Here's one excellent method to produce superb gains in strength, endurance and structure using the steel mace or clubs.

Most people approach training with a single metric in mind: weight. More kilos, more pounds, more plates on the bar.

It’s the dominant narrative of modern strength culture: progressive overload. But when it comes to mace training (and many other types of training), that mindset quickly becomes a limitation rather than an advantage.

In the beginning, results come fast. Everything is getting stronger and bigger. The novelty alone drives adaptation. But after that initial phase, many people hit a plateau and start experiencing issues.

They default to the same question: How do I increase the weight?

That’s where the mistake begins.

With mace training, progress should not be primarily driven by load. In fact, constantly chasing heavier loads will eventually create problems and hinder overall development.

The real driver should be time under tension and continuous volume within a set. Instead of adding weight, you extend duration.

This shift changes everything.

Rather than performing short, discrete sets, you create sustained effort. One set might last a full minute or more, with no real break in grip or tension. Your hands never release. Your muscles never relax. 

Even when the leverage changes slightly, the system remains active. This is where the adaptation happens: not just in raw numbers, but in actual strength endurance.

And that distinction matters. The goal is to develop the body, not lift more.

In most physical disciplines whether it’s calisthenics or traditional gym training, the limiting factor is rarely your prime movers...

It’s your grip. 

That’s why people rely on straps in pulling movements. They bypass the weak link instead of strengthening it.

How we do training in Iron King Method is the exact opposite. We expose the weak link and develop it directly.

We call this the "Grip First" principle.

This is where conventional rep schemes also fall short. The common belief is that strength lives in the 1–5 rep range, hypertrophy in the 8–12 range, and anything beyond that is just endurance. But that model is overly simplistic and is not even true.

High repetitions such as 30, 50, even 100, can build both strength and muscle when combined with continuous tension and proper execution. The key is not the number itself, but the quality and duration of effort behind it.

Think of it this way: performing 30 uninterrupted repetitions with a mace, without releasing your grip, creates a completely different stimulus than 3 sets of 10 with rest in between. The density of work is higher. The fatigue is deeper and as a result the adaptation is stronger.

A simple three-movement complex illustrates this perfectly:

— 10 cleans
— 10 side-to-side swings
— 10 hammers

Performed back-to-back without rest, this sequence totals 30 repetitions in roughly a minute.

It may not sound extreme on paper, but in practice, the effect is felt strongly. Your grip tightens and your muscles get pumped.

That’s the point.

You’re not just swinging, you’re training your ability to sustain force over time. You’re building resilience in the exact systems that typically fail first.

And here’s the critical insight: you don't need to countless sets to stimulate the body.

One to three high-quality sets like this can already deliver a complete training stimulus.

This simplicity is what makes the method powerful. Progress comes from increasing duration, refining control and actually stimulating the muscles properly.

Of course, heavier maces and other methods still have their place.

Using a 10 kg (22 lbs) mace occasionally can provide a different stimulus compared to a 6 kg (13 lbs) one. But that variation should complement the method, not define it.

If your progress depends entirely on increasing weight, you’re missing the core principle that matters far more than the limited idea of progressive overload.

The real goal should be developing a dense, functional physique with strength that doesn’t disappear after a few reps, but holds under pressure and fatigue. Strength that transfers to real-world movement, sports and martial arts.

Mace training, when approached correctly, delivers exactly that.

So instead of asking how to lift heavier, ask a better question: How long can you maintain strength & control?

That’s where real progress begins.

Stay strong.