Exercises for Punching

[Grixti]

Hi there,
I am looking for the best exersizes that i can do to improve my punching speed and power.

I work out at the gym 3 times a week and practice kung fu once a week. At the gym i am just doing a basic routine, grouping my muscles into 'Back and biceps, chest and triceps, shoulders and legs'. On average i am doing 4 sets of 10 reps for most exersizes.

It has occured to me that this routine probably isnt the best for a fighter, although i have got a lot stronger and faster by doing it. But i want to be focusing my energy on the right areas with the right techniques.

One main place for debate at the gym is what is the best exersizes to do on the bench press with fast and powerfull punching in mind.

Any info on what bench exersizes are best for punching or what exersizes are generally the best for fighters would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Filero]

By far, and I mean not even close, the exercises you do in your school -- heavy bag, focus mitts, sparring, and whatever else you might do in kung fu practice -- are the most important thing you can do to increase punching power. In addition, never forget that punching power isn't just about punching hard. Punching power is a skill beyond punching hard, it means being able to catch an opponent with the right timing, at the right distance, while he's actively trying to avoid getting hit. It's a multi-dimension skill, and most people are better served spending more time developing dimensions other than pure punching impact until they well advance.

Anyway, there are things in the gym you can do. I follow the philosophy of world class trainers like Ross. It's been proven over and over that punching power is as much an issue of core and leg strength as it is upper body ... and all those body parts need to have explosive power and operate together. As a result, like many fighters, I have completely abandoned a bodypart split, which I associate more with bodybuilding (although that's unfair, there still are fighters doing splits). Instead, I use compound movements as much as possible.

I work explosive power explicitly. To be explosive, work explosive. I do dumbell snatches, dumbell push presses, squat jumps, ballistic pushups, switch-grip pullups, clapping pullups, etc. All of those movements work many muscles.

For working strength, I similarly use compound movements. Deadlifts, squats, standing shoulder presses of various kinds, pullups/chins, dips, etc. Many of these movements work the core, but I also work the core explicitly: ab wheel rollouts, russian twists, saxon sidebends, L-sits, etc.

Full body workouts, a few days apart, cycling an exercise out as I plateau and cycling a new exercise in.

[DickHardman]

filero posted great information. i just wanted to add that punching power also has a lot to do with being relaxed and fluid. "trying" to punch hard and trying to utilize strength and stiffening up will work against you. some people are heavy handed and have brute strength and can knock people out regardless. but learning to punch properly and fluidly with relaxed muscles will facilititate better movement and better body mechanics.


shadow boxing a lot will help build proper punching mechanics and help you relax and be more fluid.

i speak from a boxing/mt perspective btw, utilizing shoulder rotation and the 2 first knuckles, i know some people punch differently.

once you have great mechanics and movement you hit bags harder and harder, its a resistance training and hand conditioning.

denser, overdeveloped bones from years of conditioning can make your strikes even more effective. ive seen older boxers with their two front knuckles the size of golfballs, they are hardened impact weapons that would do severe damage to anyone they hit.