How the Steel Mace Can Help?
The steel mace is one of the best tools I have found to personally correct and strengthen my own posture and to reinforce proper movement mechanics to maintain that posture. With it’s unique offset balance and length it has help me and many of my clients with similar issues, take back control on how we sit, stand, move and most of all feel. Let’s be honest it’s hard not to feel like a bad@$ when swinging 10 pounds of steel!
Step 1. Standing Structure
Standing Structure is going to be our base point. Our “Home Base” for optimal posture alignment. Just being more conscious of how you stand and sit through out the day will help us to correct those pesky forward shoulders and start to reduce pain and discomfort. Here it is.
The Cues to get into Standing Structure are:
o Point pinky toes straight, feet no wider than shoulder length apart.
o Micro bend in the knees, not locked out.
o Tuck tailbone underneath you by driving hips forward (flex glutes).
o Tuck your ribs down into your abdomen, create tension(flex).
o Roll shoulders down and back create tension between shoulder.
o Pull chin back and lengthen spine through the back of your head.
Step 2. Grip It, Rip It, Crush It
Now let’s add in the mace!One of the best things about the mace is your ability to isometric force to it while holding ist and moving it through movements. We are going to discuss two of
Converging Force/Crush It– All this means is when you are holding the mace that you try to “crush it” together without letting your hands slide closer. This activates muscles of the chest.
Diverging Force/Rip It– This force is the opposite of converging. Which means instead of trying to crush the mace we literally try to rip the mace apart. This will activate the muscles of the back.
Step 3. The Everyday Routine
The Every Day Routine- Do at least two(2) full rounds of these five(5) Steel Mace exercises daily to achieve the most benefit and optimal results on correcting rounded shoulders.
- RIP IT(as hard as you can)- 15-20 Seconds; Alternate weighted side each round.
- Switch Squat- 20 Total Reps; “Rip It” as you squat down when mace is horizontal to floor.
- Offset Press- 8 Reps each side; “Crush It” as you press up, “Rip It” as you come Down.
- High Hinge Row- 8 Reps each side; “Rip It” as you pull to chest, “Crush It” as you lower down.
- Pendulums- 20 Total Reps; Alternate top hand each round.
Rest as needed between each exercise and repeat for as many rounds as you’d like with a minimum of two(2) to balance out your hand positions.
Focus on slow controlled movements. Posture and form are key, especially in the upper back and shoulders. When this workout is done correctly you may see other fitness benefits such as increased endurance, strength gain, and fat burn. But the main focus is to correct posture and reduce pain from upper cross syndrome.
For the full break down of the Everyday Routine as well as pictures and videos on how each movement is done: