Punching power?

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Token7

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Broad question that people can answer in a lot of different ways but why does it seem like the Eastern bloc fighters ALL have exceptional punching power. From GGG, Kovalev, Duddy, to just name a few..... I don't understand what it is? It seems all the professionals from Europe/Russia area of the world are KO artist, or?
 
Token7 said:
Broad question that people can answer in a lot of different ways but why does it seem like the Eastern bloc fighters ALL have exceptional punching power. From GGG, Kovalev, Duddy, to just name a few..... I don't understand what it is? It seems all the professionals from Europe/Russia area of the world are KO artist, or?
Click to expand...

IMO, its more a case that the ones who hit hardest make a name for themselves.
 
Many have good punching mechanics but there are Eastern European fighters without great power. Glazkov who fought Cunningham isn't a great puncher, Adamek wasn't a great puncher, Korobov is only an ok puncher, the guy Eubank Jr fought wasn't a great puncher and others as well.

They have good punching mechanics and also I think their style favours big punchers even more than for example that American move and be slick style.

So those who have power have an even greater chance at getting to the top than those who haven't I mean power increases the chances of every boxer to get to the top but with the Eastern European style it might increase the chances even further.
Just look at lower level Eastern European fighters and you'll see tons without power.
And again the punching mechanics
 
Its more that they punch correctly and deliver force well.
 
I had an interesting conversation with my brother the other day. He was explaining to me that depending on where muscles insert, a person's strength can vary greatly. In the simplest terms, muscles have an origin and an insertion, which are just where they attach to bones. When the muscle contracts, it pulls those two bones closer together. When the bones are being pulled, it isn't just force. It's torque, which is force times distance from the fulcrum(length of the lever arm). What this means is that a person who's muscles insert to give them a longer lever arm can contract a muscle with the same amount of force, but produce way more torque because the muscle is in a better position to pull the bone. Maybe those guys have great genetics?

I think it has a lot more to do with technique as Luis said. I just found the above interesting and had never heard it in relation to punching power, so I figured I'd share a new theory on the matter.
 
Oh genetics DEFINITELY play a factor. Muscle insertion, fast twitch muscle fiber strength (or speed, depending on who you're talking to), shape and integrity of hands, etc. But fighters hate hearing that because they feel it undermines their work ethic.

Out of all my fighters, Bleu hits the hardest without trying to, and particularly with the right hand. This Canadian Cruiserweight I'm working with is the biggest, holding mitts for him reminds me of Arni, where I constantly have to consider he's one inaccurate punch away from breaking my wrist or fingers. But, the girl I train who is 110lbs, sounds the most impressive on the mitts because (as girls will do) she adheres to the form the best. Hence us calling her "Dinamita." I've been told by a guy who fought 3 people I train (and sparred 4) that everyone I train hits hard, but I can tell the differences between who hits WELL, and who is a gifted puncher.
 
Last edited:
a guy said:
I had an interesting conversation with my brother the other day. He was explaining to me that depending on where muscles insert, a person's strength can vary greatly. In the simplest terms, muscles have an origin and an insertion, which are just where they attach to bones. When the muscle contracts, it pulls those two bones closer together. When the bones are being pulled, it isn't just force. It's torque, which is force times distance from the fulcrum(length of the lever arm). What this means is that a person who's muscles insert to give them a longer lever arm can contract a muscle with the same amount of force, but produce way more torque because the muscle is in a better position to pull the bone. Maybe those guys have great genetics?

I think it has a lot more to do with technique as Luis said. I just found the above interesting and had never heard it in relation to punching power, so I figured I'd share a new theory on the matter.
Click to expand...

The thing with muscle insertion points though is complex. This article isn't about about it in arms but I guess it doesn't make a big difference in theory.
Also where can the msucle insertions really play a role? You don't move your arms a that much when punching at least not with hooks and uppercuts and most punchers have power (not necessarily the technique to deliver that power) in all of their punches.
At least Kovalev does. Maybe the small arm movement makes a difference but I don't know.
it is super complex.

http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/shortachillescurse.html
 
PivotPunch said:
The thing with muscle insertion points though is complex. This article isn't about about it in arms but I guess it doesn't make a big difference in theory.
Also where can the msucle insertions really play a role? You don't move your arms a that much when punching at least not with hooks and uppercuts and most punchers have power (not necessarily the technique to deliver that power) in all of their punches.
At least Kovalev does. Maybe the small arm movement makes a difference but I don't know.
it is super complex.

http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/shortachillescurse.html
Click to expand...

Why are you talking about just the arms? You know you have muscles in every part of your body right?

That article is talking about the length of one specific tendon. No shit it's complex, but the point stands that better insertion points give better torque.
 
PivotPunch said:
The thing with muscle insertion points though is complex. This article isn't about about it in arms but I guess it doesn't make a big difference in theory.
Also where can the msucle insertions really play a role? You don't move your arms a that much when punching at least not with hooks and uppercuts and most punchers have power (not necessarily the technique to deliver that power) in all of their punches.
At least Kovalev does. Maybe the small arm movement makes a difference but I don't know.
it is super complex.

http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/shortachillescurse.html
Click to expand...

Punching utilizes torque in more than one way, so it's not just the arms but each area where torque is activated. Like throwing. Torque in the legs, core, arms.
 
Sinister said:
Oh genetics DEFINITELY play a factor. Muscle insertion, fast twitch muscle fiber strength (or speed, depending on who you're talking to), shape and integrity of hands, etc. But fighters hate hearing that because they feel it undermines their work ethic.

Out of all my fighters, Bleu hits the hardest without trying to, and particularly with the right hand. This Canadian Cruiserweight I'm working with is the biggest, holding mitts for him reminds me of Arni, where I constantly have to consider he's one inaccurate punch away from breaking my wrist or fingers. But, the girl I train who is 110lbs, sounds the most impressive on the mitts because (as girls will do) she adheres to the form the best. Hence us calling her "Dinamita." I've been told by a guy who fought 3 people I train (and sparred 4) that everyone I train hits hard, but I can tell the differences between who hits WELL, and who is a gifted puncher.
Click to expand...

Yea it's hard to find the line between accepting that genetics are a huge factor, and not using that as an excuse.

I think that's cool you've been told that, because I've always believed that there's no such thing as someone healthy who can't be taught to hit hard. Technique won't turn just anyone into Price Naseem, but it can give anyone the ability to hurt their opponents. And it's always scary when you see someone who hits like a truck, but doesn't hit that well, because you know they could still hit even harder.
 
Sinister said:
Punching utilizes torque in more than one way, so it's not just the arms but each area where torque is activated. Like throwing. Torque in the legs, core, arms.
Click to expand...
Isn't the punching by the way pushing activity? I agree with this statement that it demands good overall fitness, but I ask, because i feel that my back most tired after boxing. Most coaches say that I use very good my whole body, but still- it seems that the typical pulling muscles of the back work hardest in my case. Also- look at the boxers, there are so many guys with massive backs, if this was unnecessary, there would have been only boxers with strong chests.
 
Genetical mostly in my experience.

I dont hit hard even though i have fairly good hands technique wise
 
Adnan Adil said:
Isn't the punching by the way pushing activity? I agree with this statement that it demands good overall fitness, but I ask, because i feel that my back most tired after boxing. Most coaches say that I use very good my whole body, but still- it seems that the typical pulling muscles of the back work hardest in my case. Also- look at the boxers, there are so many guys with massive backs, if this was unnecessary, there would have been only boxers with strong chests.
Click to expand...

Posterior chain activation and development should be a central part of boxing, so in a way this is true. However, there has been much too intense focus on pushing with the back to punch.
 
Could also have something to do with how much various muscle types are trained and worked on within the body.

Forgive me for referencing an anime, but i think akasame from kenichi it highlights the different types in simple terms(might not be the most scientific of terms though lol).
red, white, and pink muscle.

one muscle type is good for quick bursts of movement, but can tire quickly, another takes longer to flex and release but gets energy from a different source, while the third type is a bit in between the other two, having more lasting power than the first but being capable of more explosiveness than the second.

maybe the workouts they do work a specific kind of muscle more than the others.

http://www.ivyroses.com/HumanBody/Muscles/types-of-skeletal-muscle-fibers.php
 
I actually have more power in my punches now than ever. And here's how I did it. I focused more on explosiveness when I went to a workout gym, and some endurance (I did plyo push ups, box jumps, medicine ball throws against the wall or ground, and tire flips) and than I would do 3-5 rounds on the bag. And overtime my punches got better faster and stronger.
 
Sinister said:
Posterior chain activation and development should be a central part of boxing, so in a way this is true. However, there has been much too intense focus on pushing with the back to punch.
Click to expand...
Which means? :) Seriously- is there anything wrong in my technique if my back is more used than my chest?
 
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