What This Program Is
Mace 360 Level 2 is an 8-week intermediate practice cycle for the two-handed mace 360. It keeps the preparation work and mace weight fixed while the main 360 block grows from 50 to 100 total reps per session.
The program is deliberately narrow. Every session uses the same four movements in separate blocks: prayer switch, mace pullover, pendulum, and two-handed mace 360. That repetition lets you improve the path around your head without adding unrelated fatigue or learning several new skills at once.
Use the Bells and Moves app to run each session, track the prescribed rounds, and follow the progression without counting rounds yourself.
Prerequisite
Complete Mace 360 Foundations first, or meet its completion standard: smooth pendulums and pullovers in both directions, stable ribs and bracing under fatigue, a secure grip, and no shoulder, elbow, or wrist irritation.
This program assumes that the pendulum and pullover paths are already familiar. It joins those paths into the full 360 and builds repeatable volume; it is not an introduction to swinging a mace behind the body.
Program Overview
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Frequency: 2 nonconsecutive days per week (Monday / Thursday default)
- Session length: 12-20 minutes
- Equipment: One mace, used at the same weight for the full cycle
- Main exercise: Two-handed mace 360
- Progression: 5 to 10 rounds, with 10 total 360 reps per round
- Rest: 30 seconds after each completed left/right direction pair, except after the final round
The 12-20 minute estimate includes setup, movement transitions, and the deliberate set-downs used to change direction. The reps and programmed rests take about 10 minutes in Week 1 and 18 minutes in Week 8 at a controlled pace; normal transitions fill out the expected session time without adding planned rest.
The Exact Session
Complete all work for one movement before moving to the next. The first three movements are preparation blocks performed once. Move through those blocks and into the main block without planned rest. Only the mace 360 block gains rounds.
| Block | Movement | Prescription | | ---: | --- | --- | | 1 | Prayer Switch | 10 total reps x 1 | | 2 | Mace Pullover | 5 reps per direction x 1 | | 3 | Pendulum | 10 total reps x 1 | | 4 | Two-Handed Mace 360 | 5 reps per direction x prescribed rounds |
For each 360 round, complete 5 reps in one direction, set the mace down, change your hand position, and complete 5 reps in the other direction. That full direction pair is one round. Rest 30 seconds after the pair, then begin the next round. There is no planned rest after the final round.
Weekly Progression
Both sessions in a week use the same number of main rounds.
| Week | Session 1 | Session 2 | 360 Reps per Session | Emphasis | | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- | | 1 | 5 rounds | 5 rounds | 50 | Establish a repeatable path. | | 2 | 6 rounds | 6 rounds | 60 | Add one controlled round. | | 3 | 7 rounds | 7 rounds | 70 | Build balanced volume. | | 4 | 5 rounds | 5 rounds | 50 | Consolidate technique. | | 5 | 7 rounds | 7 rounds | 70 | Restart from a higher base. | | 6 | 8 rounds | 8 rounds | 80 | Extend controlled practice. | | 7 | 9 rounds | 9 rounds | 90 | Prepare for peak volume. | | 8 | 10 rounds | 10 rounds | 100 | Complete the cycle. |
Weeks 1 to 3 build volume, Week 4 reduces it so the skill can consolidate, and Weeks 5 to 8 build to 100 balanced 360 reps. Volume rises by adding rounds, not by changing the mace or doing more reps inside a round.
Choosing Your Mace
Choose a mace you can control for every preparation rep and every 360 in both directions. The final reps should follow the same path as the first: no crash into the body, no rushed pull to the front, and no loss of rib or shoulder position.
Use that one weight for all four movements and for the full eight weeks. Do not increase the mace weight mid-cycle. If you are unsure, use the lighter option; this program creates progression through practice volume.
Direction Changes
Train both directions evenly. After 5 reps in the first direction, set the mace down before changing your hand position. Pick it up only after your grip is secure, then perform 5 reps in the second direction.
Do not switch directions while the mace is moving and do not turn the hand change into an extra swing. The set-down is part of the prescription: it keeps the direction change deliberate and makes each pair repeatable.
Technique Standard
- Keep your ribs stacked rather than leaning back as the mace travels behind you
- Let the mace head travel in a smooth circle instead of forcing it through the bottom of the arc
- Keep the hands close to the body on the pull to the front
- Allow the elbows to move while keeping the shoulders away from the ears
- Match the path, rhythm, and control in both directions
- Finish each rep securely before beginning the next one
When to Stop
Stop the set immediately if:
- The mace contacts your head, neck, back, or shoulder
- Your grip opens or your hands slide unexpectedly
- You have to lean or flare your ribs to bring the mace forward
- One direction becomes noticeably less controlled than the other
- You feel sharp pain or increasing irritation in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, neck, or back
Do not turn a missed rep into a faster rep. End the set, recover, and use a lighter mace or repeat an earlier week if control does not return.
Completing and Repeating the Cycle
Complete the program when both Week 8 sessions reach 10 rounds with the same controlled path in both directions and without joint irritation. If either Week 8 session breaks down, repeat the cycle with the same mace. Repetition with better control is progress.
Only consider a heavier mace after both Week 8 sessions remain controlled from the first rep through the hundredth. When you do increase, begin the cycle again at Week 1. Alternating 360/10-to-2 and single-arm 360 work are separate progressions and are not part of this program.
How to Perform Each Movement
Mace Prayer Switch
Hold the mace vertically in front of your chest with both hands. Tip it toward one side under control, change your hand position, and return it to vertical. Perform 10 total controlled switches.
Cues: Keep the mace close, stay tall, and control the head rather than letting it fall.
Mace Pullover
With both hands on the handle, guide the mace from the front up and behind your head, then return it to the front. Perform 5 reps with each hand position so both directions are prepared evenly.
Cues: Keep your ribs down, use a consistent overhead path, and return under control.
Mace Pendulum
Swing the mace head behind you in a controlled arc from one side to the other. Let it travel, then guide it back without shrugging or losing your brace. Perform 10 total reps.
Cues: Let the mace swing, keep the shoulders down, and stay stacked through the torso.
Two-Handed Mace 360
Guide the mace from the front over one shoulder, let the head travel in a smooth circle behind your body, and pull it back to the front over the other shoulder. Complete 5 reps in one direction, set the mace down to change hand position, then complete 5 in the other direction.
Cues: Keep the hands close on the return, let the elbows move, keep the ribs stacked, and make both directions look the same.