Anybody can tell me how can i do to improve my punching strengh?
what exersices can i do? what muscle specifically must i work?
Thank your your advices
Tricky, because the muscles used for punching are also used for pushing. The combination of mass and speed is what makes a strong (powerful) punch.
For the most part, athletes don't want to gain too much more mass, so speed is what they mostly want.
On the other hand, learn how to put more of the mass you already have behind your punch and you have a winner.
Learn that and add more speed, well...there you go.
so, you recommend me do chest pushups?
when i do it, i'm working my triceps.
so, as more triceps' strength i have, more powerfull will have my punches?
Strength gains can sometimes signify mass gain and also help with speed. But no, that's not what I said.
You do the basic compound weight routines for strength and/or mass. For more info go to the "Strength & Conditioning" Q & A.
More to the point, you need to work on technique. Get a good trainer or someone who knows something about body mechanics to help you.
It's all about mechanics and looseness, not raw strength.
Plyometrics!!!
Heavy Bag!!!!!!!!
You will be punching like David Tua in no time with proper training but I would think it will only take these two
everyone is correct
I don't understand this "if the heavy bag is swinging than you're pushing" comment. I mean if I hit the damn thing ofcourse it's going to start swinging. Could you please elaborate on what you were saying?
The bag should fold, rather than swing, when you punch or kick it.
I guess whatever bag you're using is tied to the ground because otherwise you're statement makes no sense.
Alright, let's try this.
If you hit a stiff board tied to the ceiling, it will swing. There is no other option because it has no "give" to it.
The bag, being flexible, will absorb shock right on the spot of the hit. This makes the bag "fold", please be sensible and don't mistake this for "doubling".(Some physics guy could chime in here and explain the centrifugal force that causes this).
There will of course be some swing, but very different from "pushing" vs hitting.
The swinging bag thing is not as simple as that. I like a very heavy bag. The smaller ones will move no matter how good your technique simply because they do not have enough mass to absorb the energy imparted by the punch. Then again even a very heavy bag will swing eventually if you are throwing combinations or multiple punches from one angle. The bottom line is that contact should be crisp. A bag will swing immediately if you are pushing your punches. If you ARE NOT pushing your punches, it takes an accumulation of energy to get the bag going.
With some types of kicks the same would be true, however there are other types that the goal is to move the bag.
Don't neglect your upper back (traps, delts, and lats) when considering punching power. Jack Dempsey credited a good bit of his power to the strong back he developed through manual labor during his formative years.
I think a good exercise for learning not to "push" the heavy bag is to put a sheet of paper or a towel hanging from a string, and start throwing punches at it. You should try to punch it with a snap, not pushing. And it is important that you retract your hand at least as quickly as it goes forward, and keep your punches relaxed. At first it may seem awkward, but as soon as you get the hang of it, you are starting to really hit the paper - not just push it. And you can also hear the difference from the sound of the punch in that sheet. And you may also be able to punch holes into the sheet...
Stratakos is very correct. Punching power does come from strong arms, but form the rest of the body, the back and legs in particular. The arms are merely an attachment to the power source.
Force = Mass x Acceleration ... the only thing I remember from high school physics :)
It sounds like you might want to work on getting your hips and legs into your punches. Other things equal strength and mass never hurt, but don't underestimate the value of proper technique. I have seen some very small guys with a lot of power because of the kind of torque that they get from their hips.
Another point: power is not everything and not ever punch has to be a KO punch. Think of Chris Byrd and Shane Mosely. The latter is selective about his power shots. Trying to throw big bombs rather than setting them up will not work against someone who has decent defense. It just tires you out and leaves you vulnerable to counters.
The punch that gets the job done is the usually the one they do not see coming.
Everyone gave kick ass advise on this subject. Here are some ideas I have to help increase your punching power.
1.) Learn to relax a tight, tense body will slow reaction time and won't move fluidly. The way to learn to relax is through practice and sparring. Don't try to kill your opponent with every punch you throw. A great tip I picked up along the way was, fight like you are tired. Just imagine that you have no energy and you have to keep punching. The idea seemed to work for me and I saw this very idea mentioned by Jean Jaques Machado in an article he wrote on extending his endurance in ju jitsu.
2.) work on shifting your weight. Do drills to increase your balance. The more balance you have the more ability you will have to throw a punch with proper mechanics. Work on examining yourself in the mirror. Elongate your chest by twisting your hips not your feet. Finding a place where your feet feel natural is important. a slightly feet can give you a harder punch but can make it akward to move and especially defend. A more square stance will make punches easier to throw but will make you off balance and way easier to hit. So find where your feet are comfortable and work on making slight adjustments by turning your hips. The feet are the place where a powerful punch begins. They are the fuse. The hips are the powder keg and the shoulders are the barrel and the fists are the cannon balls. Work on very slowly coordinating your punches through proper mechanics. Watch yourself in the mirror. Make adjustments, practice and even tape yourself. Ask yourself, can this position effect my power, my defense, my movement?
3) make sure your feet are beneath you at all times, bend your knees more and twist your heels out further. The more you twist your heels outward, the more start a hard, powerful punch, keep your knees in good shape by being bent, this will add tons of pop to your game and give you that KO punch! feel your abdomen and obliques twist and turn your shoulders into a punch. Work on throwing punches crisply. Don't leave them out there, if you can slam them home and return to center faster, they'll have more of a pop and less of a push. This means power!
4) stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder width totally parallell to your shoulders in a drill. twist at the waist and punch with the hand that is coming forward from the twisting motion. This engrains in your mind what a punch should be, and extention of your hips. Bend your knees and see how much of a difference this makes. Then put your knees closer together so they are directly beneath your chest and watch how much of a difference that little adjust ment makes. Work on twisting with a medicine ball. And when you get a little stronger do incline sit ups, have a partner throw you the ball on your way down, don't let your back touch the board, come back up and throw it back, repeat by having him throw it back, go down, come up, twist to the left, twist the the right, go down and come up and throw it back. This is a plyometric excercise. It will help your punching power.
Hope this helps,
buddie.
Everyone's advice is really good. Another area of
strength that I think get's ignored too much when it
comes to punching power it forearm strength. Strong
forearms allow more of your power to be transfered to
the end of your fist, without it being disapated by
flex in your wrists.
I can't stress enough the ability to coordinate your
whole body into a punch. Shifing your weight, getting
the hips, and legs involved, and most importantly
working on your timing will yeild huge dividends in
generating punching power.