Bigger is better?

[jimmy23]

Well, soemtimes maybe, but not all the time.


This has become more apparent to me lately as my clubell training has progressed. I became bored with training only my 15# or only my bruiser, so I divided my training sessions between them. In addition, I began to sophisticate my work with my 15# clubells, working on motions where I felt I was weak.


The first thing I noticed was that the change in motion also meant a change in the demand placed on my grip - I began to wonder if I had made any progress at all in my grip strength!

Next, i noticed what I now recognize as a deeper CNS stimulation. I felt more "alive " in the areas most affected by the new motions.

What I didnt notice was a gain inmuscle mass. From years of weightlifting, I still ahve the habit of judging the effectiveness of an exercise by whether Im getting "pumped up". Depite my old habits though, I continued to experiement with sophistication.


Last night, I returned to the gym ive trained at just to chat, and one of the few fighters Ive trained with who Im scared of showed up - he is getting ready to fight again after a year long layoff from ankle surgery. Mike is the total physical package, - 6'9" tall, 300 # and agile , and only one loss as an MMA competitor. I decided to roll, because like I said, Mike scares me, and Im silly like that

Now, in the past, Mike would overwhelm me , the combination of size strength ,and agility made him too much to handle. Unbelievably, last night, I did very well agaisnt him. While he was obviously the dominant man ( and we wont talk about how many times I tapped ), I found it much easier than in the past to control his arms, elbows and wrists, and he had a heck of time due to my increased grip and wrist strength. And , when we were done, he was done too- for the first time in my life I was able to give the big man a good workout .

What seemed to be different this time was a heightened sensitivity to the force he exerted, and the abilty to respond to counteract him at all the weird angles that a grappling session requires.


So, by putting effort into sophisticating my exercise with the smaller clubells, I gained a great deal of funtional strength , more than I was gaining from only using the bruiser.

So the answer to the age old question is bigger better, I would have to say that the answer is sometimes, but not always.

Now Im just waiting for my challenge clubell to arrive


:shock:

[maxmoon]

good post!

i also noticed something when i was in the first 4 months of my training with the clubbs. i also thoght that bigger was better(stronger)but as i trained i wached my muscles tern on a lively new colour.things in my body came alive that i didnt know were there.

i wasn't the only one to notice.

by now i expected to gain a big amount of mass in my muscles.i did not(not as much as i thoght i would).but the function of strength that i have now compared to 6 months ago is stagering.my b.o.b(body aponent bag)used to smirk at the force generating from my limbs.now he begs for mercy from my slaps.im a living proof of the results clubbells give to most of my friends.

i sure didnt expect my strength to develope so much in so little time.with alot of effort afcourse!

and my weight remained very close to what it was then,exept my muscles now preform with attitude and force. and my joint motion has never been better.

do i have reasons to be cheerfull? yes sir i do.alot of my friends already have made moves for a pair of their first clubbs.makes me happy! and im confident they will get more then they asked for.

max

[JasonE]

Sometimes bigger is just... bigger. :P

[jimmy23]

I really believe that the use of the smaller clubells in more sophisticatd movements had the greatest effect, in terms of adjusting to the movements of my partner

[Scott Sonnon]

Jimmy,

People NEED to understand what you have just written. Learning a progressive resistance method as an extension of your own body, manipulated in 3D, is PRECISELY the original reason I created the Clubbell®!

[jimmy23]

Thank you coach, i wish I was better with words but its hard to explain to those who dont actively grapple about how exerting force at different ranges and angles, while getting feedback and adjusting to the action, can be improved with clubell training.


But, results speak for themselves, and Iv never had more questions about how I train . The truth will spread, though it might be slow. Just wait until Arlovski KOs Frank Mir

[Scott Sonnon]

I think that Andrei will forget that "Mir" means "peace" in Russian language. :wink: