INJURY PREVENTION WORKBOOK | NOVEMBER 2016

BETTERFENCER.COM

Injury Prevention Training Program Worksheet

Based on conversations with Jeremy Summers

Director of Sports Medicine, USA Fencing

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE:

Each slide below contains information about the exercises described in the Better
Fencer injury prevention article

Use the Scheduler on the next page to track your exercise plan and measure
your progress (you can always print more or edit your own at
bit.ly/injurypreventionworksheet)

Additional pages give further information about :

The core exercises, choosing number of reps and sets, and additional exercises
you might consider
Editable spreadsheet can be found at bit.ly/injurypreventionworksheet
 1 1
1. Overhead Squat
This exercise can be done with 5 foot pipe (PC pipe works well),
which you hold directly above your head, arms out wide. Keep
your toes pointed slightly outwards. Holding the bar in position
will force you to keep your back upright and your hips open as
you lower and return to standing. Because fencers tend to
round their shoulders to cover their target, an overhead squat
helps to create mobility in the chest, shoulders and hips.
2 2
2. Single Leg Dead Lift
Start on one leg, keeping the knee slightly bent. Your other leg
is relatively straight and should extend behind you. Reach down
towards the floor using the strength in your hamstring to lower
and return to the starting position. This helps with both strength
and balance. Once you master the movement, you can slowly
start adding weight to the exercise by holding 2 equal
dumbbells, one in each hand.
3 3
3. Lateral Lunges
Holding your hands in front of you, step out to the side (with
both feet still pointed forwards). As your foot lands, bend the
stepping leg while keeping your back/spine straight. The other
leg should remain straight. The exercise works both the
bending leg and the extended leg and is excellent for
strengthening muscles in the inner thigh where fencers are
prone to injury.
4. Lateral Slides 4 4
Start with the arms in front of you and your knees a little more
than hip distance apart. Keeping your knees bent in an
athletic stance, step with one foot out to the side, shortly
followed by the other foot stepping back under you. Your
knees should remain bent the whole time. This exercise can
be made more difficult by adding a Theraband tied around
your knees to create additional resistance as you take each
step.
5 5
5. Hip Abduction
Lying on your slide with legs straight, use the arm underneath
you to stabilize your head and neck. Lift the top leg up,
keeping it straight, and then return to original position. The
bottom leg can be bent to stabilize your body.
6. Hamstring Exercise 6 6
There are a number of exercises to target the hamstrings.
Begin by lying on your back with both feet flat on the floor.
Push up with your legs and buttocks to create a bridge. The
longer you hold this position at the top, the more difficult the
exercise. Return back to the original position. To make the
exercise more difficult, progress to using only one leg. Another
variation is to place your feet on an elevated platform (like a
bench) to increase the intensity. Also, the further you move
your feet away from your butt, the more challenging the 7
exercise will be. And lastly, for the hotshots, you can use an
exercise physio ball: place your calves on the ball while lying
on your back, lift your butt up while keeping legs straight, and
then pull the ball towards you so your feet come flat on the ball
and you are in a bridge. Extend and repeat.

7. Anterior Plank
A weak core predisposes you to injury so strengthening your
abdominal muscles and core endurance are a vital part of your
training. Get into a pushup position, then lower yourself into a
plank by placing your elbows and forearms on the floor. Your
knees should be off the ground and your tailbone tucked
under. That’s it! This exercise will get more difficult the longer
you hold it.
 8

8. Lateral Plank
Turn on your side with one elbow and forearm on the floor.
Push up into a plank with your body in a straight line,
balancing your weight between your elbow and forearm and
the side of your foot. The other arm can rest on your side or
be straight up in the air. Like the exercise above, it will be
easier when you start, but get more challenging the longer
you hold the position.
How often and how many?
Jeremy Summers recommends you do this every other day or 3 times per week.
The actual number of sets and repetitions depends on your current fitness level.
If you haven’t done any strength training, start slow and use the first month to
build your base strength. Once you feel stronger, you can progress at your own
pace.
With the abdominal exercises (planks), Jeremy suggests you build up to
45 seconds for each lateral (side) plank and up to 2 mins per anterior
plank. Aim for a couple of sets.
Athletes with current low back pain should avoid these exercises until
evaluated by their doctor.

How many? Ideally, you are performing each exercise until the final rep is very
difficult. This is the state when the muscle gets the maximum benefit. Depending Quick Look
on the number of reps you are doing, you are actually working on different
aspects of muscle development. When you are struggling to finish 12-15 of an Lower Body Exercises:
exercise, you are building strength. When doing 20-25 reps, you are building Begin at 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps → Work to 4-5 sets of 20-25 reps
more muscle endurance. The term “power” is often used to describe the ability
to execute explosive, athletically-related movements. One increases their Anterior Plank
“power” by using heavier weights and fewer reps. When it’s hard to finish 4-6 Work towards 120 seconds (approximately 2 sets)
reps with the appropriate weights, you are building your “power. Training power
is not something that’s important to do all year long and should be avoided in Lateral Plank
developing bodies. However, as you progress, consider incorporating this into Work towards 45 seconds (approximately 2 sets)
your routine, first under the supervision of a trained professional**.
General Info about Sets and Reps
4-6 reps = Training Power
A good goal for the lower body exercises is 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps for each 12-15 reps = Training Strength
exercise. If you are finding that easy, then first increase your number of reps to 20-25 reps = Training Muscle Endurance
20-25. When that becomes easy, begin adding additional sets to each exercise.
If you can do 4-5 sets of 20-25 repetitions, you are really kicking butt!
 Bonus Exercises
Included here are additional exercises that can be done to support the key 8 exercises.
These are part of an overall hamstring rehab and injury prevention plan created by Director of Sports Medicine for USA Fencing,
Jeremy Summers, DC, L.Ac., ATC, DACBSP

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 Bonus Exercises
Included here are additional exercises that can be done to support the key 8 exercises.
These are part of an overall hamstring rehab and injury prevention plan created by Director of Sports Medicine for USA Fencing,
Jeremy Summers, DC, L.Ac., ATC, DACBSP

Powered by Hep2go.com
 Bonus Exercises
Included here are additional exercises that can be done to support the key 8 exercises.
These are part of an overall hamstring rehab and injury prevention plan created by Director of Sports Medicine for USA Fencing,
Jeremy Summers, DC, L.Ac., ATC, DACBSP

Powered by Hep2go.com
 Bonus Exercises
Included here are additional exercises that can be done to support the key 8 exercises.
These are part of an overall hamstring rehab and injury prevention plan created by Director of Sports Medicine for USA Fencing,
Jeremy Summers, DC, L.Ac., ATC, DACBSP

Powered by Hep2go.com