The Best Arm Strengthening Exercises for Punch Power

Whether you're involved in mixed or traditional boxing, you will find that many combat sports feature punching inside a prominent role. While the primary muscles used when punching involve the ones from your arm and shoulder, you may be surprised to learn that muscles of the core and lower body also bring about the amount of power you can pack right into a punch. Thus, in addition to performing effective arm strengthening exercises for punch power, you need to strengthen other muscles too. Always exercise with proper supervision.

Shoulder Exercises
Your deltoids provide primary punching power, because they produce arm rotation and extension. Physical exercise such as the military press, lateral dumbbell raises and front raises will directly work your deltoids. Additionally, the chest area press and pull-ups also help strengthen shoulders, in addition to other muscles.

Triceps Exercises
Your triceps are essential for punching, because they do something about two joints required for the movement -- your elbow as well as your shoulder. The triceps help extend your arm in the elbow and the shoulder, straightening the limb to help you hit your target. Many effective triceps exercises work your shoulder muscles, for example, triceps dips, close-grip the bench press and overhead press. Push-ups and also the chest press will also work your triceps that will help you build punch strength.

Biceps Exercises

The biceps performs different functions compared to deltoids and triceps, as it helps flex your arm and rotate it. These actions are essential for preparing to deliver your punch, when you're cocking back to gather strength and momentum. One of the most effective biceps exercises are the barbell curl, dumbbell curl, pull-up and cable row. Pull-ups and rows work your shoulder muscles.

Chest Exercises
Although your chest muscles, also referred to as your pectorals or pecs, aren't technically located on your arms, they are doing act upon the shoulder joint and therefore are important for punching power. Your chest muscles assist rotation, extension and flexion, so that they influence both the wind-up and delivery of punches. To bolster your chest muscles, carry out the bench press, dumbbell fly, push-ups and chest press.

Maximizing Punch Power
While exercises for muscles of your arms and chest might help enhance your punching strength, you shouldn't do arm workouts too early before a boxing match. It takes approximately 24 hours for your muscles to recuperate from intense workouts, so that your punching power will actually diminish by trying to fight soon after working out key punching muscles.