Onnit Steel Mace: Benefits, Exercises, and Training Guide

How Do You Use Onnit Mace?

Using an Onnit steel mace involves mastering specific foundational movements that leverage its unique offset weight distribution to enhance rotational power, grip strength, shoulder stability, and core engagement, making it a versatile tool for functional strength and conditioning.

What is an Onnit Steel Mace?

An Onnit steel mace is a training tool characterized by a long handle with a weighted sphere at one end, resembling a medieval weapon. Unlike traditional dumbbells or barbells, the mace's weight is unevenly distributed, creating a significant lever arm that challenges the body in unique ways. This design forces greater stabilization from the core, shoulders, and grip, promoting integrated strength rather than isolated muscle development. Onnit's maces are typically made from durable steel, ensuring longevity and consistent performance.

Why Train with a Steel Mace?

Training with a steel mace offers a myriad of benefits that extend beyond conventional weightlifting:

• Enhanced Rotational Power: The mace's offset weight is ideal for developing powerful rotational movements, crucial for sports like golf, baseball, tennis, and martial arts.
• Superior Grip Strength: Constantly gripping and controlling the mace's long handle with an uneven load significantly taxes the forearms and hands, leading to profound improvements in grip strength.
• Improved Shoulder Stability and Mobility: The dynamic, multi-planar movements inherent in mace training (especially swings and presses) demand active stabilization from the rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder musculature, improving both strength and range of motion.
• Core Strength and Engagement: Every mace movement, from swings to presses, heavily recruits the entire core (abdominals, obliques, lower back) to counterbalance the shifting weight and maintain posture.
• Unilateral and Anti-Rotational Training: Many mace exercises are performed unilaterally or challenge the body's ability to resist unwanted rotation, building balanced strength and resilience.
• Coordination and Proprioception: The complex movement patterns require significant body awareness and coordination, refining neuromuscular control.
• Functional Strength: Mace training translates directly to real-world movements, improving overall athleticism and injury prevention.

Choosing Your Onnit Steel Mace

Selecting the appropriate weight is crucial for safe and effective mace training:

• Beginners (General Fitness): Start with a lighter mace, typically 7-10 lbs. This allows you to learn proper form and movement patterns without being overwhelmed by the load.
• Intermediate (Experienced Lifters/Athletes): 10-15 lbs is often suitable. You might use a lighter mace for more complex, dynamic movements and a heavier one for slower, grinding exercises.
• Advanced (Strong/Experienced Mace Users): 20+ lbs. These heavier maces are used for specific strength-building exercises and advanced conditioning.
• Key Consideration: The mace feels heavier than its stated weight due to the leverage. Always err on the side of caution and start lighter.

Fundamental Principles of Mace Training

Before diving into exercises, understand these core principles:

• The Grip: Typically, a "baseball bat" grip where hands are stacked, with one hand closer to the head (top hand) and the other closer to the pommel (bottom hand). Experiment with hand placement to adjust leverage.
• The Stance: A stable, athletic stance is paramount. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
• Controlled Movement: Every movement should be deliberate and controlled, especially during the eccentric (lowering) phase. Avoid relying on momentum until form is perfected.
• Breathing: Coordinate your breath with the movement – typically exhale on exertion.
• Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on the muscles being worked and the path of the mace.

Key Onnit Steel Mace Exercises

Here are foundational exercises to integrate into your routine:

360 Swing

• Description: The quintessential mace exercise. Starting with the mace held vertically in front of you, swing it over one shoulder, behind your back, and around to the opposite shoulder, then back to the front. The mace head describes a full circle around your body.
• Benefits: Develops incredible rotational power, shoulder mobility and stability, and full-body coordination. Excellent for core engagement.
• Execution Tips: Keep elbows close to the body initially. Initiate the swing with the hips, not just the arms. Maintain a strong, stable core throughout.

10-to-2 Swing

• Description: Similar to the 360, but the mace head only travels from approximately the "10 o'clock" position (behind one shoulder) to the "2 o'clock" position (behind the other shoulder) without completing a full circle. It's often seen as a precursor or variation of the 360.
• Benefits: Builds foundational rotational strength, shoulder health, and core stability in a slightly more controlled range of motion than the 360.
• Execution Tips: Focus on a smooth, controlled arc. Use your hips and obliques to drive the movement.

Grave Digger

• Description: Hold the mace with both hands near the end of the handle. Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight, and "dig" the mace head into the ground between your feet, then drive up, bringing the mace head to chest height.
• Benefits: Powerful posterior chain exercise (glutes, hamstrings, lower back), builds grip strength, and core stability.
• Execution Tips: Maintain a neutral spine. Hinge from the hips, not the waist. Drive through your heels on the upward phase.

Overhead Squat

• Description: Hold the mace overhead with arms extended, maintaining a stable shoulder position. Perform a deep squat while keeping the mace directly overhead.
• Benefits: Challenges shoulder stability, thoracic mobility, core strength, and lower body strength simultaneously.
• Execution Tips: Start with a very light mace. Focus on maintaining a straight line from the mace head through your shoulders and hips. If shoulder mobility is an issue, reduce squat depth.

Mace Front Squat

• Description: Hold the mace horizontally across your chest, with the head pointing out to one side. Perform a squat while maintaining this front rack position.
• Benefits: Strengthens the quads, glutes, and challenges core stability due to the offset load.
• Execution Tips: Keep the mace stable and close to your body. Engage your core to prevent rotation.

Mace Shoulder Press (Unilateral/Bilateral)

• Description:
  • Unilateral: Hold the mace in one hand, either on the shoulder or in a front rack position, and press it overhead.
  • Bilateral: Hold the mace with both hands, either vertically or horizontally, and press overhead.
• Benefits: Builds shoulder strength, stability, and core anti-rotation capabilities (unilateral).
• Execution Tips: Maintain a tight core and glutes to prevent arching the back. Control the eccentric phase.

Mace Row

• Description: Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat, and pull the mace head towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades. Can be done with one or two hands.
• Benefits: Strengthens the lats, rhomboids, traps, and biceps, while also engaging the core for stability.
• Execution Tips: Keep your core engaged to stabilize the torso. Focus on pulling with your back muscles, not just your arms.

Safety and Progression

• Warm-Up Thoroughly: Always begin with dynamic stretches and light cardiovascular activity to prepare your joints and muscles.
• Prioritize Form: Never sacrifice proper technique for heavier weight or more repetitions. Watch videos, use a mirror, or seek guidance from a qualified instructor.
• Start Light: The mace's leverage makes even light weights challenging. Begin with a weight that allows you to execute movements flawlessly.
• Controlled Movements: Avoid jerky or uncontrolled motions, especially during swings.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any pain or discomfort. Rest when needed.
• Gradual Progression: As you gain strength and mastery, you can gradually increase the mace weight or the complexity of the exercises.

Integrating Mace Training into Your Routine

Mace training can be a standalone workout, a dynamic warm-up, or integrated into an existing strength and conditioning program:

• Full-Body Workout: Combine several mace exercises into a circuit for a comprehensive full-body challenge.
• Accessory Work: Use mace movements to complement your main lifts, focusing on rotational power, grip, or shoulder health.
• Warm-Up/Cool-Down: Lighter mace flows can serve as an excellent dynamic warm-up or active cool-down.
• Frequency: Start with 2-3 sessions per week to allow for recovery and adaptation.

Conclusion

The Onnit steel mace is far more than a novelty; it's a potent tool for developing functional strength, dynamic stability, and integrated power. By understanding its unique mechanics and diligently practicing foundational movements, you can unlock a new dimension of fitness that translates directly to improved athletic performance and everyday resilience. Embrace the challenge, prioritize form, and discover the profound benefits of mace training.