I love incorporating Indian clubs into my warm-ups.
If you can add Indian clubs to your routine, you’ll greatly benefit from it.
They offer excellent prehab exercises before diving into your main workouts.
This exercise is especially good at improving wrist mobility.
Indian clubs are light, typically around half a kilo (about 1 pound), so they don’t need to be heavy.
The first drill I recommend is outside wrist rolls. We’ll start in the order position. Here’s how to do it:
1. Order Position with Hammer Grip: Hold the club in a hammer grip. There are two main grips in club training: the hammer grip and the saber grip. For the hammer grip, keep your wrist neutral—straight, as if you’re about to throw a punch. Your four fingers should be against the handle, with the pinky against the pommel.
2. Shoulder Positioning: Keep your shoulder down and packed—don’t shrug. The shoulder, a ball-and-socket joint, is strongest when in its socket. Support it with your chest and lats to maintain a strong position.
3. Wrist Roll: With your shoulder packed down and elbow at 90 degrees, roll the club forward into a 180-degree position. Your palm should face the sky, fingers pointing forward, gripping the handle between the thumb and hand. Use the momentum to complete a full 360-degree rotation.
4. Practice: Start by practicing the forward outside wrist roll. Do 10-20 repetitions. Once comfortable, reverse the direction. Roll the club back towards your body, again into the 180-degree position with the palm facing up and fingers forward. Complete the full rotation. Aim for another 10-20 reps.
As you practice, your wrist mobility and range of motion will improve. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect initially; it will get easier with time.
For my warm-ups, I do 10 forward and 10 backward wrist rolls, counting each direction as one rep. I do up to 10 reps, then switch to the left side before moving on to the next exercise. These are your outside wrist rolls.
