Fencing Training Plan

Below is a comprehensive strength and conditioning training program for fencing athletes. It is directed at individuals who don't have a lot of experience with resistance training, but could be applied for most athletes.

Application of Block Periodization

Block Periodization Overview

Block periodization was popularized in the west by Vladimir Issurin when he introduced the concept in the mid-2000s. While it is a more recent phenomenon in the United States, it has been refined, adapted, and applied for quite some time in Russia and other former Soviet countries. The main concept behind Block Periodization is that different training stimuli can cause interference effects with adaptation (for example, endurance and power training will send competing adaptive signals to the body which will diminish the impact of both) and cause higher levels of cumulative fatigue. Issurin argues that it is more efficient to train one stimulus (or, a couple of non-competing stimuli) at a time while holding onto the adaptations from the previous cycle. In fact, he believes that due to a supercompesnatory effect many of the beneficial effects of a particular training phase can be realized during the next block.

The ordering of phases is very important, because some adaptations can be held onto for a lot longer than others, some blocks build better on one another than others, and we want to make sure that the program ends increasingly sport specific so that the athlete is prepared for training and competition (it is similar to traditional linear periodization in this way). The length of the blocks can be shifted depending on the experience, biological age, competition calendar, sport etc.) and it can be applied for athletes at all levels.

In classic Block Periodization you have an accumulation block (generally strength endurance/hypertrophy), followed by a transmutation block (strength focus), and finally a realization block (sport specific power). You build muscle and general physical preparedness during the accumulation phase, utilize that muscle and preparedness during transmutation to build more sport specific strength, and finally during realization you train for the intensity and specific demands of the sport. Waving the volume and load during each phase is also likely to have a beneficial effect and help the athlete keep adapting by providing an overload stimulus.

There are however also some drawbacks to BP. One of the biggest is that it is hard to apply during a competitive season. Most sports rely on a number of qualities to excel at, and if you are only working on one or a couple at a time then you will not be as competition ready as if you are training multiple at a time. So, it makes more sense to apply block periodization in an off-season. Additionally, you need an adequate amount of time. If you only have 4 weeks to get ready for a season you do not have enough time to progress through all three blocks. Additionally, while there might be some valid rationale behind the efficacy of block periodization and reducing training interference, there is also a lot of evidence that methods like daily undulating periodization work well too.

Applying Block Periodization

For a variety of reasons we think that block periodization is a good fit for our target sport and population. For one, most high school women, even athletes, will not have a ton of experience with strength and conditioning training. By utilizing block periodization we can use the accumulation phase to introduce foundational movements, build general physical preparedness, and increase muscular endurance/hypertrophy. This will provide a baseline from which to begin training heavier strength exercises, before targeting more sport specific high power exercises. In contrast, a training periodization like Daily Undulating Periodization might be utilizing higher power exercises earlier in a training block when these less experienced athletes might not be prepared to get the most out of them.

Additionally, we want to take a holistic view of the athletes, our goal is not to just make them as strong as possible in 12 weeks, but to prepare them for practice as well as ensure their long-term athletic development. A study by Painter et al. found that while BP and DUP produced similar results, BP required less time and volume, and resulted in an improved testosterone to cortisol ratio when compared with DUP. If we can get comparable results while not taxing an adolescent athlete’s recovery as heavily, and giving them more time for school, sleep, and play, then that is a more appealing approach. Which is not to say that we will not take aspects of DUP and apply them to our block methodology; even in BP it is recommended to have slight variations in intensity, load, rest, exercise prescription etc. A study by Gavanda et al did not look at any endocrine levels or other measures of recovery, but examined strength differences in high school football players following either BP or DUP. They found no differences between groups for performance increase.

There is not a ton of research on strength training in fencers, and we could not find any on block periodization in adolescent fencers, so we have to look at research that is similar but not as specific as we would like. As referenced above, BP was an effective way to increase strength in adolescent football players. While football players do not resemble fencers, the sport is similar in its demand of anaerobic power. BP has been used effectively with both judo (source) and taekwondo athletes (source). Once again, these are not perfect comparisons, however they are two intermittent high intensity combat sports, so it’s reasonable to expect a similar transfer for fencing.

References

Carazo-Vargas, P., González-Ravé, J. M., Newton, R. U., & Moncada-Jiménez, J. (2015). Periodization model for Costa Rican taekwondo athletes. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 37(3), 74-83.

Gavanda, S., Geisler, S., Quittmann, O. J., & Schiffer, T. (2019). The effect of block versus daily undulating periodization on strength and performance in adolescent football players. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 14(6), 814-821.

Issurin, V. (2008). Block periodization versus traditional training theory: a review. Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 48(1), 65.

Issurin, V. B. (2016). Benefits and limitations of block periodized training approaches to athletes’ preparation: a review. Sports medicine, 46(3), 329-338.

Marques, L., Franchini, E., Drago, G., Aoki, M. S., & Moreira, A. (2017). Physiological and performance changes in national and international judo athletes during block periodization training. Biology of sport, 34(4), 371.

Painter, K. B., Haff, G. G., Triplett, N. T., Stuart, C., Hornsby, G., Ramsey, M. W., ... & Stone, M. H. (2018). Resting hormone alterations and injuries: Block vs. DUP weight-training among D-1 track and field athletes. Sports, 6(1), 3.

Pliauga, V., Lukonaitiene, I., Kamandulis, S., Skurvydas, A., Sakalauskas, R., Scanlan, A. T., ... & Conte, D. (2018). The effect of block and traditional periodization training models on jump and sprint performance in collegiate basketball players. Biology of sport, 35(4), 373.

Stone, M; Hornsby, W; Haff, G; Fry, Andrew C; Suarez, D; Liu, J; Gonzalez-Rave, J; Pierce, K (2021) Periodization and Block Periodization in Sports: Emphasis on Strength-Power Training—A Provocative and Challenging Narrative, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research - Volume 35 - Issue 8 - p 2351-2371

Fencing Training Outline

Overview

Since our population is high school fencing athletes we created a comparatively simple program. This is good because it allows flexibility to accommodate the rapid improvement seen by novice lifters, but not too much variation to overcomplicate. The program has two strength focused days as well as two conditioning. For the strength portion we pick an upper body push and pull, a lower body push and pull, and then one or two core focused exercises. This hits a broad spectrum of needs for the athlete. We switch up exercises after each 4-week block to provide athletes with a novel stimulus. Volume builds over the first 3 weeks of a block, before a deload week to allow the athlete to start supercompensation and to transition to the next phase.

Additionally, we use autoregulation to help adapt to the varying states of the athletes; instead of having a fixed target on most days they will have a range. Once they are at the top of the range they can add weight and start working their way back up. However, if they are carrying more fatigue they can also perform reps on the lower end of the given spectrum. Warm up is focused on movements that will prepare the athletes for the workout, and during the strength phase will be supplemented with a couple of warm up sets for the chosen exercise.

Accumulation

The accumulation phase is focused on building volume in a series of simple exercises. This will build muscular endurance, some hypertrophy, and skills for the next block. Exercises are fairly non-specific with a focus on GPP here. Instead of doing a single leg squat variation (that would be more specific to a fencing lunge) we opted for goblet squats to reinforce proper squatting mechanics and begin to build quadricep strength before introducing more technical exercises. The same is seen with the Batwing DB Row. This exercise is primarily an isometric hold. The reasoning here is that many of the high school athletes we have worked with have had difficulty activating their mid-traps and rhomboids; focusing on an intense contraction in these muscles helps to “wake them up” so that we can recruit them in future blocks. Good Mornings are a great way to pattern the hinge movement with light load, and we have direct core work with McGill’s Big 3 to target specific muscles, as well as suitcase carries to practice using those muscles in a functional movement.

The exercises are performed in a circuit format. By alternating muscle groups we can keep the workout flowing, the kids engaged, and allow specific muscle groups to get some rest. In addition, there might be a slight cardiometabolic benefit to keeping the rests short and heart rate elevated. Short breaks are taken between exercises, with longer break taken between circuits. For progression, 1 round of the circuit is added during the first 3 weeks (before returning to 3 rounds during the deload). Conditioning is kept as light intensity endurance on a non-impact indoor device. This is to start building the endurance needed to perform multiple matches in a day, and clear lactate build up during the matches.

Transmutation Phase

During the transmutation phase we shift the focus from muscular endurance to strength. So, the volume takes a fairly big drop and we see a concomitant increase in intensity. For progression athletes once again have a rep range to hit. Once they get to the top end they increase their weight for the next session. This allows athletes to progress at their own pace, and, as stated earlier, allows for day-to-day variation. The exercises start to become more specific here, especially with the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat. This employs a slow eccentric to help build up the leg's tolerance for impact both in the following phase and during practice/competition. Rest during strength portion is increased from phase 1 and instead of going through all exercises athletes will perform supersets with upper and lower body exercises. This will allow them to be more recovered for each set and exercise.

Conditioning is also more specific. While the modality is still an indoor bike, the format is now more appropriate for fencing training. The athletes will perform HIIT in roughly the same duration/intensity as a match (15” of work with 15” of rest for 3’ rounds). We’ll gradually increase the volume during the first three weeks, before once again having a deload.

Realization

In the realization phase the goal is to take the strength and muscle built in previous phases and use specific power based exercises to develop fencing specific speed and power. Now instead of having a split squat we use a jumping lunge to prepare athletes for the repeated impact as well as develop lunging power. We also go from a bench press to a seated medicine ball chest throw. This still employs a horizontal push movement, but by increasing the speed and power we are helping strengthen the muscles needed for a fencer to thrust their foil. During this phase we build a bit of volume, but the main goal is to perform each workout more explosively. To assist with this rest time is increased to allow for full recovery.

Conditioning is also more specific; it keeps the format of the HIIT but replaces the format with fencing positions and movement. Because of this increased impact however it is once a week, and spaced further apart from the strength training. These changes in training will not only help athletes be stronger to perform at a higher level, but will also prepare them to recover from training.

Training Plan Outline