Get Me Outta Here Fast!

[shlepzig]

Aside from footwork drills and all the things that traditionally are part of fencing training. If you are doing aerobic workouts to supplement your conditioning I would suggest spinning.

Maintaining a high RPM and a smooth pedal stroke will help your legs learn to move quickly and smoothly. Set the bike on a low resistance setting, and set the meter to monitor your cadence. Your target should be a speed you can maintain for a period of time (10-20 min) without bouncing in your seat. With practice you should be able to maintain 120 RPM or more smoothly for the entire workout.

I have noticed that my feet feel more coordinated, lighter if you will after maintaining a workout like this for some time.

Over time you can increase the resistance on the bike to increase the aerobic instensity of your workout.

Shlep

[D'Artag-NOT]

Now there's a thought. I'll have to check and see if my gym offers spinning during hours I can make it.

[MyraTrue]

I admit I'm on "scroll by posting" mode right now. I've seen some good drill suggestions, but wanted to add one other thing, which I'm unsure if anyone else has mentioned. And I know this is NOT what you asked for, but...

I tried a lot of things to increase my spead and make my footwork better. All those drills did one thing for me in the end- they made me comfortable with my footwork, and my balance. I find that the more comfortable I became, the faster I could move. Being comfortable enough that your legs know what to do allows you to think about other important things. And until a fencer is comfortable with footwork, increasing speed could be hard.

For what that little thought was worth... good luck,.

[D'Artag-NOT]

It's a good thought, MyraTrue, as so many of yours are. Part of my problem is just getting comfortable with moving fast and pushing myself. (I think this is because the increased heart rate and other physical symptoms of vigorous exercise tend to trigger a panic reflex in me--a legacy of growing up with the congenital heart problem.) Thanks for thinking to address the inner fencer.

[Peach]

I'll add my two cents. Many people try to get away using only their legs, and forget the whole body should be moved out of the way--they're ignoring the laws of physics. This results in a fencer who is leaning forward, off balance, rear end stuck out, backpedaling like crazy--but unable to move very fast. If you stay upright and do correct footwork rather than rushing, it's funny how much faster you can be.

[Inquartata]

I fence sabre, where getting out of distance is critical. I have not used any of the vast array of exotic suggestions mentioned previously, and I do not do drills. Two things have sufficed for me. One, dig the toes of the front foot into the floor when pushing off it to retreat. Second, take BIG steps retreating. The little fast steps are for attacking or for the lively back and forth before someone attacks. When the opponent is coming after you, large steps.

[tallntender]

Originally Posted by Peach

I'll add my two cents. Many people try to get away using only their legs, and forget the whole body should be moved out of the way--they're ignoring the laws of physics. This results in a fencer who is leaning forward, off balance, rear end stuck out, backpedaling like crazy--but unable to move very fast. If you stay upright and do correct footwork rather than rushing, it's funny how much faster you can be.

I believe that Peach is absolutely right. I try to remember, it's not that "practice makes perfect," but rather that "perfect practice makes perfect."

[mackillian]

My coach says that. o_O

[mollusk]

Just a follow-up to the "perfect practice makes perfect" line.

Sometimes I practice my footwork at a VERY slow speed to break it down completely and get it perfect. That seems to help me a lot in doing it correctly and faster in a competitive situation.

[Thorin]

Originally Posted by achilleus

Those have been shown not to work.

Could you elaborate on that? Not work as in not build leg strength? I kinda fail to see how that could be possible over training w/out weights.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by Thorin

Could you elaborate on that? Not work as in not build leg strength? I kinda fail to see how that could be possible over training w/out weights.

Ankle weights have shown to be ineffective in improving the speed or agility of those who use them.

It's far more effective to run sprints, ladder drills, use a weight vest, etc...

The studies were done in the 80's I believe, when it was popular for the runners to train with such weights.

If you do a web search, I'm sure you can find something.

[Thorin]

Originally Posted by achilleus

Ankle weights have shown to be ineffective in improving the speed or agility of those who use them.

That makes sense. However I imagine they help build strength just fine.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by Thorin

That makes sense. However I imagine they help build strength just fine.

Well, the thread is talking about building muscle for speed.

Depends by what you mean just fine. There are better ways to strength train the legs. Like squats, lunges, leg press, etc...

Much more efficient ways to train the legs than leg weights...

With regards to agility, some sports trainers actually believe that using ankle (and wrist) weights impair agility and so discourage their use. Note that many athletes who train for speed and agility don't use leg weights:

Boxers
Football players
Runners
Basketball players
etc...

[40Saberthieves]

I have found that doing stairs, 2 or 3 at a time works well.

It is important to do them explosively, not slowly.

Edit: Try leaping up the stairs with heavy (not ankle) weights on your back. If you go to school, try doing it with your backpack. Dont do this if you have bad knees.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by RogueNine

I have found that doing stairs, 2 or 3 at a time works well.

It is important to do them explosively, not slowly.

Edit: Try leaping up the stairs with heavy (not ankle) weights on your back. If you go to school, try doing it with your backpack. Dont do this if you have bad knees.

Stadiums rock...

Have to add, walk down the stairs....

[mackillian]

Raquetball.

[Inquartata]

Ankle weights build leg strength, but the wrong kind for fencing. Think about it: when is the resistance happening? When you LIFT your leg. When you move the leg forward or back. What you need is resistance when you are pushing DOWN or off, which ankle weights don't much help...

Stairs are good. If you can find an escalator, you have the world's largest Stairmaster. These are part of my usual warm up at Duel in the Desert. )

[achilleus]

I remember now...

Wearing ankle weights while practicing footwork or technical skills merely trains the wearer for clunky movements. It does help strengthen the legs, but the downside is that technical footwork skills suffer.

THis is why boxers, runners, martial artists, fencers, etc don't use ankle weights to train during their sport.

Using them while doing leg extensions is OK.

[daveappr]

I seem to remember in the mid- eighties that ankle weights were discouraged as they promote fluid build- up in the knees if used improperly during training- not worth the risk to me.

[sabreur]

Plyometrics, which have wittingly or unwittingly already been mentioned.

Stadiums.

Or stairs.

In my journal, the jump drills. (Jump ladders are particularly good, but they all work).

Footwork that focuses on rapid change of direction--for your purposes, do something that builds up a fair amount of forward momentum, then reverses and bolts--for instance, advance, jump-lunge, recover and retreat to the end of the strip as fast as you can go...turn around and run for the back line if you want).

Raquetball or squash (or badminton) as cross-training.

MR