which single muscle is most resposible for punching speed?

[Uezama**]

aside from good technique, what muscle has the most impact on how fast one punches?

 

[a dead stick]

No single muscle. Its a combination of body mechanics.

Shoulders and triceps play the biggest role, but hip twisting (core muscles) also play a factor in the delivery of a punch.

The only real way to increase your punching speed as far as I know, is to just practice punching a shit load.

Practice punching with perfect form, very slowly as much as you can. Then just practice them at full speed on a bag or pad, trying to throw them faster and faster and keep building on it.
It will take time and persistent effort, but you will be rewarded if you keep at it.

I guess speed bag work would help but I'm not a big fan of that myself, as I like to practice realistic punches I actually intend to use.

 

[CharmingCritic]

the nervous system.

 

[SpineBreaker]

You need to move your entire body to punch well. That comes from the muscles you use to push off your feet. You need most muscles relaxed in order for your motions to be clean and fast, so the lats are important since they're one of the muscles you engage.

 

[Bennosuke]

No one muscle, as said above. A lot of muscles are needed to throw a good punch. The force of the punch, not only comes from the shoulders, triceps, and pecs, but from leaning forward and twisting with the body. Wrist strength is important for stabilizing and protecting the wrist and hand from injury. Biceps can be important for stabilizing with hooking punches.

Good exercises for building punching power (aside from hitting the bag), involve benchpresses like movements. Alternate between slow velocity and fast velocity exercises ie ballistic exercises such as plyometrics. Since the punch is made up of many muscles, it is more important to train multiple large muscle groups together.

 

[ambertch]

I'm inclined to believe Flexibility has a big component too. Your best punch is from rotating your trunk 180 degrees to accelerate and launch that punch, and if you think about it, core flexibility has an impact on how fast you can rotate your trunk.

In terms of muscles - it's the whole body but in terms of sheer concussive velocity, the majority has gotta be your core plus your lats (upper back) plus your ass. These are muscles most directly responsible for launching your fist forward.

Power punchers come in all shapes and sizes, you will NOT find a power puncher who doesn't have well developed back and core muscles

 

[laohu69]

Even IF you could determine that a single muscle, or group, was responsible for the speed of a strike this wouldn't take into account slow twitch versus fast twitch muscle fibers.
The slow twitch versus fast twitch (both fast twitch types of fibers) would be more important for the speed of the strike.

 

[panamaican]

It's true that the entire body is required for good punching speed but if you had to maximize a single muscle group, train your legs.

All good punches start with the legs, that's where your speed and power are both generated. Everything else after that acts as an accelerator on that initial leg drive.

 

[sfortune85]

Your heart.

 

[Higus]

Its a combination of muscles, but if you are just worried about speed, then building up shoulder strength and endurance along with attaching muscles like lats and delts will go along way. Those are the first areas to go once you get tired of keeping your hands up.

Like everyone else has said, don't neglect all other areas just to work on one.

 

[Mumrik]

I'm inclined to believe Flexibility has a big component too. Your best punch is from rotating your trunk 180 degrees to accelerate and launch that punch, and if you think about it, core flexibility has an impact on how fast you can rotate your trunk.

Alright, 180 is probably overdoing it a bit
That is, unless you really do want to finish with your back to your opponent.

 

[MrRolo]

Shoulder conditioning will go a long way for overall punching improvement. If you can retain great form for long periods of time your punches will be harder than your opponents later in the fight. Sometimes you just wont be as powerful as you'd like, but you can always become better conditioned to fight more efficiently

 

[SteelHammer]

enough of the bullshit responses.

the tricep.

 

[stuntcum]

Good exercises for building punching power (aside from hitting the bag), involve benchpresses like movements.

Umm, what? Thought this was about speed.The speed of a punches has more to do with bringing your arms back to your body after punching than how fast the arm extends. Both require a beautiful synergy of precisely timed muscle contractions--neither has much to do with the strength of your chest. Throwing punches is mostly core, retrieving punches is mostly the back.

OK, now everyone can call me stupid.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

Wise fighter develop the brain first then focus on physical body.

 

[Coolcatsithe]

the nervous system.

i lol'd

 

[ssullivan80]

My vote is for Ass and Abs! Since they are ultimately responsible for the largest percentage of the motion associated with a good punch. But spending time developing speed should be secondary to developing timing. Timing is far more important in terms of being an effective puncher than is speed. Go watch a couple of Alfred Angulo fights, guy is probably one of the slowest guys I have seen in the lower weight division, but he keeps putting his competition on their asses!

i lol'd

the nervous system.

Truth is, that is probably the most accurate answer you will get. The nervous system controls the bodies reaction! Essentially, brain tells body what to do, then a series of nerve synapses are how the brain relays that signal to the muscles associated with the movement or reaction. In short, the faster the nerve synapses occur, the faster the body reacts.......

 

[EffeKt]

Duh - its clearly the punching muscle.

 

[Coolcatsithe]

My vote is for Ass and Abs! Since they are ultimately responsible for the largest percentage of the motion associated with a good punch. But spending time developing speed should be secondary to developing timing. Timing is far more important in terms of being an effective puncher than is speed. Go watch a couple of Alfred Angulo fights, guy is probably one of the slowest guys I have seen in the lower weight division, but he keeps putting his competition on their asses!





Truth is, that is probably the most accurate answer you will get. The nervous system controls the bodies reaction! Essentially, brain tells body what to do, then a series of nerve synapses are how the brain relays that signal to the muscles associated with the movement or reaction. In short, the faster the nerve synapses occur, the faster the body reacts.......

*sigh* I'm fairly aware of the function of the nervous system in this department, but it's not a muscle. I'm not disputing whether or not the statement was correct.

To be honest I think the OP could be a troll... or they are just very young and/or inexperienced.

 

[MuayThai2112]

They all work together but i'd say the most important in delivering power is your tricep