I can swing a 15 lb mace pretty easily and do multiple reps on both sides. I can handle a 20 lb mace on both sides if I’m not fatigued or too distractible to mind my form. I can do one-handed swings with a 10 lb mace.

For comparison, in July I could barely swing a 10 pounder with two hands and I nearly fucked myself up in August trying to swing a 15. It took a while to work up to swinging with my left hand (the weaker one) on the bottom because of the strength disparity between the sides.

My next goal is to earn the L1 Tacfit certification next month.

I’ve not had a gym membership since before COVID. Despite being vaxxed, boosted, and having had it once before, I don’t see myself ever becoming comfortable with the idea of joining an indoor gym. I also hate (American) fitness culture, a view that COVID solidified, so there’s zero desire to be around anyone else anyway. I just want to be able to age well and maintain my independence.

What got me to start working out: Almost 10 years ago, I went from doing manual labor (warehouse, construction, etc) to writing code for a living. It has its perks, like no longer being near the poverty line and having a consistent work schedule. But I knew that a desk job is the fastest way to end up sick and out of shape, a suspicion that was 10000% confirmed when I met my first boss. Dude was 5’10” and easily 400 lbs. After my first day at that job, I joined a cheap gym and bought a pair of running shoes. A few months later, I’d completed my first 5K. After couple of years and a few injuries and stern lectures from my chiro, I started strength training.

Why I do it now: Admittedly, I’ve not been 100% consistent over the years because of injury/illness (outside of my control) and work (something I need to get better about, as the company is only concerned with money, not my well-being). I couldn’t run or lift much for two years because I had a suprapubic catheter and I was one of those unlucky people who pees blood if I run or even walk too fast. But I got lucky and learned about adaptive fitness and that my employer would reimburse some fitness-related expenses, so I was able to work with a trainer until the catheter came out. Then last year I got a high-paying but high-pressure job, which made it too easy to skip workouts due to deadlines or emergencies. So I’ve been playing catch-up and I’ve had to learn to be patient but not complacent. I’ve also had to learn to be nice to myself when I slip up, otherwise what’s the point? While I haven’t always been consistent, I have been persistent. Ultimately, I just want to be able to haul my own groceries into the house even when I’m 80.

In the States, the same choads that drive tankmobiles tend to complain about fuel prices and how it’s all big gubmint’s fault for stealing their fun (fun being defined as the ability to do 95 mph on the interstate and still pay under $50 for a tank of gas).

I’ve found it to be the opposite; if I don’t move enough for long enough, I get stiff and sore and any existing injuries feel worse. I think it’s at least partly due to my job, as it requires sitting for longer than a human being should.

Having done manual labor before changing careers, my experience aligns with what others have already said: hydration and stretching are your friends. To add to that, I found supplementing with creatine and BCAAs to be helpful when I was a package handler. Creatine is ridiculously expensive now, but might be worth the price if it makes you feel better.

ETA: hydration matters not just during your shifts, but also before and after work. If you don’t do this already, try drinking a few glasses of water before bed and see if it makes a difference in how you feel in the mornings. I tried it for a few days and it made waking up less painful, so I try to make sure I’m well-hydrated before bed.

I have had a great experience using steel maces and clubs to improve shoulder mobility and strength. I don’t follow any specific programs; instead, I pick a workout from the Onnit 6 steel mace program or do one of their free mace workouts (available here: https://onnit.s3.amazonaws.com/digital-downloads/ebooks/Beginners Guide to the Steel Mace.pdf). The choice is based on what I did the day before.

It’s been about six weeks since starting this and the results have been noticeable. The strength imbalance between my left and right sides is improving, as is my grip strength. I’ve broken through a long plateau. I work virtually with a trainer and he’s noticed the results and is encouraging me to keep at it. Even my boyfriend has noticed; about four weeks in, he commented that my shoulders are broader and my upper body has more definition.

Like you, I’m in my late 30s and have accumulated injuries over the years. In my case, I had tennis elbow on both sides at different points last year; the weaker side was the first and the worse. I couldn’t do any meaningful lifting for about 4-6 months and it took a year to get back to where I was. I have lingering problems in my left hand and shoulder from being hit by an inattentive motorist (redundant, I know) several years ago while cycling.

If you go this route, start light! I had to swallow my pride and start with a 5 lb and a 7 lb mace, which are generally recommended for women. I’m now able to do 360s and 10-2s comfortably with a 10 lb mace. If I’m fully engaged mentally and physically, I can do a couple of 360s with the 15 lb, using my stronger side to drive it.

Trying to start with a 10 lb club was not the best idea, but I made do by choking way up on the club and doing very slow and smooth mills along with a variation of an exercise I learned in physical therapy last year.

It could be anything as long as it’s intense enough to leave me wiped out. Ideally, it’s at least three times a week, but must be twice at a minimum, or the brain demons will get me

I work with a trainer for the majority of my workouts, but he’s currently out of town. I’ve wanted to become more autonomous and I want to address the strength imbalance between my left and right sides, so I’ve been doing some of Onnit’s steel mace workouts. Several weeks ago, I started doing one day a week of mace work and have increased it to 2-3 while he’s out of town. Hopefully it’ll get me out of this plateau by the time he’s back.

I have an Assault fan bike. Its screen can’t be used to watch TV (if I want to do that, I put my iPad on top of the screen), but in my layman’s opinion it’s versatile enough for LISS and HIIT workouts. I used it to help rehab my elbow and shoulder last year and I use it for cardio on days that running outdoors isn’t a good idea. I’ve had a rower, but I could never get into rowing like I can with running.