which exercise will help increase punching power?
Ok here’s the story behind the question
I recently signed on to do Kickboxing. Its been almost a year since i last did martial arts, but it appears i’ve managed to keep most of the technique and leg strength, and some of the flexability (nowhere near as flexibal as i’d like to be though)
In an effort to increase my balance and flexability i’ve signed up for yoga, and it seems to be working ok so far, but this is where my story turns into a question.
Since i did martial arts my upper body strength has plummeted, i used to be able to do 100 continuous pushups with no problems, now i’m finding i have difficulty even getting out 20, (i’m just going to keep doing pushups to improve on this) But what i want to know is this, with my upper body strength dying so has my punching power.
What i want to know is if there are any good exercises you can do to increase punching power aside from push ups. / press ups.
All answers are welcome, except the flame ones.
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5 comments
Healthy Diet For Your Pets on April 8, 2009 at 12:50 am
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Makiwara practice will increase punching power.
There Are Alternatives to Bankruptcy on April 8, 2009 at 2:49 pm
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Punching can be improved by practicing… well, punching. There are different types of punching bags available.
Big hanging bags are good for the ‘push effect’ or ’slow twitch’ punching that’s required for fighting with thick padded gloves.
Wall bags and the makiwara mentioned in the previous response are more for ‘contact release’ or ‘fast twitch’ strikes, for bare handed application without gloves.
Also the proper wooden dummy of some southern Chinese styles is a good striking practice aid, however that’s usually used to improve open-handed strikes.
For speed it’s just striking the air or small bags (on springs/rubber rope).
(Slow twitch and fast twitch are muscle types. The first one fires off giving stronger and longer lasting contraction, the second one has faster responses and the contraction last for a shorter time. Push effect and contact release is the type of the strike resulting – what your arm does with the movement energy the muscles gave it.)
I would not recommend practicing with resistance during the strike movement (like holding one end of a rubber rope or spring with the other end fixed behind you) – you’d end up with very strong, but slow muscle reaction. In a way push ups fit into this latter category I’m afraid.
The actual striking strength depends much on stance/body structure also, but your question was not aimed in that direction.
Help For Children's Allergies on April 8, 2009 at 8:47 pm
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You have several questions and points to be addressed. Being able to do more or less push ups can be the result of practice, fatigue or training adaptation. You were probably training to be able to do 100 push ups in a row and currently are not. Yoga builds muscular endurance and the slow twitch fibers in the body. It is said that yoga builds long lean muscles. Definitely Yoga does not develop hypertrophy (muscle size increase increase or strength). Good exercises that I use with my Boxer and Kickboxers are power or clap pushups, chest press and alternate arm press with resistance tubing done at punching speed with the most resistance they can handle without dramatically reducing speed in super sets. Medicine Ball throw with 10% of bodyweight in the different directions of the strikes ie: chest pass (straight) Upward(uppercut) rotational sling like a body punch or hook. We also use a small ball 6-12lbs thrown straight against a wall elbow in with good form. All exercises are done in three sets and power and metabolic training are done separate from regular strength training. For none combat athletes it is doen as a separate phase of training. Most training for Combat athletes is done hybrid. Some days strength, some days power and speed, other days sport specific (Mitt work, Bag, Sparring etc.)
Help For Children's Allergies on April 9, 2009 at 10:02 am
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The three answers above me are all good advice so I will not repeat them just add on to what they have said,
you can also slowly add weight, like wrist weights and ankle weights and when you are throwing your punches and kicks at the Makiwara Board or Bags or just in the air the weight will make your arms heavier and tired faster but as you do this more and more you will build up strength again and then when you remove them and do it after several months of this training you will no doubt notice that your punches are stronger and maybe even faster too in some cases!
Good luck!
Total Debt Relief on April 10, 2009 at 2:40 pm
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anytime you make a change in how you work out… the muscles you used to use will fade, and you will strengthen different parts…. it is really a dilema we all fall into when we learn new things… “I used to be able to do this, but now I can do that” I dont think there is really an answer, unless you are 20 years old, filthy rich, and still find the desire to become they perfect speciman… (we all have to work for a living… damn the bad luck)
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