The Hyborian Challenge (Steel Mace Workout)

November 15, 2022 by VAHVA Fitness

Join this Hyborian Challenge in the wretched desert of Stygia. Learn how to utilize the steel mace and become a barbarian.

This year, we have delved deep into the world of steel mace. If you are like most people in the fitness community, you have never tried the steel mace or taken it seriously.


To our surprise, this tool is far more powerful, effective and useful than we could have ever imagined. We would say it's one of the best tools you can use for athleticism, functional fitness and just feeling like a real warrior.


Different forms of maces have been used for tens of thousands of years as weaponry and as tools to penetrate the enemy's defence. Ancient people who utilized maces got an incredible workout just from learning how to fight with their choice of weaponry. 

As a training equipment, the history goes back over 1000 years to Hindu Warriors in India where they used a similar tool called Gada. They also utilized clubbells and similar type of training equipment to develop their bodies.


In the modern times, Great Gama (1878-1960) was an undefeated wrestler and strongman from India who brought awareness of this training equipment to Europe.


Great Gama is known as one of the greatest Indian pehlwani wrestlers and strongmen to ever live. He was known for training religiously with maces and the Prince of Wales even gifted him a mace made of silver in 1922


But what makes the steel/wooden mace such a good training tool?


Unlike many other fitness tools, this tool is all about leverage and uneven weight distribution.


Just 6 kilos (12 pounds) will feel incredibly heavy when it's on the other end of a handle. Moreover, based on how and where you hold the mace, the weight can become lighter or heavier.


You are also playing with the leverage and momentum of the mace - something you probably have never experienced with modern training equipment. Even kettlebells are nothing like this despite offering more dynamicity in the movement patterns.


When you utilize the steel mace correctly, it becomes one of the best ways to develop athletic, functional and dynamic strength. Your shoulders and upper back work like never before and your core rotation is present in almost every movement.


What is the best about the steel mace is that you can easily do movements that mimic very closely or almost identically actual movements you would do in real life, martial arts or in sports. In this sense, the mace is one of the most sports specific equipments you can use.


Surely, you can also do sports specific exercises with dumbbells and barbells but only a handful and they are not optimal tools for these kind of movement patterns. 


The steel mace or Indian clubs actually mimic the sticks and clubs you would play with in many sports. The movement patterns can be identical to the movement patterns of these sports.


For martial arts purposes, the steel mace is phenomenal because you are always rotating your core (punching power), increasing your grip strength (wrestling/grappling) and you are learning how to utilize momentum and leverage. This is the equipment you need.


Combine all of these together and you have a tool that is perfect to develop your body to thrive in sports, martial arts or functional fitness.


How To Start? Two New Bonus Workouts Added to Warrior 20XX Method!

the hyborian challenge
club master


We just added two new bonus workout routines to Warrior 20XX Method.


One with a steel mace and one with Indian clubs. Both workout routines have 6 unique exercises and are fully in follow-along format as usual. We also added additional videos on figuring out the optimal weight of the equipment.


So, basically Warrior 20XX Method now includes very nice programs on steel mace and indian club training...


So far, Warrior 20XX Method has 17 vastly different workout routines to perform. We mostly focus on the fundamentals with bodyweight training, dumbbells and kettlebells but the method also consists of workouts with a sandbag, barbell, clubs, steel mace and a resistance band.


In addition to all of this, the method comes with a full in-depth online course on Warrior 20XX Methodology and mental strength & toughness.


This is because high intensity training fundamentally requires a good level of mental toughness to produce the best results. That's why we frequently say that mentality equals physicality (MENTALITY = PHYSICALITY).


Inside this online course, you will learn how to build mental strength, get rid of procrastination and witness how to build mental toughness based on our lessons and experience we've acquired from being in the military, training martial arts, traveling the world and building a successful fitness business.


Warrior 20XX Method is a method you can utilize for years to come. We personally use these workouts on a weekly basis and so do countless of our members. The best yet, this year alone we have updated the method for several times.


When you combine the follow-along workouts with the unique exercise selection (tutorials), the breathing techniques (included) and a full online course (mental toughness), together they form a powerful combination where nothing is lacking when it comes to producing the best results.


You can get the method and learn more at Warrior20XX.com


Stay strong and never give up.


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samuli jyrkinen

About the author 

Samuli Jyrkinen

Samuli is the ninja behind the scenes (photography, videography, websites, program platforms and more). He has been training religiously for over a decade and has a firm grasp of physical and mental fitness. You will find our story here.

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