Train Like A Mace Wielding Warrior At This Somerset County Gym

BRANCHBURG, NJ — Hundreds of years in the past ancient warriors wielded maces as weapons in battle. Now in the 21st-century, these steel weapons are being incorporated into fitness routines.

"It started out as a weapon, like something a Gladiator would use. Then it turned into a workout in India where Indian wrestlers used it to workout," said Mike Wolhfert, owner of Martial Strength Training Academy in Branchburg. "The mace is like a kettlebell on a stick."

Wolhfert is hosting a special mace workshop on Saturday at his gym at 1010 Route 202 South with international Mace trainer Mr. Maceman Rik Brown.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. a workshop will be held for mace certification and from noon to 2 p.m. there will be a workshop for locals to come train and work out with a mace.

"It is great for strength building, anyone can use it," said Wolhfert.

The mace ranges in weight from 7 to 50 pounds but the average weight most people use is 10 to 15 pounds.

"It is still a niche thing. It is not really out there yet. It is not mainstream," said Wolhfert of mace training. "I gravitate towards it because it is like a martial art weapon."

Wolhfert, originally from Berkeley Heights and now living in Warren, has been doing martial arts for more than 20 years.

After his son was born he couldn't travel to Princeton as much so he started working at CKO in Gillette where he became a kickboxing trainer.

The opportunity came up to open a franchise gym and Wolhfert decided to go another route and open his own gym - Martial Arts Training Academy. It will be four years in October since he opened in Branchburg.

His gym offers a combination of martial arts and fitness with heavy bags, bag work, boxing equipment, circuit training, ropes, kettlebells, sandbags, and of course maces.

To learn more about how to train like an ancient warrior visit martialstrength.com or instagram.com/martial_strength or facebook.com/MartialStrengthTrainingAcademy.

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