Clubbell Exercises: Rock-It Drills Demo

The clubbell rock-it drill is a foundational movement in the Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training, and one of the first exercises I teach to new clubbell clients. Upon first trying it, they are usually surprised how incredibly challenging the rock-it variations are for the leg muscles. It’s not uncommon to get a burn going after only several repetitions. It shouldn’t come as any surprise since this movement is specifically for learning how to root into the ground and apply leg drive to maneuver the clubbells with smooth, controlled force.

I still remember my first major experience with the clubbell rock-it drill. I was at a Circular Strength Training seminar, in a group that was anxiously awaiting the clubbell training portion of the event. Well, we finally got what we asked for! We did hundreds of rock-its until the whole group had it right. I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one thinking “will this ever end!” My legs felt like jelly on fire – if that’s even possible. A few guys were walking funny for the rest of the weekend, too.

The point is that you can’t cheat the rock-it drill. Either you do it correctly, or you’ll get your butt whipped – fast! Rock-its are a painfully simple exercise, but the technique is of paramount importance. That’s why CST uses the 7 key components of structure to teach proper clubbell exercise technique.

1) leg drive
2) hip recruitment (aka hip snap)
3) core activation
4) crown to coccyx spinal alignment
5) shoulder pack
6) elbow lock
7) grip confirmation

If you learn to integrate all 7 components in the clubbell rock-it drill, you’ll be able to do hundreds of repetitions, instead of maxing out after a few dozen. See if you can point out all the components in the following video demonstration. Do note that some of these drills can also be done with other training tools (kettlebells, dumbbells, etc.), but nothing beats the efficiency of the clubbell profile.

Clubbell Exercises: Rock-It Drills Demo

The exercises demonstrated are:

single-arm forward rock-it
double-arm forward rock-it
two-handed forward rock-it
single-arm lateral rock-it
two-handed lateral rock-it
double-arm lateral rock-it
double-arm rock-it with small forward and reverse jumps
two-handed rock-it with small lateral jump
alternating forward rock-it

It’s a wide-spread myth that the clubbell, or any weight swinging tool, is only useful for grip or arm strengthening. As you can see, clubbells are a superb total body training tool, and can even be used for training the legs. I’ve been using clubbells since 2006, and give them my full endorsement as a strength training tool. They are well-worth a look by anyone who is serious about fitness, athletics, and strength training.