Other/Mixed Are macebells and clubs good for shoulder health?
- Thread starter Opiaswing
- Start date
Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
- Status
Stuart Elliott
Level 6 Valued Member
Yes it is. I use a mace for both a warm up (mostly 360s) or as standalone session (mostly 10to2s). Great for loosening up the shoulders, but if your looking for upper body mobility and stability I'd also include get ups or bent press (I bent press).
Steve W.
Level 8 Valued Member
I love maces and clubbells, and they are a major part of my training, not just an extra I do for shoulder health.
They are a great complement to KBs, and are just really fun.
Although I've done a lot of mace swinging and still keep it my rotation (pun intended), I tend to favor clubbells because you have more options for one-handed drills and doubles (a club in each hand), and you can swing them down in front of you as well as behind you.
If you're shopping for clubs, I really like the Oates Specialties TAP clubs. They have a rubberized handle coating that I like a lot. I also have some older Rmax clubs that I like, although they've changed the handles from a textured coating to knurling and I have not tried the new ones.
They are a great complement to KBs, and are just really fun.
Although I've done a lot of mace swinging and still keep it my rotation (pun intended), I tend to favor clubbells because you have more options for one-handed drills and doubles (a club in each hand), and you can swing them down in front of you as well as behind you.
If you're shopping for clubs, I really like the Oates Specialties TAP clubs. They have a rubberized handle coating that I like a lot. I also have some older Rmax clubs that I like, although they've changed the handles from a textured coating to knurling and I have not tried the new ones.
lais817
Level 7 Valued Member
Are maces and clubs something that is possible to get a decent idea of how to do by watching / reading YouTube and books etc? I'd imagine it is quite similar to kettlebells in their own way, but if you could get a start in them by yourself it's something I like the look of.
spc
Level 2 Valued Member
Absolutely.
Personally I had some experience with double/cross- coordination from my Escrima training. (Thats's why I started light clubs in the first place)
But even without this is easy and fun to learn. Start light. Don't underestimate the power. Get your joints and tendons used to it. 4lbs is a good point to start, to get the moves down.
I suggest the channel of ZenKahuna. He is the man! And Mark Wildman for heavy clubs! nourishingmoves also has good tutorials and a lot of written knowledge with regard to the terminology.
Again - don't underestimate the power of this. A 20lbs club is not the same as a dumbbell. It's much harder to handle.
As for health and recovery. I introduced my brother in law to it. He's been at our place for christmas and told me of his shoulder injury and that he had a surgery. I've got two 4kg wooden clubs, but I used only one. I linked him some videos and he started training.
He told me after a couple of days already that the club brought him back to training. It relieved his sciatica issues as well as his shoulder blockade.
Again - start light. Understand mechanics and techniques and build up gradually.
Last edited:
Steve W.
Level 8 Valued Member
Scott Sonnon is also a really good source for clubbell instruction. I mainly learned from his videos. Some of his instruction is presented in a more overly complex and esoteric way than it needs to be, but the basic content is really good.
Club technique is less about powering through the movements, but about the rhythm of where and when to be tight, where and when to be loose, where you have good leverage (and the fine points of getting in stable, good leverage positions where you can absorb or exert force, and how to direct that force), and where I didn't have good leverage (and the fine points of letting the club flow through those positions using momentum). There's a lot of quick and reflexive shifting between tension and relaxation. The basic "outer" technique, I picked up from video, but the "inner" technique, the feel and timing, came with just putting in a lot of time and reps and learning by trial and error.
Club technique is less about powering through the movements, but about the rhythm of where and when to be tight, where and when to be loose, where you have good leverage (and the fine points of getting in stable, good leverage positions where you can absorb or exert force, and how to direct that force), and where I didn't have good leverage (and the fine points of letting the club flow through those positions using momentum). There's a lot of quick and reflexive shifting between tension and relaxation. The basic "outer" technique, I picked up from video, but the "inner" technique, the feel and timing, came with just putting in a lot of time and reps and learning by trial and error.
offwidth
Level 10 Valued Member
@Opiaswing …Maces good for shoulder health? Based upon personal experience, and anecdotal evidence on this forum, I’d have to say for some people yes. They might not be for everyone, or everyone’s situation however.
@lais817 …Can you learn proper technique and forum from YouTube and the like? Same story. Some folks are very adept at learning and picking up things this way and / or by ‘trial and modification’. Others… not so much. Those folks can certainly benefit from hands on instruction.
@lais817 …Can you learn proper technique and forum from YouTube and the like? Same story. Some folks are very adept at learning and picking up things this way and / or by ‘trial and modification’. Others… not so much. Those folks can certainly benefit from hands on instruction.
Gary W
Level 5 Valued Member
Ive literally just ordered a 6kg macebell, unsure how im going to program it in yet, I'll probably replace halos in my warm ups with it and also use it as a standalone workout, kinda active recovery day.
Unless its too heavy! Ive no idea yet.
360s and 10 to 2s look pretty simple to learn tho
Unless its too heavy! Ive no idea yet.
360s and 10 to 2s look pretty simple to learn tho
spc
Level 2 Valued Member
Last edited:
A few good IG channels if you like this sort of thing:
Kelly Manzone
Steph Sorenson
Tony Lamana
Hammurabi Fuentes
Peter Wolf
Exitcomfortzone
Kelly Manzone
Steph Sorenson
Tony Lamana
Hammurabi Fuentes
Peter Wolf
Exitcomfortzone
pood_swinger
Level 3 Valued Member
I've been using them but haven't noticed any benefit so far (I mean, no more than KB halos)
360s feel like a bit of stretching when the mace is swinging and weird angle lat pull down
I still do them almost every session. I prefer to do 360s to a stop in the center, that way the forearms get more work, instead of continuous 360s
I've noticed shoulder benefits from dead hangs, bands and clean & press
360s feel like a bit of stretching when the mace is swinging and weird angle lat pull down
I still do them almost every session. I prefer to do 360s to a stop in the center, that way the forearms get more work, instead of continuous 360s
I've noticed shoulder benefits from dead hangs, bands and clean & press
barrak
Level 6 Valued Member
They look deceptively simple, and even with good form they can hurt your triceps' and hands' tendons if not conditioned first. I highly recommend several weeks of progressive back swings before attempting 360s. Something similar to the need for conditioning ankles before starting a running program after a long hiatus.
Steve W.
Level 8 Valued Member
I've never personally had a problem with my hands from swinging maces, but after a layoff I once tweaked a tendon or something right above the point of the elbow at the base of the triceps, and it took quite a while to resolve.
BTW, for mace technique, powerlifter Chris Duffin, the inventor of the ShouldeRok (a plate loaded mace), has some really good video content. He comes to mace training more from a direction of mobility/rehab/prehab than using the mace as a traditional training implement, so a lot of his focus is on safe mechanics and safe learning progressions. If you Google videos for "Chris Duffin Shoulderok" a lot of good stuff comes up.
the hansenator
Level 6 Valued Member
I apologize for going off topic but I’m not familiar with this. How is it done?
pood_swinger
Level 3 Valued Member
this is true ha! don't go for a 360 in the first try. do a progression, building to the 360
I followed this
4 Steel Mace Practice Moves to Master the 360 and 10-to-2 (Updated)
You've got yourself a steel mace, first things first, you need to learn the essentials. The two main movements for the steel mace, arguably the most fun and effective as well, are the 10-to-2 and 360. Here are 4 mace 360 and 10-to-2 practice moves to master the 360 and 10 to 2, and eventually...
www.setforset.com
Gary W
Level 5 Valued Member
Bookmarked, thanks!this is true ha! don't go for a 360 in the first try. do a progression, building to the 360
I followed this
4 Steel Mace Practice Moves to Master the 360 and 10-to-2 (Updated)
You've got yourself a steel mace, first things first, you need to learn the essentials. The two main movements for the steel mace, arguably the most fun and effective as well, are the 10-to-2 and 360. Here are 4 mace 360 and 10-to-2 practice moves to master the 360 and 10 to 2, and eventually...
Wyanokie
Level 5 Valued Member
@Opiaswing when you said clubs, I'm assuming you are referring to Indian clubs? If so Dr. Ed Thomas has a great intro to Indian clubs on YouTube, which I've posted the link to below. Side note: I have two light pairs of clubs (1 lb and 2 lb) and they've made a lot of difference for me personally, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
barrak
Level 6 Valued Member
Depends on the individual's running biomechanics and their starting reference. Examples:
A highschooler with good form would simply reset their volume after an off-season break and build up gradually.
Someone who haven't run in years would spend several weeks of walk-run sessions to give their joints time to acclimate to the constant pounding and avoid ankle tendonitis/inflammation.
Someone with flat/pronated feet would need to build up their foot arches and strengthen the varied muscles in their feet first, or else plantar fasciitis and/or IT band issues could arise later.
- Status