There are a couple of books on fitness specifically for fencers. I have seen
others in this series, and there is really only one chapter specifically on
fencing, as I recall:
The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Fencing
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Weight-Training-Fencing-Sports/dp/1932549080/ref=\
sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221369105&sr=1-39

This is a different book on strength training for fencing. I have not seen
this book or others in the series. Several suppliers handle it.
http://www.blade-fencing.com/store/item.htm?itemid=606
http://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Fencers-Harry-James/dp/0978902203/ref=sr\
_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227235919&sr=1-1

There is a carry-over between oriental martial arts (especially karate) and
fencing. I have read other books by this author. Speed training is a new
specialty, and there should be a carry over to fencing, though it might
involve some different muscle groups.
Speed Training : How to Develop Your Maximum Speed for Martial Arts
http://www.amazon.com/Speed-Training-Develop-Maximum-Martial/dp/0873648595/ref=p\
d_sim_b_3

I have a copy of the following book. It has a lot of drills for strip fencing,
many of which are applicable to rapier. It is easy to get from many suppliers,
probably including amazon
http://www.blue-gauntlet.com/store/products/382

Here are a couple of books. I've seen the Plyometrics book. It's a technique
for developing speed and power in sudden, "explosive" movements. Fencing uses
such movements, but many other sports don't, and most strength training does
not develop speed. The Barth/Beck books is a translation of the training of
the German olympic fencing team. I've read it. It has a chapter on strength,
etc, training, that seems good and up-to-date. The book on mental preparation
is for completeness--one of the people in my practice has a copy and finds it
helpful.
Power Plyometrics The Complete Program (McNeely/Sandler) Ref: BMS2
The Complete Guide to Fencing (Barth/Beck) 2006 Ref: BB12
One Touch at a Time (A Kogler) Ref: BK4
http://www.leonpaulusa.com/fencing/acatalog/Shop_Home_Books_97.html
http://shop.fencing.net/product_p/fb-1touch.htm

------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:43:13 PM EST
From: Michael Heggen <michael@...>
To: classicalfencing@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CFML] Re: Sprints?

> The best exercise for fencing always has been and continues to be...
> fencing!
>
> (Strength training, properly applied, can also be beneficial, of
> course, but that's a separate issue.)
>
> Instead of running sprints to improve your endurance, do more line
> drills (solo or with a group) and paired drills emphasizing footwork.
> You'll improve your endurance and you'll be training your body to
> perform fencing actions better at the same time.
>
> After a proper warm-up (no stretching!), work on a mixture of
> advances, retreats, lunges, pattinandos, and balestra-lunges, staying
> in continuous motion and varying the tempo and size of your movements.
> If you can, do this with your foil. If the foil is a distraction, then
> set the foil aside until such time that the footwork no longer
> requires conscious thought. If you are working alone and have access
> to a mirror, use it to monitor the correctness of your movements. As
> you get better, try visualizing a "shadow fencer" as your opponent
> during line drills.
>
> Keep the intensity at such a point that you are just shy of huffing
> and puffing. You should not be working so hard that you cannot speak
> fairly easily. If you have a heart rate monitor (available for $50 or
> less at Rite-Aid, Walgreen's, etc.), keep your heart rate in the range
> of your anaerobic threshold (AT) down to to ten beats per minute below
> that.
>
> AT = 180 - your age - 10 (based on what you are describing for your
> current condition) *
>
> So, if you are 30 years old, keep your heart rate in the range of
> 130-140 beats per minute. This will not seem like you are working
> "hard enough", but you will be building your aerobic endurance and
> enabling your body to do more with less effort. Going beyond that will
> be training your anaerobic fitness, and that's not what you need to
> work on right now....
>
> As you begin to fatigue, you will not be able to maintain the
> intensity of your workout within your target heart rate range. Now
> it's time to start cooling down. Gradually reduce your intensity so
> that your heart rate slowly drops down to where it was when you
> started your warm up. As a rule of thumb, a one-hour aerobic workout
> should have 10-15 minutes of warm up and the same amount of cool down.
> If you're fatiguing during a bout, you will probably want to start
> with a shorter workout—say, 30 minutes, with 7-8 minutes at each end
> in warm up and cool down.
>
> Disclaimer: Consult your physician before beginning any exercise
> program—especially if you are overweight, have cardiac issues, or have
> a history of other serious illnesses or musculoskeletal issues.
>
> After you've been doing this for a few days and become familiar with
> the tempo you need to maintain your target heart rate, you might
> experiment with a mix of music at the appropriate tempo. Use music
> with an easily discernible beat for most of your workout—it may be
> that music you do not normally listen to works best, as the beat is
> what is important. The tempo of the music should fit with the tempo of
> your footwork. Using music can help you to learn about the tempo of
> your own footwork and how to change it. You can gradually increase and
> decrease the tempo at the beginning and end of your music mix to help
> you with your warm up and cool down. If you have iTunes and a Mac,
> there is a very nice application called Tangerine that will
> automatically calculate the tempo of your music in iTunes and will
> even build playlists based on tempo. There is probably a similar
> product out there for Windows.
> http://www.potionfactory.com/tangerine/
> Disclaimer: I have no connection with the company—I just like the
> product.
>
> Good luck!
>
> -Mike
>
>
> * For more information, see The High Performance Heart by Philip
> Maffetone.
>
> --
> Michael Heggen
> certified 3-weapon moniteur, US Fencing Coaches Association
> head instructor, Salem Classical Fencing
> 354 Belmont Street NE
> Salem OR 97301
> 503-375-9209
> http://www.salemclassicalfencing.org
> michael@...
>
> This e-mail may have my digital signature attached.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 19, 2008, at 3:11 PM, classicalfencing@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> > Classical Fencing Mailing List
> > Messages In This Digest (1 Message)
> > 1.
> > Sprints? From: Rebecca Warner
> > View All Topics | Create New TopicMessage
> > 1.
> > Sprints?
> > Posted by: "Rebecca Warner" slumberparties_bybecca@...
> > slumberparties_bybecca
> > Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:28 pm (PST)
> >
> > Would running sprints be a good way to train my body to not tire
> > easily in a bout?
> >
> > Thanks for any advice,
> >
> > Becca
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
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