How to Build Muscle to Punch Faster & Harder

Increasing your punching power will increase your success in the the boxing ring.

Hard, fast punches are fuelled by your upper body muscles---your arms, shoulders and chest. There are two different methods of building these muscles in a manner that will make you punch harder and faster. One involves bag training, and the other uses weight training. By combining the two methods, you should see positive changes in your punching speed and strength.

Instructions

Using Weights

1. Perform regular bench presses. Lie on a bench with a bar above you, bring it down to your chest and push it back up. This compound exercise works your entire upper body---arms, shoulders, chest and neck. Start with a low weight, then gradually increase until you can only do five reps; this is the ideal number of reps for strength training.

2. Perform shoulder presses with two dumbbells. Sit at a bench with dumbbells at shoulder height, and push them over your head. This exercise works your back and shoulders, the latter of which are key for improving your punching power.

3. Punch with dumbbells for straight punches and uppercuts. Practice your regular punch in the air, not at a bag, while holding a light dumbbell. This will strengthen your muscle and move it in the same manner you want it to during a boxing match; it's not just strength, it's functional strength.

Use Hitting Drills

1. Shadow box in front of a mirror. This light activity will improve your endurance and show you where your problem areas are with your form.

2. Practice interval training on a heavy bag. Hit a heavy bag as hard as you can for two to three minutes, then have a one-minute break, which mirrors an official boxing round. The intense nature of this exercise will shock your muscles into strengthening.

3. Spar with a partner to exercise---in the most realistic manner possible---the muscles and skills you're developing.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't overtrain. Do your exercises correctly with proper form and ample rest between workouts.

References

• Bodybuilding: Put Some Power in your Punch: Weight Exercises for Boxing Success
• Extreme Pro Sports: Boxing Tips to Become a Better Boxer

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish