How Strength Training Benefits Fencing

Specifically, training heavy with basic weightlifting exercises like squats and bench press will benefit the fighter in modern fencing, historical fencing, martial arts and combat sports.

When I suggest strength training for fencing  I frequently hear, "speed is more important" or even, "it's not about strength". A lot of this objection comes from a misapplication of the concept of specificity. Specificity is not just one thing - there are different components to be specific about. And different aspects of training will focus on these varied areas.

This is why fencing training is not just a bunch of free fencing. Different kinds of drills allow the fencer to focus on footwork, bladework, timing, distance etc. The same must be true of the physical conditioning side of training. We can focus on anaerobic conditioning, recovery, acceleration, power and so on.

But Squats and Bench Press Aren't Very Specific

It's true that the movement pattern for the squat and press are not specific to fencing actions. (However, they are specific to grappling actions and historical fencing finds it's roots in grappling.) But the movement pattern is only one aspect of specificity. The movements are bilateral, well-balanced and stable.While fencing actions usually involve powering off of one leg and the arm motion is either unilateral or the arms move differently from each other.

The benefit of these basic exercises is that they allow maximum force production. By taking instability out of the exercise you are not as limited by the failure point of the stabilizing muscles.

As I've discussed before, force is the determinant of acceleration in our muscles. So increasing force production increases acceleration. Maximizing force is the specificity of basic strength because it will maximize acceleration.

Acceleration is of supreme importance in historical fencing - just as it is with any other sport. Acceleration will put attacks on target faster. Acceleration put your parries in place faster. Acceleration will move you around faster - retreats, advances and voids will all be more effective because of greater acceleration.

Of course, it is also the case that exercises with greater specificity in movement pattern and requiring more stability are a necessary part of a complete program. This is why basic squats should be supplemented with exercises like: split squats, RFE squats, single-leg squats, lunges and lateral variants. Similar kinds of variations exist for bench press, deadlift, rows and pull-ups, but those are a topic for another day.

Basic Strength is the Foundation

Training must begin with foundational exercises. Just as fencing training begins with basic footwork exercises, so strength training must start with basic exercises. And just as footwork exercises never stop in fencing training so must basic strength training always form the core of the S&C program.

To build up our various sport-specific attributes we must do so upon a foundation of basic strength. This allows us to produce the best results. The maximal force production from strength training is refined to sport-specific actions with additional training and varied exercises. Joint strength supports the development of maximum power and agility, while minimizing the chance of injury.

Historical fencing can put significant strain on the body and a variety of training injuries are possible. Most non-impact injuries can be prevented or made less likely with strength training. Furthermore, full recovery from injury requires rebuilding the strength of the injured joint.

Strength/Power Should Be About Structure and the Core

This is another common response that I get in discussions of strength - that structure is more important or that core training is key. Of course structure is important to the application of strength. And of course the core is an important part of link in the chain. But it is a chain. And as the old saying goes: a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. So we need to strengthen all components to achieve optimal results.

Stronger legs from squats will produce more force that can be transmitted to the arms through a strong core. And stronger chest & arms from bench presses will supplement good structure to transfer power to the target.

When a cut is parried, the defender must absorb all the force that the attacker can direct into their weapon. If not the parry will fail and my collapse entirely. As the opponent's sword hits the defender's sword they must essentially perform and isometric press outwards against the force of the attack. That upper-body press must be accompanied by pushing back with the anterior core, driven by the legs pushing into the ground. All of this requires both structure and strength.

Furthermore, basic strength training exercises will develop good structure. The best results with these exercises will come from developing good structure as well as basic strength. Additionally, the core is well engaged with these exercises and contributes to the amount of weight that can  be lifted.

And certainly, core specific exercises should be included as well, as discussed previously.

What About Plyometrics?

Plyos, jump training, medicine ball training etc. are frequently included in a fencing program. And plyos will help develop strength it's true. Because plyos focus on speed, power and explosive movement they are more specific in certain ways. As such many in martial arts and fencing see them as superior to conventional strength training for their application.

Plyometrics are a broad category of exercises ranging substantially in intensity, so there is not just one reply.

At the low end of intensity you have plyometric exercises like hopping. These are useful, especially for styles that have bouncy footwork. But their low intensity means that they are not primarily strength training. They will help develop the "bounce" reflex (formally known as the stretch-shortening-cycle) and appropriate conditioning. But they cannot replace strength training.

At the high end we exercises like hurdle jumps and drop jumps. These are very large stresses on the joints. Doing them safely requires a strong foundation in basic strength because basic strength training will reinforce the joints. Squats will ready the knee joint for the forces needed to land a high jump without injury. Ultimately, high intensity plyometrics are a useful program component that will benefit performance, but they must come after appropriate strength has been developed.

The effect of combined strength and plyometric programs is a synergistic one. Increased force production and acceleration from strength training can be reinforced by high-speed exercises which focus on rate of force development (RFD).

A well executed attack will take around 300 milliseconds to complete. This is faster than the time necessary for a muscle to reach maximum force production. This fact emphasizes the benefit of acceleration from force increases; as well as illustrating the benefits of a combined program.

Conclusion

Basic strength training forms the foundation for success, joint health and more advanced training. It insures that every link in the chain is made strong, instead of focusing on only a few. Furthermore it has basic health benefits. There is every reason to include strength training as a core component of a complete program.

Funny Walks for Stability

"Core" exercise is a lot more than just crunches and other trunk muscles. I sometimes feel that the conventional training approach to the core misses the forest for the trees. We need our "core" training to support an overall practical goal. We want our "core", that is our trunk, to provide stability for transferring power from our legs to our upper body. This requires the torso be able to stiffen as needed.

So the following exercises should be part of your program to provide a complete approach to stability and torso stiffness.

 

 Carry Exercises

With all of these exercises the key points is keeping the torso rigidly upright. This focus on torso stiffness is essential to training the torso for both daily life and martial applications.

 

Suitcase Carry

This exercise develops unilateral stability for the back by placing the weight on just one side. The muscles used are similar to those used in basic side plank, but we are able to combine that stimulus with the complexity of moving and using the shoulder to control the weight.

 

Farmer's Carry

This exercise puts weight in both hands and can be done with quite significant amounts of weight. The focus here is on structural loading - the torso development inherent to holding a large weight off of the ground.

Both the Farmer's carry and Suitcase carry can also be used for training grip strength for grapplers.

 

Bottom's-Up Carry

Here the weight is held upright thereby focusing the effect on upper body stability. Lower weights are used and the limiting factor is usually the forearm muscle's ability to keep the weight in place. This exercise is usually shown with a kettlebell, but as you can see here, plates with handles work just fine.

To achieve fine tuning with weight, and to make it more sword specific, an adjustable dumbbell can be used with weight on just one end and held upright.

 

Programming

These exercises make good finishing exercises done at the end of the workout. Attach each of these to one day's workout and do all three over the course of a week. Each set should be about 12-16 paces. You can work your way up in duration as well as weight, while maintaining good form.

For most fit individuals the Suitcase carry starting around 25-30 pounds is usually good. The Farmer's carry can usually start with a dumbbells of the same size in each hand. Start small with the weight to practice good form at first. For folks most starting with 8-12 pounds for the Bottom's-up should be reasonable. Be sure you can keep the weight safe with this exercise since getting hit in the forearm by a heavy bell will ruin your training.

 

Mini-band Walks

The exercises illustrated here help to turn on the stabilizing muscles of your hip. They will increase your knee stability and hip power. The mini-bands can be bought from Perform Better. They come in several strengths.

Start easy and work your way up slowly. We are mostly interested in the endurance of these small muscles and making sure they are active. They will never be big strong muscles.

For the walks, after you get used to the band around your knees move it down to your ankles. Later you can move the band to your around your mid-foot, this emphasizes the hip external rotation component of the exercise.

 

Programming

As these exercises are primarily geared towards activation they should be done at the start of a work-out or training session. They can, and should, be done most days initially and then they can be scaled back to 3 times a week after a good base is developed.

 

Conclusion

Good 'core' training comprises much more than just simple exercises for the abs. We must build on those to develop movement patterns and activation, so that the core muscles work with our whole body to produce a stable torso.

Core/Trunk Training for Combat Sports

I seem to have an unusual position on what kind of trunk exercises are appropriate for combat sports. Most trunk exercises I see done are bodyweight and done with a large numbers of repetitions or simply isometric holds. While this is as good a way as any to do conditioning, I don't see it as benefiting the needs of a fighter very much.

In striking and weapon arts the primary ways in which the trunk muscles are going to be used can be divided into offensive and defensive. On the defense I might pull my head backwards quickly, arching my back as I do, so that I can dodge a strike; or duck to the side turning my torso and basically doing an oblique crunch while standing. On the attack my trunk is used to transmit force from my legs and hips to my upper body to make for more powerful hits.

Each of these applications have several important characteristics in common. The movement is sudden: it does not build gradually, it must be made in an instant; the movement is fast; and the movement is high intensity: that is rapid acceleration (and then deceleration).

To this end our trunk exercises should be geared towards producing sudden, fast, high intensity movements. We don't do that with exercises that are way out on the endurance end of intensity. Nor do we do it with isometric exercises.

I suggest four categories of trunk exercises for the fighter.

Conventional Strength Training - Exercises like weighted crunches, obliques, side bends and hyperextensions. The important part is to use enough weight that you can do only 8-12 reps max. Higher intensity i.e. 6RM or less, is not recommended for small muscles like those of the trunk nor for single joint exercises, which these effectively are. Lower intensity builds more strength than endurance and for our purposes we need strength.

For someone who is brand new, isometric exercises, like planks and bridges, can be a reasonable starting point, but only until a 30 sec. hold is possible. Then you need to move up to dynamic exercises. And if necessary start doing crunches and the like with no weight, but only until you can do more than 12, then you need to add weight.

I actually see machines as a perfectly good way to do these exercises. Things like an ab crunch machine, back extension machine or torso rotation machine. But I say that in the context of a person doing a program that includes four different kinds of torso training as well as their technical training. The advantage of a machine in this context is that it allows for higher weights, which builds more strength and power. And I wouldn't do machines all the time, I'd do them in the run up to a competition when I'm looking for max strength and power in my entire program.

Structural Loading - Structural loading is the demand on your torso muscles from lifting and carrying heavy weights. While doing exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges and step-ups* you have to stabilize your torso against the weight. The higher up the weight is held the greater the demand on trunk muscles, so racking weights at shoulder level in the clean position is more challenging than having dumbbells hanging down by your side.

For single leg exercises it's beneficial to hold the weight on the opposite side, such as doing right leg step-ups with a dumbbell in the left hand and vice-versa.

A variety of different exercises will provide a variety of different challenges to your trunk muscles allowing for some fairly complete training of the torso.

* This list isn't exclusive, these are categories of exercises with lot's of potential for variation. Additionally, a wide variety of non-conventional weightlifting options exist which will fulfill this objective. Examples include: sled drag/push, tire flipping, side presses and lots of other options.

Plyometrics - As the needs of our torso muscles are primarily these are important exercises for the program. The neurologic component of any plyometric exercise is driven by the reflex traveling from the muscle to the spine and back. For trunk muscles this is necessarily shorter than any other joint. As such it is most important with trunk plyometrics to minimize the contact time.

Suggested Exercises: Floor slams, Back throws, side throws, reverse/back side throws. As well as chest pass/bounce with a hip pivot.

High-Intensity Trunk Conditioning - There are several options for High-Intensity Interval Training that will also provide a valuable training load on the trunk muscles that stabilize your torso. Battle ropes, clubbells, sledgehammer and similar exercises.

My preference is for heavy bar cutting patterns. Taking a 9+ lb. exercise bar doing cutting patterns is a good high intensity exercises for intervals. Plus throwing around that weight at the end will challenge all of your balance muscles from the ankles to your upper back. This can be put together by buying a 4 foot iron pipe at a home improvement store, and then filling it with sand. The result is cheaper than a sledge hammer (or clubbell) but with similar characteristics.