Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
The steel mace is a powerful tool for metabolic workouts. So, today we are presenting to you The Ultimate Steel Mace Metabolic Workout.
This workout definitely leans toward advance mace athletes and people who are well-conditioned. It’s a tough one.
It’s a 35 minute workout that basically has you working the entire time. If you complete this workout in its entirety, you are going to walk away from this workout knowing that you are a savage human. And if you don’t, it’s something you can work towards. It’s a win-win.
We are going to explain everything about the workout, but before we get into that, let’s discuss what a metabolic workout is for those who may not know and why this workout is so beneficial.
What is a Metabolic Workout?
A metabolic workout involves compound exercises with little rest for the duration of the entire workout in an effort to maximize calorie burn and boost metabolic rate during and after the workout.
Metabolic workouts are great for burning fat, building muscle, increasing strength, and getting into combat-ready shape. These are the types of workouts Navy Seals and the military does. They are no joke. They boost testosterone, which we are going to dig into a bit just below.
Metabolic workouts are efficient and highly effective, and you don’t need a bunch of equipment. All you really need is your body and one training tool, such as a barbell, kettlebell, or steel mace (aka macebell).
Boosting Testosterone and Kicking Cortisol to the Curb
Now, all forms of exercise can help to trigger the release of testosterone during a workout. In fact, research has shown that workouts can also increase testosterone levels post workout too.
That said, not all workouts are created equally. Some are more effective.
The best kind of workout that will release the greatest amount of testosterone are short, high-intensity, total body workouts with resistance.
The long, slow cardio workouts, like jogging sessions on the treadmill, can actually have a negative effect on your t-levels. This is because they release more cortisol, which causes fat storage around the belly. The same thing can happen from long, low-intensity weightlifting sessions.
Research actually shows that men who routinely run long distance have lower long term t-levels than even non-athletic control groups. That’s pretty crazy, but if you understand physiology, it makes sense.
4 Types of Hormones
It’s important to understand the 4 primary hormones. These are the most researched hormones in relation to strength training: Testosterone, Growth Hormones (GH), Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), and Cortisol.
What you want is high levels of Testosterone, GH and IGF. This will allow you to build muscle, burn fat and increase strength…And, what you don’t want is high levels of Cortisol. High levels of Cortisol will cause weight gain around the midsection, upper back, and face, it can cause acne, thickening of skin, and more. Of course, Cortisol is important for certain functions in our body, that’s why we have it, you just don’t want high levels of it.
So, to make sure your T-levels, GH, and IGF are ample during workouts, and your Cortisol is low, try to keep your workouts under 35 minutes (some say 60 minutes but we strongly believe 35 minutes is the sweet spot). You will also want to make sure the workout is intense. Short, low-intensity workouts aren’t going to be beneficial. And longer sessions will cause you to decrease muscle building hormones and increase fat storing cortisol.
This is especially important for those over 40. Although metabolic workouts are going to greatly benefit a man of any age, those who are older will benefit even more from it as their hormones are decreasing with age and the goal is to keep them up.
Alright, now that we made that pretty damn clear, let’s get into this Steel Mace Metabolic Workout.
The Ultimate Steel Mace Metabolic Workout
You will be combining 3 different workout protocols into one ultimate steel mace metabolic workout.
Target: Burning Fat, Building Muscle, and Full-Body Conditioning
Equipment: 10 or 15LB steel mace (men), 7 or 10LB steel mace (women)
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Duration: 35 minutes (not including warm up and decompression)
Who’s this workout good for?
Great for those over 40 (because of the testosterone boost and maintenance, etc) and people looking to be in combat-ready shape.
How often should you do this workout?
Ideally, you should incorporate this workout into your training plan once a week.
If your workout plan consists of only metabolic workouts, you should do them 3-4 times a week, with one day rest in-between. Stay active on your days off, with sports, steel mace swings, cycling, swimming, etc.
Workout Breakdown
We will explain each round in-depth but here is a quick breakdown of the workout:
Dynamic Warm Up (5-10 mins)
Round 1: Complex Workout (10 mins)
- 6 exercises done one after the other
- Left side first, then right side and then repeat this sequence for 10 straight minutes.
- No rest during this 10-minute complex.
Round 2: Metabolic Workout (10 minutes)
- 5 exercises
- 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest between exercises
- One exercise after the other (no rest)
- 2 total rounds
Round 3: Ladder Workout (10 minutes)
- 2 exercises (one will be a bodyweight exercise)
- Ascending and descending ladder
- No rest, this is the finisher!
Let’s begin…
Warm Up:
Before every workout, you need to do a warm up to prepare yourself. It’s also essential to reducing the risk of injury.
Follow this Dynamic Warm Up before you start The Ultimate Steel Mace Metabolic Workout.
35-MINUTE STEEL MACE METABOLIC WORKOUT
Workout Details:
ROUND 1: COMPLEX WORKOUT
Exercise 1: On The Ball Push Ups (mace head on left side) x 5 reps
Exercise 2: Side Rows (left) x 5 reps
Exercise 3: Deadlifts to Reverse Curls (left) x 5 reps
Exercise 4: Forward Lunges (left) x 5 reps
Exercise 5: Overhead Presses (left) x 5 reps
Exercise 6: Swing and Toss (left) x 5 reps
Repeat the same sequence on the right side
- Go back and forth, left side, 6 exercise for 5 reps, then right side, 6 exercises for 5 reps, for 10 straight minutes.
- NO REST during these 10 minutes.
ROUND 2: METABOLIC WORKOUT
Set 1:
Exercise 1: 360s (right hand over left, swing to left side) x 40 seconds
Exercise 2: Barbarian Squats (right hand over left) x 40 seconds
Exercise 3: Staggered Stance Uppercut Swing (right side) x 40 seconds
Exercise 4: Spiral Curls to Presses (right) x 40 seconds
Exercise 5: Bent Over Rows (right side) x 40 seconds
- Rest 20 seconds between exercises (and only 20 seconds between Set 1 and 2)
Set 2:
Exercise 1: 360s (left hand over right, swing to right side) x 40 seconds
Exercise 2: Barbarian Squats (left hand over right) x 40 seconds
Exercise 3: Staggered Stance Uppercut Swing (left side) x 40 seconds
Exercise 4: Spiral Curls to Presses (left) x 40 seconds
Exercise 5: Bent Over Rows (left side) x 40 seconds
- Rest 20 seconds between exercises
ROUND 3: LADDER WORKOUT (ASCENDING/DESCENDING)
10-to-2s - 1 rep / Burpees - 7 reps
10-to-2s - 2 rep / Burpees - 6 reps
10-to-2s - 3 rep / Burpees - 5 reps
10-to-2s - 4 rep / Burpees - 4 reps
10-to-2s - 5 rep / Burpees - 3 reps
10-to-2s - 6 rep / Burpees - 2 reps
10-to-2s - 7 rep / Burpees - 1 reps
- No rest here, give it your all and empty the tank!
Related: Benefits of Burpees + Easier and Harder Variations
REST TIME BETWEEN ROUNDS: Take as little rest as possible. we recommend around 2-3 minutes rest between rounds.
Remember, this workout should take you around 35 minutes.
Final Note:
We hope you enjoyed this workout! It’s a tough one right?
Remember shorter workouts, three times a week, total body. That’s what’s going to be the most effective for stimulating growth and burning fat. This type of training will get you into the best shape of your life while also staying injury-free. Just make sure you are getting enough recovery and rest, these are high-intensity workouts so you will want to do this kind of metabolic workout every other day. Have an active rest day in-between these workouts.
Related: 4 Week Steel Mace Workout Plan
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More Steel Mace Workouts:
- Beginner Steel Mace Workout
- Intermediate Steel Mace Workout
- Advanced Steel Mace Workout
- Heavy Mace Workout for Strength & Conditioning
- 30-Minute Steel Mace Full Body Conditioning Workout
Sam Coleman
Author