How to strengthen the solar plexus?

[Dado]

I just saw Badr vs Ignashov and im starting to realise that the solar plexus is a very vulnerable spot on my body, and judging by how much pain Badr seemed to be in after being punched there, im not feeling too confident about the condition of mine. Im tall and skinny and I think that is a disadvantage for my solar plexus because my friend who is very heavy and shorter than me has no problem with being punched in his solar plexus. Infact I punched him there after he asked me to and he didnt feel any pain!

I wanted to ask if anyone knows good ways to increase the strength of the solar plexus if indeed it is possible? I have heard about conditioning it by having medicine balls thrown at it, but I want something practical which I could do myself. Is there a particular type of sit up that would increase my muscle around the area?

Thanks.

[Titan]

Good question. I can't answer how we're physiologically built and whether a certain excersise will help or not.

I wanted to say that an excersise we do for just the hell of it is take a brick and put on its short end. Lay yourself on top of it so it digs into your solar plexus and stretch your arms out forward. Something to do while waiting for an answer. :-)

[El Presidente]

just make sure you're not breathing in when you're getting hit there... thats when it hurts the most. Not sure how to strengthen it...

Its a strange sensation... you dont feel it at first but a second later you know it. There's always a delay... then the shock.

So... tighten your guard... or stay amateur and fight with those SWAT Team flak jackets they use.

[Dado]

Its kind of funny because today I was training with a friend and I got hit right on the spot!

[unicorn]

There's no such thing as strenghtening a nerve center against an impact as human nature is not so generous even with less idealistic things to accomplish - kinda "stenghtening" a tigh muscle against a legkick (you can improve the reaction to being hurt but never make a muscle resist to a bone impact, it's beyond reckoning :) ) Now imagine that solar plexus is a place with tremendous reflex innervation underneath and that "strenghtening" it means to try to strenghten a computer by hammering the vulnerable connexions. Instead, good defensive means to be a) a moving target b) an intelligent moving target = move so as to minimize blows not so as to "bite" a hit with your plexus c) therefore one has to develop ability to "read" a bit the intentions d) habits to defend the area by deflecting under the blow can be developed by double-end ball routines, pad routines, sparring routines and I have seen always this kinda approach doing good. Instead, samurai-like (I mean : fake-samurai) kind of approaches went into getting hurt by trying and then getting hurt more by fighting :)

[Herbo]

What a lot of boxing gyms do is just body conditioning.

For 3 minutes put your hands above your hands and have a partner with gloves on constantly punch you in the body really fast and as hard as you can take it. You will find that doing this a few times a week will allow you to take harder and harder shots.

If you do it fast you dont get enough time to tense up so it is the best way of conditioning yourself for a blow you arnt ready for. Make sure your partner hits and all different parts of your body too.

[Ring Girl]

I think having more muscle in your torso definitely helps with dealing with impact. Nerves are still nerves, but the muscle helps protect your organs better. I mean, that's why people flex their abs when they know you're gonna hit them, right? Cause hard muscle makes it hurt less than a soft belly.

What the Team Quest guys do is use the medicine ball to help conditioning --

Guy A lays on the floor, in sit up position, basically. Guy B stands in front of him and drops the medicine ball down onto Guy A's stomach. Then Guy A has to pick the ball up, sit up and hand it to Guy B. Strengthens your abs and conditions you for impact at the same time.

I've seen Muay Thai trainers do something similar -- they have the fighter do situps and whack him in the stomach with a Thai pad on the stomach everytime he's in the extended part of the situp.

Team Quest also does a thing called "Crushing the Grapes" -- Guy A lays on the floor, and Guy B stands on his stomach and slowly walks in place. I've seen other gyms do this, too.

[Jodi]

Hmmm.....sorry wish I knew how to help with that.

I assume strengthen your core musculature would help.

Pikes, Planks, Bridges, Leg Balancing, Swiss ball crunches.

[Dado]

Thanks for advice guys.

Ive been improving my defense with elbow shielding and crunching before a punch lands so I havent been getting knocked down lately with body blows.

The exercises like you have mentioned help also.

[shoshin]

Get a Kyokushin Conditioning Video, that is the best way..