If I had to start over, Here’s How I’d Train for Explosive Power in 2025 (Without Wasting Time in the Gym)
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99% of boxers make this mistake when it comes to punching power. They think that a powerful upper body = a powerful punch. But the truth? Most of the power is generated from the lower body, amplified and transmitted through the core before finally being delivered by the upper body. The table below breaks this down.
Elite boxers and knockout artists generate powerful punches in 3 steps
- Generating a strong, powerful push into the ground with the legs
- Efficient coordination and sequencing of movement (leg → hip → trunk → arm)
- Stiff powerful impact through the arms
While upper body strength is important for delivering the impact, studies show that what truly predicts punching power are these 3 things:
- lower body strength & power (Loturco et al., 2014)
- Upper body power
- Efficient trunk rotation (Lenetsky et al., 2013)
A powerful punch begins in the legs, gets transferred and amplified through the body and expressed through the upper limb. In summary, elite punches generate more power through the legs, have better rotational ability, and hip and shoulder rotation better, which improves force transmission (Loturco et al., 2016).
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So, how do we build explosive power? Here are the four key areas I'd focus on, and exactly how I would train them:
#1 I would focus on mobility
Mobility is every boxer's foundation. Its a non-negotiable. Without it, you can't transfer power efficiently and your punches will be stiff and sluggish
You cannot express power without access to movement. You cannot generate speed and power if your joints are locked up, rigid and frozen.
Mobility of the hips, spine and shoulders are crucial. Clean efficient movements of these major joints lets you efficiently transfer energy from the ground to the fist. It's the key to fluid, loose snappy punches.
The routines are here & here.
#2 I would lift heavy
Power = Strength x Speed
A fast punch without strength = a slap.
Strength is how much force you can produce. Research shows that stronger athletes produce greater acceleration and impact forces.
Strength unleashes punching power by allowing you to push harder into the floor, creating a stable base to rotate and transfer energy, and build robustness to develop power safely (so you don’t get injured doing explosive work).
#3 I would do Ballistic Exercises
Remember this equation? Power = Strength x Speed
Punches happens in 30 to 100 milliseconds, literally in the blink of an eye. Therefore, punching power is about how fast you can apply force, not just how much force you can produce.
Ballistic exercises teaches your body to express strength quickly. These are explosive movements where the goal is to maximize acceleration and minimize deceleration. Meaning each exercise is :
- Performed as fast as possible
- With no slowing down
- Throw or jump
For ballistic exercises to be effective, they MUST be performed with violent, aggressive intent. It's the link between strength and real-world punching power.
Some examples include:
- Jumps and plyometrics
- Med ball throws and slams
- Plyometric push ups
This post highlights some examples of ballistic exercises.
#4 I would armour build
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, power is a double edged-sword. With every power punch, forces slam back into your own body, especially through these areas:
- Wrists
- Elbows
- Shoulders
- Neck and thoracic spine
If you don’t train those structures to withstand and absorb those impacts, you’ll break down. Armour building is the art of reinforcing these joints, muscles, tendons, so you can withstand those impacts without breaking down.
These are some of my faourite armour building exercises:
​https://www.threads.net/@chuary_pt/post/DGGPriDt430/media​
In summary:
- Build mobility of the hips, shoulders and thoracic spine
- Strength train with heavy compound lifts
- Implement ballistic exercises
- Armour build for impact resilience
- MASTER THE SKILL of punching
