The most powerful punches aren't actually the fastest ones. Your arm can move more quickly than the rest of your body, so waiting for your body to catch up to a punch slows the punch down. Even though a powerful punch is a slower one, there will be moments when you have just enough time to execute a slow but extremely forceful punch. It's worth practicing punching at a slower speed so you can feel the full power that comes when you give your body time to get behind your fist.  Try punching at half speed when you're training. Force yourself to slow down and focus on using your leg muscles and torso to maximize your power. Remember where that power came from when you speed things up. While you'd never punch at half speed during a match, you can focus on using your legs and torso to generate as much power as possible. Speed is as important as power, since if you're too slow your opponent will have time to throw a lot more punches. Train with a speed bag and see how fast your arms can fly. Be sure to use the proper form and remember to keep your thumb tucked away from your knuckles as you punch.  The biggest part of the speed bag, the belly, should be hung at the same height as your nose. Hanging it too high will cause you to use improper form when you're training.  Focus on keeping the bag constantly in motion and always under your control. Start slow, alternating punching with your right and left arm. As you gain control, speed up your punching. Doing some amount of strength training is a good way to keep your body in the best shape possible, but strength training alone doesn't make you a stronger or quicker boxer. You need to train your muscles to punch by punching, not lifting weights. That said, it's a good idea to have a strength training routine that strengthens your legs and core for maximum power.  Try  deadlifts to build overall body strength in your legs, torso and arms.   Squats,  push ups, and pull ups are good exercises for building strength that translates well to better punches. The best cardio workouts for building the kind of fitness you need to be a good boxer are swimming and jumping rope. When you need a break from regular training, look to these cardio workouts as good alternatives. Running, biking, and other cardio workouts are beneficial, but they don't build strength that specifically aids your body when you want to punch hard during a boxing match. An isometric muscle contraction happens with the muscle contracts without changing length. You can practice this type of contraction by pushing as hard as you can against a stationary object, like a wall. Using isometric training to exercise your arms teaches your body to store strength that can be quickly whipped out at maximum capacity. Try this routine to work out your arms:  Make a fist and push it into a wall as hard as you can. Use your entire body to push your fist for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other hand.   Try doing 15 reps and 3 sets per arm per training session. Doing this exercise every other day will strengthen your muscles.

Summary: Practice punching slow. Practice with a speed bag. Keep your strength training in check. Do cardio exercises. Try isometric training.


Unplug the toaster oven and open its door.  Holding your toaster oven securely over the trash bin, tilt the open side of it toward the bin.  Tap it on the back once or twice to shake loose crumbs that might be lodged within. While all the racks and pans of your toaster oven are drying, keep the door of your toaster oven open after you’ve cleaned the inside.  This will allow it to air dry.

Summary: Dump the crumbs out of the oven. Allow the oven to dry.


Open your package of Command hooks, and find the adhesive strip. Find the side that is red, then peel that liner off. Once you have the liner off, press it against the back of the hook.  If the liner is not color-coded, look for the word "hook" and peel that side off instead. Some adhesive strips have little pull tabs that are used for removing the adhesive from the wall. Make sure that this tab is sticking out of the bottom of the hook. If your hook's liner was not color-coded, look for the side that is labeled "wall." Peel the liner off, and press the hook against the wall, right between your pencil marks. Hold the hook firmly against the wall for 30 seconds. Make sure that the hook is oriented correctly. The hooked part should be pointing down, with the tip curving upwards. Some types of Command hooks slide out of the base that you attached the adhesive strip to. Slide the hook upwards to reveal the rectangular base. Press the base firmly against the wall for 30 seconds, then slide the hook base into place. Skip this step if you are using a simple hook that does not slide off of the base. You will need another hook on the other side of the window. If you are using a large and/or heavy curtain rod, install a third hook in the middle, between the 2 outer hooks. Do not jump ahead and hang the curtain rod up just yet. During this time, the adhesive will bind to the wall. Don't get impatient and hang the curtain rod before the hour is up, or the hooks will fall off. You can now hang your curtain onto the rod. How you do this depends on the type of curtain you are using. For example, some curtains slide directly onto the rod, while others must be secured with curtain rings or tabs.
Summary: Remove the red liner and press it against the back of the hook. Remove the black liner and press it against the wall for 30 seconds. Slide the hook off of the base, and press the base against the wall, if applicable. Repeat the process for the other hooks. Give the hooks 1 hour to bond to the wall. Place the curtain rod onto the hooks.