I see it almost every time I walk into a gym: A fitness professional is doing some boxing fitness routines with a client, and unknowingly puts the client at risk for injury. The client is punching with too much arm, putting the shoulder, elbow, and back at risk – while not getting any core workout.

Proper form is essential in a boxing fitness workout. Most people think that a good punch comes from the arms, that you “throw” a punch. This is a huge misconception. Therefore, I’ve banished the phrase “throw a punch” from my gym. You should, too.

You don’t throw a punch. You drive a punch. You drive it with your body, not your arms. That’s why boxing fitness – done right – is such a great core workout.

A punch gets its power from four pivot points, plus a fifth secret that adds to power and further conserves energy.

The 4 pivot points are: the toe, the knee, the hip, and the shoulder. Whenever your clients drive a punch, they should bring these 4 pivot points towards their center (their chin/spine). If they don’t pivot to center, if they go too far past center, or if they lean forward, they lose their balance and power. They can also hurt their back.

By teaching your clients to drive a punch by turning those pivot points at the right time, you show them how to drive a punch with power. You also show them how to conserve energy while getting the most out of their punch.

The fifth secret isn’t a pivot point, but it does add power. There are two parts: First, never make a fist when punching until the moment of impact. Boxers keep their hands relaxed when they are in their stances. They only clench their fist when they are about to make contact.

Second, by turning the hand by 90 degrees at the moment of impact (from 12 o’clock to 9 o’clock or 3 o’clock) you can significantly increase the impact of your punch. There is a famous movie clip of Mohammed Ali knocking out Sonny Liston. In it, you can see Ali turn his hand 90 degrees just at the moment of impact (along with the four pivot points), and then Sonny falls.

Meanwhile, make sure the client’s stance includes the following features: the client is not square to you, but sideways like a fencer (this makes him or her a tougher target to hit); elbows are way in to the body; chin is down; butt is semi-crouched; back and neck are straight as if a pole was extending from them to the floor.

It doesn’t take long to learn proper boxing fitness form. Those who don’t – who follow the typical cardio-boxing program – risk hurting their clients. Those who do will have raving fans who keep coming back.

Tony Spain is the President of The Boxing Fitness Institute and a former professional boxer. For more information about proper boxing fitness technique, visit http://www.boxingfitnessinstitute.com.

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