What This Program Is
A clubbell carries its weight at the end of a long handle, well away from your hand. That makes it much harder to control than a kettlebell of the same weight, and it means the club is normally swung in arcs around the shoulder and behind the head rather than lifted straight up and down.
Clubbell Single Arm Program Level 1 is an 8-week beginner program built around one club and four movements: the inside circle, the outside circle, the shield cast, and the straight pullover. The circles are trained one-handed from the start. The shield cast and pullover begin with both hands on the club, so your second hand helps control the path while you learn it, and become one-handed partway through the program.
By the end of the cycle you should be able to perform all four movements one-handed, on both sides, with control.
Use the Bells and Moves app to run each session, track your rounds week to week, and follow the progression without counting anything yourself.
Why Train With a Clubbell
- Works the shoulder through a full range - circles and casts load overhead and behind-the-head positions that pressing and swinging do not reach
- Builds grip and wrist strength - holding a long lever through an arc demands a firm grip for the whole set
- Trains rotation - most strength training moves in straight lines; club work is rotational by nature
- Needs one implement - a single club covers the entire 8-week program
- Starts with assistance - the two-handed versions let you learn the harder movements before doing them one-handed
Program Overview
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Frequency: 3 days per week (Monday / Wednesday / Friday default), at least one day between sessions
- Session length: 10-30 minutes
- Equipment: One clubbell for the entire cycle
- Exercises: Inside circle, outside circle, shield cast, straight pullover
- Reps: 5 per side on every movement, in every set, throughout the program
- Progression: Rounds are added over time, and the movements become one-handed in three stages
The rep count never changes in this program. What changes is the number of rounds per session and whether a movement is performed with one hand or two.
Weekly Training Plan
Each session is a single circuit. Move from one exercise to the next without resting inside a round, then rest as needed before starting the next round.
Weeks 1-2: Two-Handed Support
The circles are performed one-handed from the start, since they are the easiest of the four to control. The shield cast and pullover stay two-handed, so your supporting hand keeps the shoulder path under control while you learn the movement.
- Day 1 - Inside circle, outside circle, two-handed shield cast
- Day 2 - Inside circle, two-handed pullover, outside circle
- Day 3 - Repeat Day 1
Weeks 3-4: Single Arm Cast and Pullover
The shield cast and pullover become one-handed. Day 3 returns to the two-handed cast on purpose: it is a lower-difficulty session that gives you a break from the new one-handed work while still practising the movement.
- Day 1 - Inside circle, outside circle, single-arm shield cast
- Day 2 - Two-handed pullover, single-arm pullover, single-arm shield cast
- Day 3 - Inside circle, outside circle, two-handed shield cast
Weeks 5-8: All Four Movements Single Arm
Every movement is now performed one-handed. Days 1 and 2 are short sessions with two movements each, which allows more rounds of each. Day 3 covers all four movements.
- Day 1 - Inside circle, single-arm shield cast
- Day 2 - Outside circle, single-arm pullover
- Day 3 - Inside circle, outside circle, single-arm shield cast, single-arm pullover
Rounds by Week
- Week 1 - 3 / 3 / 2 rounds
- Week 2 - 4 / 4 / 3 rounds
- Week 3 - 3 / 3 / 2 rounds
- Week 4 - 4 / 4 / 3 rounds
- Week 5 - 4 / 4 / 2 rounds
- Week 6 - 5 / 5 / 3 rounds
- Week 7 - 6 / 6 / 4 rounds
- Week 8 - 4 / 4 / 3 rounds
Weeks 3 and 4 repeat the round counts of Weeks 1 and 2. This is intentional: the number of rounds stays the same while the movements become one-handed, so the increase in difficulty comes from the movements rather than from added volume.
Week 7 is the highest-volume week. Its Day 3 session is four movements for four rounds, or 160 total reps, making it the largest session in the program. Week 8 reduces the volume again so you finish the cycle recovered rather than fatigued.
How to Execute
- Choose one club and use it for all eight weeks
- Perform 5 reps on one side, then 5 reps on the other
- Move straight to the next exercise without resting
- Rest as long as you need between rounds
- Begin the next round only when you can maintain good technique
- On two-handed movements, switch which hand is on top so that each side gets 5 reps
Key Points:
- Rest is not timed. Take as long as you need to perform the next round with good technique
- Do not complete a round count at the cost of technique. A shortened session done well is more useful than a full one done poorly
- Keep your breathing steady as the rounds accumulate
Choosing Your Club
Choose your club based on your weakest movement rather than your strongest. For most people this is the pullover or the shield cast rather than the circles.
If a weight allows controlled circles but causes the club to crash during casts, it is too heavy. One club is used for every movement in the program, so it must be light enough for the movement you find hardest.
When to Stop a Set
Stop the set, rather than continuing at a lower quality, if any of the following occur:
- The club drops or swings out of control instead of following a smooth arc
- Your grip loosens during a rep
- Your elbow moves noticeably out of position
- You feel any irritation in the shoulder or elbow
These are signs that you have reached the end of what you can do with good technique in that session. Continuing will not improve them.
When to Move Up
Move up one club weight and restart at Week 1 when you can complete peak-volume Week 7 with:
- Stable shoulders through every arc
- A grip that stays closed for the whole set
- Smooth arcs with no crash
- No joint irritation during or after
- All four movements controlled on both sides
If any of these are missing, repeat the cycle at the same weight. There is no disadvantage to running the program twice; moving up too early usually means repeating it anyway.
Success Tips
- Record yourself from the side - the path of the club is difficult to judge while you are performing it
- Learn the two-handed versions carefully - they teach the same shoulder path you will use one-handed later
- Train both sides equally - your weaker side determines when you are ready to progress
- Keep the wrist straight - a bent wrist makes a long lever much harder to hold
- Do not add extra movements - this program covers four movements deliberately, and adding more will slow your progress on them
How to Perform Each Movement
Single Arm Club Inside Circle
Move the club in a controlled inward circle across the body, keeping your posture tall, your grip firm, and the rotation smooth through the shoulder. The club should be guided through the circle under control rather than thrown and caught.
Cues: Stand tall. Keep the grip firm. Follow a smooth path. Guide the club rather than throwing it.
Avoid: Leaning away from the club to counterbalance it, letting the circle collapse in toward the shoulder, or loosening your grip at the top of the arc.
Single Arm Club Outside Circle
Move the club in a controlled outward circle away from the body, keeping the arc smooth and your elbow in position. The outward path gives the club more room to build speed than the inside circle, so it requires more attention to control.
Cues: Keep the arc smooth. Keep the elbow in. Control the speed throughout.
Avoid: Letting the club pull your elbow away from your body, rushing through the top of the circle, or turning your torso to follow the club.
Two-Handed Club Shield Cast
With both hands on the club, cast it behind the shoulder and return it to the guard position, keeping your shoulder set down and back and the arc smooth. This version is used to learn the movement: your supporting hand keeps the club on the correct path while you build the strength and control to do it one-handed.
Cues: Keep the shoulder set down. Cast and return along the same path. Keep both hands on the club. Change which hand is on top for each side.
Avoid: Letting the club fall behind your head rather than casting it, shrugging your shoulder toward your ear, or performing every rep with the same hand on top.
Single Arm Club Shield Cast
The same movement performed with one hand. Your shoulder now has to control the club's path without assistance, which is why this version is introduced in Week 3 rather than at the start.
Cues: Keep the shoulder set down. Keep the grip firm. Follow a smooth arc. Return fully to the guard position.
Avoid: Casting so far that the club stalls behind you, letting your elbow drift away from your body, or finishing short of the guard position on the return.
Two-Handed Club Pullover
With both hands on one club, guide it straight behind your head and return it to the guard position, using your supporting hand to keep the movement controlled. The club travels straight back and straight forward; unlike the circles and casts, this is not a rotational movement.
Cues: Take the club straight behind the head. Keep your ribs down. Let the supporting hand guide the path. Return to the guard position.
Avoid: Arching your lower back to gain more range, letting the club drift to one side, or rushing the change of direction at the bottom of the movement.
Single Arm Club Pullover
With one hand, guide the club straight behind your head and return it to the guard position, keeping your shoulder set down, your elbow controlled, and the arc smooth. This is the straight pullover. It is a different movement from the 180 near-side pullover, which is introduced in Level 2.
Cues: Keep the path straight. Keep the shoulder set down. Control the elbow. Return smoothly.
Avoid: Letting the club drift off the straight path, allowing your top fingers to open at the bottom of the arc, or shortening the range of motion because the club is too heavy.
What Comes Next
Once you can perform all four movements one-handed on both sides with control, Clubbell Single Arm Program Level 2 is the next program. It prepares you for the mill, a longer rotational movement, without yet performing the full mill.
Level 2 differs from this program in several ways. Sessions are organised into blocks, where you complete all sets of one movement before moving to the next, with a minute of rest between blocks. It introduces the 180 near-side pullover at 3 reps per side, and Mill Prep is the only movement whose volume increases across the eight weeks.
The four movements in Level 1 are the foundation for all of that, so it is worth being comfortable with them before moving on.