Macebell Benefits

Unique Benefits of Macebell Training

Motion

There are many unique fitness benefits of macebell training for people who are looking for a different training stimulus that only the macebell can provide.

Macebell training, in the modern age, is primarily performed using a macebell, or steel mace. Historically, Gadas were used by Indian wrestlers and strongmen to develop strength for sport.

Steel mace, macebell, steel macebell or mace are interchangeable terms describing the same piece of fitness equipment. It can be confusing seeing different terminology when you’re first learning. The exercise catalog is exactly the same.

Macebells have a distinctive design which is what makes the exercises unique, interesting, fun, challenging and beneficial for building physical attributes that other fitness equipment cannot.

A macebell is ball with a long handle attached to it.

Macebell

Most of the weight of a mace is located at the end of the handle, or the head of the mace. This extreme offset center of gravity is unlike dumbbells or even kettlebells.

The shape and design of the macebell create opportunities to train high torque, asymmetric and circular strength exercises.

The magic of mace training is in design of the tool.

Benefits of Mace Training

  • Grip strength and endurance
  • Shoulder strength and mobility
  • Force producing/Force resisting
  • Rotational, total body strength
  • Reactive core stability
  • Cardio-strength training
  • Hand-eye coordination, motor control, balance, proprioception
  • Less linear (breaks out of the sagittal plane)
  • High torque, asymmetric loading,
  • Exercise variations
  • Portable piece of equipment
  • Learning new physical skills
  • Fun and challenging

All of the benefits of mace training, listed below, can be experience with consistent mace practice.

Benefits of any style of training are maximized when you’re committed to consistent practice, versus dabbling here and there or training mace every other month.

Use it, or lose it.

Here are mace training benefits, explained…

Grip Strength and Endurance

Grip strength is one of the most underrecognized athletic qualities, and mace training does an incredible job not only improving grip strength but building grip endurance.

Too many articles overcomplicate this.

You’re swinging a weighted ball attached to a handle, at high speed, with hands fighting to maintain grip in a relatively disadvantaged position (compared to gripping a kettlebell, barbell, etc).

Macebells train the grip dynamically.

Just don’t let lose your grip, or it’s destroying whatever surface is nearest.

Shoulder Strength and Mobility

Recently, I came across a macebell article promising the readers, “You’ll have the shoulder mobility that you thought you’d never have”.

Meh, be careful with that.

People who specialize in teaching a certain method, discipline, or fitness tool tend to over-exaggerate the benefits of that tool. That person discovered macebells before others, experienced improvements in shoulder health, kept training and now asserted themselves as an expert touting big benefits.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan chasing basic mobility using weighted steel ball whipping at high speeds.

If your shoulders are locked up and cannot move freely, performing basic motions (overhead reach, cross body, slow and controlled shoulder circles, aka CARs), swinging a weighted steel mace seems risky.

“Hold up, you’re saying macebells aren’t good for improving shoulder mobility???

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

I’m saying twirling a mace without first establishing basic shoulder control and strength could be a bad idea.

Do this… lift your arm overhead, flex at the elbow, reach and touch as low on your spine as possible.

How’d it go?

If you can’t scratch the back of your head, it’s questionable if you should be swinging a heavy medieval looking weapon.

Instead, adopt a shoulder mobility strategy that’ll lay a good foundation of shoulder strength, control, and the ability to articulate through a sexy range of motion.

No weight necessary, just use bodyweight against gravity to begin with.

Exercises like CARs, prone swimmers, lift-off, external rotation work, Y-T-W-L, will do wonders for your shoulders.

4-5 days per week, for months.

After building up your shoulder range of motion and control throughout that range of motion, bring macebell training into the mix and get after it.

Mace training has the ability to improve shoulder mobility and performance (even mitigate injury).

The macebell will do an excellent job of building resilient shoulders, but I prefer to add in dedicated mobility training that will establish range of motion, articulations and strength.

Force Producing/Force Resisting with a Unique Motion

Most exercises involve force production and resisting forces, but I think the key wording is: with a unique motion.

The mace 360 swing and 10-and-2 exercises cross the midline on every repetition, and that is extremely unique in the exercise rolodex.

You’re producing force to swing the mace from the bottom position (behind the tailbone) and resisting force as the macebell begins it’s descent into the next rep.

Circular macebell movements like this are a brilliant addition to any workout regimen.

Rotational, Total Body Strength

Macebell swing exercises such as 360 swings and 10-and-2 cross the midline of the body on each repetition, and effectively train the torso.

Rotation and macebell are synonyms.

The first time you swing a macebell, you will realize how different of a training stimulus it really is.

It’s a total body workout.

The legs are spared, to some extent, but you’ve got to stay active and tight to twirl that sucker.

If you’re serious about building well rounded fitness, make sure you’re including rotation exercises in your workouts.

Reactive Core Stability

The goal is to control every millimeter of the swing with regard to technique, but with that being said, not every rep is exactly the same.

You’re constantly adjusting to the torque of the mace traveling, offsetting the mace’s tendency to pull you out of position, which is great for reactive core stability.

My first few attempts at swinging my 25lb macebell threw me off-balance immediately. I’m lucky I didn’t lose my grip or head into the wall.

It’s amazing how quickly the body acclimates to demands. Shortly after, my body acclimated to the moves.

Cardio Strength Training

Do enough repetitions and you’ll get a great cardio strength training effect from exercise like swings and gravediggers.

Gravediggers are pure work. It’s like digging up dirt, except you’re not shoveling anything and the range of motion is larger.

Much like kettlebell swings, rhythmic macebell exercises can be an excellent choice for loaded conditioning.

Here are a few simple ideas:

  • Combine gravediggers and/or swings to bodyweight exercise like push-ups, squats, lunges, pulling, and core work
  • Do 10 sets x 10 reps on each side of macebell 360 swings. Rest for 20-30 seconds in between each work set
  • Perform as many 360 swings as possible in 5 minutes (alternate sides every 5-10 reps, your choice)

I find value in pairing up my Concept2 SkiErg with various mace exercises. All conditioning is performed in the standing position.

Exercising with the SkiErg is a flexion/extension heavy movement pattern and exercises such as macebell 360 swings compliment SkiErg using a cross-body circular motion.

Bouncing between the SkiErg and the macebell repetitions is quick and painless.

Hand-Eye Coordination, Motor Control, Balance and Proprioception

Macebell exercises require focus.

You cannot check out while the mace is in motion, or you’re breaking bones, impacting your body, throwing the mace through a window or wall, or tweaking something.

These movement requires ongoing ironing out of timing, body position and mechanics.

Adding new movements to your repertoire only serves to boost your coordination and motor control.

Don’t be slug, expand your movement IQ.

Less Linear (breaks out of the sagittal plane)

There are 3 planes of movement: saggittal, traverse and frontal.

A really high number of exercises take place in the sagittal plane (squats, deadlifts, etc).

One clear benefit of macebell training is the rotational element.

Incorporating rotational-rich exercises can really make a big difference in performance and everyday life, since rotation is part of daily movement.

High Torque, Asymmetric Loading

Look no further than the macebell swing for a high torque movement.

The further the hands are positioned from the head of the mace, the longer the lever arm, the more torque will be created.

For beginners, it’s beneficial to start with a lighter weight macebell and/or position the hands closer to the head of the mace for any swinging exercises.

The closer your hands are to the head of the mace, the shorter the range of motion and overall torque during swinging exercises. You’ll be able to control the movement with this modified hand position.

With asymmetric loading, most of the weight of the macebell is located at one end of the handle. This makes the macebell asymmetrically loaded at all times, much different than a dumbbell.

Because of this, your body is constantly working overdrive to maintain body position during exercises.

Exercise Variations

Macebell 360 swings, 10-and-2 and gravediggers are a few of the more popular and recognizable exercises.

Other exercises ideas that work well with the mace:

  • Squat
  • Lunge
  • Rotational drills
  • Push-ups
  • Bicep curls
  • Slams
  • Carry

There are macebell movements that are extremely hard to name and define.

Exhibit A:

Several exercises can be combine together to create a pre-planned flow sequence, or an improvised flow.

Improvised flows require exercise and mechanics know-how, but they are really fun and challenging.

Portable Piece of Equipment

Some might disagree, but macebells pack away in the car nicely if you’re traveling.

I’ve brought my macebell to hotels and it adds a pretty cool element to hotel workouts that are otherwise pretty shitty places to workout.

The average hotel gym is crap.

Remember, a 15lb or 30lb macebell will feel like 2x that weight.

So it’s not as if you’re hauling around hundreds of pounds of bulky fitness equipment.

Learning New Physical Skills

Countless studies have demonstrated the brain benefits of exercise and learning new physical skills.

Shiny six-pack abs are desirable (for some), but the benefits of macebell training on a regular basis go far beyond a nice midsection.

Learning new physical skills connects the body and brain in incredible ways.

Fun and Challenging

I’ve been training with barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells and suspension trainers for over 15 years.

The day I pulled my macebell out of the shipping box and started playing around with simple exercises, it felt like new life had been injected into my workout regimen.

I love getting new fitness equipment. Who doesn’t?

To me, this is a huge benefit of macebell training… the simple idea macebell training is DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

For those of you who are all work and no play (ahem… barbell peeps), get a macebell and start swinging.

Do not be afraid to try new things out of curiosity.

Fitness pro’s tend to be WAY too strict and stuffy with fitness advice.

Train outside of your current comfort zones.

The rotational aspect of macebell training is what initially lured me in, but I was pleasantly surprised with how versatile the macebell became over time.

Move your body, work hard, refine technique and have fun.

Macebell Shopping

Amazon is still one of best place to buy macebells, mainly because of the competition that exists and the weight of the macebells not being a factor with shipping costs.

I purchased a 15lb and 25lb Apollo steel mace, and I couldn’t be happier. The price was good, free shipping and function as advertised.

Now, with hindsight being 20/20, I wouldn’t buy one-piece steel mace again.

Instead, I’d spend a few more dollars and get the brilliant Adex Adjustable Mace kit.

Adex created an adjustable mace that uses one handle and modular weights allow the mace to be loaded with 11 different weight settings (2.5lb increments) from 6lbs-30lbs.

Game changer.

Actually, I’d buy the big deal package from Adex, which gets you short, medium, and long handles which are all compatible with modular weights.

Now you’re in the game with an even wider spectrum of exercises.

If you train in a home gym, space is one of the most important considerations, and an adjustable mace will have a much smaller footprint.

Preserve space.

In Closing

The benefits of mace training are pretty extensive, but remember, it’s all about taking action.

Consistency is key to getting benefits from any approach to fitness.

Keep coming back for more.

The Meauxtion YouTube channel has more macebell exercise variations to check out.

Macebell 360 Swings| Technique, Benefits and Workouts

macebell

The Macebell 360 swing is a high velocity, total body circular strength exercise that makes an “around-the-world” path of motion traveling in front and behind the body.

Macebell 360 swings are a fundamental exercise in the macebell training catalog.

Beginners, novice all the way up to elite macebell trainees use the 360 exercise.

“Wait… What’s a Macebell?”

Macebell (sometimes referred to steel maces) is a dense ball of mass welded onto the end of a long steel handle.   

The Macebell 

The design of the macebell makes it a fantastic tool for circular movements like swings, because of the increased length of the handle (as compared the clubbells), creating a significant amount of torque.

 

Benefits of Macebell 360 Swings

I’m not going to spend a ton of time rattling off benefits, because listing benefits is a tired tactic to keep the reader’s attention on fitness blogs.  

And I get it.  You landed here looking to learn more about Macebell training and you want to know what’s in it for you.  

I read websites on various topics (most recently on how to grow a lush lawn) thinking “What’s in it for me?”. 

Here are a few notable benefits of Macebell 360 swings:

  •  Improved grip strength
  •  Cardio conditioning
  •  Rotational core training 
  •  Builds resilient shoulders
  •  Multi-planar exercises
  •  Pairs extremely well with other modalities 
  •  Valid calorie-burning exercise (contributing to fat loss)
  •  Fresh, challenging, engaging, different fitness training

Holding onto the macebell during swings and other exercises train the grip, pretty aggressively.  Especially as the weight of the macebell increases (grip strength) or the higher rep sets are used (grip endurance). 

Similar to kettlebell swings, macebell 360 swings are great to use for loaded cardio conditioning. 

Core training should expand beyond flexion/extension and static stability exercises.  Training the core for rotational performance using a macebell is FANTASTIC.  Macebell 360 swings can boost rotational power while also training the body to resist rotational forces (anti-rotation).  

The obliques get blasted during 360 swings, mainly due to the cross-body nature of the exercise.  

I talk a little more about using the importance of using dedicated mobility exercises down below, but the macebell does articulate the shoulders through a more robust range of motion than 90% of other exercises in the gym.  

Over time, the muscles and connective tissue surrounding the shoulder will gain strength, flexibility, and mobility.   

Just be careful to avoid overstress these soft tissue structures 😬 (thus the recommendation to build mobility/strength using active mobility training)

Most exercises are performed in the sagittal and frontal planes (very linear), which is fine, but 3-dimensional fitness should include moving in the transverse plane. 

Taking it a step further, workouts should include exercises and sequences that integrate all 3-planes in one shot.  

 

Macebell 360 Swing Technique

  1.  Mace starts in a vertical position in front of the body, hands near the bottom.
  2.  Tip the head of the mace to one side, allow the sphere to begin “falling” through an arc behind the body.
  3.  As the head falls, raise the hands up, over and behind the head (diagonal pullover)
  4.  After the mace passes behind the butt, “pull” it out through the remaining arc, drawing the hands back over the shoulder and in front of the body.
  5.  Reset in step #1 position before starting the next rep.  
  6.  Less reading, more viewing… watch the slow-motion video above.

    Injury

    What’s funny about macebell 360 swings, is that the torque and velocity (two great features of the exercise) are also what scares the living shit out of people when it comes to the risk of injury.

    You smoke yourself with a macebell and you’re going to be gun shy for a little bit.

    And I get it.

    When my 15lb sand 25lb macebells arrived I couldn’t wait to get into the gym and start using them.

    The excitement quickly faded after I skived the head of the macebell off of hip.

    Without question, there are real dangers and consequences of swinging a mace, but a person can mitigate the risk of injury by practicing introductory exercises and acclimating to the demands of the swing gradually.

    Every repetition, your body must produce force to get the macebell moving, but also stabilize and control the mace throughout the path of travel.

    The purpose of this article is to share benefits, technique tips/tricks, and how to use macebell 360 swings in workouts.  

    Macebell exercises are not more “dangerous” as compared to barbell cleans, kettlebell swings, or jumping onto a box.

    Learn the technique, work to improve it, you’ll be good. 

 

Correcting Shoulder Mobility Problems with Macebell Exercises

Macebells are frequently recommended as a mobility training tool for the shoulders and thoracic spine, and this makes me cringe.

I do not endorse trying to use weighted exercises as miracle cures for improving mobility.

My personal opinion… if you don’t own the range of motion (actively) without weight, you shouldn’t use weight to pull you into that range of motion.  

Seems like a recipe for disaster. 

Can 360 swings improve your shoulder mobility and function?  Yeah, they can.

Is it a good idea to bypass mobility drills like CARs, prone swimmers, and other slow and controlled mobility drills in favor of twirling weight around your body?  

In my humble opinion, no.

Take this as a word of caution.

You might be fine… but then again… you might not.

If throughout any part of the range of motion, the stress of the macebell swing (torque, velocity, acceleration and deceleration, shoulder position, etc) exceeds tissue tolerance, the risk of injury is increased.

The most vulnerable position is likely to be just before, during, and after the shoulders are extended (hands behind the neck) while the macebell is moving behind the body, this can be a compromised position.

And to be fair to macebell training, using a piece of weighted equipment in hopes of improving mobility isn’t just a macebell cautionary tale.

I give the same word of caution to every other piece of equipment, exercise, or activity.

Advice:  Work to improve mobility BEFORE swinging the mace, not while swinging the mace.

MyMobilityDaily is my top choice to learn effective mobility solutions that leverage FRC principles (functional range conditioning).  The program is streamed to your home and workouts are constantly being updated. 

 

Selecting a Macebell Weight

Start with a 10lb or 15lb macebell, but over time you will need to increase the weight to continue challenging your body. 

Lighter is better in the beginning.  A lightweight mace will give you more control and create more space for technical errors.  

Size up in weight with time and practice.  

Most macebells, one-piece and adjustable options, get heavier by 2.5 or 5lb increments.  

The human body adapts quickly to repetition and repeated stress.

Light/Midweight Macebells = Higher reps

Heavy Macebells = Low reps

Same as lifting weights. 

Creating Workouts Using Macebell 360 Swings

Here’s a common question I get:

I don’t recommend ONLY using Macebell 360 swings as the entire workout.

You could, but there are so many other great exercises and mobility drills, why isolate yourself to just one?

As part of a workout? Yes.  Just not the whole thing.

Now with that being said, you can test your cardio and strength with longer duration sets.  I’ve performed Macebell 360 swings for 8+ minutes without rest, alternating 10 reps in both directions and switching my grip periodically.  Tough little workout.  

I prefer total body training sessions.  

Throughout any given week, I’ll strength train (2-3 sessions), condition (2-3 sessions) and ALWAYS include mobility work of some kind.  

When I’m working macebell drills, it’s common practice to include bodyweight movements.  Bodyweight training pairs extremely well with just about any gym equipment (smooth transitions, variations, accessibility, etc)

Everywhere you go, bodyweight training is an option. 

👉 Vahva Fitness “Movement20XX” is currently my top program pick for learning how to move your body against gravity. 

Here’s a shortlist of great bodyweight exercises to pair up with the Macebell:  push-ups, hollow body rocks, crawling variations (forward, backward, lateral, lizard, etc) ground-based movement training, dive bombers, chin-ups, pull-ups, rows, squat/lunge/hip hinge variations, etc.

Save your grip.  If you are going to include exercises drain your grip (deadlifts, pull-ups, rows, etc), think it through.

Grip integrity is crucial while swinging the mace.  You let go of that sucker and it’s destroying whatever it hits.

If grip fatigue is a concern, consider skipping pulling exercises like horizontal rows and vertical pull-ups while you’re swinging, or simply shuffle those exercise to the back of the workout once swing practice is finished.

Non-competing exercises.  Unlike some exercises, Macebell 360 swings don’t suck away energy from other activities in a workout.

Sure, every effort in the gym is going to drain the fuel tank a little bit, but swings have more of a flow-like element to them, with less time under tension versus grinding exercises like squats, push-ups, and pulling exercises.

Here are a few 4 exercise circuits …

Circuit #1

Macebell 360 Swings x 10 each side

Single-Leg Squat (Pistol Squat) x 5 each side

Sliding Push-Ups x 5 each side

Hollow Body Rocks x1 0

 

Circuit #2

Macebell 360 Swings x 10 each side

Body Rows x 8

Single-Leg Deadlift x 5 each side

Rotational Side Planks x 8 each side

 

Reps.  I like 8-10 reps per side for beginners and novice.  After the last rep, rest for a little bit before starting the next set.  

Over time, feel free to increase the reps per side (15+) and the reps per set (30, 40, 50+ reps).

I like to accumulate reps in a session.  

Accumulating 100 swing reps per workout is not unreasonable and spread across several workouts per week, this is a great way to improve swing technique through volume, acclimation, and constant technique refinement.

You have to practice, practice, practice to play well.  

Macebell 360 swings are good to go for higher rep work sets.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and work until it sounds, or, aim for 6-8 rounds with limited rest (:30-:45 seconds) between each round.

I’ve worked up to no rest for the entire 10-minute work set, remaining cognizant of my technique and fatigue level throughout. 

*** Setting a timer and getting to work is a favorite exertion strategy of mine.  It allows for all focus to be directed toward technique/mechanics, body position, and timing.  

If at any point swing technique begins to unravel (fatigue kills technique) or grip integrity diminishes and compromises safety… REST!

If you’re looking for cardio combinations, well, you came to the right place.

I LOVE using macebell 360 swings inside of conditioning circuits.

This cardio circuit is a personal favorite:

Macebell 360 Swings x10 each side

200m SkiErg

Hip Thrust x15

If you don’t have access to a SkiErg, substitute wave drills with battling ropes (or next-generation reactive training tool: InertiaWave), towel snaps, or medicine ball slams.

But I’d recommend saving up for a SkiErg, it’s an incredibly unique and versatile piece of cardio equipment with a small footprint for home gyms with limited space.

Public Service Announcement:  Are you hip thrusting yet? (sounds kinda kinky, “that’s what she said”)  If not, add hip thrusts to your workout regimen.  Hip thrusts should be categorized as a primary exercise in my book (similar to deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, etc).  They’re AWESOME for building strong glutes and hamstrings.

 

Advanced Macebell 360 Variations

“Advanced” describes any variation beyond the basic Macebell 360 swing.  

Advanced variations introduce an additional technical element or movement that increases the challenge and training stimulus, making them more difficult.  

Here a few cool variations:

Macebell 360 High/Low Swings

By far, this is my favorite macebell combination.  

The flowing nature, swinging high and low in front of the body and behind, makes this combination challenging and addicting.

Start with lighter weight to feel out the demands and smooth out the technique of the combo.

Over time, you can increase the weight used and get the entire body twisting and turning.  

🦴 Foot Fracture Saving Tip:  Choke up on the macebell or flex at the elbows to keep the head of the mace away from the feet, or you risk DESTROYING your foot bones.

Macebell 360 Swing to Bicep Catch

If you like adding bicep work into your gym sessions, you’ll love this exercise. 

Slowing down a speeding macebell using an eccentric variation of a bicep curl is AGGRESSIVE.

On top of slowing it down, reverse the action and “throw” the macebell back into orbit by curling it back up.

 

Macebell 360 Swings vs Kettlebell Swings

Having read through this article, you’re now familiar with Macebell 360 swings.  In the kettlebell training world, kettlebell swings are a close relative to the macebell 360.

Macebell and kettlebell training are both ballistic drills, which are great for power development and conditioning (among other athletic traits).

During 360 swings, the macebell crosses the midline of the body from left to right and right to left on every rep, where the kettlebell swings pass between the legs from front to back in a pendulum-like fashion.  

Two different paths of travel train different muscles.  

For reference, here are kettlebell swings:

One of the glaringly obvious differences between a macebell and kettlebell is in the design.  

A 40lb macebell and kettlebell weigh exactly the same when placed on a weight scale, however, after lifting a 40 lb macebell, 10 out of 10 people would agree it feels 15-20lbs heavier.  

It’s pretty bizarre. 

The kettlebell?  Pretty balanced piece of equipment.  

Macebells and kettlebells have a different distribution of weight, handles and therefore each piece of equipment creates a unique training experience.

At some point, I’ll write up a “Kettlebell Training vs Macebell Training” article.

Instead of playing favorites, I suggested designating each tool to play to their respective strengths and “best” exercises and uses in the gym.  

Where to find/buy Macebells

I originally purchased my 15lb and 25lb from Amazon after doing extensive research.  

Most macebells are designed exactly the same, so it became a cost situation. 

Eventually, I went with these Apollo Macebells.

Hindsight being 20/20, I should have purchased the adjustable Adex Macebell.  

Similar to lifting weights, Macebell training requires progressive loading across time to make gains and avoid plateauing.

The Adex Macebell is brilliantly constructed and allows for incremental changes in weight from 5lbs to 50lbs.  

If you were to buy individual (one-piece) macebells in all of these sizes, they’d suck up a ton of valuable gym space while spending 4-5x the money in the end.  

Now, if you’re going to be working sledgehammer drills against a tire with the macebell, I recommend using a one-piece macebell for that.