strength=power?????

[kdynamite]

does how much weight someone can lift matter towards how hard they punch?

[yrrej]

Force equals mass times acceleration. It's more about size and speed, which depends on leverage, than strength per se.....

[shawn_]

short answer. no.

[PunchDrunk]

If you have two featherweights, as an example, and one guy barely benchpresses his on bodyweight, and the other guy presses twice his bodyweight. If both guys box, and have decent technique, I'd be willing to put a $1000 on the stronger benchpresser as far as punching power and explosiveness.

[toehead]

I subscribe to the Teddy Atlas / Emanuel Steward theory that punchers are born not made

[No1]

I subscribe to the Teddy Atlas / Emanuel Steward theory that punchers are born not made

Agreed. All you've got to look is at how skinny tommy hearns was and look how hard he hit.

[PunchDrunk]

Agreed. All you've got to look is at how skinny tommy hearns was and look how hard he hit.

Skinny doesn't mean you can't be strong. Don't confuse the issues.

[me2007]

i agree that punchers are born and not made. You can increase your punching power but some fighters are just naturally punchers. I think it has to do with how tight your tendons are. My right arm is wired tighter than my left, as a result i can get **** with my right, but my left is just average in terms of power.

[PunchDrunk]

The physical factor that determines a persons punching power (aside from technique) is how many explosive type II muscle fibres you have.
There are different types of muscle fibers.
1. If you have many slow twitch fibers, you're better suited for long distance running and other endurance sports, since these fibers are less explosive but more endurant.
2. If you have a lot of fast twitch fibers, you'll be stronger, faster and more explosive than people in 1. This suits sports like sprinting, football, and Olympic weightlifting.

If you're in category 1, your benchpress will most likely be weak. If you're in 2, your benchpress will most likely be strong.
Born punchers are in category 2, and will most likely have a benchpress strength above normal, even if they never tried benchpressing before.

So there you go, A high benchpress is not the reason for punching power, but an indicator of it. Strength and explosiveness go hand in hand.

[No1]

I think even if your not born with the ability to punch hard, you can build up your strength so as you become a strong puncher so even if you dont have the snap you can still get alot of weight behind your punch from the strength you've gained from weightlifting or something.