Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Yes, it’s true the steel mace will transport you back in time leaving you feeling like a marauding warrior. One physical ability that people had before modern days was real rotational strength. This was the direct result of day to day manual labor and brutal hand to hand combat during war times.
Needless to say, we’ve lost some of that rotational strength over time as our lives have become less demanding due to the use of technology. Gone are the long days on the farm; picking, chopping, planting, and digging. For most of us, we relate more to the strain of staring at computer screens all day.
Today we are focusing on rotational exercises using a mace.
Top 7 Rotational Mace Exercises Fro Beginners
Get up and move! Too often we go to the gym and move in the same direction, repeatedly. Frontal movements, check. Sagittal movements, check. Transverse movement, oops.
Move in every direction to become truly functional. These steel mace exercises for rotational strength are necessary to get you back to being human again. This workout will have you feeling all those smaller stabilizing muscles going into overdrive.
Complete this workout with five rounds in sets of ten. And yes, ten on each side!
7. Steel Slams
- Get in a staggered stance.
- Place one hand lower on the handle and the other hand towards the head.
- Bring the steel mace back and down then circle up and overhead before slamming the mace down to the ground.
- Use your legs while pivoting your back foot, keeping your knees bent; drive the steel mace down.
- As you’re slamming, your top hand should move down the handle towards your opposite hand.
Related: Tire slams and why the steel mace is the best tool for the job.
6. Alt. Side Punch
- Grip the mace with your right hand just under the head.
- Punch outwards towards your right side at shoulder level.
- Return back to center position and switch grip to your left hand.
- Repeat punching movement across your body.
- Repeat.
5. Ninja Strike
- Grip the steel mace underhanded with your right hand towards the head. Place the opposite hand with an overhand grip towards the end of the handle.
- Squat down while moving the mace to the left side of your body.
- Perform a reverse lunge with your left leg while stabbing forward with your left arm. Your right hand will slide down the handle of the mace.
- Step forward into a squat position while sliding your right hand back to its original position.
- Stand up and pass the mace to the other side using opposite hand placement.
- Repeat the lunge and stabbing movement.
4. Rotating Uppercut
- Grip the mace with both hands employing an overhand grip.
- Position the mace to one side with the handle facing front.
- Uppercut the mace upwards while bringing your front hand over your opposite shoulder.
3. Rotating Bow Shot
- Use an underhand grip with your left hand towards the head keeping it in front of your left shoulder. Use an overhand grip of the handle with your right hand; keeping it at your right hip.
- Extend your left hand out from the side of your body while guiding it up with your right hand.
- Once fully extended, return to starting position.
- Repeat with the other side.
2. Side Spear Reverse Lunge
- Place your right hand with an underhand grip towards the end of the handle. Use your left hand with an overhand grip towards the head.
- Bring the mace to the left side of your body.
- Perform a reverse lunge with your right leg.
- Repeat with the other side.
1. Ninja Row
- Grip the mace overhand with both hands; shoulder width apart. Your left hand should be at the end of the handle and your right hand will be a closer to the head.
- Get in a prone position with your back straight, butt up, and knees bent.
- Holding the mace parallel to the floor, perform a row and bring the mace up towards your stomach.
- Push the mace down with your right hand while bringing your left hand up.
- Return to upright row position with the mace toward your stomach.
- Rotate at the hips towards your right side, pushing the handle down across your body as the head goes up. The steel mace will be perpendicular to the floor, level with your right elbow at the top of the movement.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Ready to start training with a steel mace? Use our steel mace training e-guide to learn everything you need to know about the mace, including videos of hand placements, starting positions, grip orientation, and tons of exercises so that you can become a pro mace athlete/trainer.
Here are additional resources for rotational movements: Rotation vs. Anti-rotational movements.
BATTLE ON!
Sam Coleman
Author