Most people don’t know how to rotate properly.
This amazes me, as it’s the main thing our bodies are designed to do.
But it’s not hard to believe, being that very few people are taught how to rotate properly, or even train rotation at all.
My personal pet peeve is when coaches throw in Russian Twists to check the rotational training box.
Russian Twists are in fact, the worse rotational exercise, because they completely neglect the hips, legs, and pelvis.
Rotational movement is a joint effort between the legs, pelvis or hips, torso and spine.
The fundamental rotational movement is walking, which is actually quite complex when you break down each phase of gait.
But to start, we’ll stick with a stationary movement, inside and outside circles, which set the foundation for effective rotational training.
Why Inside and Outside Circles
These movements are the foundation for more advanced rotational movements.
(If you haven’t yet discovered the importance of training rotation, start here.)
To learn, we always break movements down into their fundamental parts before we add complexity and load.
Standing club circles allow you to develop the proper mechanics while understanding how your legs, hips, and core all interact with each other for efficient rotational movement.
We start with a square, bilateral stance before moving to split stance variations, as well as 2 handed vs 1 handed club moves, for the same reason.
Learning the proper movement pattern will allow you to safely progress the movement with load, and ensure that you are getting the most from each progressive exercise.
Club Pendulums, Mills, and more advanced single arm rotational exercises are all built on the same pattern as the Circle.
That’s why it’s worth mastering.
ClUBBELL Inside / Outside Circles
In Inside Circles, the top hand on the club moves toward and across the center line of your body.
In Outside Circles, the top hand moves away from the centerline initially.
Another way to think of this is how you throw a punch – a cross moves a-cross the mid line, a job moves away from the midline.
These are fundamental throwing patterns the body is designed for, and they are hyper important for athletic performance and injury prevention.
The world’s best club instructor, Mark Wildman, walks you through the specifics in the videos below, but if you want to take the benefits even further, check this out.
Inside Circle For BJJ Performance
Outside Circle For BJJ Performance
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 4 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
1. Start improving your BJJ durability and performance with the new Foundations of Rotational Strength.
2. Fortify your body for BJJ with this free course on the Grappler’s Get Up.
3. Apply for 1-on-1 coaching here.
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