“Steel mace training? What is that?!” This is the response I get every single time when I talk about my favorite way to exercise. A year ago, I didn’t know what it was either. But, deep in the coronavirus lockdown, lonely and depressed, I got myself a steel mace. I had just started dating a steel mace instructor, and decided to learn how to use one without telling him, and to surprise him with my new skill as a Valentine’s day gift.
Little did I know that I would find the solution to my lack of motivation to exercise, would transform not only my body but also my balance and coordination, and that steel mace training would significantly improve my mood and outlook on life.
How exactly can steel mace training help you as a mom? Here are 5 ways.
- You only need one steel mace (although you might get a few more down the road… But only because you want to adopt them all.) If you’re short on space like me, you really can’t pack your house with a bunch of equipment. Dumbbells, weight racks, peloton bike, elliptical, etc… All this can go. You only need one steel mace, either 7 lbs or 10 lbs, and you’re done.
- It’s a full body workout. Before I had children, I would work different parts of my body every day. I had leg day, arms day, back day… Like I have time for that now! In one training session with my steel mace, I work my entire body. It makes me stretch, breathe, and build beautiful long muscles. My children will randomly ask me to flex my biceps for people, and they always tell me how strong I am now. I’m not bulky. You really can’t bulk up from regular weight training, and the same is true with the mace. But you will get stronger with better muscle definition.
- It makes you feel sexy. Motherhood isn’t super sexy, let’s admit it. Showers are short, nights are long, we spend a lot of time cleaning spills and doing dishes. Comfortable clothes are a go-to. And even without all that, I never saw myself as a sexy woman, more like a clumsy one. But steel mace training taught me about precision of movement, and how to transition from one movement to the next with grace. Yes, it’s a heavy piece of metal, but it’s amazing how mesmerizing a smooth flow can be. Here are a few videos to prove my point, by Anthony Rock, Leo Savage, Georgie Barnes, Kristin O’Brien, and Serena Beatty.
- You gain a supportive, loving community of amazing people. I always felt lonely as a mom, and many of us know that forming friendships after babies are born is difficult. We’re overwhelmed, our babies can be dependent on us for naps and nighttime routines, and schedules clash a lot. And sometimes, we just don’t connect with other parents. But when I started my steel mace journey, I immediately became a part of a welcoming community that cheered for me all the way. A year in, these people have become some of my favorite humans, and I can’t wait to travel and go meet them, one after the other.
- You can take your mace everywhere. I’ve taken mine to the park, to the beach… There’s nothing I love more than swinging my mace with my feet in the ocean while I watch my kid build sand castles. And you’ll often end up chatting with cool people who are wondering what in the world you’re doing with a big piece of metal. Bonus point… It’s great at keeping creeps away. No one wants to mess with a badass mom swinging a steel mace with a single hand.
© Milana Gilligan Photography
Steel mace training isn’t mainstream… Yet. But it has changed my life in so many ways. I am stronger, psychologically and physically, and it has inspired my children to move more, something that wasn’t easy when we were in lockdown. I went from feeling klutsy and uncoordinated to doing flows that are several minutes long, going through movements I didn’t know my body was capable of. And most importantly, while I used to feel lonely and like I didn’t belong, that’s now a thing of the past. Not a day goes by that my mace friends don’t cheer for me and I don’t cheer for them. We support each other, and many of us have credited their new steel mace practice with making it through the pandemic. Zack Yanyk explained it beautifully when he said: “Through taking this tool of War, using it to sacrifice, using it to create, using it to express, using it to love, we turn it into a tool of Healing.”
Joanna Steven is a mom of 2 boys, and a certified nutrition coach and steel mace instructor. She and her partner Anthony Rock help people from every walk of life become stronger, healthier, and sexier, through steel mace training and nutrition coaching. You can follow their Instagram page @rockhardathletics for daily inspiration, workouts, and recipes. Steel maces are available from Set for Set. Use the code ROCK10 for a 10% discount.
© Milana Gilligan Photography