Steel mace | macebell

When looking up training programmes such as improving power, quicker fat loss, increase shoulder stability, to improve your sport-specific, & many more, steel mace or macebell seems to be popping up more often than usual nowadays heh?

An a-mace-ing tool for your body

We let you in with a quick info on why so many people are reviving this type of training & are they actually worth the hype. What you can expect in this article:

• What is a mace bell?
• How do you use steel mace?
• How do you swing mace bell?
• What weight/size of steel mace should I use?

What is a Macebell?
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First thing first, let's clear the term steel mace/mace bell, or steelmace/ macebell (it doesn't matter). Like how are there two names & which is which, because if you have been googling around for this answer, you will not get it anywhere else (if you haven't been googling, this article will save you the headache & confusion).


Just like the term "core" & "trunk", there seems to be a need for another version of everything. This is because we are vastly different & information will always be interpreted slightly different from individuals when passed on to the next. Steel mace less known as the Gada is used in ancient times in war & even represented in Hinduism by the monkey god Hanuman as pictured above, & just as it is, there is another version of it, Thor (pictured above), who is god of lightning with insanely crazy amount of strength, power, endurance, & agility similar to the god Hanuman who is known to move mountains etc.
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A steel mace is made of stainless steel (thus steel & mace) & they typically range from the weight starting at 4kgs up to 15kgs (you wouldn't need more trust me). The weight will dictate how much thicker they are & length of it as well, suffice to say that they once they go up in weight they usually go slightly longer but stop at the thickness around an Olympic barbell, any thicker, you would need Thor to move it for you. The mace is also known to be a very versatile strength training equipment, even more versatile than the friend kettlebell because of the ability to increase & decrease leverage quickly & easily.

The name mace bell came from a combination of the word or tool kettle-bell &stainless steel mace, heck, there is even a new term for this actually, a full on combination of everything so nothing is missed, it's called steel macebell. Nothing wrong with it, it just leaves you confused that's all. So these names that it goes by, are used loosely (including this article, so get used to it) but all of them are referring to the same equipment or tool, so don't worry the next time you read it by a different name, just look at the tool & you will think of this article for the next confused person.


Moving on, a mace bell, is now seen as a piece of equipment to help facilitate an increase in any form of strength training which can include but not limited to:

• grip strength
• rotational strength
• full body
• upper body
• lower body
• endurance
• functional workouts (sport-specific)
• fat loss
• rehab
• motor control
• balance
• hand-eye coordination
• hypertrophy
• cardiovascular conditioning
• shoulder stability
• mobility
• & so much more (it's only limited to your knowledge of human movement & creativity of safe movement/transitions)

Training with a steel macebell also has tremendous benefits for those who need to strengthen up that loose shoulder by increasing grip strength (making ti difficult), which is closely related to your shoulder's stability & how it performs dynamic movement under load. The steel macebell is a great product but only with proper training to know how to do basic core movements associated with any fitness routine using steel mace, so please get professional or qualified trainers to teach you at least the basics before you get fancy.
Traditionally in gyms that holds the old approach to training using only machines, more people now more open to add training tools such as the mace bell or steel mace giving you highly functional exercise session & increase your overall fitness. While they are helpful, remember that they are a tool & when used wrongly, can cause as much danger as swimming in a crocodile-infested lake.

If you include mace training into your exercise routine, your joints will also thank you. By using leverage, you can easily make the distribution of weight change making it more difficult or easier without the need to load more weight each time you do strength training. Injury happens always when your load exceeds the capacity that your body is able to take, & this is where the steel mace comes in. It helps engage the deeper stablisers of your muscles & the surrounding synergists that help any with movements. Strength training with a macebell will undoubtedly help you prevent injuries as it's constantly varied to engage your nervous system from all angle, making it one sure way to bulletproof your body from injuries. Increase your focus, increase strength training outcome, improve grip, & so much more with a simple tool you should be keeping in your home.

How do you use steel mace

Similarly to traditional weight/ resistance training in gym, you can use mace training the way you would with any dumbbell or barbell piece of equipment. a quick example of how to use steel mace training is it that it can be done for repetitions, sets, one hand, or two hands. It can also be used with dynamic movement which is called a "flow" where you transition from one beautiful movement into another to make it flow endlessly, thus the word mace flow (if that's your jam).
You can as well use it like a kettlebell with swings, essentially more room to manipulate leverage or resistance once again using the mace bell as you easily adjust the grip along the body to allow you to aim for something of a cardiovascular workout for the conditioning aspect. For those who want to increase grip strength, moving further away from the "head" of the steel mace will be a game-changer as it increases so much more resistance with a simple shift of your grip.
For rotational strength purposes for a sport-specific transfer or carry over, such as golf, javelin throws, punching, kicking, soccer, baseball, boxing & just about anything else that you need to generate extra power while rotating, you can use the mace to do it. Again, a great product for this as you can easily shift leverage & increase the workload of your body both acceleration & deceleration part of your training or fitness programme.
For fat loss or cardiovascular conditioning & muscular endurance, or in short HIIT programs, these bad boys will definitely help you do just that, but without the joints being loaded as much as you ar to use a traditional barbell or dumbell. Again, strong emphasis on learning how to use this is crucial as they can be as bad for you if used incorrectly.
To increase your overall fitness & prevent injury, use them frequently before your workout as a warm up, on your rest days to help improve overall recovery (active recovery), or use it in a phase to help you manage injury / or prevent them. My suggestion is to use them in between your sets every now & then to help your joints & your whole body to engage your it in a functional manner.

How do you swing mace?

​If you have never used a kettlebell under professional instructions, it may be wise for you to get some for training with mace as there a few crucial information that you need to know whilst swinging. If the steel mace gets a bit too low, you will have your feet go through some pedicures (not a good thing).
Best way to start: Using one mace at a time. Start by gripping closest to the "head" of the macebell, & then allow yourself to extend the head away increasing the distance between your grip on the body or handle & the head progressively. Now start by putting your feet together, & just start swinging your arms & make sure they're nothing higher than your belly button. Just this simple exercise will start increasing your grip strength, upper body strength

What size steel mace should I use?

​Anyone who wants to have the best distribution of weight & control in addition to being able to do many exercises, use a 4kg (all gender), & only move up once you have full, & i mean full control in a way that out feels like a feather for you to progress to the next weight as they do a jump of 4kgs, making the next weight an 8kg. Most if not all of the steel mace are pretty much indestructible, & quality of the maces are pretty much depends on the materials used to finish the surface tension as there are matted materials which give you better grip if you have sweaty palms, & the slicker ones (which i personally prefer to the matted) as it is sticker or tackier for gripping. (if you don't have sweaty palms remember).
For a more comprehensive guide to macebell & 16 other benefits, read it here.

While steel mace training isn't a new thing, for most of us it still is, & if not for this article, you wouldn't even know about it. Whatever your goals are with macebells, it's one of those tools that you can't use until you have been hand-guided by a qualified professional to keep you safe from injury & forward with your fitness & wellness goals.

Author/ Contributor

A Sports Medicine & Breath Works Specialist, Jab helps people by working towards a pain-free via unconventional methods of exercise & breathing.