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I Need More Power!

14K views 51 replies 30 participants last post by  elitemmagoer 
#1 ·
I am a little guy who does not yet have the power to throw a knockout punch. I would like to know the best way to improve my power in my punches. Any info is greatly appreciated and ill keep you guys posted on fight results.
 
#28 ·
ozz525 said:
But with hooks theres snaping right its all about the hips
Oh definitely. Good core strength to created the needed rotation on your hips and shoulders is where you are going to generate power for a hook. Just watch this early Roy Jones Jr. clip right here. The last hook he throws is ungodly fast, and snaps into his opponent like the end of a whip.
 
#31 ·
I don't know too much about the subject of increasing the power of a punch but it's not really something you can work on consistenly and within a certain time be able to throw a 1 hitter quitter like chuck liddell. Some people have "supernatural" punching power, others don't. I have pretty heavy hands. Maybe you should try to find info on Hawaiian Kempo maybe chuck has some things he can teach you.
 
#32 ·
Boxing>MMA said:
I believe it comes naturally and can't be learned just improved upon.
southpaw447 said:
I don't know too much about the subject of increasing the power of a punch but it's not really something you can work on consistenly and within a certain time be able to throw a 1 hitter quitter like chuck liddell. Some people have "supernatural" punching power, others don't. I have pretty heavy hands. Maybe you should try to find info on Hawaiian Kempo maybe chuck has some things he can teach you.
I disagree with that. Why? Well, throwing a punch is just like any other physical activity. It has to be learned to be done effectively. Granted there will be some who are phenomenally talented or gifted, but that's how it is in any other sport.

I know you can consistently learn to strike with more power, just like you can learn to jump higher or run faster. Does that mean you'll be as good as an olypic high jumper or sprinter? Nope, probably not. But saying that it is something that cannot be trained or learned is quite far on the negative end of the spectrum. On that end, I believe the 2nd quote is more correct.
 
#35 · (Edited)
^^^^^ You are sadly mistaken on what they are telling you. NG is saying the flow of energy comes from the the (energy increases on how fast you do this) ground to the foot to the legs which then carried to the arm which size, strength, grip, and speed increase the energy which equals force out. I know other factors play a role just making a close example to reality.
 
#36 ·
Boxing>MMA said:
^^^^^ You are sadly mistaken on what they are telling you. NG is saying the flow of energy comes from the the (energy increases on how fast you do this) ground to the foot to the legs which then carried to the arm which size, strength, grip, and speed increase the energy which equals force out. I know other factors play a role just making a close example to reality.
Nonetheless, the point remains -- the power of a punch comes from more than the arms. In fact, you could have some really strong muscly guy punch with ONLY his arm-strength, but without utilizing his legs, his hips, and shoulders he tiny little shrimp with good punching technique could pack more oomph. And while I do agree that powerful/fast arms do help, I still would say that they're secondary.
 
#38 ·
I.P.Freely said:
Woo-hoo! Again, something I know a little something about...

Okay, here goes.

You are talking about both functional strength, and explosive strength. Functional means you can lift real weights in real situations, and explosive strength means being able to output a lot of power in a very short period of time.

For functional strength, it's critical to develop your small muscles (the stabilizer muscles) along with the large muscle groups. It's also critical to develop your core. For starters never ever do fixed weights- they usually do only the big muscles. For any exercize you might want to do, figure out the equivalent using free weights. Also, small bars are better than a long bar, because you use more stabilizer muscles. So, if you want to develop your power to push (chest and lats), do presses using a weight in each hand from a deeply reclined position. The motion is similar to a bench press, but you are using all the small muscles in your torse close to your arms to keep your arms still, as well as your pectorals and triceps.

It is also crucial to get maximum range of motion when doing strength exercises- start as extended as possible and finish as contracted as possible. You see so many people cheating, lifting really heavy weights but only in the middle of the motion. That's the easy bit. To be strong you have to be srong at the beginning and the end.

Don't rush... when executing a repetition, exhale and do it over a mental count of three or so.

Dumbells and bars are good, but special mention has to go to all exercises where you are lifting your own bodyweights, especially pullups and tricep dips. If you do pullups, concentrate especially on getting the full range of motion, and mix them up (i.e. gripping bar with palms inwards versus outwards, bringing bar behind head versus in front of head).

Resist the machismo urge... you can double your weight if you rush, don't get a full range of movement and use fixed weights. But you won't benefit so much. You do it right, chances are you are lifting less than everyone else. Ignore that fact.

As for the 'core' stuff, there are specific exercises you can find out about, but anything standing up with bars and dumbells will help. Just concentrate on making sure that your torso is immobile when you're throwing those bad boys around- those are the core muscles that keep your body still. That's my understanding anyway.

Anyway, that's how to build functional strength. Then the issue is how many reps/what weight. If you want to increase your strength then you need to lift very heavy weights, close to your maxium, 6-7 times, 3 repetitions. A more balanced workout, 10-12 times. For the intense strength-building stuff you are supposed to do it so that your muscles are burning and you can barely move afterwards. I don't know if that's a good idea for grapplers- I kind of doubt it.

If you do all of this you will get a lot of strength, but keep stretching a lot or you will lose some flexibility.

Oh, and take breaks. 2 days on, 2 days off. Your muscles need time to recover and build strength.
youre wrong on many points. first off set weights arent bad by any means, they isolate muscles and sometimes you need to do it. its a fast way to catch up those muscles that arent up there yet. if done right, they ahve their purpose. free weights build overall strength by using balance muscles, set weights isolate and focus on tone and strength in a particular muslce group. not worse, just different.

small bars are not better than a 2 handed bar.. to develop tone and good singular muscle endurance, you would want to grab a short bar in each hand. for overall strength and fast twitch potential, you need both your hands on 1 bar.
again, not worse or better, just different. you just need to know which excercises do what and in what way and you need to know what you need. simple as that.

and what you called "intense strength-training stuff" is indeed 6-8 or more reps in 3-5 sets. this builds fast twitch muslces and when combined with endurance workouts (15-20 reps same # of sets) works all types of muslces, in every way.

and if you take 2 days on 2 days off you are either new to working out or you are looking to degrade your muslces. what works much better is 3 day cycle then 1 day off ( on that day off you NEED cardio) if you work less than 4 or 5 days in a week yo uare doing more harm to yourself than good. it takes about 72 hours for a muscle to start softening up, so having a constant cycle that works is important.

also, always change your workout. if you walk in the gym and do the same thing every day you WILL NOT get stronger. keep chaing it up, and you will hit every muscle and your body will be used to adapting to muscle strain, which is a VERY GOOD thing. if you get this right there should be no two days where you do the same thing.
 
#40 ·
Z-man-mma-fan said:
and what you called "intense strength-training stuff" is indeed 6-8 or more reps in 3-5 sets. this builds fast twitch muslces and when combined with endurance workouts (15-20 reps same # of sets) works all types of muslces, in every way.
so how would you put this into a realistic workout?
do one week or high reps/low weight and another week of vice versa?
 
#41 ·
Z-man-mma-fan said:
you're wrong on many points....
I admit that I pushed my personal biases in that post. But I do think that for functional strength, the big weights and the small ones (one-hand grip) are the best combination, especially if you don't have that much time. And why anyone would have a lot of time for lifting weights, I don't know.

It is interesting to hear from you that longer rest periods are advised. I will bear that in mind.
 
#42 ·
The Uppercut

I'm copying this post from the Thread "What is the textbook uppercut?" I know I have the hook and straights on here already. Might as well keep this someplace easy to find.

A good uppercut is powered by your legs and torso. The amount of actual arm movement is minimal in comparison to a straight punch or hook. This is the reason why uppercuts are specifically used as inside weapons to come up between an opponent's standard guard (as I've defined in the stickied thread How Do You Defend Against in this post here and onward). You don't want to throw uppercuts from the outside without first setting it up with a jab and closing distance. Sure, some guys like Roy Jones Jr. have been able to shoot gazelle-like uppercuts from the outside with seemingly-indiscrete abandon of textbook methodology like he did against Montell Griffin (at the end of their second match here). Before I even start suggesting that is something that a budding fighter (or enthusiast) can entertain, you have to understand that Roy Jone Jr. possesses a level of talent and athletic ability for boxing that isn't present in 99% of the people on earth. Conventional wisdom and technique applies to everybody, so I'll just stick to that.

With the specific details of distance, stance and timing aside, let me break down the "how-to" on a textbook uppercut. I'll list the steps from the lead side (weak side) first as explaining from the rear/strong side (if you fight that way) is much the same with a few slight differences. To throw the "textbook" uppercut:

  1. Use your knees to dip your stance 6 to 8 inches. You need to use your knees and not bend at the waist. Doing so will compromise your defenses and open a lot of nasty opportunities for your opponent. It isn't a complete "hit the floor" drop of level, but a small economic movement to get under your opponent's jab, hook, etc.
  2. As you drop your level, bring your lead fist down 4 to 6 inches, while you turn your palm facing inward toward yourself. Don't think of loading up your punch in an exaggerated amount as Kin noted. Just think about dropping your elbow down and tucking it into your ribs. Anything more would be wasted movement and would open you up to a large variety of head shots.
  3. Stand up into the punch, and snap the lead side of your hip forward. This will rotate your lead shoulder into the punch.
  4. As you stand up, snap your fist upward as your shoulder turns. Your shoulder will lead before your fist.
  5. You should finish with your fist 4 to 6 inches past your opponent's chin (if you are shadow boxing or working the mitts, your fist should be aligned with your nose). Bringing your fist farther than that will invite open counters to the lead side of your head and body. Remember, this is boxing not Mortal Kombat. You want your movements short, tight and economic in case you are fighting a game opponent that will counter if they successfully defend or make you miss. Leave the 20-foot stuff to the video games.
  6. Once the punch finishes return to guard. Do this regardless of connecting or not. The worst thing a fighter can do is to "take a picture" and admire their work mid fight. If your opponent is just as determined as you, they will fire back and make everything worthless if you stop to smell the roses.
This is the regular step-by-step for the lead side uppercut. For the rear side uppercut, simply snap the rear side of your hip forward and turn your rear shoulder forward as you punch with your rear hand. If you are using the uppercut to the body, step in deeper before you throw the uppercut to the ribs or solar plexus. The beauty of the uppercut is that it can be seamlessly incorporated into a lot of standard defensive movements. Also, since the power isn't dependant on arm extension, it can be used as a devastating inside weapon after successfully evading an opponents' power shots to your head.

Again, it has to be emphasized that an uppercut's power comes from your legs and your hips. I know a lot of guys with bigger arms than me that can't throw an uppercut as with as much force for the fact that they rely on their arm strength only. Punching power comes from a co-ordinated effort of your entire body, not just your arms.

Now... to develop good uppercut power, there are a few things you can do. You can do what kishiro suggested... if you have someone around to tie you up and un-tie you. There are a few other thing that you can do that are simpler.

1) Drill the uppercut off of the duck. The duck is a defensive movement that is tailor made for uppercuts. Have your partner throw a jab or cross to get you used to ducking in and closing space. Once you are coming up from the duck, throw an uppercut. You want to really exaggerate the ducking movement to engrain it into your muscle memory. During an actual fight or sparring session, your body will learn to move just enough to make use of the duck to load your uppercut.
  • Firstly, drill just "ducking in" on your opponent off of the jab or cross. You want to be able to seamlessly duck under you opponents attack and come up on top of them right afterwards.
  • After doing that, add the uppercut to get a feel of the compelte movement and punch. This will train you to punch using your legs, not just your arms.
  • After that, duck in and end with a combination starting with the uppercut. This will teach you to return to good guard after the punch, and not "admire" your work.
Second, learn how to throw Up/Uppercut elbows like I've illustrated in this post here. Learning a good up elbow is akin to learning a good uppercut, and the body mechanics are practically the same.

Of course, I leave you with a little show and tell:
  • Learning how to throw an uppercut from the folks at Expert Cillage. As a disclaimer, I hate the fact that he emphasizes cocking your shoulder back to throw the uppercut. I think that is a completely wasted movement that can be used by good fighter to counter you. Drop that part, and I agree wholeheartedly.
  • A quick look at Mike Tyson using the uppercut in a match here. Mike used his uppercuts beautifully, and if you watch a lot of his highlights, you will notice that he completely comes up onto his toes when throwing a lot of his uppercuts.
 
#43 ·
My initial response is on the front page, but it's older and not very deep, so I figured I'd add some stuff that I've learned since that has really helped me to develop my explosiveness and my standup skills.

Do explosiveness training. It's been said that machine based or free-weights based power training is the best thing to develop punching power, and that's the school of thought that older guys like Tank Abbott come from, but I think, personally, that that's a load of crap. Jumping pushups and explosive burpees will help your cardio and increase your strength training. On top of that, they will give you the pop that you need standing up to put guys to sleep.

Focus on stiffening up your straight punches. The jab and the cross are the two most common punches, and if you make them sting then you're pretty solid in the standup department. Even if you don't put guys to sleep, making sure that these punches land stiff can put you in a good position to follow up on opponents and get TKO's.

Work on your follow throughs for hooks and uppercuts. There is a whole ideology between the followthrough that it has to be short, but powerful. That's definitely something requisite for a knock out. While your physical power will play into it, what will also play in is how you follow through on the punch. The better your followthrough, the more damage the initial impact will do, and it's one of the examples why TKD and Karate guys don't transition so well MMA, because they work more for speed and snap than for that followthrough on their hooks and uppercuts.

Really balance your arsenal. If you've got a good knowledge of a large group of punches, you can set up the ones that you know will put your opponent to sleep with ones that you know will, at the very least, do some damage. It also helps you learn to control angles and attack from different positions that some standup guys don't know how to do.

Hope that was helpful for somebody.
 
#44 ·
this helped me thanks for the post

btw i need sum tips on workin on following thru with my punches i cant seem to do it, i got a heavy bag and im filling it up with better material so it will become tougher and harder atm i hit it and a dent appears and doesn't leave so im fillin it up more
but wen i try following thru with my punches i jus CANT do it i turn my leg hips shoulder and swing with the right hoook but the minute it hits the bag thas wen my movement stops and usualy with my straights which i think is my strongest punch it hit the bag and pull back really quickly jus as it lands iv jus naturally done this for years its quite fast but not powerful
culd this be because i have not got alot of mass or weight behind my body or punch??
 
#47 ·
a good combination of power and technique is needed to deliver a knockout punch...some believe a martial artist can develop knockout power without even touching a weight...however i believe resistance training IS neccesary to ENHANCE the power of one's punch...you can do this with a combination of olympic lifts, core srengthening and polymetric exercises such as:
power cleans,
squats,
turkish get up,
russian twist,
polymertic bounds,

just a few examples

remember though technique must take priority but resistance trainign can be used as a very powerful supplement
 
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