The benefits of mace training
The mace as a weapon of war has been around since the first caveman tied a rock to the end of a stick in order to bonk his neighbor harder than a plain stick could. The mace as a training tool has been around for approximately 2,000 years and originated in India,where it is called the “Gada”. The Indian Gada is still used today by wrestlers in that country to increase their strength and conditioning levels. It has also been adopted by modern combat sports in the form of the steel mace or macebell by wrestling legends like Karl Gotch up to the modern day UFC where it is currently part of their training curriculum at the UFC performance institute under Bo Sandoval.
As a strength and conditioning tool, the mace has several unique benefits. Due to the unstable nature of having the weight on one end of a long handle, the leverages can make a relatively light weight feel heavier than it actually is. As a result, you can accumulate training volume in a movement pattern without overly taxing your joints and nervous system the way a heavy barbell or kettlebell lift would. Lengthening the lever allows you to lessen the weight and still make progress. Changes in where the handle is gripped, how far the mace is held from the body, and the angle the mace is used at can all dramatically increase or decrease the amount of muscular tension required to perform a particular lift ,and it is muscular tension not the amount of weight lifted that drives muscle tissues to remodel and get stronger. It’s all physics and leverage and by controlling these variables 10lbs can be made to feel like 100lbs.
As a conditioning tool, a sufficiently heavy mace will definitely get the job done. A good rule of thumb is, if you can dance around with it then it isn’t heavy enough to be useful. Movements like the tire smash and mace shovel will get you gassed when executed with ferocity and intent. The starting, stopping, and swinging the weight while keeping it under sharp control all take their toll on the the bodies cardiovascular energy systems as much as any bike, rower, or skier. Much like with traditional cardio, the faster and harder you go, the tougher it gets.
Another benefit from mace training is that it requires full body strength and coordination. Swinging a heavy mace around your body is closest you can get to the feeling of grappling with another human being from an implement. Rotational movements like the pendulum swing and the 360° require a high degree of core strength to stabilize against the momentum of the weight so that you aren’t dragged around off your feet by the moving weight. Those same movements help to enhance grip strength and build your entire kinetic chain from your feet thru your core up to your hands. This creates functional strength that will carry over to your daily activities. The action of swinging the mace through the 3 planes of motion will strengthen the core and actively traction the shoulder joint which aids in mobility thru the entire shoulder girdle. Good shoulder mobility and a strong core carry over into everything from playing catch with your kids to heavy Olympic lifts. This type of training will help insulate your shoulders and lower back from injuries in your barbell lifts because moving heavy weights requires a strong core. In addition to that, your bench and overhead presses need a stable shoulder joint and mace training can provide both.
This is just a small sample of the uses and benefits of mace training. If you are interested in learning more drop us a line and set up an appointment or check out some of our favorite mace tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfVgbt7J9oM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmG4ZGHYoVU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKG4fy0Qi8
