Holding bricks when you punch

[Kung Fu Wang]

- Get 2 bricks of 7 lb each.
- Hold it in both hands.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times again.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times again.
- Repeat this training 3 times a week.

You should have some good result even after just 2 weeks. What's your opinion about this training?

 

[drop bear]

Great idea. We do weighted shadow work. All the time.

 

[Flying Crane]

i'm not a fan of his kind of training. since you are fighting gravity much more, your upper back and shoulders will clench more, which teaches you to actually hold back the power in your punches, and not release it. this results in your punches being all muscle-forced and arm-driven instead of being relaxed and done with the full body.

 

[wingchun100]

i'm not a fan of his kind of training. since you are fighting gravity much more, your upper back and shoulders will clench more, which teaches you to actually hold back the power in your punches, and not release it. this results in your punches being all muscle-forced and arm-driven instead of being relaxed and done with the full body.

Not only that, but by holding bricks you can't close your fist the way you are supposed to for a punch.

 

[Flying Crane]

Not only that, but by holding bricks you can't close your fist the way you are supposed to for a punch.

yeah, a better way would be to use very light dumbells, like one pound. Closer to a real fist, light weights might not be so detrimental. But still, even this way I don't recommend it. I just don't think this kind of training is a good idea.

If you want to get stronger in your arms and shoulders, then do specific exercises designed for that. But don't compromise your punching technique by modifying it to become a strength conditioning drill.

 

[wingchun100]

yeah, a better way would be to use very light dumbells, like one pound. Closer to a real fist, light weights might not be so detrimental. But still, even this way I don't recommend it. I just don't think this kind of training is a good idea.

If you want to get stronger in your arms and shoulders, then do specific exercises designed for that. But don't compromise your punching technique by modifying it to become a strength conditioning drill.

I can't remember where I read it, although I think it was said by a wing chun practitioner named Samuel Kwok, that the best way to approach the "punching with dumbbells" idea is to lay on your back and punch upward into the air. This way, the weight of the dumbbells doesn't make your punch drop as you extend your arm.

 

[wingchun100]

I just wanted to add this, although I am sure a lot of people here know it already: Bruce Lee did the punching with dumbbells thing, but the highest weight he went to was 10 lbs. That seems like a good cutoff point to me.

 

[wingchun100]

- Get 2 bricks of 7 lb each.
- Hold it in both hands.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat jab and cross combo for 30 times again.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat uppercut and hook combo for 30 times again.
- Repeat this training 3 times a week.

You should have some good result even after just 2 weeks. What's your opinion about this training?

This might not be good for punching practice. However, squeezing the bricks could be good for gripping power.

 

[Transk53]

yeah, a better way would be to use very light dumbells, like one pound. Closer to a real fist, light weights might not be so detrimental. But still, even this way I don't recommend it. I just don't think this kind of training is a good idea.

If you want to get stronger in your arms and shoulders, then do specific exercises designed for that. But don't compromise your punching technique by modifying it to become a strength conditioning drill.

I can't remember where I read it, although I think it was said by a wing chun practitioner named Samuel Kwok, that the best way to approach the "punching with dumbbells" idea is to lay on your back and punch upward into the air. This way, the weight of the dumbbells doesn't make your punch drop as you extend your arm.

Agree with both of these.

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Using something along the lines of a Lifeline USA TNT power cable would work very well. You can hold it tightly like a dumbbell and it can be attached to a door. This gives you increasing resistance and would allow pretty much any angle of punch. Alternately you could keep your hand somewhat open like a palm heel strike for this type of open hand training. And the amount of resistance can be easily increased.

 

[KydeX]

I can't remember where I read it, although I think it was said by a wing chun practitioner named Samuel Kwok, that the best way to approach the "punching with dumbbells" idea is to lay on your back and punch upward into the air. This way, the weight of the dumbbells doesn't make your punch drop as you extend your arm.

This is called bench press but I agree this would be a better way.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

the best way to approach the "punching with dumbbells" idea is to lay on your back and punch upward into the air.

When you lay on your back and punch, you only use your arm muscle and not your entire body.

 

[drop bear]

Not only that, but by holding bricks you can't close your fist the way you are supposed to for a punch.

Yeah but think of the grip you are developing.

 

[drop bear]

i'm not a fan of his kind of training. since you are fighting gravity much more, your upper back and shoulders will clench more, which teaches you to actually hold back the power in your punches, and not release it. this results in your punches being all muscle-forced and arm-driven instead of being relaxed and done with the full body.

But you are fighting gravity after a while anyway. Dropping your hands when you are tired is a pretty common fault. The weights could combat that by building up the strength that keeps your hands up.

When you put down the weight your hands defiantly feel lighter. Even if it is psychological that should deal with the tension issue

You could do a 30 seconds weighted 30 seconds unweighted. Which with bricks would be become really challenging after a minute or two.

 

[Danny T]

i'm not a fan of his kind of training. since you are fighting gravity much more, your upper back and shoulders will clench more, which teaches you to actually hold back the power in your punches, and not release it. this results in your punches being all muscle-forced and arm-driven instead of being relaxed and done with the full body.

Yeap.
How about strapping on 16 oz or 18 oz gloves shadowbox for 4 rounds to warm up and then actually workout on a heavy bag.

 

[Flying Crane]

But you are fighting gravity after a while anyway. Dropping your hands when you are tired is a pretty common fault. The weights could combat that by building up the strength that keeps your hands up.

When you put down the weight your hands defiantly feel lighter. Even if it is psychological that should deal with the tension issue

You could do a 30 seconds weighted 30 seconds unweighted. Which with bricks would be become really challenging after a minute or two.

except that the exercise fundamentally destroys proper punching technique, long before you might get those other benefits.

 

[Flying Crane]

Yeap.
How about strapping on 16 oz or 18 oz gloves shadowbox for 4 rounds to warm up and then actually workout on a heavy bag.

I don't do that either. If I work on a heavy bag, I do it bare-knuckle. No gloves, no wraps. Gloves make you form your fist differently, allow you to land your strikes in ways that might lead to actual injury if you were not wearing the gloves and hit a real target. Those are real problems, so I don't use those things. You need the feedback you get from bare-knuckles, unsupported wrists, to develop the ability to hit and not injure yourself.

 

[Danny T]

I don't do that either. If I work on a heavy bag, I do it bare-knuckle. No gloves, no wraps. Gloves make you form your fist differently, allow you to land your strikes in ways that might lead to actual injury if you were not wearing the gloves and hit a real target. Those are real problems, so I don't use those things. You need the feedback you get from bare-knuckles, unsupported wrists, to develop the ability to hit and not injure yourself.

The training with gloves is for the additional weight on the hands and arms giving a great workout in addition to also doing a lot of bare hand training on the heavy bag, wall bags, and pad work. We do pushups which is not the same as the way we punch. I run everyday which is completely different from the footwork I normally utilize but I still run because of the benefits from running. Punching the heavy bag with gloves to increase the weight on the hands and arms are beneficial just as other exercises benefit the practitioner. To become an excellent fighter one also needs the feedback from an opponent or training partner punching and kicking at real time and speed but that doesn't mean one must only train at full speed and power. Punching with gloves can be a very good method of working out with additional weight on the hands and being able to work at full power and speed - safely. It is but only one piece of the training methods. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Flying Crane]

The training with gloves is for the additional weight on the hands and arms giving a great workout in addition to also doing a lot of bare hand training on the heavy bag, wall bags, and pad work. We do pushups which is not the same as the way we punch. I run everyday which is completely different from the footwork I normally utilize but I still run because of the benefits from running. Punching the heavy bag with gloves to increase the weight on the hands and arms are beneficial just as other exercises benefit the practitioner. To become an excellent fighter one also needs the feedback from an opponent or training partner punching and kicking at real time and speed but that doesn't mean one must only train at full speed and power. Punching with gloves can be a very good method of working out with additional weight on the hands and being able to work at full power and speed - safely. It is but only one piece of the training methods. Your mileage may vary.

i don't get any mileage from it, but if you like what you get from it, then keep doing it. I'm not telling anyone NOT to do it, only why I don't do it. Anyone else can make up their own minds about it.

 

[James Kovacich]

Bricks are to heavy and develop the wrong muscle fibers,. The necesary smaller muscle fibers go undertrained and will more prone to injury. Light dumbells, 1 to 3 lb max is better. 3lbs is almost stretching it. 1lb weighted gloves do a go job.

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