Today was great, lots of intense fencing the entire morning! I got a lesson from Andre today as well during lunch. After some intense blade work (1 hour long), we moved on to super intense footwork. We spent 45 minutes drilling our legs and calf muscles.
Drills:
1) Squats-get into the engarde position and slowly lower your body down into a squat. X 10
2) Fire Feet Squats-get into engarde and pick up your feet quickly, making sure to keep good form. Drop into a squat every couple of seconds. X 10
3) Fire Feet Squat Jumps-get into engarde and pick up your feet quickly, make sure to keep good form during the exercise. Drop down into a squat, varying the time difference between squats. Once in squat, propel yourself upward in a jump and land softly back in engarde on the toes. X 10
4) Lunge Jumps-get into a lunge and while staying low to the ground hop in and out of the lunge into the engarde. Make sure knee in the lunge is at a 90 degree angle. X 15
5) High Knee Fire Feet-get into engarde and start alternating feet in fire feet workout. Every so often pick up your knees alternating knees 4 times then continue fire feet. Make sure to keep the back straight. X 10
6) Engarde Jumps-get into engarde and jump forward as far as you can, landing softly on your front foot. Keeping your back foot in the air, push back as far as you can. This is one rep. X 15
7) Double Engarde Jumps-get into engarde and jump forward as far as you can just like before, except this time when you land hop in place once on your front foot before you hop back. On the back hop when you land also do another small in place hop on the toe. This is one rep. X 15
8) Engarde Jump Lunges-get into engarde and continue the exercise like above. This time though after the second back hop lunge forward then reset into engarde. X 15
9) Reaction Lunges-Find a partner and a tennis ball. Have your partner extend their arm with tennis ball in hand, when they drop the tennis ball lunge as quickly as possible. The point is to finish the lunge with clean form before the ball hits the ground. 1-2 minutes
10) Short/Long Reaction Lunge-Set up the exercise just like before, except your partner has two tennis balls. When they drop the ball in their left hand you are to do a double lunge before the ball hits the ground. When they drop the ball in the right hand just do a regular lunge. 1-2 minutes
11) Short/Long Hand Target Lunge-Find a partner and have them stand with one hand closer to you than the other. Have them randomly open one hand at a time and you must react quickly to lunge and hit it. The closer hand for the short lunge and the farther hand for the long lunge. X 20
12) Fencing Suicides-get into engarde and start at the very back of the strip. Go as quickly as possibly and keeping good form go to the 2 meter line and back, the engarde line and back, and so on.
Showing posts with label fencer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fencer. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Strength Work
Strength work is very important for athlete's muscles. Strength work helps to prevent injuries as well as improve muscle capabilities. Today at the Alliance International Fencing Camp after our massive bladework and long day of epee fencing, we took 15-20 minutes to work on muscle strengthening activities. Below I have listed the exercises we worked on and their descriptions.
1) Squat Forward Jumps X 15 (reps)
Go into a squat and jump forward and land softly on the heels. Slowly go back into a squat and immediately continue to the next hop forward.
2) Squat Backward Jumps X 15
Go into a squat and jump backward and land softly on your toes. Slowly go back into the squat and immediately continue to the next hop.
*After these two exercises you should feel really sore in your legs*
3) Wall Jumps 1 minute
Find a spot on the wall that is challenging to jump to and reach with your fingers. Jump up continuously, landing on your toes, for 1 minute straight. This exercise works the calf muscles.
4) Forward Crawls X 5
Start from bending to reach your toes with feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Crawl out to the push up distance and crawl backward staying low to the ground. Keep your legs straight during this exercise.
5) Caterpillars X 5
Start from bending to reach the toes position with the feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Hop forward on the hands 4 times to push up length distance and then hop back 4 times.
6) Push up Hops X 5
Get into the push up position with arms extended and feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Hop on hands and toes to the right 3 times, then back to the left 3 times.
7) Push up Circles 1 clockwise, 1 counter clockwise
With feet together, get into the push up position with extended arms. Walk your body with your hands clockwise in a full circle with the back straight. Then do the same counter clockwise.
8) Kick Turns 1 minute
Start by picking the right leg up into the air and kick up with the left leg so that you are now balanced on your right leg. Hop turn counter clockwise so that you are now balanced on the left leg. Continue the hopping and switching of legs. Works balance and coordination.
1) Squat Forward Jumps X 15 (reps)
Go into a squat and jump forward and land softly on the heels. Slowly go back into a squat and immediately continue to the next hop forward.
2) Squat Backward Jumps X 15
Go into a squat and jump backward and land softly on your toes. Slowly go back into the squat and immediately continue to the next hop.
*After these two exercises you should feel really sore in your legs*
3) Wall Jumps 1 minute
Find a spot on the wall that is challenging to jump to and reach with your fingers. Jump up continuously, landing on your toes, for 1 minute straight. This exercise works the calf muscles.
4) Forward Crawls X 5
Start from bending to reach your toes with feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Crawl out to the push up distance and crawl backward staying low to the ground. Keep your legs straight during this exercise.
5) Caterpillars X 5
Start from bending to reach the toes position with the feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Hop forward on the hands 4 times to push up length distance and then hop back 4 times.
6) Push up Hops X 5
Get into the push up position with arms extended and feet a little less than shoulder length apart. Hop on hands and toes to the right 3 times, then back to the left 3 times.
7) Push up Circles 1 clockwise, 1 counter clockwise
With feet together, get into the push up position with extended arms. Walk your body with your hands clockwise in a full circle with the back straight. Then do the same counter clockwise.
8) Kick Turns 1 minute
Start by picking the right leg up into the air and kick up with the left leg so that you are now balanced on your right leg. Hop turn counter clockwise so that you are now balanced on the left leg. Continue the hopping and switching of legs. Works balance and coordination.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Victory and Defeat
Winning is great, but winning and improving are two totally different things. Victory is only improvement when we learn from our mistakes. That is why a positive attitude is so important in one's defeats. Defeats are not failures, they are only steps toward the greater goal and allow us to learn from our mistakes. Without mistakes we have no improvement and without improvement we can never get better.
Never be a sore winner and always be a good loser. Treat everyone with respect regardless of the outcome on the strip. Analyze bouts to improve your analysis skills.
Courtney Dumas
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Training...It's a Love/Hate Relationship
Training, every athlete does it, but not many actually love the cross training. It's work. At the same time, this work is what makes athletes great. Determination and perseverance drive athletes to work their hardest to be the best.
Personally I HATE running. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but nonetheless running and myself are not friends. Unfortunately, to be a great athlete running is a necessary evil. It is probably the best form of cross training out their for athletes and especially fencers!
Although I dislike running, I feel that I have to do it in order to keep progressing in my fencing and hey, you gotta love the way you feel after a workout. Not the sweaty nasty feeling, but the accomplished and I can conquer the world feeling. My lungs just feel so much more open than before I went on the run!
Running is great for the body, but in order to keep pushing yourself as an athlete to the edge to improve, one needs to do more. Personally I love to hit the gym. Weight training is probably my favorite training outside of actually fencing more. I create my own playlists to jam out in the weight room and and a little pizazz to the routine.
I lift every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to improve my physical abilities, while allowing my muscles to rest and heal in between. After I complete my workouts I feel like the Incredible Hulk, like there is nothing that can stop me. It is such a great feeling and I hope you all are inspired to get up and try it after this post!
I mentioned above that I rest my muscles in between lifting days, and that is true to some extent. Tuesdays and Thursdays I do my footwork exercises. Footwork is vital in fencing. Without it you might as well be a padded dummy for all your opponent cares. It is the foundation of fencing and the true way to improve one's abilities. I created my own footwork workout that entails preforming exercises at normal speed for 45 seconds, fast speed for 30 seconds, and fastest speed for 15 seconds. (If anyone ever says they can do their fastest speed for more than 15 seconds then they aren't actually doing footwork as fast as they possibly could). I build my endurance, speed, and technique all at the same time with this workout.
On top of this I also go for a run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays I either hit the standing bike or go for a run. In doing this I give my muscles time to heal from lifting by working other muscles. In this way my body is always working, except for on Sundays and I burn far more calories than I would otherwise. (Let me mention that I do not diet, I hate that word and its connotations-I eat healthily and I eat less calories than I burn off working out to destroy fat. My goal is always to build muscle, never to lose weight).
Let me end by saying that every person is different and my workout routine won't work for everyone. My coach's never did for me, that is way I created my own routine! Working out is hard, but it is fun too and the results are a plus too ;)
Happy training!
Courtney Dumas
Personally I HATE running. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but nonetheless running and myself are not friends. Unfortunately, to be a great athlete running is a necessary evil. It is probably the best form of cross training out their for athletes and especially fencers!
Although I dislike running, I feel that I have to do it in order to keep progressing in my fencing and hey, you gotta love the way you feel after a workout. Not the sweaty nasty feeling, but the accomplished and I can conquer the world feeling. My lungs just feel so much more open than before I went on the run!
Running is great for the body, but in order to keep pushing yourself as an athlete to the edge to improve, one needs to do more. Personally I love to hit the gym. Weight training is probably my favorite training outside of actually fencing more. I create my own playlists to jam out in the weight room and and a little pizazz to the routine.
I lift every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to improve my physical abilities, while allowing my muscles to rest and heal in between. After I complete my workouts I feel like the Incredible Hulk, like there is nothing that can stop me. It is such a great feeling and I hope you all are inspired to get up and try it after this post!
I mentioned above that I rest my muscles in between lifting days, and that is true to some extent. Tuesdays and Thursdays I do my footwork exercises. Footwork is vital in fencing. Without it you might as well be a padded dummy for all your opponent cares. It is the foundation of fencing and the true way to improve one's abilities. I created my own footwork workout that entails preforming exercises at normal speed for 45 seconds, fast speed for 30 seconds, and fastest speed for 15 seconds. (If anyone ever says they can do their fastest speed for more than 15 seconds then they aren't actually doing footwork as fast as they possibly could). I build my endurance, speed, and technique all at the same time with this workout.
On top of this I also go for a run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays I either hit the standing bike or go for a run. In doing this I give my muscles time to heal from lifting by working other muscles. In this way my body is always working, except for on Sundays and I burn far more calories than I would otherwise. (Let me mention that I do not diet, I hate that word and its connotations-I eat healthily and I eat less calories than I burn off working out to destroy fat. My goal is always to build muscle, never to lose weight).
Let me end by saying that every person is different and my workout routine won't work for everyone. My coach's never did for me, that is way I created my own routine! Working out is hard, but it is fun too and the results are a plus too ;)
Happy training!
Courtney Dumas
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Summer Nationals Approaches
It's that time of year again. Summer is here and everyone is preparing for the biggest event of the summer and start of the fencing season. This year's Summer Nationals are in Reno, Nevada from July 1-July10, although only certain events are considered National Championship events (Y14, Veteran 40-49, Veteran 50-59, Veteran 60-69, Veteran 70+, Division IA, Division II, Division III, and Senior Team). My main event on the other hand, U19 or Juniors women's epee, is considered a part of Nac July. Other events in Nac July are Y10, Y12, U16 (Cadet), U19 Team, and Veteran Team. (I am also competing in Division 1A).
This year the competition looks to be stronger than ever. The number of fencers competing at Summer Nationals and Nac July this year is huge! The U19 women's epee alone has 191 confirmed entries and the men's U19 epee has 248 entries. Even the Division events have large number, DV2 men's sabre-145, DV2 women's epee-125, and DV3 men's foil-125 for example. There will be 3,427 competitors in entirety participating at this event.
This will be the largest Summer Nationals ever, but more impressively it will be the largest fencing tournament in the world. It will be a real tough test, but should be really fun! My club, Hooked on Fencing, will have 2 youths, numerous Juniors/Cadets, and Veteran fencers competing this year.
While the tournament begins July 1, I do not fly out to Reno until the 4th. My toughest event, U19 is Tuesday the 5th, and my Division 1A event is not until Thursday the 7th. This year I am venturing out to Summer Nationals on my own, which I am greatly looking forward to. It will be nice to have some new found independence!
I have trained vigorously for this tournament- lifting weights, running, biking, swimming, and of course fencing hard all in preparation for these two days of competition. The pure thrill and excitement that fill the air at these events give the atmosphere an electrically charged feeling. Your senses are sharper, steps lighter, eyes wider, and adrenaline pumping. I never want to leave, win or lose, I live for the thrill of competition and challenge of each and every opponent.
This year will definitely be a very long and arduous competition, but I am beyond excited to hop on that plain and get out there and fence. Hopefully my hard work will pay off!
-Courtney Dumas
This year the competition looks to be stronger than ever. The number of fencers competing at Summer Nationals and Nac July this year is huge! The U19 women's epee alone has 191 confirmed entries and the men's U19 epee has 248 entries. Even the Division events have large number, DV2 men's sabre-145, DV2 women's epee-125, and DV3 men's foil-125 for example. There will be 3,427 competitors in entirety participating at this event.
This will be the largest Summer Nationals ever, but more impressively it will be the largest fencing tournament in the world. It will be a real tough test, but should be really fun! My club, Hooked on Fencing, will have 2 youths, numerous Juniors/Cadets, and Veteran fencers competing this year.
While the tournament begins July 1, I do not fly out to Reno until the 4th. My toughest event, U19 is Tuesday the 5th, and my Division 1A event is not until Thursday the 7th. This year I am venturing out to Summer Nationals on my own, which I am greatly looking forward to. It will be nice to have some new found independence!
I have trained vigorously for this tournament- lifting weights, running, biking, swimming, and of course fencing hard all in preparation for these two days of competition. The pure thrill and excitement that fill the air at these events give the atmosphere an electrically charged feeling. Your senses are sharper, steps lighter, eyes wider, and adrenaline pumping. I never want to leave, win or lose, I live for the thrill of competition and challenge of each and every opponent.
This year will definitely be a very long and arduous competition, but I am beyond excited to hop on that plain and get out there and fence. Hopefully my hard work will pay off!
-Courtney Dumas
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