Clubbell Mass Evolution by Shane Heins

The Clubbell Mass Evolution was created by CST Head Coach, Shane Heins. I met Shane at a CST Certification seminar in 2009 and was impressed with his passion and knowledge. Don’t let the down-to-earth, “nice guy” shtick fool you. Shane is hardcore, but he balances that intensity with a sophisticated and intelligent approach in training. Shane walks the talk in his own training, and is a superb coach. He trains clients one-on-one, in small groups, and leads TACFIT group fitness classes in and around the Vancouver, BC area.

Shane claims that the Clubbell Mass Evolution (CME) will help you transform your body through the building of lean muscle tissue. He’s also very transparent about the results you should expect. This is not a maximal hypertrophy program that could pass for bodybuilding training. This is a program for developing functional, athletic muscle – a “hard body” physique, rather than a bodybuilder’s physique.

What’s makes the CME unique is the three dimensional nature of training with clubbells, and the development of strength through full ranges of complex movements. This is a systemic mass building program that is far superior to any bodybuilding, isolation, or split routine for the purposes of functional hypertrophy. You aren’t just training individual muscle groups, but stimulating the entire body to add muscle, which is how our physiology works. Not only that, but the entire program is periodized to have you progress from simple to complex movements while cycling training variables in order to maximize the potential muscle gain. The CME program is extremely well laid out and can be adapted and used by anyone with clubbells and a desire to pack on some functional muscle.

John’s Results From Using the Clubbell Mass Evolution

I’ve been using clubbells since 2006 and have tried several different clubbell training programs since. Although, this is only the second time I’ve ever used clubbells with the purpose of building muscle (the first was a self-designed program). Shane is a personal friend of mine and offered to let me beta-test the CME this past summer. I followed it for 6 weeks, completing half of the total training program.

In that time, I gained 8 lbs of scale weight and visibly decreased my bodyfat percentage (I would estimate between 1-2% lost, but I didn’t bother with measurements). This means I gained at least 8 lbs of lean body mass, and probably more like 10-12 if you account for the simultaneous fat loss. I noticed visual muscular development throughout my entire body, but mostly in the arms, shoulders, back, and thighs. Also of note, the decrease in bodyfat contributed to a slightly leaner midsection, too.

Anyone who knows anything about changes in body composition will quickly realize that these are exceptionally good results. In our culture, we are bombarded with messages from the media, diet products, and supplement companies that it’s easy to build muscle. This is simply not the truth. Muscle building is a very challenging goal to achieve. Consistently gaining a pound of muscle (approx .5 kg) in one weeks time is generally considered excellent progress. Although, most people usually experience slightly less than that. The fact that I gained at least 8 lbs of muscle in 6 weeks time is remarkable, and is proof enough for me that this program fulfills its claims. Had I completed the entire 3 month program, I’m sure my gains would have continued.

Obviously, genetics and nutrition determine how much muscle you can gain on any training program, but I wouldn’t hesitate to tell anyone that they can build an appreciable amount of lean body mass using the CME program.

CME Program Pro’s

Perhaps too obvious to state, the first advantage of the CME program is that it works. It fulfills its claims, and that’s a rare thing these days, especially when it comes to muscle gain products. If you’ve got clubbells, you too can gain a significant amount of muscle if you follow the program exactly as outlined. Along with that major advantage, here are several other things that I noticed now that I’ve reviewed the product itself.

When you order the package, it comes with an introductory video that offers an excellent overview of intuitive training. This is a pivotal key in the Circular Strength Training (CST) system and a valuable asset to understand when following the CME program. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to measure and track your rating of perceived discomfort/pain, technique/form, and exertion/effort.

Also in that introductory video is a detailed description of the 7 Key Components of Structure when training with clubbells. You will learn exactly how to break down complex movement skills into basic components to simplify the learning experience and develop a broad skill set for effectively applying strength with efficiency. Shane covers grip confirmation, elbow lock, shoulder pack, spinal alignment, core activation, hip recruitment (aka hip snap), and leg drive. This is a great overview for people whom are not already familiar with the CST system, and a good review for those who are. This leads me to another point.

You don’t need to be familiar with CST in order to use the Clubbell Mass Evolution. This is actually a good introduction to CST, but it’ll work for anyone – from complete beginners (even if you just bought clubbells), to seasoned CST athletes. You’ll learn three different training splits to help you customize your training schedule: the 4×7 model, the week long 7×4 model, and a 3/week training schedule.

Even if you’re already an accomplished clubbell athlete, you’ll still benefit from the CME program. This is a template for using clubbell training for a muscle building goal, and it’s also quite challenging (but remember, YOU create the level of challenge that you’re comfortable with by using CST’s Intuitive Training Protocol).

Now, I’ve got a lot of experience with clubbells, and am no stranger to high intensity training. Even after some hefty accomplishments, such as scoring 288 points in the 2009 Cross World Clubbell Competition, and a 14:32 Trial By Fire time at the 2009 CST Seminar, I still found the CME extremely challenging. I hate to admit it, but I recall cursing Shane under my breath when I first started the second month because of how hard it was. I’m not proud of it buddy, but it’s the truth. And now my character flaw can be used to reveal that even an expert will be well-challenged from this program.

The CME is also very simple to follow. It’s plug and play, and there is no guesswork involved. You just follow the program and do the work when you’re supposed to. No need to figure anything out or customize your program. It’s action-oriented.

In the same vein, there is actually an action guide included with the program materials that I think could be immensely valuable to those who would take it seriously. Basically, Shane walks you through a mental exercise where you create positive affirmations in order to tune into your inner desires and visualize them before and during your training sessions. This is not just hippy mumbo-jumbo, but based on science and success psychology. This is literally tapping into the power of mind-body exercise and can have life-changing implications if you apply it. This is a strategy for success that you can use and apply to any life goal or desire, and it puts it into a succint, action-based format that anyone can use to internalize the process of your own life transformation. Again, it’s just plug and play – nothing mystical or mysterious. Shane walks you through everything.

Another major advantage of the CME is the activity-specific warmups and cooldowns. CME uses Intu-flow joint mobility exercises and Prasara yoga poses to prepare the body for the training and to maximize your recovery afterwards. I found that spending extra time addressing the Prasara holds resulted in significantly less muscle soreness, making it almost unnoticeable in the days following training. Even after a brutally hard session, there were some cases that I actually finished the workout feeling better than when I started.

The last major advantage of the Clubbell Mass Evolution, is that there are several brand new clubbell exercises for mass building. Shane has put together some hot-off-the-press movements for specifically targeting muscle growth. You can’t find these exercises anywhere else. They’re brand-spanking new!

CME Program Cons

I really cannot find any legitimate disadvantages with this program. Sure, I can think of a few ways that I might improve the product itself, but it really doesn’t need anything at all. To be fair, the file downloads could have been organized a little better. They’re not in compressed folders ready for download, so it takes awhile with all the sorting involved. The manual’s could have been more educational. But honestly, that’s not what this program was meant for. It’s plug and play. Just do the work. I really can’t complain.

A Note on Professionalism

The Clubbell Mass Evolution is, without question, one of the highest quality products and best values that I’ve seen in awhile. There are a LOT of low-budget fitness products out there. I’ve reviewed some of them here on Physical Living, but this isn’t one of them. Something you might not know about Shane unless someone told you is that he’s very calculative in nature. He’s big on planning and getting everything just right. Perfection is his goal.

As one would expect, explicit attention to detail has been paid to every aspect of this product. Shane even hired a professional film crew and went above-and-beyond the status quo in terms of professionalism and overall product quality. I challenge you to find a fault with this program.

The CME is so good that it leaves me wishing there was more. But the cool thing is that this program was designed to be repeated. The program design was written so that once you’ve completed the full three months, you can start the cycle over again to continue your muscle gains throughout the year.

It should also be noted that this is Shane’s FIRST product release. If we can expect programs of this caliber in the future, then I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.

Who is this product best-suited for?

That’s an easy one. If you have clubbells (or would like some) and have a desire to pack on a significant amount of lean muscle, then you need to buy the Clubbell Mass Evolution. Pick up your copy at the official site here