Circus Bell
Trains the Shoulders.
- Equipment
- A circus dumbbell
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Advanced
How to do it
- Stand over the circus dumbbell with the feet a little wider than it and hinge down to take the handle in one hand, the free hand on the bell for support.
- Pull the bell up to the thigh and lap it, or clean it in one movement to the shoulder with the elbow tucked and the bell resting on the shoulder and upper arm.
- Stand tall with the bell at the shoulder and the trunk braced against its pull.
- Dip a few inches by bending the knees, then drive up and press the bell overhead until the arm is locked.
- Lean slightly away from the bell if needed to keep it over the shoulder, and hold the lock-out for a moment.
- Lower it to the shoulder, then to the lap, then to the floor under control.
Common mistakes
- Pressing from a bad rack. The bell rests on the shoulder with the elbow under it; a bell held out from the body has to be pressed from the wrong place.
- Bending the trunk to the side to get it up. A slight lean to balance the lock-out is fine; a side bend to shorten the press is the trunk taking a load it should not.
- Dropping the bell from overhead. The lowering is controlled to the shoulder and to the lap; a dropped circus bell is heavy, round and unpredictable.
- Letting the wrist bend back under the bell. It stays straight and the bell sits over the forearm.