Develop Speed Punches - Muscle Fatigue Training
Author: Keith Pascal
Date Posted: February 24, 2008
There are many reasons why martial artists have problems hitting
their opponents. One reason is the lack of punch speed. Muscle fatiguing
is one way to improve your punch speed. Here's how ...
Slow Punches
Do you have a lot of power behind your punches? Is every muscle
in your arm tight and powerful? If so, then you are probably punching
slowly. A lot slower than need be.
One of the keys to a successful punch is a punch that only tenses
close the point of contact. Any tensing too early slows the velocity
of the punch. So, how do you practice loose punching?
Tiring Out Your Muscles, To Improve Your Punches
Imagine being able to push a button on your arm and suddenly, you
muscles lack the ability to tense. Wouldn't that be great for your
practice session? Try fatiguing your muscles. Here are a few suggestions
of how:
* Lift weights. Choose a lighter weight, so you can whip
off a lot of repetitions before tiring out. Maybe try military presses
with dumb bells. Or flys. Possibly even bench presses.
* Punch. What does it take to make your arms as heavy as
solid marble? 500 punches? A thousand? More?
* Punch a heavy bag. Try one-minute rounds, with 30-second
rests in between. Keep going, until you can't lift your arms.
Now, Develop Speed Punches
Once your arms feel like dead weights, it's time to really start
punching. Make sure you feel that you absolutely can't punch any
more.
Then rest for a minute -- no longer.
And start punching.
Let the punch fly out, loose -- uncontrolled. Do this a few times
with each fist and arm.
Next, with just a bit more control, try to make your arm like a
whip. Loose, relaxed, almost snapping at the end, because it gains
so much speed.
Practice these whip punches as long as you are able. During this
session, don't add back in control. You read that correctly. Only
exert enough control to be able to cause a speed whipping action.
No more. You want both your mind and your muscles to remember this
whipping action.
Then, when you can't punch any more. Rest ... for a day or two.
The next time you return to your punching exercises, you are going
to practice more realistic punching....
Practice your regular punches, but this time, imagine the whipping
motion of the punch. In other words, superimpose the memories of
the loose punch on the controlled punch that you are practicing.
If that imagery doesn't work for you, if your punches don't improve
when you imprint your loose punch on your regular one, then try
imagining that your are punching regularly, but you are relaxing
control just a bit -- enough to add speed. Try to combine the feeling
of a loose speed punch with your regular punch.
About The Author
For an article on how to develop speed punches that are faster
than they need to be, click here: Speed
Punch Training in a week.
Here's a site about punching harder and faster... Free
Punch ebook and ezine sign up.
Download this Free ebooklet: Elbow
Strikes and Counters
Keith Pascal is a martial-arts writer and has taught martial arts
for 25 years.
Article Source: JKD Street Combat
- online collection of Speed Power articles.
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