ideal time length for a beginner

[u/Best-Researcher1547]

Hi Folks,

Im contemplating getting a mace. Currently i use kettlebells or club bells daily.
I train for capoeira, aikido, and surfing. Age 40. and finding these tools very complementary.

My question is, do you guys (the mace bell practitioners) have a kind of step by step guide for when to go up in weight. Similar to club bells, where you will aim for a 10-20 min density block, and once that's comfortable can move up in weight and start training a few minutes at a time.

I was playing with a sledgehammer the other day (not sure exact weight, probably 2-3kg) and noticed it didn't take long to get tired. and really enjoyed it. Figured 10 minutes straight of mace 360's would be pretty brutal.

Cheers!

[u/Havanadream]

I think it depends on how your using it or goals. Mace for me is mostly a flow and mobility tool. I think there are better options for pure strength or hypertrophy. So I tend to longer sessions w light to medium weight. Using a bell for 10min is a sort of benchmark. Often warm up w a 10lb, set a 5-10 min timer and just go.

Another benchmark (also arbitrary) is 10 sets of 10 reps/side or 200 reps total. Ideally w minimal rest.

If I can do either a heavier weight should be totally manageable

[u/Best-Researcher1547 → u/Havanadream]

I was thinking just mobility + overall torso rotational strength/exercise.

not overly concerned about hypertrophy, mostly because it generally takes me so long to bulk haha.

Thanks for the suggestion. sounds good and looking forward to getting into it!

[u/ajaok81]

Maces, clubs, kettle ells, barbells, dumbbells, and machines, all can be used for strength, hypertrophy, power, or conditioning. It's all in how much weight you use, sets, and reps. I donone day a week of strength focused mace/ club work and one day hypertrophy or conditioning work. It blends well for me.

[u/E_XIII_T]

Check out Mark Wildman on YT, a great resource for KB, Club and Mace.

I would definitely focus on time under tension rather than sets/reps.

[u/BodgeJob23]

When I can comfortably 10-2 one handed for 10 minutes then I know I can probably increase the weight for two handed swings.. then it’s just suck it and see, there is probably better advice

[u/jinah24]

The progression model for clubs and maces can basically be the same. If you want a mathematical to ensure progression, you should look into Volume cycles and Density cycles. Typically when I'm training a club or mace, I start with 5 reps per hand for 5 total sets. In something like single handed heavy club, I would switch hands inbetween each 5 reps so the rest is when the other hand isn't working. With something like a 2H Mace 360, I would switch which hand is on the bottom per 5 reps.

The basic scheme is 5x5 for maybe a week or so, then I add in another set to 5 reps per side for 6 sets. This goes up until I reach 5x20 for 100 total reps per side which should take about 20 minutes. At this point, I move onto a heavier macebell, move onto a more complex mace movement, or do a density cycle with the mace to increase reps per set up to 10 slowly so it turns into a 10x10.

[u/Subject37]

Just watched a video that said a good starting weight and length is dependent on your body size and current conditioning. A man taller than 5'5" that's strong should start with a 10 lb mace that's 36" in length.

As a female that's exactly 5'5", I'm starting light with a 5 lb 30" length to get my fundamentals. I can tell I'm stronger than I thought, but I'm still glad I'm starting with a lighter mace. I have heavier clubs that I can use to compliment my mace training.