@kryptonite – resistance training, which includes weights, is very useful for increasing your physical performance. When you do sprints, keep them at around 50 to 80 meters max so you can work at top speed with each sprint. Your tips on heavy bag work and snapping punches, and balance are really helping me fight. u can never find anything that is exactly what u want on google or any search engin these days .thank god i found this . I’m kinda dreaming and hoping that if I learn to put some skills behind the forearms, shoulders, and legs that i already have I might stand a chance in an amateur ring…..any thoughts? When I throw body punches, my opponent doesn’t seem to be too phased. When you know what muscles your exercise is targeting, it can help you to focus your workouts and monitor your success and development. Maybe your expertise on the sport could help! Do u know any exercise or routine that could help me increase my shoulder endurance aswell as my leg endurance . Can a soft heavy bag mess up your punch technique as far as bringing punches back to where they came from I work on my back more than anything and it feels like my punches are coming back slow?or am I pushing? Everybody knows that training a muscle is an advantage compared to not training it. Us. I’ve never coached anyone to beat a gorilla. Strong ankles allows for more power transfer and control through the foot. I’ve written several guides expressing how I feel about lifting weights for boxing training. Everybody saw that he had raw physical advantage. Hey johnny, I got bashed by the gorilla. I don’t recommend lifting heavy for boxing. The obliques weren’t mentioned. The back also funtions as a total body core muscle by holding your body together and combining the power generated by all your limbs. so work on speed, then strength. Abductors are also VERY powerful . Benefits of swimming: Swimming improves your posture Many of us spend a lot of time in front of the computer and this causes us to have a slouched posture with hunched shoulders. Thanks again, I look forward to adjusting my workout to eliminate my ego for huge arms . Love the article. I highly recommend it. Hey I’m 13 and really hooked on boxing I’m wondering what I should focus on as a beginner and thx for the article, Check out my “Beginner’s Guide to Boxing”: https://expertboxing.com/boxing-basics/how-to-box/the-beginners-guide-to-boxing. Are there any exercises to train those neck muscles? I can’t guarantee they’ll get bigger but they’ll definitely become stronger and more conditioned. But to get to the point, I’ve always thought it’s a good idea to examine what muscles are sore after a particular workout. I carry most of my weight in my back. (This is just an idea, don’t take it seriously. Entered the gym as a Bantam weight with no power. 1 pectorals 2 biceps 3 triceps 4 quadriceps 5 tibialis 6 trapezius 7 deltoids 8 latissimus 9 abdominals 10 obliques 11… I’m 5’3. The healthy diet plan for boxers, Eat like a champ in lockdown with healthy long life food, The Importance of Boxing Conditioning for Fighters of all Levels, The 13 best boxing films to inspire you to step into the ring, What Trainers can Learn from the Masters of Boxing, The benefits of boxing training for your mind, body and spirit. hey johnny my shoulder endurance is really awful even if im shadowboxing i start to get really tired i keep my hands relaxed and my form is good the only problem is shoulder endurance. Get my most advanced boxing tips, as soon as I write them...for FREE! The abdominal muscles are a very powerful set of muscles that hold your whole body together. Common sense tells you those are the main muscles involved. I enjoy your page, you get right to the point and actually answer the question that many have and you do it intelligently and non-sarcastic. More specifically, the triceps are for speed of straight punches. what shoulder exercises would you recommend? If you're wondering how to strengthen wrists for boxing, this unconventional approach can make a huge difference. I watched the video and I got confuse because you said that Power are in Abductors, Abs, lats (inside muscles) but then mention in other video and article that its Quads and calves as main power source. I’m actually using some of the information for a paper I’m writing. Learning Your Craft Is Much More Important Than Big Muscles! I have CHICKEN LEGS. I want to fight a 5’8 who is 180 lb. That is, he would set me next to the bag and demand that every muscle in my body be completely relaxed and still. If so, are you in NYC? Most fighters will be losing weight to get into raw fighting shape. Im almost 18 and want to become a boxer, before i start i just want to find out some exercises to help the muscles which i will be using for punching, recovery and taking blows. Oh ok makes sense. So sorry first if my English sounds weird. I know these will only help, but what should I do to maximize my size advantage and increase my speed, coordination, etc? PS- Waiting on that Boxing Fundamentals Guide. The heart will get an article of its own! The WBC boxing world title belt is arguably the most iconic in the world. Here’s my question: But they should be done with no more than 3 sets of a rep count that keys power and muscle endurance equally. This was a great article Johnny. That’s it! HI Johnny , I fractured my wrist last year its been seven months since i have been back to my amateur boxing club.The funny thing is, it was only a small fracture but at the time i couldnt even throw a punch(rotate my wrist) or put pressure on it. I’m going to explain something very important, when you spend all your time hitting the heavy bag, you may not realize that the heavy bag is bouncing your hand back at you on the recovery phase. I have a fight in 1 mnth & I want to punish him! Johnny- at school we bench and squat, as well as deadlift and powerclean. hey man im fifteen. For the question down below about the heart muscle, youc an work that out by cardio. or they are not hard puncher like i thought? Jumping switch lunges, too. The shoulders are most important for punch endurance. How can i make my neck muscles stronger ????? Matter of fact the aforementioned punchers Foster, Hearns, Fitzsimmons, Wilde, Saddler, Zarate are not only power punchers, but without a doubt some of the best punchers of all-time and pound for pound some of the greatest punchers in boxing history. You’ll see many fighters strengthening their neck so that their head doesn’t get whip-lashed and left in a more vulnerable angled position when it gets hit by punches. Secondly, I will not fight someone 11-0. This muscle is also known by the name of Boxer’s Muscle as this is the muscle used when punching during a boxing game. Speed and coordination is increased through more sport-specific drills. 50 reps of left neck rotations and right, then 100 neck lifts? Does that mean if i workout the muscle that support joint like the forearm(supporting wrist?) There are many great exercises in there that target important muscles that nobody uses or trains. hi . I’m adding my opinion since I used to make the mistake of trying to “look” good before starting wrestling, Kickboxing etc when I should have been more concerned about skill training. Manny Pacquiao learnt his craft! I just don’t recommend overly heavy weights. you should be a best fighter n also a good adviser as v saw……thankx 4 all i will be working on it…. Thank you! @Phillip – LOL. With the things I already own, what can I do?Thanks for your time. Just confused why people would call them pillows. I haven’t ever really had the opportunity in till now, is it to late to begin and have any hope for some amateur action in the ring? I’ll do my best to train you through the site, though. Big fan of your work and your advice has helped me progress greatly with my own training. I can hang with my 140lb friends—maybe I have fair technique, but I’m not sure. I’m 14 years old and live in London and train boxing where David Haye did! Hi Johnny, i have been training / sparring for just on 8 months now, my first fight is nearing. Jumping rope helps, too. Not the chest and definitely not the triceps. Mules. Im 17 and all that I have is a heavy bag (and I have some bag called an accuracy bag, made by everlast). I’m all about FUNCTIONAL body development so the best way for me to tell is not so much by looking but by actually having you do some exercises to see where your performance stands. And no bars to do chinups or pull ups. Here is the link: If chest muscles are so significant for punching power, what would be the best strength workout regimen for a cruiserweight with a smaller chest. Training with either a speed bag or a heavy punching bag can build strength in … Dont judge a cover by its book. 8). Being so damn skinny, would it be okay to lift heavy for mass gain? Ales, those muscles are very important core muscles. I am wanting to speed up my jab and also increase power in it, any exercises / ideas on how to go about this? The arm comes out last working the muscles of the back and shoulder. Johhny, Takyou. Mike Tyson was a stocky kid and impressively muscled before he started boxing. Search my Youtube channel for “Punching While Moving”. Something like this. For pushups, try doing clap – pushups because that will make you faster in handspeed and give you strength. Thank you for the suggestion, Josh. @Eli – sorry, man. I’d like to ask about exercises to improve strength of punches: several places on the net recommend exercises that basically involve punching while holding a dumbbell (1-5 kg, depending on boxer’s weight). Techniques and tips for boxers, fighters, martial artists, trainers, and fitness enthusiasts to learn how to box. I. MY PROBLEM ? I have neglecting my legs due to fear of being crippled the day later but after a month or two of pushing myself with it. Boxing workouts are great for cardiovascular health and building muscle. Again, the last time I played a sport was 4 years ago, which was Basketball and even then I was totally out of shape. @John – the list goes on and on. Hey dude, thats a good question! @Paul – I do feel that excessive weight training will definitely slow your legs down. It is essential for contact speed as it drives the scapula forward during the last 2-4 inches of extension. The headlock is a common wrestling move that is used to gain positioning and pull you off balance. Would it be possible to get your last name so I can properly cite you? I had a question do workouts like pull ups and dips and pushups make u punch harder and give you more speed are these workouts good fir boxing i kno ut might seem like a dtupid question just askin. my back and my abs are strong but sometimes i feel my core speed is slower than my punches speed and i can’t turn fast enough(specially right punches) how can i fix it ? so not more than 25 reps and not less than 15 reps or: Well, you can do whatever you want. In boxing parlance, punching bag is the generic term applied to all such tools, but most "civilians" mean a standard heavy bag. Also you lift your Trapezius, and rotate your Deltoids, Obliques, Latissmusdorsi, Abdominals, Sartorius, Hamstrings and your Gluteus Maximus when you rotate your body. Please read my article called “Joint Strength and Punching Power”. I have a crazy intense footwork training program coming out soon. The speed bag and the jump-rope. hey sir ..what boxing workout is applicable in building my back muscles? Again thanks for everything man ! When you throw your punch, there must be somewhere that you want to put the mass of your body on, which in most cases are the ground! I have been out of competition for about 4 years, so I’m a kind of a couch potato. For example, maybe 5-7 reps. Also, be sure to include adequate flexibility exercises here. This is a really hard question for me. Make sure you have all the necessary vitamins and eat right. Hill running/Jumprope: Legs’ explosive power. (By the way, your articles of boxing have always helped me a lot. ExpertBoxing has been my mission to contribute REAL technical knowledge anyway I can. i can’t stop training now . Only one area I didn’t see, or I missed it, is the glutes, a tight contraction on the glutes will create a stronger driving force behind the punch – the punch should never end at the target, it should always penetrate it. Never ever after punching or boxing I had my triceps or front delts sore…. Good luck on your smoker fight this weekend, Taisei! Needless to say I need to work out to bash him. i had hurt it spiking a volleyball, then when i was sparring i threw a left hand and it dislocated. Check out my EASY Boxing Workout, Norman. Can you please give me some advice to make my punch stronger? Sure, his hand makes contact with your hand or arm or even body somewhere, but it should be your core that repels the shot. I think i learn more here than at my gym. But simply sweating it out on a… Now if I’m not mistaking you said that your legs are your base of power, but if your not squatting with 600 lbs on your back then how could your legs have power. Hey If legs are based on Power = (Strength x Speed) , then I was thinking heavy weighted squats combined with lots of sprinting to focus on Overall Power. Hello Johnny, I have been working out for a few weeks and planning on joining a boxing gym in about a month. hey johny i do weight training monday to saturday.i want to gain 4kg weight.plz can u give me some weight training tips? Muscle fiber can be broken down into 2 categories. You’re not a competing fighter and have no obligation to live up to any standard. ThanksDo you know any exercises for the hips? Hey, I am 5’8 and am 130 lbs. What stroke would you recommend for developing “boxing” muscles? Also, Bruce Lee was notorious for his forearm training, because of reverse efect that grip strength has on upper arm and shoulders beside other thinks. Thanks! nice article ive bookmarked this page on my computer just in case i need more info lol but wouldn’t your forearms produce some type of power with your’e punches? Of course swimming also provides your muscles with a good stretch and is very relaxing. better to do slowly or normal speed? and also how do you train them? As long as you’re exercising, your body will reflect it. I actually have a guide on this website to help you with that. So how much kg do you recommend to do deadlift? basically am vegetarian so no eggs and meat :-(… so what will be the best diet i can keep up And just like the *snap* of a snapping punch comes from the core, so does the snap for blocking a snapping punch. Hearns had a relatively massive upper body in relation to his toothpick like legs. Can you plz tell me how i can build some oblique as they are thinner and smaller than hips(it looks like a girl but not too bad) can u give me some excersices that will help my obliques to get bigger and level them up with the hips. Following the right diet plan is just as important as your workout. : ) ). Doing both meant that I wasn’t doing justice to neither, and I had to make a choice based on which art I enjoyed the most. You can also think of your hips as your body weight.