How You Can Improve Your Punching Power

It’s all in the Power behind your Punch

Every human instinctively knows to extend the clenched fists towards an approaching threat as a reflex action in order to defend himself. Though some people like to be sturdy and they reach out to the one threatening them with a good punch rather than just a blow by utilizing their entire body, positioning, strength, and focus.

The power to launch a perfect punch significantly depends upon the proper positioning of the feet soles on the ground. It is important because only a certain posture will allow the energy to travel from the punch towards the target. The energy required to launch a powerful punch significantly depends upon the distance relationship of foot and floor because this energy transmits into the feet from the floor and then from both the legs to glute muscles towards the shoulder and triceps and ultimately reaches the fist. The successful transfer of this energy from the ground to feet is dependent upon the right use of technique and proper body posture otherwise even a brawny person would fail to deliver a good shot.

This is quite evident from the weight division system in professional boxing. They have classified the fighters according to their weight because those perfectly trained fighters know how to utilize their whole body weight to deliver an effective punch. That is why it would be quite easy for a trained professional lightweight fighter to knock down a bigger person who doesn’t know how to use his weight for his defense.

Enlightened with the importance of the power behind the punch you must be wondering what to do to give more power to your punch. Apparently, the strength of triceps and shoulder muscles may seem vital to a powerful punch but it only accounts for 10% of a good energetic punch. However, what really matters is the strengthening of your lower body including the hamstrings and the muscles of your lower and upper back.

It is good to work on strengthening your shoulders and arms by exercising with Dumbbell Bicep Curls and Bench press, however what you should really focus on is the strength of muscles that are actually going to deliver more power to your fist. Having strong legs is the key to success in boxing and we can surely tell you how you can achieve it.

Just include the following exercises to your routine

If you’ve been focusing your strength training on bench presses and bicep curls, you’re not doing anything wrong. However, it’s vital to include the following techniques and exercises to strengthen the true muscles responsible for adding extra power to the punch. Having strong legs is often an overlooked component in the success of boxing.

Perfect Body Posture

The first and foremost important thing that helps in launching a good punch is the perfect body posture. You might ask what the perfect body positioning is. Let us explain that to you.

Feet on ground– As mentioned above, a boxer gains all the energy from the floor which travels all the way up to his fists, therefore it is important for you to have both your feet firmly planted on the ground as it’s a common mistake with boxers to lift one of the legs while punching. Having both your feet on the ground not only gives more power to your punch but also helps you to maintain your balance so that you may swing, take or launch another blow.

Bent knees – To understand the difference in a punch with extended and bent legs, you will like to try and compare it yourself. We are sure of the fact you will feel the difference. This is what ‘sitting on your punches’ is called. For practicing the bending of knees you may squat and practice a posture like sitting on a chair with a 90° angle. For a harder one, you can put two bowls of water on each of the knees and practice balancing it.

Overextension – Extending your arms out more than optimal leaves you unbalance and vulnerable. With a habit like that, you may be on the verge of pulling a muscle. Moreover, extending your arms more than an optimal length reduces the power of your punch because as more energy has to travel the lesser it gets.

Speed – Speed is important because in boxing the unseen punches damage you the most which are possible only if you practice speed, because speed is power.


Here are some exercises that may be used to strengthen your body muscles and practice perfection in your body positioning.


1.Jump training

Jump training refers to plyometric training, a quite underrated exercise even though it amazingly helps you to improve your speed as well as strengthening your muscles. Jump training is based simply on the regular push-up posture. For this, you need to dip down just as you do while doing push-ups then on your way back upwards you would explode up.

Once you are done with the basic level you may move on to adding slight variations such as clapping your hands close to the chest or in the mid-air. After reaching the standard level in this exercise you may add trying lifting up your feet off the floor along with clapping your hands.


2.Barbell Pickups

Barbell pickups simply increase the length of the elastic hamstring muscle and improve the eccentric deceleration which is proved to be quite helpful in the supplement and quick transfer of the power to the upper body.


3.Back Squats

This primarily targets the two largest muscle groups of our body the quads and the glute muscles. It helps to temper these muscles. Moreover, it strengthens the hamstrings to provide a burst of power to the boxer.


4.Sprint Interval Workout

Sprinting mainly strengthens the legs which improve the power generated and transmitted from the legs to the upper body and it enhances the boxer’s capacity of endurance as well.


5.Box Jump Exercises

The box jump is basically a plyometric exercise that mainly strengthens your glutes, calves, quads, and hamstrings. It focusses on your twitch muscles and helps you move briskly.