# Weighted Steel Mace Squat - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/10410/weighted-steel-mace-squat/ - Media ID: 10410 - Primary muscle: Quads - Body part: Legs - Equipment: Other - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/10410/weighted-steel-mace-squat.mp4 ## Description The Weighted Steel Mace Squat is a lower-body strength exercise performed holding a steel mace with both hands in front of your body as you sit down into a deep squat and drive back up to standing. Unlike a barbell squat, where the load sits across your traps, the mace is carried in front of you at chest or shoulder height, which shifts your center of mass forward and forces your torso to stay tall. The offset weight of the mace, with the ball at one end of a long handle, adds a small but constant stabilization demand that a dumbbell or kettlebell does not provide. This movement primarily trains the quads and glutes through a full range of motion, but the front-loaded hold brings the core, upper back, and shoulders into the work as they resist the pull of the mace head. Because the load is held in the hands rather than on the spine, it is a good option for lifters who want heavy leg work without spinal compression, and for anyone building toward barbell front squats or improving squat depth. Setup matters more with a mace than with a symmetric weight. Where you place your hands along the handle changes how the mace head moves during the squat, so a grip that is too low or too loose lets the ball wander and pulls you off balance. Choke up on the handle, keep the mace close to your body, and the weight feels manageable; let it drift away from your chest and every rep gets harder. To execute the lift well, stand with feet about shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly out, mace held at chest or shoulder height with elbows tucked. Brace your trunk, sit your hips down and back, and let your knees travel over your toes until you reach a deep, controlled bottom position. The mace should stay anchored near your chest throughout, acting as a counterbalance rather than a pendulum. Drive through your whole foot to stand, keeping your chest up and the mace quiet in front of you. You will see this squat used in mace training programs, general strength work, warm-ups for heavier squat days, and conditioning circuits where the offset load adds a coordination element. Start light, because the leverage of a long-handled tool makes even a modest mace feel substantially heavier at the bottom of a deep squat. If your heels lift or your torso pitches forward as you descend, that is a sign the load or the depth is ahead of your current control, and it is worth regressing before pushing weight. ## Instructions 1. Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, and grip the steel mace handle with both hands, one hand stacked above the other, positioned near the top of the handle just below the mace head. 2. Bring the mace up so it sits vertically in front of your chest and shoulders, head of the mace up, elbows pointing down and tucked close to your ribs. 3. Set your stance, then brace your core as if preparing for a light push to the chest, and pull your shoulders back so your upper back supports the mace rather than your arms alone. 4. Inhale, then unlock your hips and knees together, sitting your hips down and back while your knees track in line with your toes. 5. Descend under control until your hips are below your knees or as deep as your mobility comfortably allows, keeping the mace close to your chest the entire way down. 6. At the bottom, keep your heels flat, your chest tall, and the mace head steady instead of letting it swing forward. 7. Exhale and drive through your whole foot, pushing the floor away to stand back up to full hip and knee extension. 8. Finish each rep standing tall with the mace still anchored at your chest, reset your brace, and begin the next repetition without rushing the descent. ## Tips & Tricks - Choke up on the handle closer to the mace head if the weight feels unmanageable; shortening the lever reduces the torque on your shoulders and makes the squat easier to control. - The most common fault is letting the mace drift away from your chest at the bottom, which pitches you forward onto your toes — cue yourself to keep the mace head stacked over your mid-foot. - If your heels rise during the descent, widen your stance slightly and turn your toes out a bit more before adding weight; ankle mobility, not strength, is usually the limit. - Avoid collapsing your chest into the mace at the bottom — a rounded upper back under a front load is the fastest way to lose the rep. - Keep your grip firm but your forearms relaxed; a death grip on the handle for high reps fatigues your arms before your legs get meaningful work. - Control the lowering phase for two to three seconds. The offset mace head amplifies any rushing, and a fast drop usually shows up as the mace swinging on the way down. - Breathe into your belly at the top, hold that brace through the descent, and exhale on the way up rather than holding your breath for multiple reps. - If one shoulder tires before your legs, check that your hands are stacked on the handle rather than spread apart, which loads the arms unevenly. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Weighted Steel Mace Squat work? The quads and glutes do most of the work through the squat itself, while the core, upper back, and front shoulders work isometrically to hold the mace in front of your chest. Your grip and forearms are also involved since you are supporting a long-handled load for the whole set. ### Is the Weighted Steel Mace Squat good for beginners? Yes, as long as you start with a light mace and prioritize depth and control over load. Because the weight is held in front of the body rather than on the spine, it is one of the more forgiving ways to learn a full-depth squat pattern. ### Where should I hold the mace during the Weighted Steel Mace Squat? Hold the handle with both hands stacked near the top, with the mace sitting vertically against your chest or at shoulder height and elbows tucked down. Keeping it close to your torso is what keeps the load manageable and your balance consistent. ### Why does the mace feel heavier than a dumbbell of the same weight? The mace's mass is concentrated in a ball at the end of a long handle, so small movements of your hands create large movements of the load. Holding it close to your body minimizes that leverage penalty; letting it drift forward multiplies it. ### How deep should I squat with a steel mace? Aim for hips at or below knee level if you can get there with a flat lower back and heels on the floor. If depth is limited, squat to the deepest point you can control and work on mobility separately rather than forcing range with weight in your hands. ### What is the most common mistake in the Weighted Steel Mace Squat? Letting the mace head swing away from the chest during the descent, which pulls the torso forward and shifts weight onto the toes. Slow the lowering phase and consciously keep the mace anchored to your sternum until this is automatic. ### What can I substitute if I do not have a steel mace? A kettlebell held goblet-style at your chest or a single dumbbell held vertically in front of your chest are the closest substitutes. They train the same front-loaded squat pattern, though they lack the offset leverage that makes the mace uniquely challenging to stabilize. ### How heavy should the mace be for this squat? Start with a mace you can hold at your chest for a full set without your shoulders or grip giving out first, even if it feels light for your legs. Because of the long handle, most people need far less weight here than they would use on a barbell or with dumbbells. ### Is the Weighted Steel Mace Squat safe for the lower back? With an upright torso, braced core, and a load held in front rather than on the spine, the movement places little direct load on the lower back. Keep the weight moderate and stop the set if you notice your chest collapsing or your lower back rounding at the bottom.