5 Non-Fencing Exercises to Boost Athletic Performance for Fencers

Fencing is a sport that requires a lot of cardiovascular endurance, physical strength, and speed. It is important to strive to consistently improve athletically using exercises outside of regular fencing practice. Even Olympic and World Champions exercise outside of fencing practice to improve their athleticism and help reduce injuries. Here are five different exercises that can help your athletic performance. 

Jump Rope

Jumping rope is an excellent way to work on your coordination while working on your cardiovascular endurance. It is also an amazing way to develop the physical strength of your lower body. Once you become consistent and comfortable with the regular bounce, there are many different jumping styles that you can try to challenge yourself further.

Agility Ladders

Agility ladders are another wonderful way to work on your coordination. There are many different footwork patterns that you can use to practice and strengthen various muscle groups. You can even use the ladder in the plank position to further improve your core and upper body.  

Circuit Training

Circuit training is a super efficient and effective way to work out different muscle groups in a time crunch. You can add a variety of different exercises to your circuit that can include equipment or body weight alone. You can also adjust the break time between exercises and lengthen your exercise time and circuit to challenge yourself. A great strategy is to get comfortable with three complete minutes of nonstop work and one minute of rest. This routine simulates a fencing bout and can help ensure you are energized during an entire bout.  

Timed Footwork

While it is excellent to practice slower footwork patterns to practice your footwork, it is also great to time high-speed footwork to simulate the pace of a real fencing bout. This method allows you to focus on maintaining good footwork in a high-speed and intense setting that better resembles about. A great way to find your starting point is to practice footwork patterns quickly until failure to estimate your endurance.   

Hand Strength Training 

The hand and fingers are home to some of the most important muscle groups in fencing that are often overlooked. Many essential fencing actions require quick movement and strength in the fingers. Hand grip strength trainers are fantastic for strengthening your hand and finger muscles. In addition, they can be used with little time dedicated to them as you can use them while doing other tasks such as reading or work.