Fitness & Health
Conditioning built around the demands of fencing, plus nutrition, hydration, and the overuse injuries fencers actually get.
12 guides
Core Strength - Popular Misconceptions
Why crunches and back extensions aren't the key to a strong core: the difference between phasic and tonic muscles, and how to train the deep stabilizers.
Dealing with Sprains and Strains
How to identify and treat sprains and strains common in fencing: grading the severity, applying the PRICE protocol, and progressing through rehab stages safely.
Fencing Elbow and Knee Injuries - Prevention and Treatment
What causes fencer's elbow, patellar tendinitis, and patellofemoral pain: how these overuse injuries develop, plus treatment and prevention.
Injured Athletes: Nutrition Tips to Hasten Healing
What injured athletes should eat to heal faster: calorie and protein needs, anti-inflammatory foods, supplements, and weight-gain myths debunked.
Periodization of your conditioning plan
How to periodize a fencing conditioning plan: building a base, developing specific strength, training for power, and peaking for chosen tournaments.
Physical Chess - Training for Fencing
Why fencers need physical training, not just tactics: strength, speed and flexibility work, faster recovery, and what cross-training adds to your fencing.
Protein for Athletes Q&A
How much protein athletes actually need: daily intake targets, food sources, vegetarian options, and whether protein bars or drinks help recovery.
Selecting and Using a Rowing Machine
How to choose and use a rowing machine: resistance types, proper catch-drive-recovery technique, common mistakes, and workout progression tips.
Training: Plan it or Cram it?
Why planned training beats cramming before a tournament: how season-long conditioning and the Control-Plan-Trust approach outperform last-minute practice.
Using Plyometrics for Youth Training
What plyometric training does for young fencers: ACSM guidance on using jump exercises to build explosive power, speed, and injury resistance in kids.
Water: A Wonderful Performance Enhancer
What hydration does for athletic performance: how water intake, sweat loss, and electrolyte balance affect strength, endurance, and mental focus during fencing.
Weight Training for the Competitive Fencer
How to structure a fencer's weight training: building base strength with multi-joint lifts, then shifting to power and interval work as season nears.