Shadowboxing with gloves..

[Dizaster]

Nothing wrong with Shadowboxing with gloves considering that is what you'll use to fight...

Having a good workout program (non boxing skills related) that includes weights will improve your strength.. Try quick controlled punches with dumbells while laying on a bench...

The problem with holding weights or weighting your hands while shadowboxing is that the weights and gravity are pulling your arms down, which is not really a natural resistance for punching..

You CAN use weights in your hands and punch slowly keeping your hands up to improve endurance of keeping your hands up... But I would keep weights seperate to strict shadowboxing for working on skills...

The best way to strengthen punches is through perfect form, weight distribution, rhythm, rotation, balance etc... Then use other weight training techniques, explosive pushups etc to work the overall strength of your arms, shoulders, core..... Adding to much weight to hands while shadowboxing will probably result in you pulling a tendon/muscle that is purely working to keep the weight from getting pulled to the floor or slowing down the forward momentum of the weight..

But yeah, if it's purely to improve endurance of keeping arms up, i'd go easy with it and just work till your arms are sore and then persist with keeping your hands high while throwing (slowly)...

[The Student]

Yea I know... shadowboxing with weights doesnt really make too much sense... to me atleast.

The only possible benefit I see as you mentioned as well, is conditioning your arms to keep em up throughout a fight, thats why I figured, use gloves while shadowboxing instead of weights (for those that are obsessed with the idea of doing so).

I never thought about using weight while laying on a bench and throwing out shots... might try that one out

For strength conditioning, I usually just use methods like laying down and tossing a medicine balll up in the air and catching it over and over again, annd clap push-ups etc.

[Scrap]

A little idea , Dizaster good post by the way. Instead of a Bench, Lag an 8" plastic pipe about 3ft long, do it that way then you are using every Punching muscle there is plus the antagonists, its nice .

[Scrap]

Oh with your legs bent or straight .

[The Student]

Sorry Scrap, I dont understand what you mean by

"Lag an 8" plastic pipe about 3ft long"

.. the word lag is throwing me off

[Scrap]

Something like an execise mat, tape it round it, yes, Throwing that one away in a good mood tonight .

[Scrap]

Or you could use a small fitball we have