Club Training (Indian Clubs & Mace)
Swinging weighted clubs through circular patterns to build shoulder mobility, rotator cuff strength, and grip - an ancient training method experiencing modern revival
Bottom Line
Club training is one of the oldest forms of exercise, used by Persian wrestlers, Victorian-era athletes, and now rediscovered by the functional fitness community. The appeal: nothing else moves your shoulders through the same range of motion with resistance.
The mechanism is compelling. Traditional training works in straight lines (push, pull). Clubs force circular, rotational movement through all three planes. This targets the rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizers in ways that bench press and rows never will.
Research is limited but promising - one study showed significant shoulder flexibility improvements in just two sessions. The anecdotal evidence from rehab specialists and movement coaches is strong. Many report resolving chronic shoulder issues that didn't respond to conventional PT.
Best for: desk workers with stiff shoulders, athletes needing rotational power (golf, baseball, martial arts), anyone doing shoulder prehab/rehab, and those bored with traditional training. Start light (1-2 lb clubs) - the movements are deceptively challenging.
Science
Why Circular Training Matters:
- Traditional exercises work in sagittal plane (forward/back)
- Clubs work all three planes simultaneously:
- Sagittal (forward/back)
- Frontal (side to side)
- Transverse (rotation)
- Shoulders are ball-and-socket joints designed for multi-planar movement
- Modern life restricts most shoulder movement to typing and phone use
Rotator Cuff Engagement:
- The four rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) stabilize the shoulder
- Club swinging creates constant rotational torque
- Stabilizers must fire continuously to control the weight
- Eccentric loading as club decelerates builds tendon resilience
- Different from isolation exercises - functional, integrated movement
The Offset Loading Effect:
- Steel mace has weight at one end (offset)
- This creates leverage that amplifies the challenge
- A 10 lb mace can feel like 30+ lbs at arm's length
- Forces grip, forearm, and shoulder to work as unit
- Builds "real world" strength for unbalanced loads
Mobility Through Movement:
- Active mobility (moving through range) vs passive (stretching)
- Club circles take shoulders through full ROM under load
- Proprioceptive feedback improves body awareness
- Joint capsule and connective tissue adapt to full range
- "Motion is lotion" - synovial fluid distribution improves
Research:
- Mills et al. (2016): Short-term Indian club swinging significantly improved shoulder flexibility
- Biomechanical analysis shows rotator cuff activation throughout swing
- No large RCTs exist, but mechanistic case is strong
Supporting Studies
1 peer-reviewed study
View all studies & compare research →Practical Protocol
Equipment Options:
| Type | Weight | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden Indian clubs | 1-2 lbs | Rehab, mobility, beginners |
| Steel clubs/clubbells | 5-45 lbs | Strength, conditioning |
| Steel mace | 7-25 lbs | Full body, rotational power |
| ShouldeRok | Plate-loaded | Rehab focus, adjustable |
Beginner Protocol (Weeks 1-4):
1. Start with 1-2 lb wooden clubs or broomstick 2. Learn basic patterns: - Front swing - Back swing - Inside circle - Outside circle 3. Practice 5-10 minutes daily 4. Focus on smooth, controlled movement 5. No speed or power yet
Basic Movements:
Front/Back Swing:
- Hold club at side
- Swing forward to shoulder height
- Control the backswing
- Keep elbow relatively straight
- Foundation for all other movements
Inside Circle:
- Club swings in toward body
- Shoulder externally rotates
- Creates "shield cast" pattern
- Great for rear delt and external rotators
Outside Circle:
- Club swings away from body
- Shoulder internally rotates
- Creates "arm cast" pattern
- Targets internal rotators
360 (Mace/Club):
- Full rotation behind head
- Advanced movement
- Build up over several weeks
- Requires good thoracic mobility
Intermediate Protocol (Weeks 5-8):
- Progress to heavier clubs (5-15 lbs)
- Add combinations and flows
- Increase duration to 15-20 minutes
- Introduce mace 360s (light weight first)
Programming Ideas:
- Warm-up: 5 minutes light clubs before upper body training
- Standalone: 15-20 minute session 2-3x per week
- Finisher: 5-10 minutes after pressing work
- Movement snack: 2-3 minutes between work tasks
Progression Path:
- Broomstick/PVC → 2. Light wooden clubs → 3. Heavier clubs → 4. Steel mace
Risks & Side Effects
Known Risks:
- Shoulder strain if progressing too fast
- Hitting yourself or surroundings (need space)
- Wrist strain with heavy clubs
- Aggravating existing shoulder injuries if not careful
Contraindications:
- Acute shoulder injury (wait until healed)
- Shoulder instability/dislocations (start very light, supervised)
- Severe rotator cuff tears (consult PT first)
- Limited overhead mobility (work on mobility first)
Precautions:
- Start lighter than you think necessary
- Learn patterns with PVC pipe or broomstick first
- Progress slowly over weeks, not days
- Movements should be controlled, not ballistic initially
- Need adequate ceiling height and clear space
- Stop if sharp pain occurs
Common Mistakes:
- Going too heavy too soon
- Rushing the learning process
- Forcing range of motion
- Training through pain
- Skipping the basics for flashy movements
Risk Level: Low with proper progression. Moderate if ego lifting or skipping fundamentals.
Who It's For
Ideal Candidates:
- Desk workers with chronically tight shoulders
- Athletes needing rotational power (golf, baseball, tennis, martial arts)
- Climbers wanting shoulder prehab
- Anyone with nagging shoulder issues unresponsive to conventional PT
- People bored with traditional gym training
- Grapplers and wrestlers (historical use)
Especially Beneficial For:
- Those with shoulder impingement (light clubs, careful progression)
- People lacking overhead mobility
- Anyone who never moves arms above shoulder height
- CrossFitters wanting shoulder durability
- Kettlebell users (complementary movement patterns)
May Not Be Suitable For:
- Acute shoulder injuries (wait until healed)
- Severe rotator cuff tears (without PT guidance)
- Those who can't commit to learning proper form
- People without adequate training space
How to Track Results
What to Measure:
- Shoulder mobility (wall test, behind-back reach)
- Pain levels during daily activities
- Club weight and duration progression
- Ease of overhead movements
- Grip endurance
Progress Markers:
- Smoother, more controlled swings
- Ability to use heavier clubs
- Longer sessions without fatigue
- Improved overhead reach
- Reduced shoulder clicking/discomfort
Timeline:
- Week 1-2: Learning patterns, mild mobility improvement
- Week 3-4: Movements feel more natural
- Week 5-8: Noticeable shoulder mobility gains
- Week 8+: Can progress to heavier implements
Signs It's Working:
- Shoulders feel "looser" after sessions
- Better posture awareness
- Overhead movements easier
- Less shoulder fatigue during other training
- Reduced chronic tension
Top Products
Indian Clubs (Wooden):
- Pahlavandle Clubs - $50-80, quality wood, classic design
- MBROS Indian Clubs - $30-50, budget option
- Heroic Sport Clubs - $60-100, professional grade
Steel Mace:
- Onnit Steel Mace - $80-130, most popular, good quality
- Titan Fitness Mace - $50-80, budget alternative
- Adex Macebell - $60-100, adjustable
Steel Clubs/Clubbells:
- Onnit Steel Club - $40-80 per club
- Rogue Clubbell - $50-150, various weights
- Titan Steel Club - $30-60, budget option
Specialty:
- ShouldeRok - $150-200, plate-loaded, designed by Chris Duffin for rehab
Starter Recommendation:
Begin with 1-2 lb wooden Indian clubs (~$40) or a 10 lb steel mace (~$60).
Cost Breakdown
Budget Options ($20-50):
- PVC pipe or broomstick (free - for learning)
- Wooden Indian clubs 1-2 lb pair: $30-50
- DIY mace (sledgehammer): $20-40
Mid-Range ($50-150):
- Quality wooden clubs (Pahlavandle): $50-80
- Steel clubs 10-20 lb: $50-100
- Steel mace 10-15 lb: $60-100
Premium ($150+):
- Clubbell set (multiple weights): $150-300
- ShouldeRok (plate-loaded): $150-200
- Onnit steel mace: $80-150
Cost-per-Benefit:
A pair of $40 wooden clubs can last forever and provide years of shoulder maintenance. One of the better ROI training investments for shoulder health.
DIY Option:
A sledgehammer ($25-40) works as a starter mace. Just be aware the handle isn't designed for it.
Recommended Reading
Podcasts
Things I've Changed My Mind On
Dr. Layne Norton shares things he's changed his mind on based on new evidence. A refreshingly...
Genetic Testing for Sports Performance
Dr. Andy Galpin discusses genetic testing for sports performance. Covers what genetic tests can...
Who Am I and Why Am I Here?
Dr. Layne Norton introduces his background, research focus, and approach to evidence-based...
5,000 Years of Sweat: Lost Workout Wisdom From the History of Physical Culture
Brett McKay interviews Dr. Conor Heffernan, a lecturer in the sociology of sport at Ulster...
Discussed in Podcasts
9 curated moments from top health podcasts. Click any timestamp to play.
Ancient Indian club training and the 30-kilo joris
Dr. Heffernan describes the ancient Indian physical culture of heavy club swinging, where traditional joris and mug dars weighed up to 30 kilos each, and wrestlers trained with clubs studded with nails to enforce proper swinging form.
"in terms of what that exercise looked like, and this is a really fascinating thing, we had club swinging, heavy club swinging, and heavy Indian clubs or joris or mug dars or muggas, whatever term you want to apply to it, is intense. I have some traditional Indian clubs in my home gym and they weigh 30 kilos each. And there are even photos and videos you can see online of people swinging heavy Indian clubs that have nails dotted all around them to make sure that you're swinging a proper form."
The gada as a weapon turned training tool
Brett McKay explains how the gada (steel mace) originated as an actual battlefield weapon used by Hindu warriors before transitioning into a training implement for building strength and shoulder mobility.
"the Gada. So that's like the Indian clubs, that was a very kind of British version of sort of the clubs that Hindus use, ancient Hindus use. And the Gada, it's like, basically it looks like a weapon. It's a steel mace."
Using gadas and clubs before bench pressing
Both Heffernan and McKay share how they personally swing Indian clubs and gadas before chest exercises. Heffernan credits clubs with saving his bench press, noting that conventional gym training rarely moves the shoulder through full rotations.
"it saved my relationship with the bench press i like you i I swing clubs and gadas before I do chest or any sort of chest movements. And, you know, if you think about it, we're quite boring in terms of a lot of our fitness patterns. You don't really swing a lot of weights and you don't really move your shoulder in full rotations the entire time when you're working out in a gym setting. So I think sometimes you have to let the body move the way the body was meant to move. And that's where things like gadas and Indian clubs still still have a value"
Stone lifting and club swinging as the future of fitness
Heffernan argues that stone lifting, club swinging, and outdoor training represent the future direction of the fitness industry, bringing people back to more natural and historical ways of building strength.
"And he says that he survived for weeks consuming nothing but Plasmon. And not only did he maintain his weight, he got stronger. So spurious supplement claims, you know, date from the 1890s, early 1900s. The more substantive, the thing that I think, yeah, that's actually pretty good, is a lot of the fitness, and you'll see a general theme when I pick out the core values from a lot of these different eras but a lot of physical culturists would write about the body as a bedrock and what I mean by that is you know get your fitness right build your body the best that you can and then this will give you more energy to be a better businessman a better wife a better mother a better husband better athlete better student whatever the case may be. So of course, they had the aesthetic components, especially when you wanted to look like Sandow. But even Sandow himself said, you know, if you build your body in this way, it will improve other elements of your life. And I think that's pretty cool. And again, you know, we tend to have the blinkers on and be very narrowly zoomed in in the modern age where it is about the six-pack or getting to a certain dress size and it's like well you know there can be other benefits that aren't entirely vain when it comes to your own fitness journey so this moves us into the 20th century and you mentioned at the beginning of this podcast that the term physical culture went out of favor because physical culture started splintering."
Club swinging restored short-term memory
Monica Boldt describes how Indian club swinging dramatically improved her short-term memory after years of cognitive decline from constant task-switching. The complex bilateral patterns forced complete focus for 5-10 minutes at a time, which retrained her brain.
"when I picked up clubs, one of the immediate benefits I noticed was my short-term memory came back. Like I could remember things. And that had to do with thinking about complex patterns. And then especially when I got into, okay, my right hand is doing something different than my left hand. And then going back and forth in my mind's eye, thinking about that, like five or 10 minutes of just that complete focus."
Why 1-pound clubs are harder than you think
The hosts and Boldt discuss how people underestimate the challenge of light Indian clubs. Even 1-pound clubs become extremely demanding during continuous swinging because centrifugal force amplifies the effective weight, making 5 minutes feel like swinging 5 pounds.
"I think for people that look at Indian clubs, probably talking more to men is they look at a one pound Indian club and like, what is this going to do? So they, and there's that,"
Using clubs between heavy lifting sets
Boldt explains her approach of incorporating club swinging between sets of heavy barbell work to flush out stiffness and maintain shoulder range of motion. She noticed that heavier lifting was decreasing her mobility, and club swinging between sets countered that effect.
"And between the set, instead of getting on the phone, just, you know, do 10 repetitions of heart swings, inward, outward, it flushes out any kind of stiffness, especially if you're lifting heavy."
Club swinging follows inertia, not muscular force
Boldt explains the physics of club swinging, noting that it follows inertia and gravity principles rather than muscular force. When someone taps into this rhythm, their swinging develops an inner pulse that looks aesthetically fluid and connects the whole body.
"club swinging follows inertia and gravity principles. And when someone taps into that, they start feeling kind of like that heartbeat rhythm to the swing. It has this inner pulse, right?"
200 mace swings for tricep and lat strength
Boldt discusses adding steel mace training back into her programming alongside clubs, noting that 200 mace swings create serious tricep and lat soreness and build functional rotational strength.
"after you do like 200 swings of mace, one of the things you..."
Who to Follow
Key Proponents:
- Chris Duffin - Powerlifter, invented ShouldeRok, rehab-focused approach
- Scott Sonnon - Creator of Circular Strength Training (CST) system
- Dr. Ed Thomas - Historian and practitioner, wrote Encyclopedia of Indian Club Training
- Onnit - Popularized steel mace in fitness mainstream
Where to Learn:
- Onnit Academy (free videos on mace basics)
- Chris Duffin's YouTube (ShouldeRok and mobility focus)
- Mark Wildman's YouTube (excellent club tutorials)
- StrongFirst forums (community discussion)
Communities:
- r/steel_mace - Reddit community
- StrongFirst forums - Club discussion threads
- Onnit Tribe - Facebook group
Synergies & Conflicts
Pairs Well With:
- Dead hangs - Decompression + club mobility = complete shoulder health
- Grip strength training - Clubs build grip as side benefit
- Mobility training - Active mobility through rotation
- Posture correction - Addresses rounded shoulder posture
Pre/Post Training:
- Light clubs before pressing (warm-up)
- After bench/overhead press (restore mobility)
- Movement break during desk work
- Active recovery days
Complete Shoulder Protocol:
- Dead hangs (decompression, passive stretch)
- Club training (active mobility, rotator cuff)
- Face pulls (posterior chain)
- Pressing work (strength)
Sport-Specific Stacks:
- Golf: Clubs + thoracic mobility + hip rotation work
- Climbing: Clubs + dead hangs + finger training
- Martial arts: Clubs + grip training + wrist mobility
- General fitness: Clubs + kettlebells + bodyweight training
What People Say
Common Positive Reports:
Common Challenges:
Athlete Adoption: