[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scott Miller:
As related strictly to your arm, punching power comes primarily from your triceps, NOT your biceps (in fact, over large, or improperly designed biceps can reduce the speed and rapid repetition of punches, such as repeated jabs).

Total punching power comes from your footwork and gathers power throughout your entire body, through leg, hip, and shoulder rotation and technique.

Finally, many individual techniques play a critical role. For example, punching through your centerline (Wing Chun or JKD style), with a vertical fist delivers a more powerful punch, because the arm is better rooted to the body in this position. Other techniques add to punching power (such as proper relaxation of antagonistic muscles, which lead to faster punch delivery, and thus more power), but this is a good start.[/QUOTE]

i know your triceps have alot to do with your punch but i thought your chest was really the one that helped you out correct me if i'm wrong

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wadowoman:
Hi applegm

The best way to improve your punching power is lots of practice on a bag, preferrably after being shown the correct way by your instructor.
if you have a training partner to practice with, you can give each other feedback.
Sharon[/QUOTE]

Good point.

The first time I hit the heavy bag..I stepped back, kneeled and whimpered because I did not have my wrist straight when I punched.

Hitting something heavy is the way to see performance but you have to learn how to prevent injuries while using this method.

Make sure that you are actually punching correctly, twist your hips when you strike,and then actually hit something.

I've found that additinal strenght in various places was necessary for me. Mostly in my wrists. Once I had the technique down I found that my wrist couldn't tolerate the power I was generating. Therefore I began doing lots and lots of knuckle pushups. I eventually was doing fewer of them and pushing up hard enough so that my fists were leaving the floor by several inches.

Not only did this strenghten my wrist, chest and arms, but is toughend my knuckles too.

I guess my point is that with proper technique I found that I was generating enough power that if I hit something really hard, even just a punching bag, I was in danger of hurting myself, so I needed additinal strength to support the power I was generating.

Now, even at 47, I regularly do speed breaks and the occasional one inch punch. There is no substitute for technique, but you need the physcial ability to handle the impact of that kind of power.

If your belt is not flying around, you are not punching properly. Full hip rotation is important, but at the same time, do not throw your shoulder forward. Try to stay square.

Another often overlooked aspect is wrist strenght. I used to find my wrists would collapse (my hand would roll down) when I would hit a bag. Get a weight, a stick, and some string. Tie the weight to the stick and just roll the weight up, then let it down (with your hands obviously.) This should build wrist strength in no time.

Weight lifting and physical training. If you get stronger, your punches will hit harder.

there is a very simple exercise thaqt can help that comes from kung fu actually. you walk to a wallwith both arms in out reached in punch position, once fists are at the wall take a step back put feet together then do push ups from the wall, make sure chest goes flat to the wall once you build enough explosive strength that you can push yourself backward to the point of coming off your feet the keep going back a half step and continueing exercise. the other secret to great punching is in balance, timing and leverage. your hips when used properly can double your punching power.

The answer is 'd' all the above (lol). Seriously though, proper mechanics is the foundation. Pushing up through the legs, rotation of the hips and shoulders, and straight arm movement are part of it. Naturally if you hit objects hard, i.e. the heavy bag, makiwaras, sides of beef or whatever you build strength off the resistance. As for building the body there are always weights to lift or you can do resistance exercises that only require your body weight such as push ups, pull ups, dips, etc. One thing you can also work on that I don't think has been brought up is pure speed because speed equals power. Practice throwing your punches and recoiling as quick as posible. Get real fast in air then practice hitting objects. Good luck.

i see that you are all talking about increasing power in punches and most (if not all) of you has recommended hitting the punching bag (a.k.a. resistance training) this is very good to get the feeling of impacting a punch, but I must say that a person's face does not have nearly as much resistance as a heavy (90*ish lb) punching bag, hence, in the long run, it would be detrimental to hit the bag hundreds (or even thousands) of times (as many people have recommended) exclusively. As a training aid, yes, if you've never practiced resistance training before, then it would be a good idea to develop some skill hitting a punching bag, but more importantly, there should be technique and speed (speed is a critical factor in over-all strength and effectivness of a punch) My recommendation would be to do a mixture of shadow boxing AND bag work, when you can throw the SAME punch that you would in the air, as the punch you would throw on a heavy bag, then you have attained a perfect (or as perfect for yourself as you can make it) punch.

I disagree with BadGuyRL.
I think that training with a heavy bag is great, because you should always learn to train harder then you need to. i train with a heavy bag a lot, and when i have a fight (in the ring of course!), i want my fist/leg/knee/elbow to destroy what it hits. And learning how to hit something very heavy, means when you hit something like a head, you will hit it damn hard. Remember to wrap up your hands if you are going to have a long session on the heavy bag, or you will damage yourself.
But yes, i think shadow boxing is also important, as is the use of the speed ball and other boxing equipment.

You must also remember that a powerful punch is nothing if you miss, have someone watch you on the heavy bag, making sure you pull your hands back to protect yourself AND so you hit quickly without pulling back first (a VERY amateur mistake is people pulling their hand back before they throw the punch to create more power, basically letting their opponent know what they are about to do).

So in short, i think that the heavy bag is very important for developing a powerful punch, but you must also do some full contact live sparring, to put it into action, it's all very good having a hard punch, but if you can't land it, then it's useless.

Oh, and i dont mean to offend anyone who does TKD (because i also do it as one of my martial arts), but don't use TKD punches. Keep your chin in, and use boxing/kickboxing punches.

-peace