Have you ever wondered why boxers that are smaller in the frame and quickly knocked around, such as Gerald McLellan, pack such a powerful punch? Are they naturally gifted? Were they born with boxing talent, or is it the lifestyle and training regimen that brings out their power?
Well, most muscular boxers train to get bigger, meaning hypertrophy training with 8 to 12 reps. As a result, they are a bit slower and have a less powerful punch because they train on static power and sideline explosiveness.
This article will focus on why some of the hardest punching boxers are tall and skinny. We will look at the scientific explanations, famous examples and decide if a powerful punch is important to the boxing ring.
Do Skinny Boxers Really Punch Harder?
Many people wonder if skinny boxers really punch harder than their muscular opponents or if it’s just an illusion created by intense matches. Many less buff boxers keep knocking out their muscular opponents. Here we are talking about Deontay Wilder, Gerald McLellan, and Tommy Hearns, just to name a few.
Why Do They Punch Harder
The fact that skinny boxers can sometimes punch harder than their larger counterparts has been dealt with by people who understand science, boxing, and physics. Numerous studies suggest the advantage held by the smaller pugilists is due to increased power generated by the strength-to-weight ratio.
As we saw above, if you want to become a muscular boxer, you will primarily work on your static power and focus on getting bigger. On the other hand, if you train for explosiveness, you are not likely to get much bigger. You’ll probably only get a bit toned, but your dynamic power and strength will increase rapidly. Basically, it’s all about the ratio of fast and slow-twitch fibers in your muscles.
What Factors Influence Punch Power?
But it’s not as easy as that. Being tall and skinny does not guarantee you will have high punch power. There are so many theories (both scientific and unproven) around what causes high punch power that it’s impossible to attribute it to an athlete’s size alone. Let’s look at some of these factors.
Genetics
This is one of those unproven theories behind punch power. Some of the hardest-hitting boxers, including Mike Tyson and Deontay Wilder, have claimed that the massive power that they generate from their fists is something they were born with.
While this might sound a bit far-fetched, one might consider the possibilities given that countless boxers in their weight category probably use the same training techniques but can’t punch as hard.
Wrist Circumference And Hand Size
This is one of the most recognizable factors behind a powerful punch. There is also some scientific backing from the fact that there’s a direct correlation between a person’s wrist and hand size with their bones and frame. A larger bone size and skeletal frame mean more power for several reasons. Hands and wrists also tend not to hold as much fat as other parts of the body, making this a viable measurement for people with any body fat level.
Larger hands and bones mean more mass in arms as a whole. Since power is a function of mass and velocity, increasing the arm’s mass will increase the power without affecting speed. An excellent example of this is Manny Pacquiao. He has countless career knockouts and boasts a wrist size of 8 inches, around 145 pounds and 5’6 in height, which is higher than the average wrist size for heavyweight boxers. Other heavyweight greats like Mike Tyson and Joe Louis also had an 8-inch wrist size.
A larger body frame also maxes out the muscle the skeleton can naturally hold. Again, this can be seen in fighters like Mike Tyson, who weighed 210 pounds at 5’10, with very little body fat and a virtually non-existent neck.
The Anatomical Arrangement Of Muscles and Tendons
Imagine a predator hunting its prey. It creeps behind it, stands still, pounces forward, and lands, all with great apparent aptitude. The nervous system is a marvel, to say the least. There are several scientific studies that show the relationship between muscle-tendon parameters and peak power generated.
However, this is not something you can really measure or improve on, so it might fall under “genetics” above.
Standing vertical jump
A much more quantifiable metric is the standing vertical jump, something we might all be familiar with from high school gym class. Although it has not yet been directly linked to punching power, it is a long-standing staple of measuring an athlete’s ability to generate power in football, Olympic lifting, and wrestling. Renowned strength coach, Mark Rippetoe, delves extensively into the importance of the standing vertical jump in his book, practical programming for strength training.
The vertical jump is used as a metric in sports because it shows how much of an athlete’s strength they can convert into power. It also cannot be trained. An already fit athlete who trains on their vertical jump for years may only increase it by two inches, granted that their weight remains constant.
Musculature
While many people assume that big guns and pecs mean that you must be a hard hitter, that is not always the case. When assessing an athlete’s abilities, it’s better to check their legs, glutes, and back. John Cavanaugh (Conor Mcgregor’s coach) says that the first thing he checks on a fighter is their back.
A good punch comes from the legs and hips. If you don’t believe it, check out Mike Tyson’s legs.
Training
If you’re going through the list of things that give a powerful punch and feeling discouraged about your small wrist size, low vertical jump, and small back, there’s no need to worry.
The most important factor behind a powerful punch is years of training. You could have all the genetic advantages, but your punches will still be very soft without proper training.
How to Increase Your Punch Power
Punch power is a skill developed over time. An amateur boxer who has an average punch will increase their punching power with a combination of training and natural ability. Punch power should not be confused with the term knockout power, which we will look at later.
Exercises
Of course, the best way to increase your punching power is to include exercises that boost your punch power into your training routine. Here are a few examples:
Medicine Ball Throw
The key to getting a more powerful punch is working on the explosiveness of your arms and increasing the power generated by the punching muscle fibers. There are two ways you can use a medicine ball to achieve this:
- Take a medium-weight medicine ball into one palm while standing upright in your boxing stance. Push it forward as hard as you can. You can either throw it at the wall or have a partner catch it and throw it back to you. Make sure you do this as if you’re throwing the punch.
- Lie flat on your back and push a medicine ball from your chest, throwing it as far as you can. Catch the ball and repeat the procedure until fatigue kicks in.
Plyometric Push-Ups
Plyometric push-ups increase your speed and power by strengthening the shoulder, arm, and pecs. All these are body parts that are key to a powerful punch.
- In the standard push-up format, dip down as you normally would, but explode upwards so that your hands leave the ground.
- To ensure optimal results, ensure that your core and glutes remain tight throughout the exercise.
- Some variations of the exercise involve clapping your hands or slapping them on your chest as you explode upwards.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is one of the most important boxing exercises you can add to your training routine. It is especially good for your punch power because it forces you to work on your speed and technique.
A good addition to shadowboxing is recording your shadowboxing sessions and watching them. Observe the mistakes you are making, try to improve, and record again to see your progress.
Squats with a medicine ball
As we saw earlier in the article, most punching power comes from the legs. As a result, training your legs is as important as your biceps and pecs. Performing squats with a medicine ball will strengthen your leg muscles and stabilize your punches.
Tub Of Rice
An underrated exercise done by MMA fighters to strengthen their fists. Get a large tab of rice and dig your hands through it, fingertips first. This is a very uncomfortable exercise at first but will drastically improve your punching power in the long run.
Tips
If you want to deliver an impactful punch, especially later in the match when you’re worn out, rotate your shoulders and torso as you deliver the hit. This will reduce the amount of force you will require on your arm to deliver the hit.
You can also practice delivering this kind of torque with a medicine ball. Hold it to your chest level with both hands, and then rotate your torso with your arms straightened.
Is Punching Power Important in a Boxing Match?
Punching power is basically the amount of kinetic energy in a person’s punch. Knockout power is quite similar but dwells on the probability of the punch leading to a knockout. Therefore, in a way, we can say that knockout power is a product of punching power.
Looking at it from that perspective, punching power can come to your aid when you’re fighting a bigger or faster opponent. However, to win a match, you need to work on all the aspects that make you a better fighter than your opponent.