So You Wanna Do Swords: Six Cross-Training Exercises for Beginner Rapier

Obligatory photo of me to establish my bona-fides

One of the things that I love about HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), but what I also find challenging about HEMA, is that it often attracts people who normally aren't interested in or knowledgeable about martial arts (or sports in general). I love this fact because I genuinely think everyone's life is better when they find a physical hobby they can do and enjoy doing. On the other hand, this fact makes teaching new students challenging because I'm not just teaching them how to do Italian rapier; I'm also, to an extent, teaching them how to be physically active at all. And just like how learning to speak a new language is more difficult when one is an adult, learning how to intentionally and effectively move one's body for the first time as an adult is quite challenging!

My introductory students often ask me for advice on ways to build strength and endurance, and I have a few go-to answers that I'd like to share. I try to keep my recommendations as simple and accessible as possible because it doesn't matter how good or effective an exercise is if people can't/won't actually do it regularly. So here's six very basic cross-training exercises that will help you improve at rapier:

1. Cardio

Decent cardio health is foundational; you can't train effectively if you gas out halfway through class! The upshot is that it doesn't matter what sort of cardio you do - it all helps, so just pick the exercise that you can stick to. I use cycling as my cardio solely because I don't own a car, so it's my primary form of transportation. Cycling has side benefits of really improving my leg strength and being low-impact on my joints, but that's not why I cycle. I cycle because I need to get to the store, or to work, or wherever.

Every form of cardio exercise has upsides and downsides, so it's just a matter of assessing your own preferences, priorities, and abilities. Maybe you prefer running (requires very little investment in gear and can be done just about anywhere, but is hard on the joints), or maybe swimming (low-impact and great at building shoulder/back strength, but requires access to a pool), or hell, maybe your cardio of choice is playing DDR (builds explosive energy/strength, fun as hell, but your downstairs neighbors will hate you). It's all good! Just find an activity that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up.

2. Lunges

Are you really surprised? ;) Exercise lunges have a different form than the lunges we do in Italian rapier, but the basic muscle groups used are the same. You can start out doing bodyweight lunges, and once you're comfortable with that you can hold dumbbells to add weight to your routine. If you don't have access to dumbbells, you can use cans of beans, gallon jugs of milk or water - anything reasonably heavy that you have two of. (This tip goes for every exercise that follows, too! Start out doing the movement with no added weight, then start low and add more as you gain strength. You can use household objects if you don't have dumbbells.)

3. Lateral raises

A lot of beginner rapier students struggle to engage their back muscles when they're holding their weapon, so they wind up trying to hold it entirely with their arm muscles. Lateral raises will both help you learn what it feels like to engage your back muscles and will strengthen them so you can hold your sword more comfortably for longer periods of time. 

4. Romanian deadlifts (RDLs)

Italian rapier really emphasizes the hip hinge, and RDLs will help you learn what a good hip hinge feels like and will strengthen the posterior chain (the muscles in your back, butt, and legs that allow you to do that upper body movement). If you want to make things a little more challenging, you can try one-legged RDLs, which will also improve your balance and will help correct the strength imbalance that Italian rapier tends to cause.

5. Planks

Check out the abs on that guy!

A strong back works best in tandem with a strong front, and planks are the most accessible way to work your core. Start small - 30 seconds at a time - and gradually work your way up. You can hold yourself up on your hands or on your elbows, depending on what is most comfortable for you. A strong core helps you maintain the upright posture necessary in the Capo Ferro/"common" stance.

6. Bent-over rows

This works your rear shoulder and back, again helping you hold your sword longer and more comfortably. You'll also notice that the bent-over row puts your back and legs in a somewhat similar position as the RDL, so your posterior chain also gets a little love. 

Any gym bro will point out that these six exercises aren't enough for a complete workout routine, and they're correct. More experienced HEMA-ists will also point out that there's a lot of other cross-training (to focus on footwork, speed, fine-tuning strength, etc.) that would also be helpful, and they're also correct. However, for people who are completely new to physical hobbies - specifically to historical rapier - and who need a little guidance, I think this is a good starting point.