Game of Thrones Workout: Full-Body Steel Mace Warrior AMRAP

Do you want the swiftness of Jon Snow? The unilateral strength of Jaime Lannister? The power of Brienne of Tarth?

Then grab a steel mace. This Game of Thrones-inspired warrior workout combines full-body conditioning, rotational movement, unilateral loading, lunges, 10-to-2s, grave diggers, and an optional burpee finisher.

You won't leave the session ready to take King's Landing, but you will challenge your grip, shoulders, upper back, core, hips, and legs while getting a serious conditioning workout.

Are you ready for battle?

Why Use a Steel Mace for a Game of Thrones Workout?

The mace is one of the oldest categories of handheld weapons. Historical maces appeared in numerous cultures and were designed around a simple idea: placing mass away from the hand to deliver a powerful blow.

The steel mace is a modern training tool based on that offset-weight concept. It consists of a long handle with most of its mass concentrated at one end.

That uneven weight distribution is what makes mace training different from using a balanced dumbbell or barbell. As the weighted head moves farther from your hands, the lever becomes harder to control, increasing the demand on your grip, shoulders, and trunk.

So while we can't promise The Mountain's grip, Arya's coordination, Tormund's power, The Hound's shoulders, or Khal Drogo's core, the mace can challenge all of those physical qualities.

And looking like the Night King while doing it is optional.

What Does This Steel Mace Workout Train?

• Grip and forearms: The offset mace challenges your ability to control the handle.
• Shoulders and upper back: 10-to-2s, uppercuts, and grave diggers demand shoulder and scapular control.
• Core: The mace creates rotational and anti-rotational demands as the weighted head moves around your body.
• Legs and glutes: Lunges, kneeling transitions, and lower-body movement make this a full-body circuit.
• Conditioning: Timed rounds challenge cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.

This workout can complement conventional resistance training, but it isn't a replacement for progressively loaded squats, hinges, presses, and pulls if maximal strength or hypertrophy is your primary goal.

Game of Thrones Steel Mace Workout Details

This GOT workout is for Game of Thrones fans who already have a working knowledge of the steel mace basics.

The individual movements aren't extremely advanced, but combining them into timed rounds makes the workout demanding. If you're brand new to mace training, learn the movements individually before trying the circuit.

Workout Type: Timed AMRAP-style circuit

An AMRAP workout traditionally means completing as many rounds or reps as possible within a set time. Here, "as many as possible" means as many quality rounds as you can complete while maintaining control of the mace.

Do not chase another round if your grip is failing, your 10-to-2 becomes uncontrolled, or you're compensating through your back and shoulders.

Recommended Duration: Start with 10-15 minutes. Experienced mace users can progress toward 20-30 minutes if technique remains solid.

Equipment: Steel Mace

Mace Weight: Choose your mace based on experience, movement proficiency, leverage, strength, and the exercise, not sex. A weight you can squat or press may still be too heavy for repeated 10-to-2s or dynamic uppercuts.

Target: Full body, with emphasis on conditioning, grip, shoulders, trunk, and unilateral control.

Structure: Complete each exercise for up to 45 seconds. Rest 15-30 seconds between exercises and 60-90 seconds between rounds as needed. For unilateral movements, divide the work evenly between sides.

Dynamic Warm-Up

Before starting the circuit, spend roughly 5-10 minutes preparing for the movements you're about to perform. Use light locomotion, shoulder and thoracic movement, bodyweight lunges or squats, and easy practice reps of the mace exercises.

The goal is to increase body temperature, move through the ranges you'll use, and rehearse the patterns without tiring yourself out before the workout.

Game of Thrones AMRAP Workout

Complete the following five exercises in order. Use up to 45 seconds of work per exercise, then take 15-30 seconds to reset before the next movement. Rest 60-90 seconds after each full round.

Exercise 1: Stab and Move (Moving Jousts)
Keep the mace under control as you move. The goal is not to throw the implement forward; maintain a stable trunk while you coordinate the lower and upper body.

Exercise 2: Moving Through Battle (Uppercut Lunges)
Combine the uppercut pattern with a controlled lunge. Keep the load light enough that the mace does not pull you out of position.

Exercise 3: Handle Your Sword (10-to-2)
The 10-to-2 is a classic mace swing. Keep the movement smooth and rhythmic rather than muscling the mace around your head.

Exercise 4: Bury 'Em (Walking Grave Diggers)
Use deliberate hip and trunk movement while maintaining control of the offset load. Avoid rushing the transition between sides.

Exercise 5: Bend the Knee (Half-Kneeling Uppercut)
The half-kneeling position reduces help from the lower body and increases the demand on trunk and shoulder control. Switch sides evenly.

Optional Burnout: Advanced Steel Mace Burpees

Rest 2-5 minutes before starting the burnout.

The original workout finishes with advanced steel mace burpees. Treat this section as optional. If the main circuit already pushed your technique or conditioning close to your limit, skip the burnout.

Choose 2-4 variations from the video and perform a small number of controlled reps for each. Rather than blindly chasing maximum reps, stop when fatigue makes the mace path, push-up, jump, or landing sloppy.

How Many Rounds Should You Do?

There is no magic round count. Start conservatively and use the quality of your movement as the deciding factor.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using too much mace: Dynamic movements magnify leverage, so lighter often works better in circuits.
• Turning AMRAP into sloppy reps: More rounds are not better if your technique falls apart.
• Ignoring side-to-side balance: Split unilateral work evenly between both sides.
• Skipping movement practice: Know each exercise before trying to perform it under fatigue.
• Forcing the burnout: The burpee finisher is optional, especially after a hard circuit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Game of Thrones workout beginner-friendly?

It is best for people who already understand basic steel mace technique. Beginners can still use the concept, but should learn the movements separately, use a light mace, shorten the work intervals, and take more rest.

What weight steel mace should I use?

Use a weight you can control for the most technical exercise in the circuit. Mace selection should be based on experience, leverage, strength, and movement quality rather than sex. When in doubt, go lighter.

Is a steel mace good for full-body workouts?

Yes. Mace exercises can be combined with squats, lunges, rows, presses, carries, and rotational patterns to create full-body sessions. The offset design also places significant demand on grip and trunk control.

Can steel mace workouts build muscle?

They can contribute to muscle growth when exercises are sufficiently challenging and progressively overloaded. However, traditional resistance exercises are usually easier to load and track for maximizing hypertrophy.

How often can I do this workout?

For most people, once or twice per week is enough for a demanding mace-conditioning session, depending on the rest of the training program. Leave enough recovery between hard sessions for your grip, shoulders, elbows, and overall conditioning.

Other Steel Mace Workouts

• 20 Minute Steel Mace Shoulder Workout
• 30 Minute Steel Mace Warrior Workout
• Advanced Steel Mace Workout

Final Thoughts

This Game of Thrones workout is supposed to be fun, but the training principles still matter. Pick a mace you can control, keep your reps clean, rest when needed, and progress gradually.

The goal isn't to prove you're worthy of the Iron Throne by surviving the ugliest 45 minutes possible. The goal is to finish the workout with your technique intact and enough recovery capacity to train well again.

Train hard. Stay controlled. Battle on.

Where Can I Buy a Steel Mace?

Buy Your Steel Mace Now

Steel Mace Training e-Guide: Go from beginner to advanced mace training with our 84-page steel mace training guide featuring tutorials and programming guidance.