How did Michael Spinks hit so hard at light heavy

Personally i never saw Spinks as skinny and lanky and he was never described as such in my travels. That was Bob Foster.

 

A lot of boxers of different builds are powerful for a variety of reasons.

Heavy hands, proper technique, leverage, etc…

Yeah, he was tall and rangy, but had some muscle on him.

 

Good explanation, technique

 

Power comes from many things. Speed can turn into power in a way- what you don't see can easily take your head off- like a Terry Norris.
One punch power is basically you either have it or you don't.

 

This is basically it. There's certainly a genetic component otherwise almost everyone would be KO punchers or hit about the same. People can certainly improve their power if they have poor technique when it comes to producing power. Hearns is the prime and most dramatic example. Having said that Hearns obviously had to have the inner potential to punch incredibly hard but he is proof there are some people out there who can turn from average punchers to monsters but he's the exception. There's been thousands of boxers with good punching technique that just don't have the gift.

I could have spent countless years trying to be a 100m sprinter and even if i attained perfect technique i would never have gotten within a bulls roar of 11s let alone something impressive. Hell i may not have broken 12 or more. There's multiple components at work. Spinks you'd have to say had all of them lined up.

 

A weird build too, opposite to the usual physique. The upper body of a middle and the legs of a heavyweight. Fits him however, you're going to needed some strong anchors like that if you wanna swing like Michael.

 

Explosiveness does not depend on muscle size (Wilder, Hearns, Jackson...).

 

User of Classic Forum discovers wiry strength - film at 11!

 

Muscles mean little.

Bones, body proportions (hip-shoulders ratio), explosiveness, technique. All the mechanical advantages.

Essentially, how you generate the power and how you deliver it.

 

Explosiveness exercises are different, and I'm not sure they build muscle mass at all.
Since I'm not a boxing coach, I'll give an example of an explosiveness exercise from another sport (which also doesn't build muscle mass):

 

There’s that whole “power comes from the legs” thing when people talk about guys like Tyson, Tua, Hamed, etc..

I think it’s partially true. Power comes from a lot of things (sometimes not really explained), and having strong legs to get proper leverage can be key.

 

Some guys just had that ability, thatx factor, even if you looked like a wet t bag.
Look up one of Britain greatest, Jimmy Wilde.
He ko d over a hundred oppenent s whilst never weighing more than 7st 10.

 

Punchers are born then they’re made.

 

Not sure I implied it. Explosiveness is all about the fast twitch.

 

I smart guy said that if your legs can keep you up for road work that’s enough. Archie Moore, Robinson, Burley etc. if a twig wishes to hit has hard as possible he will use his hips to turn his shoulders the same is of a brick.