extreme stress. This sounds like a good thing, because without stress there can be no adaptation. No pain, no gain, right? Not exactly.

In simple terms, lifting heavy weights can provide enough stimulus for the muscles to grow larger. On the other hand, lifting heavy weights dangerously compresses the joints, and this is often overlooked in a training program. If one compresses the joints regularly without actively decompressing them and releasing the tension in and around each joint, then injury will always occur (after diminishing returns, then a plateau in performance, then a regress in progress, then pain, then injury, etc.). This isn’t solved by taking a day off of training, or a week off every 12 weeks. One must regularly practice techniques that are meant to improve health, and counter-condition the damaging effects of heavy weightlifting. By regularly, I mean daily being the preferred choice. Doing some weekly exercises will help, but may not be enough to balance out the effects of rigorous lifting.

*For more information about the effects of compression-creating activities, listen to my interview with Scott Sonnon here: http://johnsifferman.com/blog/?p=1043

Put bluntly, the only way to elicit a training adaptation with a barbell is to lift moderate to heavy weights that place a lot of stress on the body. This stress, while adequate from a musclebuilding standpoint, is damaging to overall health, and will limit the amount of progress you can achieve long-term.

We see this most obviously when powerlifters and many olympic weightlifters need to retire early from their sports because their bodies simply cannot take the injury anymore. Those nagging, little injuries that popped up every now and then were signals that should have been heeded. Instead of paying attention to the warnings the body sends, a lifter may train around them, and not only ignore the problem, but exacerbate it. There comes a point, when taking a week off from training isn’t enough and an injury progresses to being incapacitated to lifting weights.

Lifting weights is one of the highest risk activities when it comes to getting injured – even higher than martial arts and football. I’ve read horrifying statistics, that say 80% of all new trainees need to quit their exercise programs due to injury in the first 6 weeks! No doubt, many of these trainees were compressing their joints without releasing the accumulated tension. All training must be balanced to be successful and repeatable, and it’s a difficult balance to achieve with a program that relies heavily on barbell training which is exclusively hard-style in nature.

The other major disadvantage to barbell training is that it is only performed in one plane of motion. The barbell is only lifted up and down. You don’t lift a barbell forwards or backwards, or left or right. Gravity is the only means of resistance, and it’s common sense that everyone encounters resistance in all 6 degrees of movement freedom. We see this most obviously in sport, but it rings true for everyday life activities as well. Not only does training exculsively in one plane of motion create strength deficits from a movement standpoint, it also creates imbalances throughout the body. This could be a whole article in and of itself.

Furthermore, there is plenty of research and evidence that strength adaptations from barbell training don’t even transfer to other activities. Improving your strength under the iron, only improves that specific strength, which will not necessarily improve your strength on the field, the court, the mat, or in the ring. This is true because of the law of specific adaption to imposed demands. So, while a lifter may be getting stronger in the gym, that strength is basically useless if it cannot be transferred in an applicably athletic way.

Common mistakes:

• The most common barbell mistake is using it excessively, for purposes other than competitive lifting. This will often lead to injury due to the heavy loads being placed on the body which compresses the joints. The impact this has cannot be understated!

• Not compensating for barbell training in your program. Compensating can take the form of active recovery, corrective exercises, joint mobility, or even yoga if performed properly (yoga can actually hurt you more than it can help you if practiced improperly).

• Trying to lift too much weight for your skill level, or trying to progress too quickly.

• Rounding your back or tilting your head backwards during most compound lifts.

• Not sticking with the same exercises for long enough to allow adaptation.

• Performing near-max lifts (1-3 rep range) if you are not competing in powerlifting or weightlifting.

• Not using a spotter when needed.

• Using barbells to assist with improving your range of motion at a joint – such as getting deeper into a squat. If you can’t do a rock-bottom squat without weights, you have no business doing it with weight, and you’re welcoming an injury.

Best place to find: Yard sales, classified, or online auctions are usually the best inexpensive sources for a basic barbell. If you decide to get a barbell, I do recommend that you purchase an Olympic barbell set. A 300 pound set will usually retail at around $100-150 at your local sports or fitness equipment store.

So, what’s a better alternative for those who do NOT compete in powerlifting, weightlifting, or bodybuilding?

First off, if you do not compete in powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, or bodybuilding, then you have no business training like one of these athletes. If your goal is to build muscle, and you think heavy barbell training is the only way to do it, then you’ve been misinformed or deceived. Muscle only knows resistance, it does not know where that resistance comes from – whether it’s a barbell, kettlebell, clubbell, or a resistant opponent.

If we’re talking about a hierarchy of training tools, I think a much better alternative to the barbell is the dumbbell. The kettlebell would be the next step up, as it can be used for both compressive and traction-based lifting/swinging. I think the clubbell is an even better training tool than that. Of course, the king of all strength training tools is the body itself.

John’s Advice: If you are not a competitive powerlifter, bodybuilder, or Olympic weightlifter, I highly recommend you steer clear of most barbell training for strength purposes. In my experience, the risk of injury is far too high to utilize the barbell as a regular training tool for people whom are interested in general fitness and strength training. You won’t become a powerlifting champion without touching a barbell, but you can become VERY strong without ever touching one. There are much more effective and safer alternatives for building real world strength.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Barbell User For 10 years

P.S. A far better alternative for the pursuit of functional strength is the clubbell, which naturally decompresses the joints by pulling away from the body. Learn more about it at the official site here: http://clubbell.tv

The kettlebell is also a great tool for compression-based exercises, yet being a much lighter weight that can produce equivalent adaptations in the body. I recommend only professional grade kettlebells.

Buy Kettlebells For Sale Here

Kettlebells are a strength training tool that I fully endorse for their many applications. Being a kettlebell lifter, I am often asked about where to buy kettlebells. Just this week, I was asked, “where can I find kettlebells for sale?” in an email. There are a few places to buy kettlebells, and I choose to go right to the top, to the only place where you can Buy Professional Grade Kettlebells – and there’s a very important reason why. If you take your decision to purchase kettlebells seriously, then keep reading – especially if you want to find the best deal on kettlebells for sale (I can’t find brand new KB’s this cheap anywhere else).

Even with their popularity, it’s still pretty hard to find kettlebells for sale – good ones anyways. Most people assume that it’s easy to buy kettlebells, it’s just a matter of finding the best deal online or in stores. The truth is that many new companies have kettlebells for sale, but not all of them were created equal.

There is one kettlebell that stands above them all in terms of ease of use, performance, and safety – those that were designed and sold by the American Kettlebell Club (AKC). The AKC is the only company that produces kettlebells of varying weights, yet identical dimensions. This is of utmost importance to make sure that the end-user can transfer their lifting skills across all different kettlebell weights and to standardize kettlebell sport.

So, a 12 kg kettlebell is identical in size and dimensions to a 32 kg kettlebell, and for good reason.  But why is this important?

It would seem crazy to try and get better at basketball if the ball was a different size every time you go up a league – players would have to retrain their body for a different skill set every time the ball changes. The same is true of kettlebell lifting, if not compounded, since kettlebells are much heavier than a basketball and will require more substantial changes in lifting technique.

A basketball is the same whether you are playing b-ball at recess or in the NBA, and the same should be true of kettlebell lifting.  I wouldn’t want to have to retrain my nervous system just because the size and shape of a kettlebell was different.  It’s hard enough increasing the weight you are using, let alone having to learn a new skill every time you pick up a new kettlebell.

The Bottom Line To Buy Kettlebells

Only invest in Professional Grade Kettlebells, that are actually used in Kettlebell Sport. As far as I know, the only place to get them online without sending an e-mail to the AKC itself is from FullKontact.com

They can be found at the bottom of the home page. The interesting thing is that you can buy Professional Grade Kettlebells for even less money than the more traditional Russian kettlebells from DragonDoor.

You can buy kettlebells from Steve Cotter’s website here:

*Steve is a senior level Russian Kettlebell Coach, as well as the founder and president of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Kettlebell Lifter

P.S. You can also sometimes find these kettlebells for sale on Craigslist or Ebay.

Buy Professional Grade Kettlebells

Buy Kettlebells For Sale Here

Doorway Pull Up Bar Review by John Sifferman

Like I said, the greatest thing about this doorway pull up bar is its portability. I wouldn’t buy into all the promises they make during the infomercials, but this is a nice doorway pull up bar for its intended purpose – pullups. Do not use this for pushups, situps, or dips – it wasn’t designed for them and could be harmful by placing your joints at awkward angles under load. Also, don’t expect to be able to do kipping pullups with this either.

I would recommend anyone weighing less than 250 lbs to get this doorway pull up bar, just make sure to check your door frame for damage before using it. They can be ordered at Amazon.com here:

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Home Gym Training Expert

Here is an interview I conducted with Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPT, all about home gym training. I train with Kyle once a week in his home gym training dungeon. It’s great! No rules, no staff, no corny music – just pure, hardcore training at its finest.

Home Gym Training with Strength Coaches John Sifferman and Kyle Battis (Video length is 9 minutes)

If you don’t have a home gym setup yet, then I really encourage you to start now. All it really takes is a bit of floor space and the right mindset – the rest is just details.

Your Question of the Day is: what’s in your home gym?

Please post your comments below by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Home Gym Training Aficionado

Clubbells are a strength training tool that I fully endorse for their many applications. Being a clubbell athlete, I am often asked about where to buy clubbells. Just this week, I have been asked twice, “where can I find clubbells for sale?” There are a few places to buy clubbells, and I choose to go right to the source – to the inventors’ website at www.rmaxinternational.com

Where does John buy Clubbells?

My coach, Scott Sonnon, was the original inventor of the clubbell, and since he offers excellent package deals on clubbells (no one else does, to my knowledge), I purchase all of mine through his company RMAX International Clubbell Shop.

You can buy clubbells here:

**If you already know what size clubbell you need, you can choose from one of the available packages below to take you directly to the order page. If you don’t know what size clubbell to buy, check out the first-time clubbell buyers guide by clicking here.**

Buy Clubbells in Starter Bundles:
Clubbell® – 5lb (single) Starter Bundle
Clubbell® – 5lb (pair) Starter Bundle
Clubbell® – 10lb (single) Starter Bundle
Clubbell® – 10lb (pair) Starter Bundle
Clubbell® – 15lb (single) Starter Bundle
Clubbell® – 15lb (pair) Starter Bundle

Buy Clubbell Singles:
Clubbell® – 5lb (single)
Clubbell® – 10lb (single)
Clubbell® – 15lb (single)
Clubbell® – 20lb (single)
Clubbell® – 25lb (single)
Clubbell® – 35lb (single)
Clubbell® – 45lb (single)

Buy Clubbells in Pairs:
Pair of Mini-Clubbells
Clubbell® – 5lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 10lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 15lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 20lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 25lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 35lb (pair)
Clubbell® – 45lb (pair)

The Big Clubbell Packages:
Clubbell® TOTAL GYM – Buy Clubbell singles of every size

Clubbell® PRO GYM – Buy Clubbells in pairs of every size

Buy Clubbell Training Packages:
10-lb Clubbell® plus Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training
Pair of 10lb Clubbells plus Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training
15lb Clubbell® plus Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training
Pair of 15lb Clubbells plus Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training
Clubbell® – 35lb Two-Handed Clubbell® Training package
Clubbell® – 45lb Two-Handed Clubbell® Training package

Also, here are some links to buy clubbell training resources (DVD’s and books):
Pair of Mini-Clubbells with Xtension Program and Wallcharts
Pair of Mini-Clubbells plus Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training
Clubbell® Training for Circular Strength DVD

I have been training with clubbells for the past two years, and I have watched them grow in popularity quickly. I think the clubbell will make a strong appearance across health clubs and home gyms in the near future. Clubbells have certainly been a favorite of mine, and I see myself using them for the rest of my life.

Of course, if you have any questions about purchasing clubbells, please either leave a comment below or use the Contact Us form.

Be strong and be well,

Clubbell Athlete and Fitness Professional

P.S. Buy clubbells from the RMAX shop here: www.rmaxinternational.com

P.P.S. Sometimes, you can also find clubbells for sale on Ebay or even Craigslist.

Clubbell: a Review about Modern Indian Clubs by John Sifferman


Your Question of the Day: are you more old-school or new age when you exercise?

To your health and success,

P.S. Please post your comments by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom.

P.P.S. Buy your very own clubbell from the RMAX shop here:www.rmaxinternational.com