Steel Mace Weight Recommendations
So you got an interest in steel maces and you’re wondering now “why are the weight selections so light?” This is what throws people off whether you’re strong or just beginning your journey into fitness. So you buy a mace that’s around 20-25lbs, get it delivered, and start playing around with it and then realize…”oh crap, this is TOO heavy for me.” If you made this mistake you’re not the only one. These are a couple of comments left from my Youtube subscribers for my steel mace workouts:
So why does this tool feel so heavy at first? A steel mace is an asymmetrically (one side) loaded tool with all the weight in the mace head and no less than a pound in the handle. So we’re not talking about a dumbbell or kettlebell here. Once you get the mace into a vertical stacked position your grip, lats (big muscle wings of your back), and posture instantly get challenged to resist the steel mace’s weight distribution being over your head. This is what makes the steel mace such a unique tool because you can increase your overall strength with little weight since the steel mace exposes all the places you lack mobility or stability. To be clear, steel maces and sledgehammers are NOT the same and I wrote a whole other article on it here.
So which steel mace is best for me then? First, please be humble and take your ego out of the mix whether your experienced with other tools or not. If you want to get the MOST out of your steel mace training you need to pick a weight size that allows you to do the most quality movements. The heavier you go…the less you can do with it. Another big thing many don’t realize is steel mace training doesn't just train your muscles, but also tendons and ligaments. So they do not recover as fast as your muscles and you need to be patient letting your tendons (especially in your elbows) get used to the weight you’re using. The best weights selections I’ve found are:
MEN: 10-15LBs
WOMEN: 7-10LBs
