Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kistren Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
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As unconventional fitness continues to rise in popularity, many questions are popping up about steel clubs, steel maces, and kettlebells.
Some of the questions we are hearing from the community and noticing in forums are:
Which is better, kettlebells, steel maces, or clubbells?
What should I buy first a kettlebell or steel mace? clubbell or kettlebell? steel mace or clubbell?
What are the differences and similarities between the three?
Which size should I buy?
How do I use them and what are the benefits?
There aren’t exactly clear and concise answers for these above questions, at least not all in one place. So, that will be the focus of this article, to provide those answer as best as we can.
THE BATTLE OF THE BELLS - Clubbells vs Kettlebells vs Steel Maces
Here is how we are going to attack this comparison. First, we are going to break down each piece of equipment, then we will go over, in a quick summary, which one is the best depending on your goals.
KETTLEBELL
What is a kettlebell?
A kettlebell is made from cast iron or steel and shaped into a ball with a handle attached at the top. It closely resembles a cannonball that has a handle on top or a teapot without the sprout.
How are kettlebells used?
The kettlebell can be used for exercises in many ways. One of the most effective ways is through ballistic exercises, which integrates cardio, flexibility, and strength training. They are one of the most popular exercise equipment in weight lifting, and they even have their own sport called kettlebell lifting.
What are the best kettlebell exercises?
The Kettlebell Swing is a great exercise to strengthen the body and burn a lot of fat. The Kettlebell Snatch and Turkish Get Ups are also very popular exercises. All of these exercises will develop serious power in your hamstrings, glutes, core, and shoulders, and will build muscle in those areas as well.
Related: 50 Best Kettlebell Exercises
Benefits of kettlebell training:
- Great combination of strength and flexibility training.
- Increases flexibility and mobility without long holds.
- Functional strength through compound movements.
- It builds tremendous muscle power
- Great for hypertrophy.
- It’s easier on the body than many traditional weight lifting exercises.
- Boosts muscle endurance.
- Great for enhancing grip strength (25+ grips techniques that you can employ).
- Works stability fantastically.
- Develops athletic prowess through ballistic and unilateral training.
- Kettlebell HIIT workouts
Benefits beyond the body:
- It’s fun and provides a nice variation from the norm, especially for those who have been doing traditional weight lifting for a long time.
- Space saver, which makes it great for home gyms.
- It is a portable, all-in-one training tool.
Disadvantages:
- The exercises can be a bit more complex than traditional lifts, however, this should be taken with a grain of salt as almost all weightlifting takes time to learn.
- If you don’t know how to perform some of the exercises properly, especially the more complex ones, you can risk injury. Again, this is something that relates to almost all of weightlifting.
- They are pretty expensive per pound compared to dumbbells or plates as they are still considered a “specialist” tool.
- It’s not the most suitable tool for beginners, as the best benefits will come for the full body compound, complex movements and high-intensity training.
Kettlebell sizes:
Kettlebells can range in sizes from 5-10 pounds all the way up to 200+ pounds. A quick Google search will tell you which size you should start with depending on your gender and conditioning level and needs.
Containing 41 exercises, 10 complexes, and an 8 week program that you can follow. We've created the only guide you'll need to master the kettlebell and bring your training to the next level...
Related: Complete Guide Choosing The Right Kettlebell Size
STEEL MACE
What is a steel mace?
A steel mace, or macebell as it is also known, is derived from an ancient weapon. It is a ball with a long straight handle (a.k.a. lever) welded to it. A good steel mace will have knurled gripping on the handle for extra grip support. The steel mace has an uneven weight distribution, with most of the weight being in the ball (or head) of the mace.
How are steel maces used?
The steel mace is used in many different ways for full body conditioning, and it is especially useful for upper body strength. However, it’s main and best use is for kinesthetic training (balance, coordination, stability and body awareness) and multiplanar movements (especially core rotational movements) thanks to its uneven weight distribution, which makes for an awkward, offset weight load. Many athletes are using the mace nowadays, especially NFL and MMA fighters.
What are the best steel mace exercises?
The main exercises are 360s and 10 to 2s, which are great exercises for core strength & stability, powerful & mobile shoulders, and crushing grip strength. There are literally countless ways the mace can be used to target all areas of the body through compound movements, which is truly the beauty of this fantastic unconventional training tool.
Related: What muscles are involved in steel mace 360s?
Benefits of steel mace training:
- Develops strong, powerful, and mobile shoulders.
- Develops crushing grip strength.
- Works stabilizer muscles like no other.
- The ultimate tool to work through multiple planes of motion.
- Increases rotational strength incredibly.
- Improves core stability tenfold.
- Great for balance and coordination.
- Fantastic for metabolic, HIIT workouts.
- Boosts muscle endurance and strength in a unique, fun way.
- Trains the body in a unilateral, offset manner, which is the perfect kind of training for athletes.
- Greatly improves joint health.
Benefits beyond the body:
- It’s super fun and unique.
- It tests you mentally as well as physically due to the complex sequences that you can create.
- It’s an all in one tool.
- It offers the ability to alter difficulty by simply changing hand placement.
- They take up very little space.
Disadvantages of steel mace training:
- If you don’t know what you are doing or use a weight that is too heavy, you can injure yourself.
- It has a steep learning curve.
- Per pound, it is more expensive than most weight lifting tools, as it is a specialist tool.
Steel Mace sizes:
Steel maces range from 5 or 7-pounds to 40+ pounds. Most steel mace companies only sell macebells up to 25LB, as that is really the top weight needed for experienced steel mace users. If you are wondering which size you would start with, you can read this article on "what steel mace size is right for me?"
Start working out with your Steel Mace safely and effectively using our 84-page Steel Mace Training e-Guide pdf, which will lead you from beginner to advanced mace skill level, covering more than 39 steel mace exercises.
STEEL CLUB
What is a steel club?
A steel club, or clubbell as it is known and trademarked, is another ancient weapon turned powerful fitness tool. It takes shape in what closely resembles a bowling pin or juggling club. It was first used as a conditioning tool by soldiers and wrestlers in ancient Persia. These original clubs were very heavy and extremely useful for increasing grip and shoulder strength and core rotational force, which is especially beneficial for wrestlers - think grappling and throwing people over your shoulders.
How are steel clubs used?
Steel clubs were designed for pullover and swing movements. Depending on the weight, they can be used for rehabilitation and prehabilitation (lighter steel clubs) or rotational and shoulder power (heavier steel clubs). Many people train with steel clubs by using two steel clubs at a time, either in unison or alternating patterns. It is a great tool for MMA fighters as it develops powerful grip and forearm strength, which comes in handy when grappling (pun intended).
What are the best steel club exercises?
Again, lighter steel clubs are mainly used for rehab or for people who are just starting out with steel clubs and wanting to learn the movements safely AND heavier steel clubs offer other benefits to well-conditioned athletes. However, the movements are somewhat similar. Two and one-handed pullovers (front-back-front & back-to-outward), front and back swings, or lateral swings.
Related: Steel Club Workout
Benefits of steel club exercises:
- Rehab and prehab.
- Core rotational power and stability.
- Shoulder strength and power.
- Kinesthetic training.
- Grip and forearm strength.
- Health of connective tissue and joints.
- Multi-planar movement training.
Benefits beyond the body:
- Fun, warrior inspired tool.
- Portable and great for outdoor workouts.
- Doesn’t take up much space at all.
Disadvantages of steel club training:
- They aren’t cheap.
- In our opinion, they are not as versatile as the other two training tools above in terms of overall conditioning and the number of exercises that you can perform.
- And, as with the others, there is a learning curve.
Steel Club Sizes:
Steel clubs range in sizes from 5 to 45 pounds. They are usually sold in pairs as well. A quick Google search will tell you which size you should start with depending on your gender and conditioning level and needs.
As you can see, there are many similarities of benefits between the three tools, even if they are used in different ways.
Furthermore...
- All three have strong, tight-knit communities that are very active, helpful and welcoming.
- They are all extremely durable. They are made from steel after all.
- Each one is beneficial for enhancing athletic performance.
- Improves muscle imbalances (especially the steel mace).
Why buy kettlebells?
The kettlebell is the best option if you are looking for a training tool with the main focus of:
- Building muscle
- Resistance training (muscle endurance and strength)
- Metabolic training
A kettlebell is a great option for those who are seeking the above. However, you would need a range of kettlebell sizes to challenge yourself and accomplish the above effectively. You need heavier and lighter kettlebells depending on the exercise and muscles you are targetting.
Therefore, if you had a range of sizes, the kettlebell can seriously help you pack on muscle. But, if you only had one kettlebell, you’d be limited to how you can challenge yourself...i.e. if you wanted leg development, you’d need a heavier kettlebell, but then you wouldn't be able to use it for shoulder development to great effect.
If you are just looking to burn fat, metabolic conditioning that is, you could get away with one mid-to-heavy size kettlebell for exercises like the kettlebell swings, which is excellent for keeping that heart rate up.
When you buy a kettlebell, a great first place to get your workouts are from our SFS Five program.
The SFS FIVE Kettlebell Workout Package has 5 fun and challenging full length workouts that only require one piece of equipment, a kettlebell! Each kettlebell workout has a unique protocol, and when combined, they make for the perfect weekly workout routine.
Related: Where to buy kettlebells right now
Why buy steel maces?
The steel mace is the best option if you are looking for a training tool with the main focus of:
- Kinesthetic training ((body awareness, balance, coordination)
- Shoulder strength and power
- Shoulder mobility
- Grip and forearm strength
- Rotational power (shoulder and core)
- Strong stabilizer muscles
- Core stability
- Improving posture
- Metabolic conditioning
- Working out in multiple planes of motion
- Total Body Workouts
As all three options have their advantage for athletic performance, it hard to say which one is "best".
However, if you are looking to improve your athletic performance in terms of balance and coordination, the steel mace is the best option, as performing unilateral exercises with an offset weight and a long lever will seriously challenge your balance and coordination over time. It's basically athletic based training on steroids (unilateral + offset).
The steel mace is also amazing in that you can increase or decrease difficulty with just one steel mace. The long level (or handle) allows you to decrease or increase difficulty by simply choking up or down on the mace, respectively. This allows you to challenge yourself at different difficulty levels for any exercise you perform all with one tool. It's especially useful for increased difficulty in terms how much the weight is offset.
If we could only choose one tool, it would be the steel mace because of its versatility and ability to alter difficulty. You could keep yourself very busy and challenge yourself consistently, week after week, with just one steel mace (such as a 10 or 15 pounder).
Lastly, we believe a steel mace is the most versatile in terms of exercises. You can train through all three planes of motion with countless different exercises. The exercise potential is really limitless. It's a fantastic tool for rehab and prehab as well as full body conditioning and HIIT. Additionally, it’s also great in that you can use it as a sledgehammer too - slam your heart away and reap the benefits of serious metabolic conditioning training.
Already have a mace? Be sure to check out our SFS Five Mace Workouts for guided workouts.
The SFS FIVE Steel Mace Workout Package has 5 fun and challenging full length workouts that only require one piece of equipment, a steel mace! Each steel mace workout has a unique protocol, and when combined, they make for the perfect weekly workout routine.
Why buy steel clubs?
The steel club has a lot of similar benefits to the steel mace, albeit it’s not as versatile in terms of altering difficulty and the number of exercises out there to follow.
The steel club would be the best option if you are looking for a training tool with the main focus of:
- Shoulder rehab and prehab
- Rotational power
- Shoulder mobility
- Grip and forearm strength
- Improving posture
- Building strong stabilizer muscles
- Core stability
We believe that the steel club is truly the best when it comes down to rehab and prehab time.
If you don't have any steel clubs check out our favorites below.
All in all, the choice really comes down to personal preference. They are all effective tools.
If it came down to buying just one of these training tools, we say get the steel mace, simply because it's so much fun. However, if money isn’t an issue, we recommend getting all of these training tools, without question, and get kettlebells in the widest range of sizes.
This is honestly an unbiased view on these three unconventional training tools. We are more than open to discussion. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
More Equipment Comparisons:
- Resistance Bands vs Free Weights
- Dumbbells vs Kettlebells
Sam Coleman
Author