It’s a common misconception that punching power can be increased by lifting heavy loads, but this assumption couldn’t be more wrong. I regularly come across unlimited messages, gatherings, and websites packed with competitors attempting to legitimize the benefits of loads for fighting. Individuals with limited combat experience wrote a good number of them. The development of impressive muscles is a potential benefit of weight training, but it does not guarantee more powerful punches. I’ll explain why in the following five points. My involvement in loads. When I was a teenager, I used to lift heavy things for various reasons, including those that were both functional and fashionable. I remember trying to impress the girls in middle school by lifting heavy things, but it was never successful. To increase my strength for running when I was in secondary school, I participated in track and field and followed a dangerous weight training routine. Following my time in track and field, I participated in powerlifting for the next five years, during which I developed my stability and strength through intense weight training. My introduction to boxing came about when I was competing in powerlifting. Even I was under the impression that my background in powerlifting would put me in a better position in boxing. If lifting heavy objects made me a more impressive lifter than punching harder, should it not make me a more impressive puncher? I heard some old-school fighters were trying to avoid results, but I wasn’t going to give up my “advantage” of having self-broadcast information. I was more generous than the other novices by comparing myself to them and seeing how I stacked up. My boxing coach and the other experienced fighters who frequent the rec centre all recommended that I stop lifting heavy weights. They all tested my theories by focusing on how heavier loads would make me more moderate and firm and cause me to tire out more quickly. They explained that the boxing champions of yesteryear never used to lift heavy weights. Despite this, I chose to stand my ground. It was completely beyond my comprehension how a force training session could be detrimental to a force sport. The turning point was when I started losing competitive matches to people who were quicker and skinnier than me. They appeared to have a slim build but hit much more effectively than I did! Nevertheless, I persisted in thinking either that their strategy was superior or that I wasn’t boxing for a sufficient amount of time. I finally got sick of losing and chose to submit to my coach’s words about how to play the game. In addition to a few other things, I stopped lifting loads, and within a very short time, I was punching much more forcefully and quickly. What took me by surprise was not only that I was punching harder but also that my boxing skills had significantly improved. When I consider the past, it is abundantly clear that carrying heavy loads was the primary factor in my decline. However, when you have a firm grasp of the punching procedure, things are looking up. Please take a look at more information regarding our boxing classes.
REASON #1 – Punching is a snapping motion, not a pushing motion
Lifting weights is a pushing motion.
Pushing is the movement that occurs when lifting loads. When trying to lift the heaviest weight possible, you put in as much effort as possible and try to maintain as high a level of consistency as possible. For example, during a pushing motion, you will initially establish contact with the object and then apply force over a generally extended period. It will cause the object to move. When lifting loads, the typical progression is to lift heavier and heavier loads. Everyone works on their speed when lifting, but once they’ve demonstrated that they can successfully lift something, the next step is to progress to lifting heavier loads. Strength lies at the core of the matter, not speed. Many novice competitors erroneously believe punching and pushing are equivalent movements. These novice boxers believe that punching is to drive their clenched hand into their opponent with as much force as possible to cause as much damage as possible. Examples of sports that involve pushing movements include (although these also involve snapping movements):
- sprinting
- sgymnastics
- football
- swrestling
- sweightlifting
Punching is a snapping motion.
A snapping movement involves applying as much force as possible within a given time to achieve the desired effect. For example, you first accelerate your hand towards the object with a snapping motion, then use the increased speed’s effect on your movement to apply force. Imagine that you have to punch quickly. The objective is to explode on your opponent with the quickest punch possible and make contact with them in the shortest amount of time possible. A punch is not a push; rather, it is a rapid blast, a quickened power that reaches its peak intensity as it makes contact with the target. When lifting heavy objects, it’s important to take a few seconds to steady yourself before continuing. When you punch an opponent, you don’t have this luxury of time because he needs to feel the force of your blow as soon as you contact him. Your clenched hand should release upon the effect of the attack and return quickly, allowing you to throw various punches and backpedal for protection. Punching requires a certain speed, increasing the dangerous damage your opponent feels. When lifting loads, unquestionably, there is less emphasis placed on speed, which costs you potentially dangerous force. The following are some examples of sports that involve snapping:
- tennis
- baseball (hitting, not throwing)
- golf
- svolleyball
- BOXING!
Pushing vs Snapping
The length of contact time maintained and the level of consistent energy applied are the primary characteristics that differentiate a pushing movement from a snapping movement. Consider the collections that are submitted by the many different types of competitors. If weightlifting was shown to improve snapping developments, wouldn’t it make sense for skilled volleyball players to lift weights to spike the ball with more force? If weightlifters were provided with optimal conditions for punching, every one of them would exhibit impressive punching ability, right? Because pushing gives you a greater opportunity to apply force, it unquestionably enables you to move heavier objects than pulling does. Because snapping allows you to move at a faster speed, you can use more dangerous power (harm) when you do so. Pushing is analogous to throwing a baseball, while snapping is analogous to spiking a volleyball. These innovations are extremely impressive; however, punching is undeniably more similar to snapping than pushing.
REASON #2 – Powerful Punches Require Relaxation, Not Strong Muscles
Many fighters don’t know how to punch…
A lot of competitors need to learn how to punch. When you don’t know how to throw a punch, every one of your punches will turn into a push. With the proper strategy, one option is to use your solidarity and force. Because of this, lifting heavier loads inspired me to punch with more conviction when I was starting. However, the thing that mattered was just a minor detail, and, best case scenario, I was possibly twenty per cent more remarkable than usual. By significantly increasing my force, I increased my knowledge of appropriate strategies.
So how DO you punch?
At this time, I will refrain from delving into the specifics, but I will provide you with some general guidelines to consider:
- Quickening (hand speed) multiplied by power equals punching power (harm caused) (muscle strength and body weight)
- You can punch with more serious intent by utilizing a more speed and power submission.
How do you increase power WITHOUT using more energy?
Let me reveal the key to punching with an unusually powerful force. There are two distinct approaches to taking advantage of a competitor’s power more quickly. One common tactic is to put in significantly more work. It makes sense and accomplishes its purpose, but is it worthwhile? Almost certainly not! Increasing the amount of energy you use increases your punching power, but it does not increase the impact of your blasts. It feels like a harder push and doesn’t give the impact that BANG! Your punches normally have. Reducing the “weight” of your punch to make it travel faster is the alternative method, which is also the only method for producing unpredictable power. At that point, you add the load at the finish of the punch when it handles; this causes your punches to be more efficient while also reducing the energy required. Then, what exactly is “the weight,” and how would you decline it if offered? Your body is straining under the weight of the situation because of the weight! Your punching weight will increase in proportion to your body’s tensile strength and overall mass. You alleviate this load by relaxing your body as you punch, which enables your punching weight to rush unreservedly in the direction of your opponent. It is how you reduce the load. Your foot should finish the turn, your hip should pivot, and your shoulders should go over to shape the punch just before the punch lands. It happens just before the punch lands. At this moment, all you require is a temporary reduction in compression to transform your entire body into a single, cohesive, and deftly delivered punch (like a rubber band). The more remarkable you are, the better you are likely to be at relaxing your body.
Relax to aid the snap
Punching power begins with a fundamental movement that involves loosening up. Relax your muscles, and the rest of your body will follow suit. This movement of loosening up, this “discharge” of your body, enables your punch to quicken more quickly, which makes for an undeniably more devastating blast when you finally add weight. In addition, the punching movement relaxes your grip on your opponent’s hand to the greatest extent possible, leaving only the tiniest amount of force for your muscle contraction to exert. If you can master the art of applying power through unwinding, you will have mastered 99% of the punching strategy you need to succeed. Currently, it should go without saying that relaxing your body does not mean letting your body flounder aimlessly all over the place. A proper punching form will allow your body to become more relaxed, facilitating the punching motion. After that, contract all your muscles simultaneously at the very end to add weight to the punch you’re throwing. The most incredible aspect of the punch is being able to master the split second of planning required to punch with your whole body at the same time; this is what makes the punch so incredible. (Building up your muscle strength is pointless if you can’t get your whole body to work together simultaneously.)
An explosive punch is 99.99% snap and 0.01% push.
You won’t be able to prepare yourself to unwind by lifting loads, and doing so will only cause your body to be delayed during the withdrawal period of the punch. Furthermore, if you’re used to applying power for several seconds, how could you possibly have the option to apply the most extreme power in just a few seconds? The short and simple answer is that you cannot (or, at the very least, you will not be as good at it). The development of proper punching requires the use of snapping (applying the most extreme power in the briefest time conceivable). Surprisingly, most warriors are only taught the correct punching structure, which is not difficult to teach given that it is visible to the naked eye. Again, the method needs to be experienced firsthand and taught to others. It is a specialized expertise that calls for a balanced combination of timing and representation. It would help if you understood why an older, more experienced fighter can still punch with more force than a younger, more athletic child. It is because he has mastered the situation of loosening up his body and then getting his muscles in the right position at the right time to deliver the unstable force.
Punchers at the amateur level build their power through exertion.
Punchers with talent can increase their power by unwinding their muscles.
REASON #3 – Lifting Weights Can Decrease Your Muscle Relaxation Capacity
It is the point at which the more conventional arguments against loads are presented. I do not doubt that you have encountered each of them in the past.
Lifting weights:
- makes you slow
- makes you stiff and causes you to tire out more quickly.
Is it valid? Indeed, we ought to take into account the boundaries. Imagine that I am looking at two people, one of whom is a weightlifter and the other an artist. How should their bodies appear in a manner that is not expected? What spontaneous movements should they make with their bodies? Which organization would be best suited to copy a fighter’s development? In light of my circumstances, the old arguments still hold water. My ability to lift heavy weights hampered my speed and endurance while making me more “solid.” When I was up against more experienced warriors, I found that they were much quicker and punched more diligently with more perseverance. However, I did not feel impeded when I was up against other novices. They did not use any loads and pleaded with me not to do the same. Assume that you couldn’t care less about being slower or having less perseverance. It would be best if you considered the possibility that lifting heavy objects will impair your ability to unwind and, consequently, your capacity to punch with force. Even a marginal reduction in speed can change the outcome of a punch, determining whether or not it connects. Suppose you cannot maintain that power level for all three rounds. In that case, it is not worth being more remarkable, even though you could benefit from it.
The Real Problem with Weights and Fighting
I can’t buy into the idea that lifting heavy things will make you more resilient. All it does is encourage an unacceptable attitude in newcomers to the competition. Most people learn to move intensely by overworking their muscles rather than by relaxing them. The concept of unwinding to gain power is foreign, and it requires extra work to practice. The danger is that you will never learn how to move effectively by loosening up if you frequently lift heavy objects.
Lifting weights does not teach you how to relax, nor does it help you practice personal growth and development.
REASON #4 – The Weight Behind Your Punches Is NOT Your Muscle
Imagine that you were told to punch the ground. However, instead of punching the ground directly, you first drop weight while it is in mid-air and then use your muscles to slap that weight, causing it to fall to the ground faster. So instead of using your muscles to punch your opponent, you use your muscles to snap your body so that you can punch your opponent. Consider the following scenario regarding electoral representation: you are required to perform a cannonball hop into the water and then make a significant sprinkle. You can be almost as competently strong as you want, but your body weight won’t change, and that sprinkle won’t change very much, either. Your ability to relax is directly correlated to how high you can hop. Your muscular strength and strategy will determine how close you can get to squeezing yourself into a cannonball position. I want to point out that muscle power cannot punch with more conviction than your body weight.
Visualise This
Imagine that you wanted to give the ground a good punch. However, you will not be punching the ground directly; rather, you will be dropping weights into the air and using your muscles to slap those weights, which will cause them to fall more quickly to the ground. Therefore, rather than using your muscles to punch your opponent, you will use your muscles to snap your body to punch your opponent. Imagine that you want to do a cannonball jump into the water and make a big splash as an alternative way to picture what you want to happen. Your body weight won’t change no matter how powerfully muscular you get, and the amount of splash you make won’t change much. How well you can unwind has a direct bearing on how high you can jump. The degree to which you can compress yourself into a cannonball relies on your muscular strength and technique. My point is that you cannot punch harder than your body weight using only your muscle power.
REASON #5 – Punching Power Doesn’t Guarantee Damage Delivered
Punching Power vs Damaged Delivered
The amount of damage dealt is dependent on the following factors:
- Muscle power (conditioning)
- The technique (skill)
- angle (skill) (skill)
- accuracy (skill) (skill)
- timing (skill) (skill)
Boxing is a contest of punching ability rather than one of physical strength. Even if you have incredible muscles, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll have an incredible punch. You are required to have the ability. It would help if you had a strategy, a point, pinpoint accuracy, and timing. Amateurs rely on the brute force during slugfests, whereas experienced competitors develop undeniably more force-utilizing abilities! Your abilities contribute more to your overall punching power than anything else combined. It is because your abilities are more versatile. When I first started boxing, I could punch with a lot less force than now, and that’s not because I’m significantly more grounded now. On the contrary, I can punch with much more force than I could back then. If I only had a set number of hours to train, I would prioritize enhancing my existing skills rather than learning new ones. Boxing is a sport of expertise, and to have the option to use your force, you need to have the appropriate skills. You need skills to effectively use your force in battle unless your primary goal is to strut around with a large sack and brag about it. You can use your ability to hit the double-end sack with your hardest punches to measure your actual punching power if you try it. If you cannot strike the moving pack with force, it is highly unlikely that you will have the opportunity to strike a living opponent similarly. The movement of formidable adversaries is more akin to that of two-fold end packs than heavy sacks.
Is it IMPOSSIBLE to Lift Weights for Boxing?
It’s not that I don’t believe you’re capable of lifting weights for boxing. To clarify, I mean that “lifting substantial loads will not increase punching power.” There are an astonishing variety of applications for loads. There are a variety of activities that are good for targeting specific groups of muscles. In relatively small amounts, free weights can be used to build up your supporting muscles. You can target specific muscle groups, which are ordinarily difficult to concentrate on when working out (bodyweight works out). The building blocks for any effective exercise routine, whether it involves weightlifting or not, are found in boxing moulding. Regardless of the activity you choose, it would be best if you made it a point to ensure that it results in improved boxing capacity. It can mean an increase in actual limit, an increase in engine control, or even an increase in muscle uphold (diminishing the opportunity of injury). Take a look at the groups that most fighters have formed. If the things you do make your body look different from others, you might be developing physical make-up that is not acceptable for boxing. Note: for those of you who are debating whether or not shadowboxing at rapid speed while holding free weights is a good idea, I’m here to tell you that it’s not. It is a terrible idea. It is detrimental to your joints and does not make you significantly quicker or more stable. This activity is typically performed by trained professionals who use slow movements to build up their supporting muscles (rather than increasing their punching speed or power).
Lifting Weights Can Affect Your Fighting Ability
This article was written because I tried twelve different approaches to adapt to weight lifting to improve my boxing performance. Being a powerlifter gave me the illusion that I had more flexibility in my life than I did, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy the sport so much. Unfortunately, I was knocked down to a lower level by many “more vulnerable” and less-constructed punchers, so the only real choice I had was to acknowledge the reality of the situation. There will always be one person who considers themselves above the rules (me included). There will always be someone who believes they are exceptional to such a degree that their body and “exceptional preparation” can overcome fundamental truths about boxing. This person will always exist. The most dreadful aspect of training incorrectly is realizing one day that you have slowed down your progression. It is by far the worst part of training incorrectly. In all honesty, boxing is the kind of game with rapid advancement. Boxing requires quick, snappy movements and a significant number of them throughout the match. One conflict may result in numerous lightning-fast and astute developments across various fronts. Because it is a generally slow development that utilizes a fairly restricted range of movement, lifting weights is an activity that is less beneficial for boxing training. Whether or not lifting heavier loads increases the power in your punches, the fact remains that you are in an ideal situation to work on improving your punching abilities. If you need to be a fighter, you need to train your body as if you were going to compete. The sport of boxing dates back millennia, and the use of loads is not a more recent innovation. If weight training played a part in boxing preparation, there would have been a standard application for them by this point. Utilizing opposition to pave the way for one’s power creation is not shocking. You can call it something else or switch the weights and repetitions around, but nothing is particularly remarkable about it. You can bet that every dedicated athlete is always looking for new and better ways to improve their body, and if using heavyweights had been that compelling, they would have become the norm by this point in time. I’m aware there are still active fighters lifting weights, but I need to be made aware of any who have achieved the same levels of authenticity and expertise as the old folks. The majority of trained competitors and coaches continue to be against weightlifting. The exceptions to this standard are extremely infrequent. I’ve been to a gazillion fitness centres and seen many famous people work out. Since I first met ANY of them, I have never seen ANY of them carrying heavy loads. Please visit the most reputable boxing recreation centre you can locate, inquire about the loads, and report back to me what he says.