Training the Competitive Youth Fencer

This article will present an overview of the training methods I have used, and am currently using, with an elite youth fencer. Fencing is a sport that draws has roots from medieval European swordsmanship. Divided into three weapons; foil, epee and sabre, each weapon has distinct rules of engagement. Foil is probably the most well known weapon and is the category that my fencers have always competed in. Needless to say I personally would not make many changes in my training approach to the other weapons regardless of the differences.

I first trained cadet (youth) fencers while living oversees in Israel, and quickly developed deep respect for their sport and fitness levels. My passion is the martial arts, any martial art. Regardless of origin, universal rules of combat apply: hit the opponent before he hits you. All martial arts systems have to be effective as a means of armed or unarmed combat; they must be “functional” in the true sense of the word. Like other martial arts/combative sports, fencing is steeped in tradition. This is also true of the conditioning methods traditionally employed by fencers. Generally fencers practice blade work, footwork and general conditioning. When I first started to train fencers about 15 years ago the teams I worked with did not do any real resistance training other than using an old Universal machine. They did not use additional resistance to perform lunges, and never performed lunges with their non-dominant (non-blade) side. They never tried a push press or jerk. Interestingly enough their head coach was a two time Olympian. This all changed when I got there. The result was that at the next European championship, about four months later, the Europeans complained that my fencers were too strong to be only 16! The funny thing is that all I did was apply the same approach that any strength coach would use with any other sport.

I currently train a 16 year-old fencer that recently made the Canadian National team and is headed for the World Championships in April of this year. The same is true for him. Team conditioning usually consists of endless single side lunges, plyometrics, static stretching, and recommendations for some general aerobic work done on his own time. The coaches administer all the conditioning and, while they are incredible fencing coaches, as well as fencers, they often do not expose their athletes to current sports conditioning techniques. My approach, again, is “non-traditional” for the world of fencing. As anyone who knows me will say that that is “normal” for me.

Fencing is a sport that requires great strength, power and muscular endurance. It is an “anaerobic” sport that requires the athlete to train for many explosive bursts of action while maintaining a sense of finesse and a clear head. It is hard to say how long the average fencing bout is, since it can be over in two minutes or ten. For this reason I use a wide variety of stimuli to challenge his system and get the most out of our training sessions without risking injury or overtraining in his already hectic schedule. I train this athlete in his home and, while he owns a good quality home exercise gym, I have never touched it. Instead I focus primarily on bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, medicine balls, resistance bands, kettlebells and sandbags (and the occasional sledgehammer).

Warm-Up

His general pre-workout routine consists of self-myofascial release on the foam roller for about five minutes, and dynamic stretching with exercises like inchworms, “spidermen”, lateral lunge stretches, standing quad stretches and “airplanes”(single leg standing ham stretches) etc. These techniques have become mainstream in the world of sports conditioning. In my opinion this type of pre-workout routine is crucial to enhance overall performance.

Agility

Agility work generally follows his warm-up. I use a variety of agility and change of direction techniques, some of which are uncommon for most athletes. He regularly uses the agility ladder and fitness rings, which help him with his footwork. In addition, I try to push him outside his comfort zone with regards to footwork drill. Since fencers still have to “drive” with the rear leg to execute a lunge and forward thrust we use a variety of band exercises to develop the glut/hip complex and proper mechanics. One exercise is to place a thick band at his knees and have him push laterally in the direction he needs to go, basically a side push-off. In other words if he is moving towards the right he will focus on pushing in that direction using his left foot. This exercise is fairly common for most strength coaches nowadays. Since he is notoriously imbalance because of the demands of his sport I have always have him work bilaterally. He will drive with his left and right legs even though this is not what he is accustomed to. I also use several martial arts based footwork patterns coupled with small resistance bands to develop quick direction changes and “power-endurance”. These techniques include forward and reverse “triangle” steps and “star” patterns. We do these techniques for his lower and upper extremities and they have proved themselves to be very effective conditioning exercises. (For a more in depth explanation check out my article in Sportspecific.com or my “Martial Arts Agility” DVD.)

Strength

Our sessions focus on the total body so that I can integrate leg, core and upper extremity training in a single training session, and often in a single exercise. Over the last several months I have focused on kettlebell and sandbag training, which has developed greater overall core strength and power-endurance. High rep kettlebell swings and sandbag lunges are usually effective ways to get his heart rate up as well. I wholeheartedly recommend kettlebell and sandbag training for any athlete that requires power-endurance or strength-endurance in his or her sport.

One of the areas often neglected in fencing conditioning is grip strength. Often after a grueling tournament a fencer’s grip and forearm musculature become very fatigued and it is difficult to maintain good blade control. With this in mind I have used small 4 lb. sledgehammers to train his grip and shoulder strength. I incorporate many movements traditional to various martial arts, as well as Indian Club swinging. These movements are both circular and linear in nature and are performed slowly with constant tension throughout the body. Kettlebell and sandbag training has been a tremendous help in developing a superior grip as well.

The following are sample workouts that I have used. Our training sessions vary. I use straight sets, “supersets”, “tri-sets” and circuits. As stated earlier my focus is on overall power-endurance and agility, increasing core strength, leg strength, upper extremity strength as well as functional flexibility. In addition, I must balance the large volume of lunges and multiple tournaments he must undergo on a regular basis in order to maximize results and avoid overtraining. Our training sessions last one hour including warm-up and a cool down/passive stretch.

Sample Workout

Dynamic Stretch: 10 minutes.

Forward triangle steps with small resistance band: 1 x 10 each direction

Star Pattern with small band: 1 x 10

Agility Ladder: 3x each pattern, half ladder: approx 10 minutes
Forward “quick-step”
Lateral “quick-step”
Quick shuffle
Shuffle wide with a “stick”
“Jumping Jacks”
“Hop Scotch”

Perform each Medicine Ball exercise in succession then rest. Perform twice.
MB Swings x 15
MB Trunk Twists x 20
MB Squat while pushing MB out at chest level x 10

DB Swing: 3 x 15

Forward Lunge with contralateral dumbbell press: 2 x 10 each leg

Resistance Band Standing Rows: 2 x 15

Resistance Band Standing Chest Press: 2 x 12

Single Leg Squat to Bench: 4 x 4

Jackknife on Stability Ball: 2 x 15

Hamstring Curl on Stability Ball: 2 x 15

Medicine Ball Russian Twist: 2 x 20


Passive stretch


Sample Workout For Strength and Power Endurance

This is a very challenging circuit. We are preparing for the World championships and will need to increase the power-endurance component. He also recently returned from a “camp” in France. Just prior to the trip he sprained his ankle and was wearing a brace when I saw him. This session was intended to stress his total body without aggravating his ankle; therefore there were no single leg exercises in this program.

Sample Circuit

Warm-up

Dynamic stretching
X-Walks with ½ inch super band
Lateral band walks
KB Slingshots-20 reps

The Circuit

1 minute stations, exercise to fatigue, switch stations at the 1 minute signal
4 passes
Front carry Ketttlebell Squat (hold KB by the "horns")
KB Swings
MB Slams
MB Push-ups (roll the ball after each push-up)
Band rows
"Evil Wheel" (for some reason he loves this exercise)

Stretch

Most conditioning professionals will see similarities between the workouts that I have presented here and ones they may have used for other athletes. Most “power based” sports can use a similar functional training approach. I have been fortunate to have a great deal of success combining modern concepts in functional sports conditioning with more “warrior based’ techniques taken from various martial arts traditions. For those conditioning professionals that find themselves training fencers for the first time I suggest that you become familiar with the general and specific movement patterns as well as the bioenergetics needs of the sport. Once you have done this you can easily adapt and apply the training principals that already work for you. Fencers are great athletes that will only get better once they are exposed to effective strength and conditioning methods on a consistent basis.