Resistance bands serve a wide variety of purposes and allow athletes to work on flexibility, strength and sport specific movements. In boxing or martial arts, the bands allow you to work on your specific punches, but instead of punching against air, the bands provide resistance, which leads to increased strength and power. You can easily reap the benefits of faster and more powerful punches by incorporating band training into your workout. What you need to do: Attach the resistance band or bands to a fence or sturdy post. The band should be in line with the direction of your punch. That means that it should be about shoulder-height and you should have room in front of you to punch straight ahead or to the side.