Developing a powerful punch requires a lot of time and patience for most people, although some are just born with a natural instinct. A good punch uses the motion of the entire body and focuses it at the end of the fist. While this isn't always practical, as it takes a fair amount of time to rotate the entire body, this the best way to gain a lot of power. As such, the power of a punch comes from two things: explosive strength and technique.
Perfecting the technique of punching can take a long time, especially if you have no background in striking. That's why it's important to work on it in conjunction with strength training. In order to throw an effective punch, you'll need to use your entire body as I mentioned above. A punch utilizes the rotation of your body to sling your fist forward. You begin the rotation in your feet, and it gradually moves up to your knees, hips, torso, shoulder, and arm. Many people train striking for years, but fail to achieve perfect technique. The general rule of thumb is that the more rotation there is in the body, the more powerful the punch is. This is why hooks and overhand strikes are the most powerful punches in a striker's arsenal. The downside of long punches is that they're relatively easy to avoid, so they have to be set up with straight strikes like the cross or jab. While it is possible to generate exceptional force with a right cross, it requires substantially more training than a powerful overhand right or left hook.
Above, I mentioned all of the places that a punch draws its power from. The strongest muscle group in that list is the hips, which is where you'll want to focus your strength training in order to develop a powerful punch. The most useful muscles for developing punching strength are the glutes and abdominals. These, combined with your thigh muscles and spinal erectors are the primary muscles attached to your hips. The best way to train these muscles is through squats and deadlifts, both of which will build an incredible amount of core strength. If you want to focus more on explosive power, which will further increase punching power, you can do exercises like power cleans and snatches. Any traditional power exercise will put a load of stress on the hips, which in turn develops your rotational power and punching force.
Remember that a good punch requires both technique and strength. Unfortunately, more powerful punches are usually easier to avoid, so it's important to set them up with combinations if you want to be successful in boxing or MMA. It's also worth noting that MMA fighters will typically hit harder than boxers since they plant their feet and therefore gain more rotational force in each strike.
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Perfecting the technique of punching can take a long time, especially if you have no background in striking. That's why it's important to work on it in conjunction with strength training. In order to throw an effective punch, you'll need to use your entire body as I mentioned above. A punch utilizes the rotation of your body to sling your fist forward. You begin the rotation in your feet, and it gradually moves up to your knees, hips, torso, shoulder, and arm. Many people train striking for years, but fail to achieve perfect technique. The general rule of thumb is that the more rotation there is in the body, the more powerful the punch is. This is why hooks and overhand strikes are the most powerful punches in a striker's arsenal. The downside of long punches is that they're relatively easy to avoid, so they have to be set up with straight strikes like the cross or jab. While it is possible to generate exceptional force with a right cross, it requires substantially more training than a powerful overhand right or left hook.
Above, I mentioned all of the places that a punch draws its power from. The strongest muscle group in that list is the hips, which is where you'll want to focus your strength training in order to develop a powerful punch. The most useful muscles for developing punching strength are the glutes and abdominals. These, combined with your thigh muscles and spinal erectors are the primary muscles attached to your hips. The best way to train these muscles is through squats and deadlifts, both of which will build an incredible amount of core strength. If you want to focus more on explosive power, which will further increase punching power, you can do exercises like power cleans and snatches. Any traditional power exercise will put a load of stress on the hips, which in turn develops your rotational power and punching force.
Remember that a good punch requires both technique and strength. Unfortunately, more powerful punches are usually easier to avoid, so it's important to set them up with combinations if you want to be successful in boxing or MMA. It's also worth noting that MMA fighters will typically hit harder than boxers since they plant their feet and therefore gain more rotational force in each strike.
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Jameson