Fencing Strength
This month I was competing at a fencing tournament when someone told me that they really loved my content, but there was one thing they were scared to do. They said that they were kind of scared of doing barbell back squats.
If you’re a fencer trying to get more explosive, then you’ve likely been told (by me) that squats are an essential addition to your training regimen, but that isn’t the whole truth.
I told this guy that you don’t need to do barbell back squats specifically because the goal isn’t to become an excellent barbell squatter — it’s to strengthen your legs. The barbell back squat is just one tool out of many that you can use for that goal.
Why I switched to Bulgarian split squats
Personally, I don’t do barbell back squats as much anymore. For several months, I’ve been focusing on Bulgarian split squats because I feel that I have better technique with these and I feel the growth all in the leg with no low back tightness. Due to their single leg nature, I feel like they also address my imbalances and stability better. This isn’t an excuse to go lighter, either. I’m still lifting close to my body weight or more with a barbell on my back. I just feel the Bulgarian split squat achieves my goals better.
So take this as permission to use whatever squat variation suits you best. I can offer you 3 guidelines that will help you choose the right variation for you.
Guideline 1: Understand what a squat pattern is
The first guideline is understanding what a squat pattern actually is. A squat pattern is going to involve a mix of knee flexion, hip flexion, and ankle flexion, but with a major emphasis on the knee flexion. It does not require both legs to work at once either (bilaterally). That means things like lunges (unilateral) count as a squat pattern.
Guideline 2: Choose a variation you can keep progressing
The next guideline is that it should be something you can continuously progress over time. That means you should be able to add incremental amount of weight or reps to it. This is what makes the barbell back squat a great choice and bodyweight exercises not so great. You can easily add a rep or two or 5 pounds to a barbell back squat to make it 1% harder than last week. However, if you’re only working with bodyweight, your only choice is to add more reps. Once you hit the multiple hundreds, you’re not really working strength anymore. Instead you’re working endurance, which won’t lead to explosiveness.
Guideline 3: You don’t have to stick with one variation forever
The last guideline is that the variation you choose doesn’t have to be the same variation you stick with forever. If you are uncomfortable with say a barbell back squat, it’s perfectly fine to start with something more approachable like a goblet squat. Over time you can switch to a barbell front squat and then try a barbell back squat.
Another example is that you could start off with bodyweight walking lunges, but progress into walking lunges with dumbbells, and then progress further into Bulgarian split squats.
There’s also a lot of machine options, such as the hack squat or leg press. I noticed that one of my clients Nica was having a hard time progressing at a barbell back squat, so I switched her to a hack squat. On this machine, she was able to lift heavier and progress more consistently. She went on to win the senior women’s foil national championship in Luxembourg just last month by the way.
I hope this has been educational and that it helps you choose the right exercise for strengthening your squat pattern.
Get help choosing your squat variation
If you want more of my help, I made the Hybrid Fencer program and offer 7 days free. It’s made to get you explosive, strong, mobile, and conditioned while balancing your fencing practices. It comes with the ability to swap exercise variations so you can utilize what you just read. Get the free trial here
You can also get my help building you a custom program and coach you directly. I’ll help you figure out the right exercises, training split, and progressions based on your goals and abilities. Ask for my help here