When most people think about steel mace training, they immediately go to upper body… shoulders, grip, trunk rotation, all the stuff it’s known for.
And that makes sense.
But one thing that gets overlooked is how you can actually use the mace for lower body work too.
No… it’s not going to replace heavy barbell squats. You’re not building maximal lower body strength the same way you would with a barbell on your back. But that doesn’t mean it has no place. If you use it the right way, you can get a lot out of it—especially when it comes to coordination, balance, and conditioning.
That’s really where the mace shines for leg work.
What the Mace Is (and Isn’t) for Lower Body Training
Think of the mace more like a dynamic, offset load.
It’s closer to using a lighter kettlebell for high-rep work than it is to traditional strength training. You’re not chasing a 1RM here… you’re building control, stability, and the ability to move well under load.
Because the weight is offset, your body has to constantly adjust. Your trunk has to stay engaged. Your balance gets challenged. And your legs are working the whole time to stabilize and produce force.
So instead of thinking “how heavy can I go,” think:
- How well can I control this?
- Can I stay balanced through the movement?
- Can I keep good positions as I fatigue?
That’s the game here.
360 to Squat
One of the simplest and most effective ways to bring leg work into your mace training is combining swings with squats.
A good example is a 360 into a squat.
You swing the mace through a 360, bring it into the order position, then drop into a squat. From there, you can go right back into the next rep or switch directions.
This does a few things:
- Forces you to stabilize the mace before squatting
- Builds timing and coordination between upper and lower body
- Adds a conditioning element because you’re moving continuously
It’s also sneaky good balance work. If your positioning is off, you’ll feel it right away.
Bazooka Squats
Another option is the “bazooka” position… where the mace is resting across your shoulder.
From there, you can squat just like you normally would.
This shifts the load slightly and challenges your posture differently than a front-loaded or back-loaded squat. It’s also a simple way to add some leg work without worrying about complex transitions.
You can keep it basic:
- Clean it (or place it) into position
- Squat for reps
- Switch sides as needed
It’s straightforward, but effective.
Curl Cast Holds Into Squats and Lunges
This is where things start to get a little more interesting.
Holding the mace in a curl cast position while performing squats or lunges adds a strong upper body and trunk demand on top of the leg work.
Your arms are working to stabilize the mace. Your trunk is resisting movement. And your legs are doing their job underneath all of that.
This works really well for:
- Split squats
- Reverse lunges
- Walking lunges
It turns a basic lower body movement into a full-body challenge.
Lunges and Single-Leg Work
You can also take any of these positions—bazooka, curl cast, even order—and apply them to lunges.
This is where the mace really starts to separate itself.
Because of the offset load, even lighter weights can feel challenging during single-leg work. Your balance gets tested. Your coordination has to be dialed in. And your trunk has to stay engaged to keep everything under control.
If you’re more advanced, you can even experiment with:
- Pistol squats with the mace on your back
- Tempo lunges with controlled positioning
- Alternating patterns to keep things flowing
Again, the focus isn’t max load… it’s control and quality.
How to Use This in Your Training
The simplest way to approach this is to treat it like a high-rep, conditioning-focused piece.
You can:
- Pair swings and squats together
- Run circuits with lunges and holds
- Or just pick one variation and accumulate reps
Think:
- Higher reps
- Continuous movement
- Minimal rest
You’ll get your heart rate up, challenge your coordination, and still get meaningful work in for your legs.
The Bigger Picture
The mace isn’t trying to be everything.
It’s not your max strength tool for lower body development. That’s not the point.
But it is a versatile tool that lets you layer in:
- Balance
- Coordination
- Trunk stability
- Conditioning
All while still training your legs.
And for most people training in a home gym, that’s a pretty valuable combination.
If you’ve only been using your mace for upper body swings, start mixing in some of these variations. It doesn’t take much to turn it into a full-body session.
And if you have questions or want us to cover more variations, let us know.