How to Increase Punching Power Without Losing Speed

Punching power is one of the most misunderstood aspects of boxing. Many fighters assume harder punches come from bigger muscles or heavier lifting. In reality, true punching power comes from efficiency, from how well your body transfers force through the kinetic chain while staying relaxed and fast.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to develop punching power without sacrificing speed, explain how tools like dumbbell punches actually work, and show how smart equipment choices support power training safely.

What Actually Creates Punching Power?

Punching power is not arm strength.

It’s the result of:

• Ground force from the feet
• Hip rotation
• Core engagement
• Shoulder snap
• Clean arm extension and wrist alignment

Your fist is simply the final link in a chain. If one link leaks energy, power disappears.

This is why technically sound boxers often hit harder than physically bigger opponents.

Speed Comes First — Always

A core rule of boxing:

Speed creates power.

When boxers try to punch “hard,” they tense up, slow down, and lose snap. The most powerful punches come from relaxed, fast movements that accelerate naturally through impact.

That’s why increasing punching power must protect speed at all costs.

Dumbbell Punches: What They Are and Why They Work

Used correctly, dumbbell punches can help improve:

• Shoulder endurance
• Neuromuscular coordination
• Punch retraction speed
• Awareness of relaxed movement

Used incorrectly, they destroy technique.

What Are Dumbbell Punches?

Dumbbell punches are shadowboxing movements performed while holding very light weights (usually 0.5–1 kg / 1–2 lbs).

The goal is not to punch harder with weight.

The goal is to:

• Add light resistance during extension
• Train faster retraction
• Improve control and coordination

Heavy weights slow mechanics and should never be used.

How to Do Dumbbell Punches Properly

Weight

• Beginners: 0.5 kg (1 lb)
• Advanced: 1 kg (2 lbs)
• Never heavier

Rules

• Stay fully relaxed
• Snap punches out and back
• Maintain perfect form
• Stop if shoulders tighten

Simple Drill

• 3 rounds × 60 seconds
• Jab–cross only
• Immediately follow with shadowboxing using normal boxing gloves

You should feel faster once the weights are removed. If you’re training regularly, having the right pair of boxing gloves matters. Our Fereli Huskarl boxing gloves are built for durability and long-term comfort.

Lower Body Power: Where Real Force Starts

Punching power begins at the floor.

Key lower-body movements:

• Squats and split squats
• Jump lunges
• Box jumps
• Medicine ball rotational throws

These teach your body to generate force upward, exactly how punching works.

Core Rotation: The Hidden Engine

Your core is a transfer system, not just a stabiliser.

Effective core exercises:

• Cable rotations
• Landmine twists
• Medicine ball slams
• Controlled Russian twists

Focus on rotation speed, not fatigue.

Bag Work for Power Without Slowing Down

Many boxers lose speed by muscling the bag.

Instead:

• Prioritise clean impact
• Full extension
• Fast recoil
• Balanced stance

Wearing well-balanced gloves during bag work helps protect your hands and allows you to stay relaxed while working power rounds. This is where high-quality training gloves designed for bag work make a real difference. If you’re looking for the perfect pair of gloves for bagwork check out our Fereli Dastan boxing gloves.

Strength Training That Supports Speed

If you lift weights:

• Keep reps low
• Move explosively
• Rest fully between sets

Avoid bodybuilding-style pump training, it adds stiffness, not power.

Weekly Structure for Power Development

A simple framework:

• 2 days explosive strength & plyometrics
• 2 days technical boxing & speed work
• 1 light dumbbell punch + shadowboxing session
• 1 active recovery day

This keeps power climbing without sacrificing fluidity.

The important thing is to keep showing up consistently. Grab yourself one of our “Welcome to the Order” T-Shirts as a promise of commitment to yourself.

Power Is Efficiency, Not Force

The hardest hitters in boxing are not the biggest, they are the most efficient.

To increase punching power without losing speed:

• Stay relaxed
• Train explosively
• Respect technique
• Use tools like dumbbell punches intelligently

Power is earned through precision, not tension.

Related Reading

If you want to understand how equipment choice plays a role in protecting your hands and improving performance, read our previous article:

“Boxing Motivation: Staying Driven When Progress Feels Slow”

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