weight training routines for fencing

[mackillian]

I've moved into the advanced group and now fence for 2 hours 3x a week. I also weight train 3x a week (on non fencing days). Since fencing is so heavy on the legwork, I'm wondering if I should cut out the leg routine of weight training and concentrate on balancing my arm strength to my leg strength.

anyone have advice on this?

also, I can't seem to find a shoe that works properly for me. I've used running shoes thus far, but last night found them losing their grip on the floor. I also came home with a blister on the big toe of my back foot.

*scratches head*

[keith]

assuming you are looking for a non-fencing shoe either a squash shoe or a volleyball shoe is often a good choice. Both have soles that wrap over the toe & heel so they stand up better to the footwork compared to regular training/running shoes.

If you want to add a training routine try buying a balance board - good for the snowboarding as well.

[achilleus]

OK, so let's start with the shoes...

If you don't feel like spending the big bucks on a fencing specific shoe, get court shoes. Almost any kind of court shoe will work. Many, myself included prefer court shoes.

Here's the DL on alternatives to fencing specific shoes:

Tennis Shoes:
Made for moving laterally, and lunging. Which means great support, rounded heel, and toe drag protection. Since they are made for outdoor use, they tend to be leather, with good cushioning, and very durable.

They tend to be heavier than most people prefer for fencing

Racquetball/Squash/Indoor Court Shoes:
Very similar to tennis shoes, except since they are for indoor courts, they use a lot more mesh, and less cushioning. They are lighter, less durable than tennis shoes and tend to have less cushion.

Plus you can go down to the store, try the shoes on and see what feels good.

Or you can use www.tenniswarehouse.com to do some research. Check out the reviews and feedback. They also have a link to www.racquetballwarehouse.com.

Now, working out:

First define your goals for the gym.
If it's just to stay in shape, and fencing is one extra exercise for you, then you can focus less on the legs. You can't ignore them completely. Fencing builds the legs unevenly:

Large lead thigh (and even then it focuses heavily on the outer quad)
Large rear calf
Ignores the Hamstrings

So, I would recommend at least working on the hamstrings (a lot), and the hip. Hip flexion, extension and adduction.

If you interested in working out to improve your fencing, well, that's a very complex answer...

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Try to make the legs as strong as possible in all muscles without using weights. So do raises, squats, lunges, and all that other stuff without using weights. Once they are really strong, then begin on the weights to increase the power that these muscles contain and can exert. Also, try plymetrics.

[veeco]

Originally Posted by achilleus

First define your goals for the gym.
If it's just to stay in shape, and fencing is one extra exercise for you, then you can focus less on the legs. You can't ignore them completely. Fencing builds the legs unevenly:

Large lead thigh (and even then it focuses heavily on the outer quad)
Large rear calf
Ignores the Hamstrings

So, I would recommend at least working on the hamstrings (a lot), and the hip. Hip flexion, extension and adduction.

I am not that sure that the hamstrings are not exercised at all when fencing. Perhaps hamstrings have to bear a different kind of effort than the quads, but I think that hamstrings are exercised.

For once, the hamstring is the antagonistic muscle to the quad, so they have to be exercised in general just like the quads are when doing regular footwork.

Plus, when you are doing explosive lunges, I feel like my lead hamstring is one of the muscles I use when stopping my lunge (to prevent my knee from going too far forward). In that sense it is not really an explosive movement, like the one you need from your quads. It would probably be more a sort of resistance and slowing down movement, which might require different muscle fibers, but I think that this muscle is necessary.

Then when recovering from your lunge, you have to straigthen your front leg and the lead hamstring is used in that movement as well. Again, perhaps not as explosively as other muscles, but it is being used.

Now, on the workouts, one other thing that noone has mentionned yet is that it is very important in fencing to have good core body strength. Dorsal muscles, lumbar muscles, and abs are especially important since all your posture comes from these muscles. If you want to be able to change directions quickly, you need to have balance. And most of this balance comes from core body strength. You need to be able to counter the effects of speed with your torso to be able to change directions rapidly.

[achilleus]

Veeco,

Yeah, the hamstrings do get worked, however, not enough.

The most common injury in athletes training for speed is lack of developing the hamstring muscles.

The lunge works mostly the quads, leaving the hamstring vastly underdeveloped compared to the quad. This causes very tight hamstrings which leads to leg and back inuries...

So, to avoid leg injuries, develop the hamstrings.

[mackillian]

I already weight train and have for a couple years. So the issue isn't as much routine and what to do, as it is on what to do about my legs.

But yeah, the unequal development isn't good, especially with opposing muscles. So leave the leg day in, it seems.

And I play raquetball, so I'll have to give my racquetball shoes a try.