What strength training adds, according to the research
Cid-Calfucura and colleagues reviewed 20 studies covering 504 athletes, 428 men and 76 women, in judo, boxing, karate, wrestling and fencing. Each study tested fitness before and after a strength programme.
- Maximal strength improved, both in lifts and in static holds.
- Muscle power improved, as did flexibility and balance.
- Some sport-specific actions in judo, karate, fencing and boxing improved in favour of the groups that lifted.
- The authors conclude that strength work benefits physical fitness in these sports and can be used by coaches to improve performance.
Twenty studies is a modest base, and the programmes varied widely, so read this as support for lifting in general rather than proof of one method. If your sport is boxing and you are still deciding where to box, boxing at RPM explains what its fitness boxing sessions cover.
Punching power starts in the legs
A 2022 review by Beattie and Ruddock looked at how strength relates to the force of a punch in amateur and professional boxers. In elite amateurs, lower-body maximal strength and explosive strength in both the upper and lower body were largely associated with punch impact force. Upper-body maximal strength was not, and it did not separate hard punchers from lighter ones.
What the review suggests for boxers who want to hit harder, with gym examples:
| Body part | What to emphasise | Gym examples |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | Maximal and explosive strength | Squats, Romanian deadlifts, jump squats, broad jumps |
| Upper body | Explosive strength only | Medicine ball punches and chest passes, explosive push-ups |
| Trunk | Passing force from legs to fist | Rotational medicine ball throws, cable chops |
The authors stress that there are no experimental studies yet in elite amateur or professional boxing and little research in female boxers, so these are associations, not proven causes.
ACSM describes power training as light loads moved fast, three to five sets with three to five minutes of rest, which suits throws and jumps. Ball choice and throw patterns are covered in medicine ball and slam ball workouts.
A plan by discipline
| Discipline | What the sport leans on | Gym priorities |
|---|---|---|
| Striking: boxing, kickboxing, muay thai | Leg drive, rotation and repeated rounds | Squats and hinges, jumps, rotational throws, round-length intervals on the bag or a spin bike |
| Grappling: judo, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Pulling, gripping and driving from the hips | Rows and pulldowns, heavy carries, hinges, sled drags |
| Mixed martial arts | Both of the above | Alternate the emphasis between gym days, one leaning to striking and one to grappling |
This is general programming logic. The 2023 review's studies covered judo, boxing, karate, wrestling and fencing, and the 2022 review covered boxing only.
Managing fatigue across a fight-training week
Your sport sessions come first, and the gym fits around them. Fatigue from hard sparring or rolling and fatigue from heavy lifting add up, so plan both in one week rather than as two separate programmes.
A worked example for someone with three club sessions a week, two of them hard:
| Day | Club | Gym |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Hard sparring or rolling | None |
| Sunday | None | Rest or an easy walk |
| Monday | None | Heavy strength: legs and pulling, two or three lifts |
| Tuesday | Technique | None |
| Wednesday | None | Power and short conditioning: throws, jumps, intervals, kept light |
| Thursday | Hard sparring or rolling | None |
| Friday | None | Rest |
- No heavy leg work the day before hard sparring.
- If sleep gets worse, pads feel slow or your grip fades early, drop a gym session before you drop technique.
- For lifters with months of training behind them, ACSM's heavy work uses loads you can lift one to six times with three to five minutes of rest. Novices start at 8 to 12 repetitions.
- Injuries from training or competition go to a doctor or physiotherapist first.
Fight camp, fight week and the rest of the year
| Period | Gym focus | Sessions a week |
|---|---|---|
| Away from competition | Build strength and power, raise conditioning | Two or three |
| Fight camp | Keep loads, cut sets, more sport-like conditioning | One or two |
| Final week | Short and sharp, or nothing | One light session at most |
| After a fight or tournament | Rest, then rebuild gradually | Start again at two |
This layout is common practice, not something the reviews tested. Cutting weight for a weigh-in is a medical and dietary question: speak to a doctor or a registered dietitian, not a gym coach.
What RPM offers, and what it does not
RPM, a single club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, runs fitness boxing beside the heavy bags in the Mixed section's functional area: bag work, pad work and conditioning. Hamza Taher appears on the roster in a kickboxing role in the Mixed section, and Imen Hasnaoui as the combat and self-defence coach in the women-only Ladies section.
- For strength work, the training floor has a squat rack with colour bumper plates, a plate-loaded leg press, a pulldown, cable towers, dumbbells and benches. The functional area adds a turf lane with a sled, kettlebells, battle ropes and medicine balls.
- Sparring is not part of what is promised: ask whether it is offered and how it is supervised.
- How a boxing gym differs from an MMA gym is set out in boxing gym or MMA gym. For a week that mixes fitness boxing with lifting, see programming boxing and strength.
- For one-to-one sessions, ask about the Atelier tier and what it includes, and book the free guided tour to see the bags and the floor.
Sources
- Cid-Calfucura I, et al. Effects of strength training on physical fitness of Olympic combat sports athletes: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023
- Beattie K, Ruddock AD. The role of strength on punch impact force in boxing. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009
Questions, answered.
Will lifting slow my hands down?
The two reviews here did not measure hand speed. For the upper body, the 2022 review on punching points towards explosive work rather than heavy pressing, so keep that part of the plan fast.
Can I lift on the same day as sparring?
If it is the only slot you have, do the sport session first and keep the lifting short. Avoid heavy legs before sparring, and on the day before.
Is sparring available at RPM?
Ask the team. Fitness boxing at RPM means bag work, pad work and conditioning, and sparring is not something the club promises.
Should grapplers train grip separately?
Many do, through heavy carries, rows and holds at the end of a session. Keep grip work away from the day before a hard rolling session, when tired forearms cost the most.