Fitness is supposed at times may lack attractiveness. It may seem boring and monotonous, which in return feeds into the high regard and requirement of discipline. But can fitness be fun? Can be attractive and also enjoyable?
Of course.
Over the past few years many different pieces of fitness equipment have come out. The mission is to be innovative while maintaining effectiveness. This is not so easy to do, and many “inventions” or “must have” items eventually fade into gym oblivion.
Having a back story or an influence on a piece of equipment helps. It almost shows that the equipment has already been proven to be effective.
Steel clubs and maces are innovative pieces of equipment, yet they are not.
The history of these pieces equipment goes back 1000s of years. They were used as weapons of course, but due to their heavy weight, they were also utilized for strength training, especially for swordsman.
How Do They Work
A steel club and steel mace provide a much more unconventional form of strength training than many may be used to. With a elongated handle and a weighted end, the person has to work harder for control and will use many more stabilizer muscles. By moving their hand(s) closer to the weighted end, of course more control is gained, but for a challenge the user will move their hand(s) further away from the weighted end.
When the club or mace is swung, the weight of itself and the speed at which it is swung will produce a rotational force known as torque. Kettlebells and dumbbells produce torque as well, but not even close to the effect of a club or mace. This is because of the elongated handle.
To put into perspective, a 25-pound club or mace will generate over 700lbs of torque. As you can guess, torque is the very thing that separates training with a steel club or mace from virtually everything else.
So why is torque important? Torque will open-up or “traction out” joints such as the wrists, elbows, and shoulders. The “tractioning” allows the joints to decompress and let fresh blood in to these areas. This helps anyone who has been training with weights for a long time and have compressed joints.
Some movements that are associated with steel clubs and steel maces are (Please Google or YouTube to get a visual):
Steel Mace
- Ballistic Curl to 360
- Alt. Joust with Squat
- 10 to 2’s
- Thrusters
- Grave Diggers
Steel Club
- Push
- Drop
- Swing
Training with a steel club or mace can also be seen as safer in certain aspects than conventional weight trainings. Take the back for example. When we squat we compress the spine. When it comes to a steel club or mace, we have the weight out in front of us, the spine is not compressed during any kind of squat movement.
So, if you are looking for something to add into your workout or just a shift or change in what you are doing, get your hands on a steel club or mace. The training has served to be very beneficial, even 1000s of years ago.
Plus, it looks kind of awesome training like an ancient warrior.
