Fencing
Fencing conditioning exercises: Boost your performance and fitness
In fencing, training strengthens your muscles and improves your technique so you avoid injury and perform at your best.
Watch any top athlete in action, and you might think their victories come effortlessly since they make it look so easy. Make no mistake, though — every athletic champion has undergone a ton of training to get there. In fencing, for example, you need a combination of mental strength and physical fitness to outwit your opponent. One-time Olympic medalist Miles Chamley-Watson explains the specific skills needed to be the best.
Fencer Miles Chamley-Watson
© Thomas Prior
"Fencing is like a combination of chess and boxing,” he says. “In this sport, you have to be quick, but you also have to be thinking about what your opponent is going to do next.”
If you want to stay one step ahead of the competition, it’s essential to be in top shape. From building endurance to training your reflexes, conditioning yourself for the challenge of a sword fight is essential. Read ahead for a guide to the best fencing conditioning exercises to get you ready for battle.
01
Warm-up exercises
If you want to execute powerful parries and ripostes, warming up is essential to get your body ready. Warm-up exercises help get your heart pumping, increase your flexibility for quick attacks, and deliver an extra boost of oxygen to wake up your muscles. This is key to performing well in your match, and it’s a vital step for injury prevention too. A focused warm-up also helps you get your head in the game as you get into the right mindset for competition. Here’s what a typical fencing warm-up looks like.
Miles Chamley-Watson fencing during a CreativeLive workshop
© Dustin Snipes / Red Bull Content Pool
- Start with stretching. Loosen up your arms and legs with simple toe touches, lunges, and arm extensions so you’re ready to direct your fencing sword with precision.
- Move into light cardio. Get the blood flowing with exercises such as running or jumping rope.
- Rotate your sword. In a space clear of other people, move your weapon in a few circles without worrying about technique to warm up your arms and shoulders.
- Footwork and target drills. Practice advancing, retreating, and hitting your target without the pressure of competition.
02
Strength conditioning
Fencing attacks require forceful, explosive movements. Strength training is an integral part of getting your upper body and back muscles ready to suddenly score points. Lower body strengthening is also key to preventing hamstring injuries as you lunge at your opponent. These are some of the best ways to build strength from head to toe.
Squats
Squats work your core, hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves. A basic squat starts standing with your feet just over hip-width apart and your toes facing forward. You’ll bend your knees until you go past a 90-degree angle while keeping your heels and toes on the ground. Keep your shoulders back as you push up from your foundation to return to standing.
There are also variations of squats that increase back strength. Professional fencers are known for adding dumbbells and kettlebells to their squat routine for extra resistance.
Lunges
Attacks are essentially quick lunges, so doing lunges in your training is key. For starters, lunges lessen the chance of hamstring fatigue and potential injury, and they also strengthen your glutes and quads. You’ll start with one foot forward and one back. Then, bend your knees and lower yourself down until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Be sure to put your weight evenly on both legs and keep your core engaged. To return to standing position, you’ll lift from your foundation, shifting more weight onto your front heel as you push up.
If you want to give yourself an extra challenge, lateral lunges are also a popular choice with professional fencers. Instead of having one foot forward and one back, you’ll stand with legs hip-width apart and both feet forward. You’ll then take a wide step with one leg and bend to 90 degrees while keeping your lower back flat. Repeat this with your other leg as well.
Planks
This classic core strengthening exercise is great for fencing training. To start, you’ll get into the same position as if you were preparing for a push-up. However, instead of your hands on the ground, your forearms will support you. With a straight back and an engaged core, you’ll hold the plank position for as long as you can.
03
Agility and footwork drills
Below are some common footwork drills to help you stay steady on your feet. You can practice these separately or sequence them together for a comprehensive workout. Either way, they’ll help you refine the precision of your steps when it’s match time.
- Ladder drills. Learn to stay in the lines by practicing nimble, quick movements in and out of the spaces on an agility ladder. Try adding a few jumps in for extra agility training — it’s almost like playing hopscotch.
- Cone drills. Many athletic disciplines, including fencing, use cone drills to increase agility and speed. Place your cones in a line and practice weaving in and out of each obstacle.
- Hurdle drills. Running or jumping over short hurdles can help you perfect your balance, coordination, and reflexes so that you can counter-attack on command.
04
Cardiovascular conditioning
Since fencing competitions move at rapid speeds, cardiovascular endurance is a must if you want to make it through all three rounds of the bout. Start with low-intensity exercises such as walking or moderate-speed cycling for about 30 minutes before pushing to medium-intensity. Stay on the bike and increase your speed, or switch it up with running or jogging — whatever you prefer to get your heart rate up. Your medium-intensity exercise should last 40 minutes at the most.
High-intensity training requires shorter durations, and that’s great for mastering those quick, explosive maneuvers. Try quick sprints for anywhere between five and 20 minutes, or get those cones back out for some shuttle runs.
05
Flexibility and mobility
Take it from Chamley-Watson: Stretching is a non-negotiable in fencing.
Miles Chamley-Watson
© Catherine Aeppel / Red Bull Content Pool
"Flexibility obviously is one of the most important things in fencing,” he says. “We need to keep our hips and glutes loose.”
Stretching is important both at the beginning and end of your fencing training. After all, it’s easy to tense back up after high-intensity cardio even if you did your warm-up stretches. Here are some suggestions for cool-down stretches to improve your long-term mobility.
- Calf stretches. Face a wall and brace yourself with your hands. You’ll put one foot forward and the other back, similar to getting ready for a lunge, and bend your front knee. You should feel a stretch in your rear calf.
- Hamstring stretches. With your back straight, put one leg out straight in front with your foot upward and toes flexed toward your face. You’ll kneel on your other leg for stability. Then, bend forward at your hips and reach your hands toward your flexed foot. If you can’t touch your toes, that’s fine — just reach as far as you can.
- Hip openers. You can open your hip flexors with a simple low lunge stretch. You’ll kneel down on one knee and, with your forward leg bent at a right angle, slowly tilt your hips forward. Then, switch to the other side. As always, keep your back straight.
Train to win at your next fencing match
High-quality conditioning is fundamental for any athlete. In fencing, training strengthens your muscles and improves your technique so you avoid injury and perform at your best. Work any or all of these exercises into your fencing training routine, and you’ll notice a difference the next time you compete.