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Strength Handbook
Traditionally, heavy strength training is a controversial method for boxing and combat sports. The
feeling that “weights make you slow” often puts off athletes and coaches lifting heavy…..
… There is an element of truth to that. If you train too heavy too often for too long – it will make
athletes too slow!
At Boxing Science, we meet the demands of the sport by making athletes strong, fast and
explosive with carefully structured S&C programming.
A punch is delivered in a blink of an eye, often under XXX ms. This requires an athlete to produce a
lot of force in a very short amount of time, often referred to as the Rate of Force Development
(RFD). However, we needed to know what contributed to this force development – so we
created a fitness testing battery to compare physical characteristics of boxers and determine key
contributors to boxing performance.
One of our main findings that jump height and trunk mass had a strong relationship with medicine
ball punch throw distance. This suggests that the higher you can jump, and the stronger your core
is, the harder you can punch. This is how we structure our programmes, and how we will
transform you into a faster and stronger athlete.
Our data analysis suggested that traditional boxing methods are ineffective at getting boxers
forceful and fast, and that there's a need for strength training to assist in the development of
punch force.

Contents
Science Behind The Punch ........................................... 3
Strength Training for Boxing ....................................... 6
Lower Body Training ................................................. 11
Upper Body Training ................................................. 17
Core Training for Boxing............................................ 24
Punch Specific Exercises ............................................ 27
The Program ............................................................. 28
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Train Like A Champion – Coaching Videos
Not only are we offering a world-class program, we are also providing an in-depth video
series to show you how to perform the key exercises of the program, and also take you
through our step-by-step process to perform them with precision.

The videos are provided via a

private link
Squat Mastery

Deadlift Mastery

Bench Press Mastery

Science Behind The Punch

We can measure punching force (the action of one body on another in the lab. The score
we use is called a Newton (after Sir Isaac Newton). The higher the Newton (N) the greater
the force or harder the punch.
Punching forces in amateur boxing are around 2500 N. If you weigh 70 kg (11 stone or
154 lbs), you’ll exert about 700 N of force on the ground just stood still. That makes
punching force about 3.5 times body mass.
And to make that even more impressive your punch takes around six hundredths of a
second (>60 ms) to throw.
So you can see how being forceful and fast is an integral component of performance.

Time To Land The Backhand – 0.183 seconds

Jordan is one of the strongest athletes on the programme – does he look slow to you?
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The physics
Studies suggest that punching force is dependent on the Impulse-Momentum
relationship (the change in momentum experienced by a body under the action of a force
is equal to the impulse of the resultant force).

What we know
The numbers suggest a punch in boxing requires significant to be force produced in a
short space of time.
This is often characterised as the rate of force development. For us, it’s more commonly
known as ‘hand speed’.
If something has significant momentum it's usually large, like an elephant or a tank. Or
it’s small but has a lot speed – like a rocket. You can make a punch harder by generating
more momentum – you can either be an elephant or a rocket.
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Improving Your Hand Speed
Generating significant force in a short space of time is the result of
many integrated processes, including genetic factors, muscle fibre
type composition, the ability of your nervous system to recruit
motor units and the structure and ultra-structure of muscle.
Usain Bolt has chosen his parents wisely because he has a unique
genetic code and was raised in an environment conducive to high
performance. This means he’s been able to develop the ability to
produce large amounts of force in a short space of time - he’s what
physicists would call ‘impulsive’.
Despite how much we might train, most us will find it nearly impossible run as fast as
him. However, impulse and momentum are trainable qualities. Usain Bolt wouldn’t have
smashed records without hard, dedicated training.
Impulse is calculated as force multiplied by time. So the largest impulses are created by
large forces optimised for the time it takes to perform a skill. It’s important that you can
produce large amounts of force but an effective punch relies on technique when
initiating the punch and at impact.

We need to develop a large amount of force in a short space of time

Effective punches are those that transfer large amounts of force in a short space of time.
We all know boxers who have incredible hand speed but seem to lack punching force. In
these instances they are sacrificing punch force for speed. What you need to develop is
force and speed, so that you can have an optimal combination to produce a devastating
punch, or choose whether the next punch will be fast and light or slower but more
forceful. We’re interested in developing these capacities that underpin your
performance.
Along with a good amount of technical training, there are plenty of strength and
conditioning methods that can help you develop a more forceful punch.
But it’s isn't just as simple as “move weights quicker”, you need to approach it from
different angles. First of all, we need to train the ability to produce force through
strength training.
This should be the priority as the more force we can produce, the more impulse you can
develop and the more effective your punch will be.
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Improving Momentum
Effective mass is a term given to the ‘snap’ of a punch. This requires the whole body to stiffen up
upon impact. The snap requires whole body tension, however the main contributors are the
arms, shoulder joint and the core.

This is mostly dependant on skill. The ability to tense upon impact takes years and years of
practice.

However, it’s much easier and quicker to make physical adaptations to help improve punch force.
Changing someone’s technique may take time, and sometimes
hamper a boxers progress, especially for more experienced
boxers.

Effective mass can be improved through general strength and

conditioning methods, such as heavy compound lifts, Olympic
lifting and core training.

All of these training types can improve strength of the muscles

targeted, but also require a ‘double-activation’ pattern, similar
to a punch.

There are some specific exercises that can be used for boxers
focussing on developing ‘effective mass’ such as Landmine
punch with Isometric hold.

Strength Training for Boxing

So we have explained the science and the physical qualities required to deliver forceful
punches.
The best way to improve punch force is to improve your punching
technique.
However, how easy is it to improve technique once it’s engrained after
years of training? Answer: It’s pretty hard!
But we can use strength and conditioning to improve physical
performance in an easy and effective way to develop punch
effectiveness.
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What's the focus of strength training?

From our own research, we think that a few things contribute to punching force. These include:

• Lower and upper body maximum strength,

• Ability to rapidly produce force and;
• Function of the core muscles.

Like we’ve said before, it’s not a case of ‘moving light weights quick’ nor ‘grinding heavy
reps’.
It takes various training types programmed and delivered in a deliberate and systematic
manner. You can’t just jump into developing sport specific strength. It must be carefully
considered with respect to several inputs.
At Boxing Science, we use diverse training methods to get athletes stronger, more
explosive, moving better and punching harder.
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Explosive Training for Boxing
Boxing tradition states that adding muscle mass to a boxer will slow them down. Whilst
contemporary S&C coaches argue against the latter. Depending on the training method, however,
both are correct.

A forceful punch is dependent on momentum. This is related to how quickly we can move mass
towards the target (glove to head).

So the best way to punch harder is to get bigger, stronger and move faster. That’s why
heavyweights with fast hands hit so hard. They generate a lot of force and momentum.

However, boxers are limited to increasing mass because they have to make weight. Therefore,
developing momentum without adding excessive muscle mass becomes a priority. This means
that a boxer needs to focus on training to develop a neuromuscular system with the capability to
generate force rapidly. To achieve this, we use a range of exercises across the force-velocity curve.

The Force-Velocity Curve

The curve shows an inverse relationship between force and velocity. This means the heavier the
weight you lift (force), the slower you lift it (velocity); and the lighter a weight, the faster you lift it.

The image above shows the different types of training that occur at different points of the force-
velocity curve. Maximum strength is at the top left with high force, low-velocity movements and
speed training towards the bottom right with lower force, higher velocity.

At Boxing Science we use a range of exercises to, train boxers across the Force-Velocity curve.
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Maximum Strength Is The Goal
To create a strong, fast and explosive
athlete, we should target various areas of
the force-velocity curve to the right.
However, many boxers and combat
athletes force-velocity curve looks like the
black lined curve in the graph to the right.

This represents an athlete that is better

suited to low-loaded-fast velocity
movements – however, they struggle with
higher loads such as maximal strength
training. This is a theory we’ve held for a
number of years, then was proven with
our research in velocity based training.

This means that initial strength and conditioning programmes should work towards developing
maximum strength. This can be for 2-3 10-week cycles of strength training.

However, we need to build the foundations first…

Despite maximal strength being the goal, we can’t just go in and smash out heavy reps on squat,
bench and deadlifts.

As we mention in the movement handbook, boxers and combat athletes have movement issues
that can make heavy lifting not only ineffective, but dangerous too.

We need to build the

movement and strength
foundations working towards
maximal strength. This includes
regression exercises and higher
volume repetitions. To the right
is how we develop an athletes
squat.
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Lower Body Training
Research indicates a punch starts from force development in the lower body. The lower-
body needs to be strong to transfer this energy to the hips, through the core and to the
fist to deliver forceful punches. This is what we call the kinetic chain.
In our data analysis, we discovered strong relationships between jump height and
medicine ball throw distance. This suggests the higher you can jump, the harder you can
punch.
The ability to jump is reliant on the amount of impulse produced from the lower body.
This means that lower body strength training can have a huge impact on punch force.
Additionally, the ability to produce force in the lower-body is important to run at high
speeds during your conditioning. The faster you can run, the more strain you can put
your muscular and cardiovascular system to improve fitness.

Squat
Performing squat variations are important to load the quads,
hamstrings and glutes which are crucial in developing
impulsiveness of the lower body.

Page – 8

Deadlift
Strengthening the ability to hinge at the hips develops
hamstrings and glute strength, contributing to hip extension
and concentric force production.

Page - 10

Unilateral
'Uni-lateral' means single arm or leg exercises. These are
important to prevent imbalances, reduce injury and improve
a boxer's ability to punch with both hands.

Page - 12
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The Squat
The squat is an exercise used in many sports and fitness programs because it has multiple
benefits. It improves strength and speed of the lower body, whilst promoting core
stability.
The squat, if performed and loaded correctly can improve lower body impulsiveness, hip
extension forces and eccentric utilisation of the quads, hamstrings and glutes. These
functions play a huge role in punching and striking force.
The squat is also versatile. It can be loaded, light, medium, heavy or fix the bar to train
isometric activity of the core which can improve ‘effective mass’ and increasing the snap
in your punch.
Back Squat

Start Position
- Hands evenly spaced shoulder width apart on the bar.
- Bar rests on the top of the back muscles.
- Feet are positioned just outside shoulder width, with toes
pointing slightly outwards.

The Descent
- Take a deep breath in before pushing hips
behind heels and knees flexing in-line with toes.
- Go down until upper legs are parallel with the
floor.
- Balance onto heels and point knees out over the
toes.

The Ascent
- Forcefully drive through heels.
- Extend knees and hips, with knees pushed out
over the toes and squeeze glutes at the top.
- Keep chest up and shoulders back to maintain a
straight back.
Squat Checklist

✓ Feet shoulder width ✓ Hips below knees at the bottom

✓ Knees over toes, sit onto heels ✓ Drive through heels, squeeze glutes
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Build The Foundations
Before we hit these big moves in our programs, we need to build the foundations using
these exercises.

The exercises below aim to develop deep squat pattern, your core strength and the
muscles in your posterior chain.
Goblet Squat
Squatting with the dumbbell in front of you forces you to counter balance onto your heels and
engage your hips. This also helps you develop a deep squat pattern.
Main Coaching Points
- Hold the dumbbell with in your palms, close to your
chin.
- Elbows tucked in with shoulder blades retracted.
- Sit back onto your heels, lower until hips are below
your knees and hold at the bottom before driving
up.
Overhead Squat to Box
This exercise challenges overhead mobility, shoulder strength and core stability. Master this
movement and you are ready to load up the back squat.
Main Coaching Points

- Hands evenly spaced wider than shoulder width

apart on bar.
- Arms locked out with the bar in line with the crown
of your head throughout the movement.
- Start with a broomstick, before progressing in
weight.

Box Squat
The box squat encourages a good squat technique and increases strength at the bottom of the
exercise. This is your last exercise before progressing to the back squat.
Main Coaching Points

- Follow the instructions of the squat on the previous

page.
- Start with a box in a half squat position, before
progressing to lower heights.
- Stand six inches away from the box, push hips back
and gently touch the box before ascending.
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The Deadlift
The deadlift will develop your posterior chain. This is important to improve the function
of your glutes and hamstrings, as well as strengthening your lower back and core. This is
important for boxers as the posterior chain isn't strengthened through traditional boxing
training methods.
Although the deadlift has many benefits, you should be cautious when performing
deadlifts as technique can be affected due to limited coaching, understanding or
mobility.
Follow our guide, as well as mastering the foundational movements to make sure you get
the most out of your deadlifts.
Conventional Deadlift
Start Position
- Set up with feet hip width apart and the bar to be in line
with first lace of your trainers.
- Hips slightly above the knees with the chest pushed out
and neck in a neutral position.
- Create tension through the legs and shoulders before
lifting.
The Ascent
- Drive through your heels.
- Hips and knees extend simultaneously,
squeezing the glutes at the top.
- Keep the bar close to your legs.

The Descent
Take a deep breath and brace core in before
unlocking the hips.
Slide the bar down your thighs, bending your knees
and sinking your hips down

Deadlift Checklist

✓ Squeeze shoulders throughout ✓ Keep the bar close to your legs

✓ Drive through the heels ✓ Punch hips forward at the top

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Build The Foundations
As mentioned in the previous section, you should take care before performing the
deadlift and make sure they build the foundational movements.
These exercises help improve hip-hinge patterning, neutral posture, hamstring flexibility
and core strength, all key contributors to an optimal deadlift.
Hip Hinge with Broomstick
This is a really effective mobility drill to promote hip-hinge patterning for the deadlift. This is not
an exercise to get you fit and strong, however should be done during deadlift sessions.

Main Coaching Points

- Stick remains in contact with the chin, chest,
stomach and hips.
- Slight bend in the knee but keep them locked as you
push the hips back.
- Weight on your heels and perform at a slow tempo.

Romanian Deadlift
Boxers are quad-dominant athletes and find it difficult to hinge at the hips and engage the glutes.
The Romanian deadlift promotes good hip patterning, hamstring flexibility and glute activation.

Main Coaching Points

- Feet hip width apart, hands evenly spaced on the

bar just outside the legs.
- Knees slightly bent, hips pushed back and shoulders
in front of the bar.
- Maintain angle of knees and neutral spine whilst
extending the hips.

Sumo Deadlift
This exercise is a great way to start lifting from the floor, the wider stance shortens the total
movement needed to lift the bar and makes it easier to maintain neutral posture.
Main Coaching Points
- Feet shoulder width apart, chest up, shoulders in front
of the bar. Knees bent but hips higher than knees.
- Drive through heels, extending knees and hips
simultaneously.
- Forcefully extend hips and squeeze glutes at top of lift.
ascent.
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Uni-Lateral Exercises
Successful boxers have strong legs and great balance. However, boxers spend so much
time in a split stance that they can have imbalances between leg size and strength,
resulting in movement and mobility issues.
Uni-lateral exercises are important for developing both legs in isolation.
Goblet Split Squat
This is a really good exercise as it allows you to load each leg whilst being in a stable position.
This develops quad and glute strength, as well as stretching the hips.
Main Coaching Points
- Feet hip width apart before splitting the feet evenly.
Weight on front heel and front of back foot.
- Lower down in a straight line, back knee just behind the
hips and front leg at a right angle.
- Keep core tense and upper body upright.

Goblet Reverse Lunge

This exercise increases the amount of balance and eccentric strength needed during a lunge
pattern, this can develop really strong glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.
Main Coaching Points

- Feet hip width apart before pushing one leg back,

weight on the heels and use the hips.
- Slowly lower as you put the leg back, then descend
into a split squat position.
- Drive through the front heel to return to a standing
position.

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

This is the exercise that can massively improve your leg strength as there's an increase eccentric
demand. But you should approach loading this with caution as it can cause muscle soreness.

Main Coaching Points

- Step forward into a lunge position, with front leg at a
right angle.
- Push through the heel back to a standing position,
flowing into the next rep.
- Be aware of extra chance of the knee over flexing.
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Upper Body Training
Your upper body needs to be strong to transfer force through the fist and deal with high
impact forces. Despite its importance, you should take care when training your upper
body for two reasons.
1. Poor shoulder mobility can alter technique, causing different activation patterns we
don't particularly want e.g. increased activation of the lower back and anterior deltoids
(front of shoulders), which are high risk injury areas.

2. Unwanted muscle size of the arms and chest could slow down punches due to an
increased mass and relatively poor function.

Horizontal Press
Most punches require a flexion and extension of the arm, making
pressing actions an obvious exercise to develop. This can develop the
muscles that are important for maintaining hand speed and 'stiffening'
upon impact.
Page - 13
Vertical Press
Boxers have strong shoulders but often at the expense of muscular
imbalances. Vertical pressing exercises improve the function of
muscles around the shoulder.

Page – 15

Vertical Pull
An effective way to develop the lats and muscles in the upper back
that support the shoulder. This can help support the shoulder when
delivering fast punches.
Page - 17
Horizontal Pull
We use horizontal pulls to develop the back and the varied actions
the lats and upper back muscles can perform. Horizontal pulling is an
easy action to perform and makes loading the lats simpler.
Page - 18
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Horizontal Press
Press-ups have been performed by many generations of boxers.
Pressing exercises can develop the pectorals, deltoids and triceps which are important for
producing hand speed and 'stiffening' upon impact.
Straight punching requires a horizontal extension of the arms, so the horizontal press
seems to have an obvious transfer. However, boxers should take care with technique and
progressing these exercises due to shoulder mobility issues.
This guide will help you use pressing exercises effectively.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Start Position
- Hands and dumbbells just outside shoulder width apart,
with the hands in a neutral grip facing each other
- Keep the abs tight forcing the lower back against the
bench.
- Feet driven into the floor.

The Ascent
- Forcefully push your body into the bench.
- Dumbbells travel up at speed, rotating as they
do, similar to the rotation of a straight punch.
- Ensure full extension of the arms.

The Descent
- Slowly control the dumbbells back down.
- Rotate the dumbbells back towards neutral
grip.
- Keep the elbows in and the shoulder blades
squeezed back.

DB Bench Press Checklist

✓ Arms even and retract shoulders ✓ Keep core brace and push into bench

✓ Control tempo and tuck elbows in ✓ Drive the dumbbells up and extend
arms forcefully.

✓ Punch hips forward at the top

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Build the foundations
The dumbbell bench press requires good strength, mobility and movement patterns. You
might need extra time to develop these qualities due to poor shoulder mobility and core
instability. Having these issues might cause the wrong muscles to be used during pressing
exercises.
These exercises will help you engage the correct muscle groups for strong, effective
pushing action.

Strict Press Ups

Press ups are part of boxing tradition, however some training systems promote a focus on
quantity over quality. This exercise helps engage the upper body and core.

Main Coaching Points

- Hands just outside shoulder width apart.
- Retract shoulder blades and elbows squeezed
together and brace the core.
- Push away from the floor keeping hips and
shoulders in line.

Things to avoid with strict press ups

- Elbows flaring out
- Loss of core tension and hips falling in towards the floor
- Arching of the lower back to compensate

Floor Press
The partial range in this exercise helps improve strength without compromising shoulder
mobility. Also, floor press increases the demand on the tricep muscles.

Main Coaching Points

- Laid flat with heels tucked in, core tense
with lower back pressed into the floor.
- Elbows tucked in and dumbbells parallel,
press up and twist the hands whilst locking
out the arms.
- Slowly lower down and come to a dead
stop before starting the next rep.
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Vertical Press
Most shots are performed in transverse and horizontal planes, this means the anterior
muscles can become over-developed.
This can result in weakness in areas that support the back of the shoulder like the rotator
cuff muscles.
Vertical pressing exercises are important in developing functional shoulder strength to
improve punch force and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Start Position
- Start with feet hip width apart with knees slightly bent.
- Dumbbells facing in parallel with each other, elbows
tucked in and shoulders retracted.
- Keep core tense and roll hips in squeezing the glutes.

The Ascent
- Push the dumbbells straight up, keeping your
legs stable and heels planted.
- Twist the dumbbells and hold over crown of
your head with arms fully extended.
- Keep core braced to limit extension of the
spine.

The Descent
- Slowly bring the dumbbells down and twist
back to parallel.
- Soften hips and knees whilst bringing weights
down, then go straight into next rep.

Shoulder Press Checklist

✓ Push and twist dumbbells overhead ✓ Keep core braced

✓ Slight push from the legs to push up ✓ Slowly lower and repeat

✓ Punch hips forward at the top

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Build The Foundations
Boxers have strong shoulders to deliver thudding shots, however this often results in
over-developed anterior deltoids and pectorals. This can cause shoulder tightness and
weaknesses in the posterior shoulder.

Sometimes overhead pressing is difficult for boxers. They often compensate by using the
lower back or by engaging already dominant anterior shoulder muscles.

Landmine Shoulder Press

This is an really effective strength exercise that you can overload the shoulders from a 45 degree
angle, allowing to engage the core more to avoid recruitment from your lower back.
Main Coaching Points
- Start in split stance, with bar anchored into squat rack
and placed on the shoulder.
- Push the bar until arm fully extended, keeping core
braced and body stable.
- Try other variations such as feet together or kneeling.

Half-Kneeling Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This is a good exercise to introduce pressing overhead. From a half-kneeling position, you can
engage the core better and stay stable.
Main Coaching Points
- Start in a half-kneeling position, with front leg at a right
angle and the knee of the back leg just behind the hips.
- Start with dumbbell by the shoulder, with elbow tucked
in and hand facing in.
- Push and twist the dumbbell until full extension of the
arm, keep core tense to avoid extension or rotation.

Single Arm Dumbbell Press

This is the first exercise to use when pressing overhead from a standing position. Pressing with
one arm will encourage more engagement of the core and avoid use of the lower-back.
Main Coaching Points
- Feet hip-width apart, slight knee flexion.
- Start with dumbbell by the shoulder, with elbow
tucked in and hand facing in.
- Push and twist the dumbbell until full extension of
the arm, keep core tense to avoid extension or
rotation.
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Vertical Pull
Pull ups are a common exercise used when training boxers, but why are these important?
Vertical pulls are an effective way to develop the lats and muscles in the upper back that
support the shoulder. This can help support the shoulder when delivering fast punches.
The lats are also important during combination punching to pull back the arm quickly
before delivering another punch.
Pull Ups
An exercise used in many boxers training regimes, but how can we make this more effective to
achieve optimal strength gains in lats and core.

Main Coaching Points

- Arms straight with shoulder blades retracted.
- Pull body up, elbows tucked in and retract
shoulder blades. Tuck knees up to engage core.
- Progress by either using weights between the legs,
extending your legs or performing tempo reps.

Band Pull Ups

Struggling with your pull ups? Wrap a theraband around the pull up bar and put your knees in,
the bands will reduce the resistance caused by your body mass.

Main Coaching Points

- Hands just outside shoulder width apart.
- Retract shoulder blades and elbows squeezed
together and brace the core.
- Progress by taking one knee out, more reps or split
the sets with some band and bodyweight pull ups.

Eccentric Pull Ups

No therabands available? Eccentric pull ups can be a good alternative as this will strengthen up
the back muscles preparing you for full bodyweight pull ups.
Main Coaching Points
- Assist yourself into the start position by either
jumping or stepping up.
- Lower the body down at a controlled tempo 3-4
seconds down.
- Progress by splitting the set between eccentric and
normal pull ups.
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Horizontal Pull
The reason we use horizontal pulls to develop the back is to develop the different actions
of the lats and upper back muscles.
We mentioned earlier that boxers struggle with overhead exercises, meaning activation
of the back muscles may be inhibited during vertical pulling exercises. Horizontal pulling
exercises are a useful and effective way to overload the back muscles.

Suspension Row
Using suspension trainers for a horizontal row exercise is a really useful way to develop the back
and core without putting the shoulders in a compromised position.

Start Position
- Arms straight but shoulders retracted, core tense
to make sure the bodyline is straight.
- Pull the body up, lead with the chest and keep
glutes tense. Twist hands and keep elbows in.
- Slowly lower down. Walk feet in and out to
change difficulty.

Single Arm Bent Over Row

This is a great exercise to overload the lats with a heavy resistance, whilst requiring good tension
of the core and posterior chain.

Main Coaching Points

- Feet slightly wider than hip width, hinge at hips
with upper body parallel with floor, one hand on
bench.
- Arm locked out and shoulder retracted, before
pulling the dumbbell into your armpit.
- Perform the exercise at a controlled tempo,
whilst pulling.
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Core Training for Boxing
Whether it is sit ups or leg raises, you've seen core training in most boxing sessions.

But why do we do it?

Our testing results suggest the stronger your core, the harder your punch! Core strength is
important to a forceful punch because it links the lower and upper body in the Kinetic chain.

The Kinetic Chain is a term used to describe how force is transferred through different parts of the
body to produce movement. In punching, force is transferred from the lower-body through to the
first.

The core muscles are a vital link between lower- and upper-body, and help transfer force during
punching actions.

Core strength also plays an important role in generating effective mass, this is known as the ‘snap’
of a punch. Greater ‘snap’ is performed with short, simultaneous activation of many muscle
groups, particularly the core, arm and shoulders.

Click here to learn more about the role of the core during punching
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Movements of the Core
There are four types of movement, flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. But, if you take
these to their limit the core will crumble and might cause injury. You should perform core training
to prevent this.
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Anti-Rotation
Pallof Press Landmine Rotation
Use band or Open chest when
cable. rotating.
Stay stable Keep hips
whilst pushing pointing
the arms out. forwards and
heels planted.

Anti-Extension
Plank with Arm Reach Plank Row

Start in plank position, extend arm in front. Slowly lift hand to touch opposite shoulder.
Keep stable throughout, take feet wider if Keep stable throughout, take feet wider if
needed. needed.
Anti-Lateral Flexion
Suitcase Holds Rotational Plank

Hinge at hips and bend

knees.
Maintain upright torso.
Hips level with shoulders.
Twist on an axis without pushing hips back.
Hip Flexion with Neutral Spine
Straight Arm Straight Leg Sit Leg Lowers
Up

Legs and arms straight throughout. Lower the legs and the arms out slowly,
Maintain straight back whist flexing at the hip. The core is challenged through extension.
 27
Punch Specific Exercises
Squats, deadlifts and core training helps you develop rate of force development, these will
have huge benefits to punch force.
However, a boxer must also learn how to transfer and express this newly developed force in
punch specific actions.
Punch specific exercises are ideal to help transfer your new strength and speed levels to improved
punch force.

Medicine Ball Punch Throw

This is a really effective exercise to improve hand speed by using a
rapid rotation of the core and extension of the hips.
Main Coaching Points
- Start in a stance where the medicine ball is held with
your back hand.
- Hold ball close to chin, with hips open.
- Rapidly rotate and drive through the punch, throwing
the ball as straight as possible.

Landmine Punch
The landmine punch can be performed at various loads, which makes it really useful in different
training phases as it can be used as a strength, strength-speed and speed exercise.

Main Coaching Points

- Start in a stance where the bar is held with your back
hand.
- Hold bar close to chin, with hips open.
- Rapidly rotate and drive through the punch, making
the bar 'rattle' at the top.

Landmine Punch with Isometric Hold

You will need your coach/training partner for this one to create extra tension at full extension,
this will help effective mass and the snap you create at the impact of a punch.
Main Coaching Points
- Select a load of between 10-20 kg to put on the bar.
- Rapidly rotate and drive through the punch, making
the bar 'rattle' at the top.
- Coach/partner provides tension at the top for 2-3
seconds, brace core and tense shoulders.
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The Program
On the proceeding pages is your S&C training programme, consisting of three phases to
be completed over the next 10 weeks.

We have three alternative ways you can access the programme.

NEW: Programme Posters

We have designed posters with visual
demonstrations of the programme. These
are a great tool and easy to follow, either
for yourself or share it by putting it on the
wall in your boxing gym.

Traditional Paper Based Programme

For all your warm-ups use the DIY program. You also have
Each session will an extended warm up superset to get you fired up for the
have 3 key session. Please see these in the Movement Handbook. Fill in what
exercises. These weight you
are ordered in performed on
which they should each set. For
be performed. Each bodyweight
exercises, just
key exercise is
put a tick or how
accompanied with a
many reps you
core/movement
performed in
exercise to be
each box.
performed
between each set. The exercise remains constant throughout the program,
with the repetitions and sets varying for each week.

OR LOG YOUR TRAINING PERFORMANCE WITH OUR EXCEL TEMPLATE

WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL

ACCESS THE FILE
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FAQ’s
Here are some frequently asked questions in relation to nutrition for boxing and combat
athletes. Also, to provide some answers to some possible scenarios to this strength
handbook.

What do I do if I have a fight?

On fight week, still perform the exercises but reduce the volume by lifting lighter weights.

Select a weight between 50-60% of the weight achieved in the previous session. Then
perform the same reps and sets as scheduled. Don't lift within 4 days of your fight date.

How heavy should I be lifting?

To start, you should focus on technique rather than lifting heavy loads. When you get the
hang of the exercises, you should start pushing yourself with heavier weights.

A good sign that you are lifting enough weight for strength gains is that you should find
the last two reps of each exercise tough – but you should still would have an extra rep in
the tank.

We are not looking for maximal efforts or to break you down in this program, so make
sure you are limiting yourself to near-maximal efforts.

What about if I have to shorten my session due to a busy schedule or feeling

fatigued?
With many training, work and social activities to juggle, some strength sessions might
have to be cut short. If you are in a rush or feeling run down, drop the filler exercises for
a core exercise, and drop one set each from your main exercises.

This will help shorten your session time but still work towards your goals. However, don’t
make a habit of this as we want optimal results.

How do I know I am doing the correct technique?

First of all, take a video of yourself for visual feedback. Then, take a look at the
‘Train Like A Champion’ exercise demonstrations to compare your technique with
our expert advice.
If you need more coaching on this, you can ask our experts in the Boxing Science
Facebook Training Group

Click Here to Visit our Facebook Training Group

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.
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Upgrade Your Programme
Get the full Boxing Science Experience with our brand new online
coaching service…
With our growing reputation – we have had the pleasure of working with athletes and
coaches all around the world.

We have delivered various types of remote packages – and trialed how we can deliver a
personal yet affordable service for people wanting to gain the full Boxing Science
experience.

We’ll Help You Adapt…

The online programme fits with our training philosophy – that it’s not a ‘one-size’ fits all
approach. The TLAC programme is a fantastic tool but we realise that our audience may
need to adapt to suit their situation, training history or environment. This programme
will allow our coaches to help you make these adjustments effectively.

We’ll Keep You On Track…

We also realise following a programme on your own maybe difficult – that’s why we will
have weekly check-ins to see how you’re progressing. We will encourage you to send
over your heart rate data and videos of your lifting techniques.

Monitor Your Progress

We have introduced some monitoring methods for you – however this can be better
managed and analysed in digital formats. We will be providing our monitoring tools on
Excel and google drive to help you get more out of the programme.
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We Won’t Keep You Waiting …
Many mentoring services use top-level coaches that are
often busy – leaving members waiting days for a
response. However, we will be managing the process so
you will get your answer straight away! We will be having
2 x 3 hour windows per week dedicated to answering
your questions.

Continue The Journey….

As you can imagine – developing a programme like TLAC 3.0 can take a lot of time and
effort – which may leave people waiting around ready for their next programme. The
online coaching programme will guarantee your next programme to start when you’re
ready so you can continue the journey to world-level fitness.
The Online Coaching programme is suitable for athletes, coaches and PT’s. Here are some
of the people who have benefitted from our programme in different ways.

So …. Here Is Everything Involved…

• 1-1 Coaching through WhatsApp
o 2 x 3-Hour Windows Per Week (however, you can message us anytime)
o Individual programme adjustments
o Feedback on sessions / lifting techniques
o Weekly tasks / goals
• Access to monitoring tools
o Programmes sent out in Excel format so able to log training loads
o Access to google forms to monitor wellness
• Rolling Programme
o The journey doesn’t end after TLAC 3.0 – we will send you an updated
programme to continue your training process.
o Individual adjustments will be made towards your training needs.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST BY E-MAILING US –

[Link]@[Link]
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The Authors
Danny Wilson BSc, MSc, ASCC – Boxing
Science Co-founder and Strength and
Conditioning Coach
Danny is a UKSCA accredited Strength and Conditioning
coach and has an Undergraduate and Master’s degree in
Sport and Exercise Science from Sheffield Hallam University.
Danny co-founded Boxing Science in 2014 following building
the successful Boxing programme at Sheffield Hallam
University where he has coached over 100 boxers as a
strength and conditioning coach.

Danny has prepared many boxers competitive bouts, including IBF welterweight world
champion Kell Brook, WBA Bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell, Kid Galahad,
Anthony Fowler and many more aspiring professional and amateur boxers. He is also the
lead for sport science services to England Boxing and is an England Boxing Level 1
qualified coach, enabling him to volunteer at Sheffield City ABC.

Danny is also a regional strength and conditioning coach for England Golf, working with
Yorkshire U16’s, U18’s and working with national level players. Danny has other
experiences in youth and professional standards across a range of sports, including
internships at Sheffield United, Sheffield Eagles and Chesterfield FC.

Dr Alan Ruddock PhD, CSci, MSc, BSc, BASES

Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist – Elite
Physiologist and Co-founder of Boxing Science
Alan is a physiologist at Sheffield Hallam University with a
wealth of experience in sport science. He has worked with a
range of individual athletes and teams, including FIFA World
Cup referee Howard Webb and Commonwealth games
medalists England Table Tennis. Alan has worked extensively
within Boxing at the highest level, having a huge influence on
Kid Galahad’s British, Commonwealth and European Title wins and with Kell Brook’s IBF
welterweight world title victory and his mega-fight against Gennady Golovkin.

Alan is a BASES accredited sport & exercise scientist and one of the UK’s first chartered
scientists in sport science. Alan has also recently completed his PhD “Alleviating heat
strain during exercise: Hand cooling and thermoregulation”.
 44

Lee Rickards BSc, MSc, ASCC – Boxing Science

Nutritionist – Sheffield United Nutrition
Consultant and Strength and Conditioning
Coach
Lee Rickards is a nutrition consultant and sport scientist
currently working at Sheffield United Football Club and with
professional combat sport athletes competing for regional,
national and commonwealth titles. Lee is an UKSCA accredited strength and conditioning
coach (ASCC) and an accredited body composition analyst by The International Society
for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK).

Lee was awarded his Bachelor of Science in Sport Science for Performance Coaching in
2013 and Master of Science in Sport and Exercise Science two years later at Sheffield
Hallam University. Lee has now taken on a PHD in Sports Nutrition.

Tommy Munday BSc – Boxing Science S&C

Coach and MSc Student
Tommy has supported the Boxing Science programme as a
Strength and Conditioning Intern for two years, progressing
to supporting a wide variety of amateur and professional
boxers, including Anthony Fowler, Kid Galahad and
Jamie/Gavin McDonnell.

Alongside this, he has worked in youth football, with Sheffield Wednesday FC’s Academy
as an S&C Intern. Tommy also runs our youth initiative sessions providing S&C support to
young amateur boxers and is a Level 2 Boxing Coach at Sheffield City ABC.

ENJOY THE PROGRAMME

Time to get stuck into your 10-week programme – this is separated into four electronic
handbooks – and are accessible from the same gumroad link you’ve used to download
this handbook.

Remember to join the Boxing Science Facebook Training Group to

access our experts 24/7.
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DISCLAIMER: Boxing Science provide a guide to help educate better training practices in Boxing. Methods used
in this guide is supported by scientific research that has been granted ethical approval. Therefore, Boxing Science, or any of
the authors, do not take responsibility of any injuries or illness any user may experience whilst on the program.