Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
STEEL MACE TARGETED EXERCISES - Mace exercises for chest, back, shoulders, legs, arms, and core.
Steel maces are incredible unconventional workout equipment for full body conditioning. There are tons of benefits to gain from steel mace training.
Steel mace training is not only about HIIT...or shoulders and core.
With steel maces, you can target each individual muscle group, along with smaller muscle areas that are often neglected, extremely effectively.
Steel Maces - or Macebell, Maceball, Exercise Mace, and even Mace Stick, as they are also referred to - are great for targeted exercises, and we are here to show you how.
At SET FOR SET, we break steel mace training down into 6 Pillars, as taught in our Steel Mace Training e-Guide, because the steel mace tends to be most effective when performing compound movements. Moreover, most mace exercises are compound movements that involve multiple muscle groups.
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.
SET FOR SET’s 6 Pillars of Steel Mace Training:
- Swing
- Squat
- Lunge
- Core
- Push
- Pull
Even though this is our method for steel mace training, for the purpose of this article, we will be demonstrating how to use the steel mace to target muscles in a more traditional manner, of which the conventional fitness world is used to.
Steel Mace Targeted Exercises:
We are going to show you how to hit each of these muscle groups using a steel mace.
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Chest
-
Back
-
Shoulders
- Legs (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings)
- Biceps
-
Triceps
-
Forearms
- Core
Why would we perform steel mace exercises in this manner when the 6 Pillars makes more sense?
We often like to mix in unconventional training/tools during conventional workouts (i.e. strength training days). The mace is a great training tool to use for supersets during traditional workouts like chest and back day, leg day, or any other split - i.e. upper/lower.
You can superset them or add them into the routine as you see fit.
For example, steel mace targeted exercises for burnouts are great. You could do a steel mace leg targeted exercise after a set of squats to further fire up those quads and glutes.
Not only is using a mace a fun way to mix things up when it comes to working out in a conventional way, a steel mace is super effective and will work those same muscle in a different way, with a different dynamic. It also keeps your heart rate up during your workout so you can burn more fat.
Plus, you will be adding a much needed athletic, functional dimension to your typical conventional workouts this way, as the steel mace requires stability, similar to unilateral training.
So, when using the mace as a supplemental tool during a traditional workout, it makes sense to perform targeted exercises.
How we use steel maces:
At SET FOR SET, we use the mace on it’s own for full-body metabolic conditioning, along side other unconventional tools for HIIT training, during warms ups before strength training, AND we love to use maces during traditional strength training days to break things up and add that extra dynamic.
Workout METHODS for Targeted Mace Exercises
Mix with Strength Training Days:
Mix targeted mace exercises into your strength training day splits - i.e. on Leg day, perform a few of the steel mace leg exercises in between sets, as supersets, or as sets of exercises on their own.
Mace ONLY - using a traditional method:
You can use only maces and your bodyweight to make an entire workout in a traditional manner. i.e. Chest/Back Day - Just as you would with dumbbells and barbells.
Burn-out (after workout):
After a traditional, conventional style strength training work, use a series of targeted exercises (the same muscle group you worked that day) to do an HIIT-style burn-out. Kill the end of your workout, and that muscle group, with High Intensity Targeted Mace Exercises
Warm up:
Use a mace to warm up the specific muscle group you intended to workout on any particular day. A light mace, like a 7LB, 10LB or even 15LB mace is great for this.
It’s up to you!
Use your creativity. The mace is portable and has many uses and implementations. So, use the targeted exercises below in any way you see fit. Have fun with it! Get warrior-minded with it! Viking status. Kill it!
What mace weight should we use for each targeted muscle group and exercises?
Having only one steel mace to workout with is perfectly doable, but it’s best if you have a range of mace weight sizes so you can maximize strength, endurance, and hypertrophy for each targeted mace exercises.
i.e. Mace Bicep Exercises will require a lighter weight than Mace Leg Exercises.
So, for each exercises, use your own discretion on the weight you choose. Challenge yourself.
Altering Difficulty
The great thing about the mace is, due to the nature of its design, you don’t necessarily need a heavier or lighter mace. Depending on how you grip the mace, you can increase or decrease difficulty for most exercises. This is because you can make the mace’s weight more or less offset. By doing this, you place more weight on the side you are working, and you will also need more stability, which challenges your muscles in a unique way.
So, if an exercise is too easy or difficult with the mace weight, try gripping it differently...OR go up or down in steel mace size.
Steel Mace Sizes/Weights:
We sell 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-pound steel maces, so there is a wide range of mace weights to choose from.
Now, let’s get started. Be sure to read the tips at the end of this article.
Note: We chose mace exercises that primarily target one muscle group. There are tons of other mace exercises in our database which target multiple muscle groups. We tried to get specific with the ones we chose for this post.
Remember, if some of these exercises are too difficult, hold the mace with your hand closer to the ball of the mace. This will make the movement less offset, which is easier.
LAST NOTE: Traditional bodybuilding routines often lack exercises in the transverse plane of motion. Training in the transverse plane is essential to being truly fit. All three planes of motion must be worked to achieve all-around better performance and a solid body. Thus, some of the exercises below are going to work targeted muscles through the transverse plane.
FURTHERMORE, essentially every exercise below will target your core as you need to maintain stability and keep upright. The mace is a fantastic tool for core strength and core stability.
MACE CHEST EXERCISES
Push up on the ball
Offset Presses (variation 1)
Offset Presses (variation 2)
Chest Pull Overs
Related: Mace Chest Exercise Playlist (Youtube)
MACE BACK EXERCISES
Offset Row
360
Split Stance Side Row
Related: Mace Back Exercises Playlist (Youtube)
MACE SHOULDER EXERCISES
Bayonet Strike
Offset Overhead Press
Rotating Press
Single Arm 360
More Steel Mace Exercises:
MACE LEG EXERCISES
Offset Deadlift
Switch Squat
Dynamic Lunge
Lateral Lunge
Side Load Reverse Lunge
More Steel Mace Workout Resources:
- Mace Leg Exercises Playlist (Youtube)
- Steel Mace Lower Body Workout (Build Big & Powerful Legs)
- Steel Mace Upper Body Workout
- 14 Challenging Steel Mace Squat Variations that will change the way you think about "leg day"
MACE BICEP EXERCISES
Offset Curl
Ballistic Curl
Grave Digger
Reverse Curl
Related: Mace Bicep Exercises Playlist (Youtube)
MACE TRICEP EXERCISES (MORE COMING SOON)
Overhead Tricep Extensions
Overhead Tricep Extensions (One Arm)
MACE FOREARM EXERCISES
MACE CORE EXERCISES
All the exercises in this Killer Core Workout are listed in the Youtube video's description.
Related: Best Steel Mace Arm Exercises & Steel Mace Arm Workout
Tips when performing any steel mace exercise:
- Always keep your core engaged and tight. When the mace is offset, you will need to remain upright and squared. Use a mirror to make sure you aren’t leaning to one side.
- Keep the tension at all times (with exception of the 360 and 10 to 2’s back portion of the swing, here you need to let your shoulder loose a bit to allow for momentum - core should still be engaged and tight at all times)
- Go for higher reps or use a timed set for maximum results.
- Never compromise your joints. If a movement feels painful for you, it could be do to a lack of mobility or you are compensating due to improper form. Work on mobility and the movement pattern with a lighter mace before pushing yourself through an exercise that is tough on your joints. The mace will build strong joints, but the foundation must be built first. The offset weight will not only show you muscle imbalances, it will also point out joint mobility that needs to be worked on.
Tips for when the mace is held in a horizontal position:
- Remember to keep the mace parallel with the ground when it’s in a horizontal position. This is how you challenge yourself to the max.
- “Pull the head off the mace” to keep tension maximized - this means that you should be pulling outwards with your grip to engage your muscles fully.
- If you use the “pull the head off the mace” technique, you will be fully engaging both sides - one side will be working more on strength and the other on stabilizing.
Related: More Tips on Steel Mace Training
We will be updating this article periodically to add more exercises to each muscle group. Stay tuned. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email us at support@setforset.com.
More Steel Mace Resources:
- 4 Mace 360 and 10 to 2 practice moves (Master the 360!)
- What muscles do mace 360s and 10-to-2s work?
- 10 steel mace workouts to try!
Buy a steel mace from SET FOR SET!
Want to put these moves into practice? Check out our SFS Five Mace 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.
Sam Coleman
Author