Mace Grave Digger: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Mace Grave Digger is a shoulder and mid-back mobility drill performed by holding a Persian mace in two hands, one near the ball and one mid-handle, then swinging it in a diagonal chopping arc from high on one side down across the body to low on the opposite side, before reversing. Driving the chop from the shoulders and thoracic spine rotating together, with the hips staying relatively stable, is what keeps this a rotational mobility drill and not an arm-only swing.
Equipment Needed
A Persian mace, also called a gada.
Why It Matters
The drill asks the shoulders and thoracic spine to control an offset-weighted implement through a diagonal path rather than a straight or circular one. Because the mace is a rigid lever with its weight at the far end, unlike a cable that pulls with steady tension along a line, it amplifies whatever rotational demand the shoulders and mid-back are already managing. It works well as a way to build diagonal rotational control, a movement pattern behind throwing, hitting and rising motions that generate force from one side of the body to the other.
When to Do It
Place this early in a session, as preparation for any activity built around a diagonal chopping or rotational pattern, such as throwing, swinging or rising movements. It also works well as a standalone drill for anyone who wants to build control through a loaded diagonal path. Anyone with a diagnosed shoulder or spinal condition should get clearance from a doctor or physical therapist before swinging an offset-weighted implement through a diagonal arc.
Getting Ready
Holding the mace with one hand near the ball and one mid-handle for a moment first settles the grip before the first chop. Trying one slow, controlled pass through the diagonal is a reasonable way to gauge how much rotational range feels available that day.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Hold the mace in two hands, one near the ball, one mid-handle.
- Swing it in a diagonal arc, starting high on one side.
- Chop down across the body to low on the opposite side.
- Control the deceleration at the bottom of the diagonal.
- Reverse the arc, for 8-10 reps per diagonal direction.
How Many, How Often
| Level | Reps (per diagonal direction) |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 8 |
| Intermediate | 9 |
| Advanced | 10 |
Controlling the deceleration at the bottom of each diagonal matters more here than how much force drives the initial chop. That bottom point is where shoulder strain is most likely, since the fixed lever of the mace punishes any attempt to muscle the movement with the arms alone.
Modifications and Variations
Easier: Mace Grave Digger — Lighter Load. Using a lighter mace to complete the same diagonal chopping arc reduces the resistance the shoulders and thoracic spine have to control, a more approachable entry point before adding more load to the pattern.
Alternative: Cable Woodchop. Also called the cable chop, this cable-machine exercise trains a similar diagonal path against the steady pull of a cable, with no long lever to control.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Muscling the chop with the arms alone. The fixed lever of the mace punishes an arm-only effort, since the arms alone can’t control the implement’s momentum through the full diagonal path. Driving the movement from the shoulders and thoracic spine rotating together is what the design of the mace demands.
Letting the hips take over the rotation. The diagonal chop is meant to come from the upper body rotating relative to a relatively stable base, and hips that swing freely let a different part of the body pick up work meant for the shoulders and mid-back. Keeping the hips relatively stable is what isolates the demand correctly.
Rushing the deceleration at the bottom. Letting the mace’s momentum carry through uncontrolled at the low point of the diagonal is where shoulder strain is most likely to happen. Controlling that deceleration deliberately, every rep, is what keeps the drill safe.
After Your Set
A brief seated thoracic rotation stretch and a gentle overhead shoulder stretch are a reasonable way to close out a set that just asked the shoulders and mid-back to control a diagonal chopping path.
Going Deeper
The marker of progress here isn’t how much force drives the initial chop, it’s whether the deceleration at the bottom of the diagonal stays controlled every rep, with the shoulders and thoracic spine, not the arms alone, doing the work. Once that control shows up consistently across a full set in both diagonal directions, adding weight to the mace is a sensible way to keep progressing. Chasing more force at the top while the bottom stays uncontrolled usually just means the shoulder is absorbing strain the technique is meant to prevent.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The deceleration at the bottom of the diagonal stays controlled every rep.
- The shoulders and thoracic spine, not the arms alone, drive the chop.
- The hips stay relatively stable through the entire diagonal path.
- Both directions manage a similarly controlled chop.
- A heavier mace starts to feel like a reasonable next step.
Muscles Worked
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, turning the trunk along the mace’s diagonal path)
- Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder cap, active through the diagonal chop)
- Latissimus Dorsi (the broad muscle across the back, controlling the mace’s long lever down the diagonal)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, supporting the thoracic rotation)
- Rotator Cuff (the small muscle group deep at the shoulder joint, controlling the implement throughout)
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, keeping the hips stable through the chop)
- Serratus Anterior (a muscle along the side of the ribcage, helping the shoulder blade track through the diagonal)
FAQ
Why does the mace amplify the rotational demand compared to other tools? The mace is a rigid handle with its weight offset at the ball-end, so the load sits far from the hands and pulls hardest as the swing changes direction. A cable pulls with steady tension along a line. That long lever is what makes the mace version feel more demanding at a similar load.
Is the Cable Chop the same movement as this? No. The cable chop, also called the Cable Woodchop, follows a similar diagonal path on a cable machine. The cable gives steady tension through the whole path, while the mace has to be slowed down at the bottom of each chop, so the two feel different at the shoulder.
Why do the hips need to stay relatively stable during the chop? Keeping the hips stable isolates the rotational demand to the shoulders and thoracic spine, which is where this drill is meant to build control. Hips that swing freely let a different part of the body take over work meant for the upper body.
Is some fatigue in the shoulders and mid-back after a set normal? Yes, controlling an offset-weighted implement through a diagonal path against its own fixed lever is hard work, and some fatigue afterward is expected. A sharp pain anywhere in the shoulder is different and worth easing off and mentioning to a doctor or physical therapist.
When is it time to move up from the lighter load version? Once the standard diagonal chop feels controlled through a full set, with the deceleration staying managed at the bottom of every rep, moving up in load is a reasonable next step.
Related to Mace Grave Digger — Lighter Load, the easier version, and Cable Woodchop, a cable-machine alternative.