Training Session 1

News Date: 06/04/2020

While we are all at home, going stir crazy, I thought I would suggest some activities to keep those fencing muscles active. I know it would be easier to video these but I've discovered I really hate videoing myself and am rubbish at it.

These routines should only take about 20 mins but should be repeated often and try to record the scores of set 3 and 4 below and work on improving it.  Feel free to post them to me via whatsapp group. I will follow up with some more once you have had a go at this one.

Training Session No. 1

This can be done in a very limited space.  You will need:

- to mark out 2 lines, with tape or a stick, anything that gives a 2 metre space.

- a timer

- a list to follow and mark down times.

 5 min warm up. – inside or outside (keep within  COVID guidance) The aim will be to loosen and relax shoulders and knees and get you on your toes. You should get slightly out of breath.

Vary the warm up, set the timer and keep going for  5 mins on:

-       Shoulder rolling backwards and forwards

-       jogging on spot

-       small lunges forwards, -not fencing lunges just straight ones. Make lunges longer and keep your tummy button in to get core working.

-       High knees jog

-       There are many variations, makr up your own routine, just make sure you keep going for 5 mins and all the time, feel yourself getting relaxed arms, shoulders and legs.

 For these folloiwng sessions, try to put any mirror you can find, in front of you and angle it so you can see at least your knees down, so you can check you have a nice straight front leg.

Set 1.  Concentrate on technique and keeping very relaxed, not speed.

Set timer for 2 mins.  Continuously between your 2 metre marks. do 3 fencing steps forward and 2 back, - your'e going to do this for the full 2 mins and you will need to concentrate to keep that pattern going. - tip - if you are doing it right you should keep inside your 2 metre strip. Don't rush this, do nice controlled relaxed steps, - you will still feel a burn in your legs.

Set 2.  Still no rush, your'e still not measuring how fast you can do this.

Set timer for 2 mins. Start with your front toe behind first mark, then do nice small steps to the 2 metre mark, - some part of your toe to cross the mark, then step backwards to get your front foot behind the line. Now do 3 controlled lunges. Concentrate on moving hand first and following it and make sure you recover well so you are ready for the next lunge. After your third lunge then carry on stepping to 2 metre line abd back again. Then another 3 lunges. Conitiune this pattern till the timer goes off.  Again, nice and relaxed and controlled but you should still feel a burn in the legs.

Set 3. Now you are going for speed (speed not rush) and measuring your time:

Set the timer to stopwatch.  Start with your front toe behind the first mark. Then you will step forwards to get part of your front toe past the 2 metre mark and back again to start. Repeat 10 times and time yourself when you cross the start line on 10th one.  Your footwork must be sound as when these exercises are measured for training camps etc, bad technique disqualifies the time.

Set 4.  Standing Long Jump (Broad Jump)  Youll need a tape measure. See email sent out or whatsapp for video demo. You need to measure from the start line (toe on line), and measure to the back of the heel furthest back.  Take 3 or 5 jumps and record the best one.  Youn can google average or good distances depending if you're confident you won't be disappointed!