What muscle is more important in the power of the punch? Tricep or shoulder? also how important is it to turn your fist over?
Neither of those muscles play a significant role in the power of a punch, but out of the two the shoulder as it's a bigger muscle. If you don't turn your fist over you'll find that you push your punches.
Actually, it's the ass muscles are the most important, lol. Seriously though... by "pushing punches" he means exactly that, punches that merely push someone rather than have an impact. Implying that they are slower (and do less damage), than a "snapping" punch. Most people will tell you that arm muscles, while important are not as important for punching power as legs and core (abs/back). Power comes from how quickly/forcefully you can turn your upper body and leverage a punch. Anyways, i'd just be regurgitating stuff that has been written about and discussed many times - including most boxing websites if you do a simple search. Expertboxing.com is one that comes to mind, in this article: http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/boxing-workouts/most-important-muscles-for-fighting
If you are punching with just your arms, you cannot punch. That is an "arm puncher." If you just punch with your shoulders, you are missing the best part of it. The motion of every punch (and I'd except the jab here) begins at the feet. Do you understand how energy gathers and then dissipates with a push as opposed to with the crack of the whip? The punch is like the crack of the whip and that is why it involves every muscle in the body. Look at a picture of Alexis Arguello boxing, as opposed to arguello about to land a punch.
When you look at a photo of Arguello 'just' boxing, his body is relaxed. Sure, he's all muscle, but he's not tight or tense. Find a photo of him just before impact and every muscle in his body is tight. Same with Joe Louis, and I pick those two because their style is so 'simple" and straightforward that it is easy to see. Remember Fitzsimmons talking about how he envisioned himself drowning and thrusting out his arm to clutch the log or whatever it was above him that he grabbed to save himself? the way it was taught to me was "catch the fly." And I don't think the word is 'tight' either because that doesn't feel right. But you know what I mean. By the way, i think the jab begins at the hips.
Hard and Toned? What do you mean by that? Is it ok to ignore my chest and upper back? Thanks for your expertise
