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steel mace workout

Mace Workouts

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Do you want to build core strength and flexibility? There’s a faster and more effective way to do that aside from crunches – Mace fitness. We love the steel mace because it works wonders for all body types and comes in different sizes and weights, making it a really flexible training tool.

If you’re interested in a full-body, dynamic workout you can do at home, then this type of training is for you. Here’s everything you need to know about mace workouts.

What is Mace Fitness?

Mace fitness involves strength and mobility exercise using a steel mace. A steel mace is a rod with a weighted globe on one end. Although maces are seeing a resurgence in popularity in the fitness world, the mace has been used as a workout tool for centuries. Its history dates back to the Neanderthal era when men hunted and fought with clubs.

Warriors in real-world scenarios would use mace-like weapons and, in doing so, developed impressive physiques and high levels of fitness. With modern-day developments, you no longer need to be a hunter-gather to reap the benefits of this incredible training tool. What’s great is that today’s maces come in various weights, so you can start light and work your way up as your strength and comfort level grows. Commercially available maces or steel maces can range from as low as 7 pounds to 10, 15, 20, 25, and even 30 pounds.

While mace workouts are great for overall strength they provide increased focus to the upper body, core, and grip strength.

Shoulder Strength

General workouts don’t tend to place enough focus on shoulder mobility. Sure, people train hard to increase their back and arm strength, but do you ever focus on your arm and shoulder mobility?

Mace fitness builds shoulder flexibility by strengthening the muscles as they elongate. Typical routines include up and down hand movements with minor arm rotations. However, swinging a steel mace in a continuous motion loosens the knot in your joints while building strength, endurance, and mobility.

As a beginner, you’d face some difficulty in movement. However, that’s normal with every exercise, so don’t expect this one to be different. With practice, your motion becomes more fluid. And as you progress, you can tackle increasingly complex movements to keep your body and mind challenged.

Core Strength

Are your abs taking too long to form? Then, mace fitness is for you. Mace workouts can work your core twice as fast as a regular workout. Because of the uneven weight distribution, you have to draw strength from your core when swinging a mace to stay balanced. Therefore, every mace fitness movement engages your abs and obliques – the sides of your tummy. As you twist your body side-to-side, you burn fat, giving way to defined abs.

Grip Strength

Your hands and forearms are a generally under-trained part of the body. You use them for deadlifts, arm curls, pull-ups, and every other weighted exercise, which can build strength. However, these types of movements don’t build forearm and wrist mobility. Mace fitness helps you really strengthen your grip.

From the moment you pick up your steel mace, your grip starts to train. If you don’t have a firm hold, you can’t swing effectively. So, flex those fingers and practice your grip.

Overall Fitness

Mace exercises are great for your overall fitness. You plant your feet firmly on the ground as you swing your upper body, thus building a solid core and balance. As you progress, your range of motion and stability improves, and your body improves its range of motion.

If you’re a klutz, this exercise is perfect for you. It develops coordination – not just the body but the mind as well. To complete a mace fitness routine, you need a mind-body connection. However, don’t get discouraged, as simple mace exercises are easy to do. You can build up your swinging prowess as you get more comfortable executing more complex movements.

And don’t let the small size of a mace deceive you – a seven-pound steel mace can be tricky to swing smoothly. The key is in your weight distribution. Start off by holding the mace nearer to the weighted side to make swinging easier. Then, you can bring your grip further away from the weighted side to increase the difficulty as you get better. Also, mace fitness is not a gendered sport. Anybody can do it – you only need to pick the right size for your strength and comfort level. However, it’s a particularly effective training program for athletes and martial artists.

Barbarian Fit App

The Barbarian fit app has a full range of mace fitness routines as well as pure bodyweight workouts. It’s a gamified fitness app that helps you build strength, endurance, and mobility in a fun way. You can set weekly goals, schedule workout reminders, and generate workouts on the fly.

All routines on the Barbarian fit app are dynamic so that you won’t get bored. In addition, you can track your workout progress.

After two weeks of mace, fitness would have you strutting like a gazelle in no time. But, of course, that’s after the initial soreness from your body adjusting to a new routine.

Try it today and leave us a comment.

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