Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
The time to get ripped is now!
Whether it's spring, summer, fall or winter, it’s always time to stay shredded. Unless you are a bodybuilder, “bulk season” thinking is a thing of the past. What people want is to be fit, and “fit” isn’t spelled with an “a”.
To get shredded and fit, you need to optimize your workouts. The best workouts are ones that spike your metabolism and your t-levels. That’s how you shred fat, maintain muscle, and if you eat right, grow.
At SET FOR SET, our goal for training is to enhance our daily performance. It just so happens that the byproduct of this is looking great! With the right training, the two go hand-in-hand.
So, what is the right training? Well, it’s definitely not long session, low-intensity interval training that you do 5-6 days a week. Working out in this manner is counter-productive. It's not effective or efficient for shredding fat and improving athletism.
If you want to burn fat and build lean muscle, it’s optimal to do short 30-45 minute sessions with high-intensity and low rest.
That said, if you are training to be a strongman, powerlifter, or bodybuilder, the right type of training is not this program. But, if your goal is to be combat-ready, which means handling your own bodyweight with ease, having low fat, impressive muscle endurance, and looking proportionally and naturally jacked, then this is the workout plan for you.
Before we get into the workout, we are going to explain a few things that relate to this training program, just to make sure you are one hundred percent informed on the reasoning behind this 6 Week Steel Mace & Bodyweight Workout Plan. We are also going to talk about the steel mace and why it’s the tool of choice for this particular program, AND about diet and other important factors regarding the workouts to come.
Metabolic Workouts
The workouts within this 6 week program are metabolic workouts. This means they are going to be intense and short. Your workouts will be around 45 minutes total, and that’s including a warm-up and a cool down. Because of the intensity of the workouts, we have an active rest day in-between each workout session. For the sake of not overtraining, it is essential that you take your rest days seriously so you can maximize your effort during the working days.
For those who don’t know what metabolic workouts are, let us explain.
Metabolic workouts require you to work at a high level of intensity for a prolonged period of time. This means the workouts are not for the faint-hearted. This is a method of training that the navy seals and marines do.
You will be working at this high level of intensity for essentially the entire duration of the workout. There is very little rest involved. The workouts are circuit based and HIIT based, and they use reps and time schemes. All the protocols will be listed in the workout, so don’t worry about that right now. The workout instructions are very clear.
Now, you might be wondering, “why metabolic workouts?” Well, let’s list the reasons:
- Boost T-Levels (Testosterone, GH, and IGF - the three hormones we want to boost to build muscle)
- Doesn’t allow cortisol levels to spike as they do with long LIIT workouts (high levels of cortisol is bad, it’s the fat-producing hormone).
- Boosts Metabolism thanks to EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, meaning you burn fat long after the workout is finished)
- More efficient and effective for endurance, burning fat, and just being overall well-conditioned.
- This is cardio and strength training mixed into one.
THE STEEL MACE
Why the steel mace?
Metabolic workouts can be done with bodyweight alone, but they are typically done with some form of free weight equipment. Kettlebells, and as of late, steel maces, are a favorite for metabolic workouts as they are very versatile training tools. In our opinion, the steel mace even more so.
There are many reasons for this:
- There are literally over a hundred movements you can do with a steel mace. You can target every single muscle in your body.
- The movements are offset thanks to the uneven weight distribution of the mace, so you are going to be hitting your core with every movement, and a big part of being shredded is having an impenetrable core. Moreover, you will be improving your balance and coordination thanks to the core stability training that comes with offset movements.
- You can alter the difficulty of the mace by changing hand position. This allows you to maximize effort with one training tool instead of needing to have many sizes.
- The workouts can be done anywhere, especially as you only need one mace to get it done. Easy transport.
- It’s fun. The steel mace is a very immersive tool that requires a lot of work on the muscle that is your brain too.
- With metabolic training, you don’t need to go heavy, so a 10-15lb steel mace is perfect. If you are crazy enough to use a 20lb mace, more power to you, just make sure you have a lighter mace ready if things become more-than intense, like you can’t actually finish the workout or you are sacrificing form.
- The steel mace is a ballistic training tool so it’s going to train you to be more explosive.
- Multiplanar movements. This is the last point we want to touch on. A steel mace is great as it will move you through all three planes of motion. More specifically, because of the offset weight, you will be working the transverse plane like never before. All the high hinge offset movements involve anti-rotation, and that’s not to mention the rotational movements we have in store for you. The transverse plane is where most of the real, real-world strength comes into play. Just ask anyone in the military about this.
That’s enough. We will leave it at that. Just be as confident that a steel mace plus your body is going to be perfectly enough to get into incredible shape over the course of 6 weeks.
If you don’t know anything about the steel mace’s history, you may find it interesting as the mace (weapon) has been around for thousands of years. You can read about the history of the mace here.
Now, if you don’t know how to use a steel mace, then it is essential you learn the basics of mace training before beginning this workout plan.
6 WEEK STEEL MACE & BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT PROGRAM TO SHRED CITY
Main Goals: Burn Fat, Full-Body Conditioning, Build Muscle.
Workout Type: Full Body Metabolic Workouts
Protocols: Circuit, TABATA, Ladder, Complex
Training Level: All
Program Duration: 6 weeks
Days Per Week: 3-4
Time Per Workout: 35-45 minutes
Equipment Required: Steel Mace (Men: 10-15lb ; Women: 7-10lb)
Target Gender: Male & Female
Workout Details:
You will be using the same three workouts over the course of 6 weeks: Workout A, Workout B, and Workout C
You can begin this program on any day you’d like. There are 42 days in 6 weeks, and you will be working out every other day, so that’s a total of 21 workouts in 42 days.
So, it will look like this…
Day 1: Workout A
Day 2: Active Rest
Day 3: Workout B
Day 4: Active Rest
Day 5: Workout C
Day 6 Active Rest
Day 7 Workout A
Day 8: Active Rest
Day 9: Workout B
Day 10: Active Rest
Day 11: Workout C
Day 12: Active Rest
Day 13: Workout A
Day 14: Active rest
...and so on and so forth until Day 42.
Each workout will have different protocols. The protocols consist of Circuits (timed or reps), TABATA, Ladder, and Complex workouts. Each protocol will be explained within the workout, so it will be very clear what to do.
Before we begin, let us go over a few important things:
- Active Rest
- Diet
- Dynamic Warm-Up
- Decompression
- Stretching
ACTIVE REST:
We are firm believers in doing some kind of movement every day. There’s nothing wrong with resting your body, it needs it. But it’s never ideal to be a complete couch potato for a day.
Here are some activities you can do on your active rest days:
- Mobility drills
- Foam rolling
- Core exercises
- 10-to-2s and 360s
- Hike, Run, Swim, Bike
- Shoot some hoop
- Restorative yoga
You catch the drift. Essentially, we are just asking you to move a bit more on your off days. Nothing intense.
Aim for 15 to 60 minutes of activity.
It will be good for your recovery process. These light activities can ease soreness and reduce muscle fatigue.
Now, if you want to have a complete do-nothing kind of day on your rest day once and a while, then go for it. In any case, what’s more important than active or non-active rest days for seeing results is your diet.
DIET:
Everyone knows abs are made in the kitchen…
Diet is the most important factor for losing fat. So no matter how hard you work out, your results are going to highly depend on your diet.
Eat clean. We are not going to ask you to cut calories or count calories for that matter.
There are some important tips to run through, many of which we break down in more detail in our how to speed up your metabolism article.
The goal is to boost your metabolism while burning fat and not to lose muscle.
To do this:
- You need to eat smaller meals more times a day rather than a couple of big meals. Don’t ever get stuffed to 100%. Stop at 70%
- Eat a lot of protein (crucial for maintaining muscle and keeping metabolism high)
- Stay away from sugars/cut back on carbs. We find cutting carbs out at night is best. And, no junk food!
- Drink a lot of water
Listen to your body. Experiment. Diet really comes down to the individual, some people have faster metabolisms than others. Some can eat carbs without getting fat. But assuming you want to lose fat since you are doing this program, after all, we highly recommend you follow the above points.
That said, dieting can be tough, and you may really want to eat some junk food. And you can, just do it sparingly. If you are eating clean, 5 meals a day for 4 days, having a cheat meal isn’t going to kill you. A cheat day is another story though. Just make sure you are eating healthy meals say 19 out of 20 times. Again, listen to your body. See how food affects you. After a couple of weeks, you may need to refine your diet. It’s all an experiment. One that you control entirely. Craft yourself.
ALTERING DIFFICULTY:
As you progress through the workout, there are a few ways to make it more challenging:
- Change your hand positioning on the mace. The closer your hands are to the end of the handle, the more offset the weight becomes and the harder it is.
- Decrease rest time
- Increase the rep count
- Add another round.
And if it is too difficult, the same applies the opposite way.
Judge how the workout went one week, how you are feeling after two weeks or three weeks, and adjust from there. This is a guide that can be formed to better suit your needs.
POST WORKOUT:
Post-workout, we are going to prescribe you a decompression or static stretching routine.
A decompression is a great way to cool down after a workout and decompress your joints and down-regulate your system.
A static stretching routine will help your nervous system and muscles recover from the intense workout.
Be sure to do them!
Related: 14 Cool Down Exercises and Stretches
WORKOUT PROGRAM (WEEK 1-6)
As mentioned, you will be using the same three workouts over the course of 6 weeks: Workout A, Workout B, and Workout C.
At the end of this post, you will find different exercises that you can use to switch up certain exercises listed within each workout. That way you can keep things fresh while still keeping the integrity of the training plan.
Ok, so let's begin.
Here are the workouts…
Workout A:
Dynamic Warm Up (5 mins)
WORKOUT:Round 1: TABATA (12 mins)
Protocol:
- Do exercise one first. You will do 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for a total of 10 times.
- Then for the second exercise do the same protocol, 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for a total of 10 times.
- Rest 2-3 minutes after each TABATA exercise (T1 & T2)
T1: Squat to Overhead Press (5 mins)
Switch mace head side every other.
T2: Bayonet Strike Squat (5mins)
Switch mace head side every other.
Round 2: Complex Series (5 mins)
Protocol:
- Repeat the following series without stopping for 5 straight minutes. So once you complete the last exercise you go right back to the top and go again.
-
10-to-2 x 5 reps
-
Spiral Curl Press x 5 reps (left)
-
Bent Over Row (underhand grip) x 5 reps (left)
-
Side Load Reverse Lunge x 5 reps (left)
-
10-to-2 x 5 reps (switch top stacked hand)
-
Spiral Curl Press x 5 reps (right)
-
Bent Over Row (underhand grip) x 5 reps (right)
- Side Load Reverse Lunge x 5 reps (right)
For the 10-to-2s, one rep would be when the mace swings from the 10 to the 2 then back to the 10 o'clock position.
When you complete this complex series, rest 2-4 mins then move to round 3 below.
Round 3: Complex Sequence (5 mins)
Protocol:
- Do 1 rep for each movement, moving into the next without resting, and continue this for 5 straight minutes (see video below). It's basically 3 exercises mended into one continuous flow.
Related: 360 to Switch Squat to Lateral Lunge, repeat.
Round 4: Ascending & Descending Ladder Workout (5 mins)
Protocol:
- No rest, empty the tank here with this ascending / descending ladder.
1 rep Tuck Jump / 7 reps Push Up
2 reps Tuck Jump / 6 reps Push Up
3 reps Tuck Jump / 5 reps Push Up
4 reps Tuck Jump / 4 reps Push Up
5 reps Tuck Jump / 3 reps Push Up
6 reps Tuck Jump / 2 reps Push Up
7 reps Tuck Jump / 1 rep Push Up
Decompression: 5 mins
Workout B:
Dynamic Warm Up: 5 Mins
WORKOUT:
Round 1: Circuit - Reps (5 mins)
Protocol:
- Do one exercise after the other without rest.
- Rest 2 minutes between set 1 and 2.
- For the second set, perform the exercises that were one-side focused on the opposite side.
- Slow on the eccentric portion of the lift and explode on the concentric.
2 sets:
- Wide-Grip Push Up x 10 reps
-
Bent Over Row (overhand grip) x 10 reps (right side)
-
Switch Squat x 10 reps
-
Overhead Shoulder Press x 10 reps (mace head on right side)
- Rotational Side Swings x 10 reps
Round 2: Circuit - Time (5 mins)
Protocol:
- Complete exercise 1 then rest 20 seconds, then complete exercise 2 and rest 20 seconds, etc. So you will be doing 30 seconds work, 20 seconds rest for each exercise one after the other.
- Rest 30 seconds to 1 minute between round 1 and 2.
- For the second set, perform the exercises that were one-side focused on the opposite side
- Focus on good reps, this is not about speed it’s about maximum tension. Don’t count reps, only count time.
2 rounds:
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift to Reverse Curl x 30 seconds
- 360 x 30 seconds
- Vertical Mace Thruster x 30 seconds
- Mace Pull Through Plank x 30 seconds
Round 3: Every Minute On The Minute (time 22 mins):
Protocol:
- Start a timer; immediately carry out the prescribed reps for your first exercise. Rest until the clock hits one minute. Continue doing one set per minute for four minutes
- Rest 1.5 mins before moving on to the next exercise
Dynamic Switch Lunges x 15 reps on the minute (4 mins)
10-to-2 x 15 reps on the minute (4 mins)
Lying Leg Raises x 10 reps on the minute (4 mins)
Burpees x 8 reps on the minute (4 mins)
TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: Approx. 32 mins
Stretching: 10 minutes
Workout C:
WORKOUT:
Round 1: Ladder Workout (approx. 20 mins)
Protocol:
- Perform each of the 5 mace exercises for 10 repetitions each side in a circuit.
- Recover as needed but try minimal rest and then carry out each exercise for 9 repetitions on each side.Try to rest just long enough so that you keep proper form.
- Continue to reduce repetitions by 1 rep each round until finishing with a round of 1 rep.
- Barbarian Squat
- Ballistic Curl
- 360
- Push Up
- Mountain Climbers (both legs make one rep)
Round 2: Reverse TABATA (5 mins)
Sprints: 10 seconds sprint, 20 seconds walk, for a total of 10 times (5 mins).
Round 3: AMRAP (5 Mins)
- Do as many reps as possible in 5 minutes
- Rest as little as possible in this 5 mins
- 10-to-2 (5 mins)
TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: approx 35 mins
Decompression: 5 mins
Other exercises that you can use to switch up specific exercises to keep things fresh over the course of the 6 weeks:
- Archer Press instead of Spiral Curl
- Single Arm 360s instead of 360s during complexes
- Single arm 10 to 2s instead of 10 to 2s during complexes
- Front Load Forward Lunge instead of Forward Lunges
- Offset Curls instead of Ballistic Curls
- Alt. Single Arm Thruster instead of Two Hand Thrusters
- Burpees instead of Tuck Jumps
- Plank Jacks instead of Mountain Climbers
- Incline Push Ups instead of Regular Grip Push Ups
- Staggered Stance Uppercut Press instead of Overhead Press with Squat
- Uppercut Presses instead of Overhead Mace Presses
- Grave Diggers (easier) instead of Bayonet Strike Squats
- Kayak Rows, Crunches, Ab Roller, Planks, or any other ab exercise instead do Lying Leg Raises.
- Curtsy Lunges & Alt. Side Lunges for Switch Lunges or Side Load Lunges
- If you have access to a pull-up bar, at your own discretion, replace a back exercise every other week with pull-ups. For example, instead of bent-over rows, do pull-ups during the circuit that week.
THAT’S IT!
If you like this 6-week Workout Program, check out our 4-Week Steel Mace & Bodyweight Workout Plan.
Moreover, if you have any questions about this Steel Mace & Bodyweight 6-Week Workout Plan, please feel free to contact us.
Related: Full Length, Follow Along Steel Mace Workout with Dynamic Warm Up
Related: 5 Killer at Home Leg Workouts
Where to buy Steel Maces?
Buy SET FOR SET Steel Maces (7-30LB maces)
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about this workout plan! Especially if you’ve crushed all 6 weeks of it.
Sam Coleman
Author