SWIMMING OR FENCING??

[alessandro]

Hi, i heard that fencing is a more complete sport, even more than swimming? is this true?
where can i find information related to this on-line?
Thanks

-AleX

[tsalyards]

A more complete sport? What do you mean by this?

-Tad

[Shadow Fencer]

I use swimming for my aerobic workout, not that fencing isn't an aerobic workout, but with swimming, I can keep the pace continuous for a longer period of time. In fencing I am using bursts of energy with slower periods of activity.

Can't say I've come across any data which reports that fencing is more of a "complete" sport than fencing.

In my personal experience, one has to be fit to enjoy fencing and fencing keeps one fit. However, if one is inexperienced in fencing, fencing will not make one as fit as some of the other sports.

[RC]

Shadow Fencer

I'm going to disagree with your statement "one has to be fit to enjoy fencing" although I agree with "fencing keeps you fit".
In my limited experience I've found that fencing has a much lower fitness threshold when it comes to enjoyment. In running, soccer and football (lets not even talk about rugby) if you aren't fit to begin with, you'll get hurt and that's not fun. In fencing, a person can learn the basics and have a great time with peers without needing to train up to a minimum fitness level. (This does not mean you can skip the warmup!)

[Lumberg]

Regarding the Shadow Fencer's statement "one has to be fit in order to enjoy fencing", that all depends. You don't have to be fit to fence. You can be overweight or out of physical conditioning but still enjoy fencing. I think you kind of are implying that if you are out of shape, you can't win, and if you can't win, you can't enjoy the sport.
Regarding alessandro's statment, "I heard that fencing is a more complete sport...", where did you specifically hear this? Word of mouth from another fencer, the newspaper, TV, a magazine, or out of your free and wild imagination. What is your definition of a complete sport? There are a couple sports that are similar to fencing when it comes to needing both physical and mental challenges: boxing, tennis, karate, wrestling and raquetball just to name a few.

------------------
Lumberg.
"...yeah...did you get the memo about the TPS reports?"

[alessandro]

Sorry, i know that my english sucks, but i try. lol.

im reply to tsalyards and Lumberg's post, i mean by a more complete sport, that fencing has some things that any other sport has.
I mean, you have to stay on guard by a long period of time, you have to lung several times in a few minutes, eve - hand coordination, you have to move up and down the piste all the time, be faster than your oponent, and even think faster than your oponent, think your move, and what will your oponent do with that move, do every single move perfectly, concentrate, etc.
So, i mean by this, when you swim it is supposed that you exercise every muscle on your body, i read in a magazine that in fencing you exercise every muscle of your body too, and you have to think, so it is more complete than swimming, and thats what i belive, i want to know what you guys think.
Thanks.
-AleX

[Shadow Fencer]

Alessandro-
I think I have a better understanding of what you are asking! And by the way, your english is OK! I don't think I could communicate in espanol, if that is your language. Yo hablo un poquito!

Anyway, if one views fencing as a sport which engages your mind and body in relationship to another person (a person can swim by themself, but a fencer needs another fencer to fence!) then I would have to say that fencing is more complete than swimming!
(That's what this lady thinks!)

PS: To RC- I have to tell you that from personal experience, when I wasn't fit, I didn't enjoy fencing as much as when I got back in shape. I felt like throwing up after the coach drilled us in the warm-up!

[Lumberg]

To Alessandro,
Well, going by your description, I would like to say the boxing is a more complete sport than fencing. You have to do a lot of the same with one more facet, getting hit in boxing is more physically and mentally punishing than getting hit in fencing. If you get scored on in fencing. You get a chance to think about it. In boxing, when you get hit, you have to continue facing more hits; and getting hit in the head temporarily immobilizes you.
With all that said, I'm not a fan of boxing but I don't consider fencing a complete sport. You can, technically, fence without your back arm.

Another note, cross-country skiing (nordic skiing) uses all the muscles in your body like in swimming.

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Lumberg.
"...yeah...did you get the memo about the TPS reports?"

[This message has been edited by Lumberg (edited 01-16-2001).]

[alessandro]

Lumber:
I don't agree with you, as i said on my description, you use almost all your muscles in fencing, u don't use like any muscle in boxing, it is true that it is somehow "like" fencing, because you fight against someone who wants to win you. but you don't have to be lunging, or moving all the time so u don't get hit by a blade that measures less than a cm, etc.
that's what i think.
-AleX

[Nasty]

swimming is a great sport but even better it is a great workout for the average and above average person.
Fencing will tend to make your body lop sided from the extended use of one side, where is swimming is a more complete workout for the body, Fencing is however more complete then any sport because you use your mind and your body together.

[darius]

I think a lot of sports have strong mental components -- look at the composure a quarterback has to have in football.

What individual sport doesn't necessarily have a strong mental component? I guess a lot of the purely reactive track/field events (sprinting, jumps, etc.) don't, but I can't think of another, off-hand.

darius

[Lumberg]

To Alessandro,
Whatever.

[This message has been edited by Lumberg (edited 01-17-2001).]

[alessandro]

of course, i think that we all would do the same choice.

[CHEEKY FOIL GUY]

SWIMMING IS NOT AN AEROBIC EXERCISE. YOU ARE USE SMALL AMOUNTS OF OXYGEN FOR PROLONGED TIMES. THIS BUILDS LACTIC ACID AND CLASSIFIES IT AS AN ANAEROBIC EXERCISE. FENCING TO IS ANAEROBIC AS IT IS SMALL BURST OF ENERGY. SWIMMING IS A MORE COMPLETE EXERCISE IN THE SENSE U EXERCISE MORE MUSCLE GROUPS AT THE SAME TIME THAN U DO IN FENCING. ALSO THESE MUSCLE GROUPS ARE EQUALLY EXERCISED, UNLIKE IN FENCING. ALTHOUGH AS A FENCER I WOULD ADVISE U TO STAY WITH FENCING AND DO SOME RUNNING TO BALANCE OUT YOUR EXERCISE WITH SOME AEORBIC EXERCISE.

[damianip]

CHEEKY FOIL GUY writes:

SWIMMING IS NOT AN AEROBIC EXERCISE. YOU ARE USE SMALL AMOUNTS OF OXYGEN FOR PROLONGED TIMES.

I differ on this. How would one complete a 1500 meter swimming race if the activity were strictly anaerobic? Like many exercises, there is a component which could be anaerobic (sprints) and one which would be aerobic (LSD training).

Lactic acid build up is inevitable in most activities but merely more pronounced in anaerobic ones because glycogen is consumed anaerobically, the buildup occurs faster and the body cannot remove it from the muscles quickly enough.

BTW Mr. Cheeky Foilist, please STOP SHOUTING.

Thanks,

Paolo

[Fencing Angel]

i would difently choose fencing over swimming for a number of reasons, to many to list now. but for the year that i have been fencing i have never thought about anyother sport. there is just something about it that i can't put into words.

[Peach]

The better I get at fencing, the less of a workout it is. I don't even get out of breath any more when I fence because I have gradually stopped doing anything unnecessary in my actions.

So I have to do other things in order to keep fit.

Swimming is good aerobic exercise, lousy for losing weight but excellent for a full-body workout; they say it's good exercise for asthmatics because of the moisture but I hate it.

I prefer walking and would prefer running if I could still get my aged body to cooperate.

[FencerInUS]

Martial arts is a complete workout. Teaches balance, hand eye coordination, uses both arms and legs (depending on the art), concentration, dicipline. Most arts promote sparring, so you get the mental portion of the workout (ie boxing) and if you don't think boxing is a total workout, lets get in the ring someting and we'll see how you're feeling afterwards.

------------------
F.I.US.
Parry, THEN riposte
--)--------

[veeco]

[/b]
Originally posted by damianip:
I differ on this. How would one complete a 1500 meter swimming race if the activity were strictly anaerobic? Like many exercises, there is a component which could be anaerobic (sprints) and one which would be aerobic (LSD training).

Lactic acid build up is inevitable in most activities but merely more pronounced in anaerobic ones because glycogen is consumed anaerobically, the buildup occurs faster and the body cannot remove it from the muscles quickly enough.
[/b]

Sorry, but I have to go with Cheeky Foil on this one. Fencing is definitely categorized as an anaerobic sport, as well as swimming. Even when you are swimming a 1500 metres, you don't breathe like if you were running a marathon, so the lactic acid build up is much more pronounced.

[damianip]

From one of many articles. This one is from http://www.allhealth.com/neversaydie...9_1126,00.html and is pretty succinct:

Anaerobic means "requiring no oxygen." In exercise physiology, the term refers to activities that require a high energy expenditure but last for a shorter duration than aerobic exercises. Quick, explosive running sprints qualify as anaerobic exercise, whereas longer, steadily paced jogs are aerobic.

The preferred fuel for anaerobic metabolism is creatine phosphate, produced in the sarcoplasm of the cells, or carbohydrates used in the lactic acid system. Its advantage is that it produces a very high intensity, almost 95 percent of your maximum output. Its disadvantage is that you can become fatigued in less than 90 seconds and go only go for a short distance.

Aerobic exercise uses carbohydrates, fats or protein, all used in the presence of oxygen within the mitochondria of the cells. The power it generates is moderate, but it takes a very long time to fatigue the system.

Throughout the day, we employ different energy systems. Running to grab the phone -- you've primarily used anaerobic pathways. Walking around the kitchen, fixing a meal -- you're using a blend of aerobics with some slight anaerobic. Even going out for a long walk, you'll be using a blend of energy pathways, but aerobics is the chief source.

And from http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/sep_96/cross.htm

A cross-training program usually involves a combination of different exercises, each performed for a specific period. The exercises can all be aerobic, for example, but they usually include other types (table 1).

Table 1. Types of Exercises for Cross-Training Programs
Exercise Goal Examples
Aerobic fitness* Walking briskly, walking with hand or leg weights, power walking, race walking, jogging, running, swimming, water walking or running, water exercises, bicycling, cross-country skiing, rowing, roller skating, in-line skating, ice skating
Anaerobic fitness** Sprinting in any of the above exercises
Muscle strength Weight training (free weights or machines), isometrics***
Muscle endurance Low-resistance high-repetition weight training, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, other calisthenics
Flexibility Stretching, yoga
*Aerobic exercise involves rhythmic movement of large-muscle groups for extended periods.
**Anaerobic exercise entails intense bursts of muscle activity.
***Isometric exercise involves contracting the muscles against a fixed resistance without moving the joints, as in pushing against a wall.

[This message has been edited by damianip (edited 03-05-2001).]