Why The Kabuki ShouldeRok Is Overrated

One of the most frequently asked questions I recieve “is the Kabuki ShouldeRok is worth getting” instead of multiple fixed weight steel maces. I’ve known about this product since 2014, and still continued to buy heavier steel maces as heavy as 32kg/70lbs. This plate loadable mace is invented by Chris Duffin (a record holding powerlifter & owner of Kabuki Strength), and claim on their website:

“The ShouldeRok™ was designed to increase shoulder strength, core stability, and rotational strength, as well as encourage proper spinal position and shoulder mobility/function.”

Going into 2022, my curiosity finally got the best of me because I continued to get YouTube comments and emails about this product. So I pulled the trigger, and bought one to see what the hype was about, and after two weeks of use . . . I have no idea why the Kabuki ShouldeRok is so popular. So I put together this video review below to show you in detail why you sould stick with regular fixed weight steel maces and steer clear of this questionable product design.

Problem #1 - The Price:

Here is the receipt after my purchase, and it came out to $233.43 to get this to my door. I don’t need to be an economics professor to breakdown if you got three or four steel maces between 7lb to 20lbs . . .THAT WOULD COST LESS. Not only that, you STILL have to buy the 5-10lb barbell change plates to load this thing. So you’re already paying over $300+ for a loadable mace.

Problem #2 - The Nut Is Weak:

Right out the box, I heard slack between the nut and swivel lathe with a cheap ringing sound. So before I published this review, I reached out Kabuki’s Customer Service to ask them if this was normal, and if I got a bad one off the production line. The rep relied:

“Thank you for reaching out to us at Kabuki Strength. The ‘play’ you are seeing with the nut on the ShouldeRok is typical when a plate is not attached. Once you introduce a change plate and use the nut to tighten it, you should no longer have that issue. If the nuts are any tighter, once you apply weight, say a 5lb or more, the tension will increase greatly and it becomes very difficult to remove the nut after use. I hope this helps.”

As you will see and hear in the review video, it does the exact opposite of what the rep said. It is insanely surprising to me there is not a rubber gasket on the nut to increase the friction against the swivel. With Chris Duffin being a 1,000lb deadlifter, he knows that even barbell collars have rubber on the insides to increase surface friction against the barbell sleeve so the plates don’t move. Yet, this fact is completely ignored having metal on metal with the nut and swivel lathe on the ShoudeRok.

Problem #3 - Loading Space:

You’d think with this being so expensive — it could be loaded to 50lb no problem. However, there’s less than 2 inches of loading space on this thing with the nut applied. So for example, three 10lb plates or a pair of 25lb will NOT fit. Empty by itself, the Kabuki ShouldeRok is 8lb — so you'll be lucky to load it SAFELY no heavier than 25lb.

Problem #4 -25lb Plates Are NOT 360 Safe:

Maces are commonly used for 360 motion patterns around the body. Most think the mace will hit your back if you do 360s, and that is only true if you swing it with bad form. However, when swinging the ShouldeRok with a typical sized Standard 25lb plate . . . it was WAY TOO CLOSE for comfort. The handle is 48 inches long (which is the same height as the Onnit Quad Mace), and I felt the back of my knee hairs getting hit and felt the need to kip my hips forward so it wouldn't take them out from behind. So 5-10lb plates can only fit on this over priced half barbell bar.

So with all these issues, The Kabuki ShouldeRok is not worth your hard earned money. It’s worth $119.99 at best, needs a rubber gasket in the nut, and needs a minimum of 4 inches of loading space for me to to see any value in this thing. The only positive I got out of this was the customer service allowing me to return this and get a refund.

If you’d like to see more steel mace related reviews —check out these reviews:

— The Best & Worst Amazon Steel Maces

— The Best HEAVY Steel Mace Brands

Ian Vaughn