Excerpt from Marks Daily Apple: As a workout tool, the mace was popularized by Near Eastern wrestlers, including perhaps the most famous one of all: the Great Gama. Gama toured the world around the turn of the 20th century, issuing challenges to local and global champions while going undefeated for his entire career. He also used the mace extensively. Now, I’m not suggesting his success was due to his gada workouts, but I’m sure they didn’t hurt. Even non-wrestlers could stand to gain from employing a little mace work now and then. The basic movement – an around-the-head-swing with a push-pull mechanic – taxes the entire upper body. You begin by holding the mace upright about waist high with your elbows close to your body. You then push upwards, and as the weight begins to fall behind your head, you pull it around to the other side and repeat the process. You’re both using momentum and fighting it. Initiating the movement, letting gravity exert its pull, and then exerting your own force as a counterbalance. All strength training is, to some extent, a fight against gravity, but it generally takes place on a single plane (usually vertical). Mace work is far more than that; you’re twisting, pulling against centrifugal force, and contorting yourself across multiple planes. Check out more of the Daily Apple at marksdailyapple/#axzz2XC70Mz3K
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 03:19:52 +0000
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