Train Core Rotation with Steel Macebell Gravediggers
The Macebell Gravedigger exercise is a reminder of how a simple motion can create a significant training effect. I love Gravediggers for many reasons, but the rotational component is fantastic. Slowing down the “backswing” and pausing for 1-2 seconds is brutal!
Everybody wants to “flow” with macebells, swinging them, etc... but this Gravedigger exercise is a hidden gem and a brutally tough exercise worth adding to your next workout.
Do you know what this exercise really is??? It’s the equivalent of shoveling in the gym. Shoveling dirt or shoveling snow. Anyone who has the joy of hand shoveling their driveway every Winter or has dug a decent size hole in the ground knows how quickly shovel work can break a body down.
Turns out the natural design of the macebell makes it perfect for a controlled “shovel-like” motion exercise, aka: Gravediggers.
Moving the Steel Mace in through this motion requires core strength, endurance, strong shoulders, sturdy grip, focus on balance and overall stability. As with any exercise, what the Gravedigger demands physically to complete is also what it enhances... aka: the benefits of performing the movement.
⭕️ Sets, Reps, Work Time
2-4 sets of 4-6 reps per side will leave you short of breath and sweat flowing. Or, set a timer for a 60-120 seconds and work each side for the duration, getting lost in the exercise and resting when the beeper sounds.
The cool part about this exercise is the ability to adjust the tempo. I’m moving slow in this clip (weird, right?), but ramping up the tempo turns Gravediggers into a conditioning exercise.
👉 Technique Cues
Feel free to open up the lead foot to help with the pivot as you stand up. Turn at the hips as much as possible. Slow down, breathe, fight the macebell’s tendency to pull you off-balance.
You may feel a bit wobbly on the first few reps and this is to be expected. New exercises are... well... new. Your body doesn’t yet understand the demands and mechanics.
✅ I’m using a 25lb Steel Macebell from Set for Set, found here: http://bit.ly/3132TUN
Mace - Steel Mace - Steel Macebell - Gravedigger Exercise - Onnit - Set for Set - Macebell Exercises - Macebell Core Training - Mace Workout - Meauxtion
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