Mace and club training get talked about a lot as shoulder saving tools.
And for good reason.
They can:
- Improve mobility
- Build durability in connective tissues
- Strengthen the shoulders through large ranges of motion
But here’s the part that doesn’t get talked about enough…
They’re still strength training tools.
And that means they come with the same reality as any other form of training:
You can irritate things.
Yes… Even “Good” Training Can Cause Issues
There’s this idea that because maces and clubs feel good… they can’t cause problems.
Not true.
If you’re:
- Increasing load
- Increasing volume
- Pushing longer sessions
- Repeating the same patterns over and over
…eventually, something can get irritated.
That’s not a failure of the tool.
That’s just how the body works.
A Real Example: AC Joint Irritation
One of the most common spots we’ll see irritation show up is the AC joint
(the point where the clavicle meets the shoulder).
In this case, what stood out was:
- Heavy 2-hand club work
- Specifically mills under load
- A certain position during the swing that consistently triggered irritation
That’s important.
Because now it’s not random anymore — it’s identifiable.
This Is Where Most People Mess Up
Something starts to hurt… and people do one of two things:
- Ignore it and push through it
- Stop training altogether
Neither is the move.
The better approach is:
- Identify what irritates it
- Identify what doesn’t
- Adjust accordingly
For example:
- Heavy 2-hand mills → irritating
- Single arm work → totally fine
That gives you a path forward.
Adjust… Don’t Quit
Once you know what’s causing the issue, you can start making smart changes:
- Pull back on load
- Reduce volume
- Swap movements
- Focus on lighter, higher-rep work
- Clean up technique
Sometimes it’s not even the movement…
It’s:
- Going too heavy too soon
- Muscling through reps
- Letting technique slip under fatigue
(We’ve all done it.)
This Isn’t a Negative… It’s Feedback
A small irritation isn’t the end of the world.
It’s information.
It forces you to:
- Look at your programming
- Pay attention to movement quality
- Make better decisions moving forward
And that’s what allows you to keep training long term.
Because the goal isn’t just to train hard…
It’s to keep training.
The Reality of Training (That No One Wants to Hear)
You can’t:
- Push weight
- Push reps
- Push volume
…forever…
…and expect nothing to push back.
At some point, your body will ask for an adjustment.
That’s normal.
The Goal: Keep Swinging
At the end of the day, we still want to:
- Swing heavy
- Build strength
- Stay mobile
- Keep progressing
The difference is…
We’re willing to:
- Pay attention
- Make adjustments
- Work around issues instead of ignoring them
That’s how you stay in the game.
If you’ve dealt with something similar in your mace or club training, we’d love to hear it.
Drop a comment on the video and let us know what you’ve run into and how you worked through it.