Steel Club Workout for Full-Body Strength & Conditioning

Quick answer: Yes, steel club training is a legit way to build strength, conditioning, grip, shoulder stability, and rotational core strength with minimal equipment. This post gives you a single-club, follow-along workout you can repeat weekly and progress over time.

Safety note: Steel clubs are “simple” but not “easy.” If you have shoulder pain, elbow pain, or a history of low back issues, keep the weight conservative and focus on clean reps. Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling, or symptoms that travel down an arm or leg.

Whether you are brand new to steel club training or you just want a fresh workout to follow, this post has you covered. Below, you will get a 25 minute full-length, follow-along steel club workout. It is a full body workout that requires just a single steel club (heavy club, relative to your strength and fitness level). This workout works for all fitness levels and is designed to improve strength and conditioning.

If you are a beginner, do not stress about not “knowing” the exercises. The movements are demonstrated and cued by Coach Mike Pastor so you can learn as you go. All you have to do is pick up your steel club and start moving.

WHAT IS A STEEL CLUB?

A steel club, sometimes referred to as a clubbell or simply a heavy club, is a piece of fitness equipment made of steel that is shaped something like a bowling pin. They typically weigh anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds.

This type of equipment has been around for a long time, having been used as a conditioning tool for wrestlers in India as far back as the 18th century and by the British military after that. The concept dates back as far as Ancient Persia. It is basically a weapon turned fitness tool. You can learn more about it here (as well as how it differs from its light weight counterpart, the Indian Club).

ARE STEEL CLUB WORKOUTS GOOD?

Most people get pulled into steel clubs for the grip, forearm, shoulder, and core benefits. The offset load forces your body to stabilize in real time, especially through rotation and multiple planes of motion. That is why steel clubs have a reputation for “athletic strength training.”

But steel clubs are not just for shoulders and abs. You can use them for squats, hinges, presses, rows, and carries, which makes them a surprisingly complete strength and conditioning tool. If you train with intent and keep the work quality high, you will get stronger and better conditioned.

So to answer your question: YES, steel club workouts are good. They are just different than most conventional gym programs, and the learning curve is part of the deal.

Learn more about the benefits of steel club training.

CAN YOU BUILD MUSCLE WITH STEEL CLUBS?

Absolutely. You will be swinging, hinging, squatting, pressing, pulling, and moving through a wide range of motion with an awkward, offset load. That is plenty of stimulus for hypertrophy, especially if you use enough volume and time under tension, and you support training with adequate calories and protein.

Steel clubs can also be a sneaky way to build muscle in places many lifters neglect, like the forearms, upper back, and shoulder stabilizers, because the club demands constant control.

Note: Steel clubs will not overload in the exact same way as a barbell, simply because the load ceiling is lower for most people. But you can absolutely build a lean, athletic, muscular physique with steel club training, especially when you progress the workouts over time.

WHAT WEIGHT STEEL CLUB SHOULD I USE?

This depends on your strength and your comfort with the movement patterns. A common starting range is 10 to 25 pounds. If you are new to steel clubs, err lighter. The offset load makes a club feel heavier than a dumbbell of the same weight, and it can expose weak links fast.

Related: What Size Steel Club Should I Buy?

For this workout specifically, it is high volume with short rest. That means you want a weight you can control cleanly for the entire session. For most people, 15 to 20 pounds is the sweet spot. This is a single club workout, so you will be using both hands on the same club, which makes heavier weights possible, but do not let that trick you into going too heavy too soon.

• Beginner fitness level: 10 lb is often the right call.
• Intermediate: 15 to 20 lb works well for conditioning-focused follow-alongs.
• Stronger lifters: 25 lb can work if technique stays locked in and your shoulders tolerate it.

Rule of thumb: If your shoulders feel pinchy, your wrists collapse, or the club starts “yanking” you around, the club is too heavy for today.

STEEL CLUB WORKOUT

Equipment: 1 Steel Club
Goal: Total Body Strength & Conditioning
Time: 26.5 Minutes

Full-Length, Follow-Along

Workout Details:

• 3 groups of exercises
• 3 rounds for each group
• Rest only between rounds (1 to 1.5 minutes rest)
• You will complete one group of exercises for 3 rounds before moving to the next

How To Get The Most Out Of This Session

• Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes: arm circles, scap push-ups, hip hinges, bodyweight squats, and a few light practice swings if you have a lighter club.
• Prioritize smooth reps: steel club training rewards control. If reps get sloppy, reduce speed or reduce weight.
• Use the rest as a quality reset: shake out the forearms, breathe through the nose, and get your grip ready for the next round.
• Progress one variable at a time: add reps, add a round, reduce rest slightly, or move up in weight. Do not try to level up everything at once.

Beginner Scaling Options

• Go lighter: if you are between sizes, pick the lighter club.
• Slow the cadence: move slower on swings and transitions so the club never “wins the rep.”
• Shorten range of motion: keep arcs tighter until you feel stable and confident.
• Rest more: take the full 1.5 minutes, or even 2 minutes, if your form is fading.

Group 1:

1. Swing Squat x 10 reps
2. Turn the Corner x 6 reps (left)
3. Turn the Corner x 6 reps (right)

Group 2:

1. Lunge to T-Spine Rotations x 10 reps (5 each side)
2. Back Circle to Front Pendulum x 5 reps (left)
3. Back Circle to Front Pendulum x 5 reps (right) 

Group 3:

1. Loaded Technical Stand Up x 5 reps each side
2. Plank Pull Through x 10 reps

Here is a good warm up you can follow.

Here is a good cool down for after the workout.

STEEL CLUB EXERCISES 

Here’s a little breakdown of the exercises in the above workout. Just to give you a little more detail on each.

SWING SQUAT

The swing squat is a combination of a swing (like a kettlebell swing) and a squat. It is a dynamic movement that combines both ballistic and grind work. It’s a full body movement that emphasizes the quads, hamstrings, glutes and lower back, as well as the arms and core to stabilize the steel club. 

TURN THE CORNER 

Turn the Corner is a great exercise to build coordination and rotational strength and stability. It involves a reverse lunge with a twist, while holding the club on the shoulder opposite to your rotation. It is going to work your legs, glutes, core, and back.

LUNGLE TO T-SPINE ROTATIONS 

This exercise is very similar in concept to the Turn the Corner except you will be doing a forward lunge and you’ll be holding the steel club vertically at your center in front of you. This places more emphasis on your core and arms, in addition to your legs and glutes of course.

BACK CIRCLE TO FRONT PENDULUM 

This is a very dynamic movement. If you haven’t used a steel club or steel mace before then you’ve probably never done anything like it. It is a rotational exercise to build up core strength and stability, rotational strength, shoulder strength, scapular mobility, grip strength, back strength and hip stability. You’ll be swinging a heavy object around your body, so it’s definitely going to challenge you in a uniquely athletic way.

LOADED TECHNICAL STAND UP

This is a movement taken from MMA. It teaches you how to safely stand up from the ground in a fight, and with strength and stability. The steel club is there just to add resistance to the movement, which makes it a lot harder. This is a functional movement in its purest form. It’s going to make you a stronger human, it’s as simple as that.

PLANK PULL THROUGH 

The plank pull through is a core exercise that basically takes a plank and turns it up to eleven. Like any front plant, you will need core strength for anti-extension, but since you are pulling the heavy club back and forth, you will be building up anti-rotation strength too! On top of that, you’re essentially doing an alternating one arm plank which makes your chest, shoulders and back work harder too.

Programming Suggestions

If you like this workout, you can treat it as a repeatable weekly session:

• 2 to 3 days per week: great for conditioning, shoulder health, and full-body work capacity.
• Pairing idea: do steel clubs on “conditioning” days and keep your heavy barbell or dumbbell work on separate days.
• Deload idea: every 4th week, keep the same workout but use a lighter club and focus on pristine reps.

FAQ

Is steel club training good for shoulders?

It can be, because it builds shoulder stability and control through multiple angles. That said, weight selection matters. Shoulder irritation almost always comes from going too heavy, moving too fast, or forcing range of motion you cannot control.

Do I need two clubs?

No. A single club can deliver a full-body session, especially with follow-along conditioning formats like this one.

Can beginners do steel clubs?

Yes. Start lighter than you think, focus on smooth reps, and prioritize learning the movement patterns before chasing intensity.

FINAL NOTE:

If you have any concern about not being able to do the exercises in this steel club workout, then you can first watch the workout and simply practice the moves. Don’t worry about keeping up with Coach Mike’s pace. Just get the movements nailed down pat, then you can follow along and do the workout at his pace when you are ready.

For those who end up doing this steel club workout (or even just pull the exercises from it to create your own), let us know what you think in the comments below.