Training with The Butterfly reflex boxing bag
What is The Butterfly?
A free-standing boxing reflex boxing bag designed to finesse your boxing speed, coordination, reflexes and accuracy. The Butterfly has a unique design where the heavy duty, fast response spring sits mid-height making the responsiveness and recoil of the ball speedy, mimicking someone punching back. This type of device is also dubbed as the 'cobra bag' or 'cobra reflex bag'.
While this device is boxing centric, there are many benefits to incorporating The Butterfly into your day-to-day workout routine to get a sweat on. Just 3 x 3 min rounds elevates your heart rate, improves your cardio, burns calories and helps with your overall fitness. The Butterfly is a fun way to get fit at home or the gym, achieving an entire full body workout. If you’re bored of the treadmill or stationary bike than The Butterfly may just be what you are looking for.
Where can I use the Butterfly?
The Butterfly is a freestanding device that comes as a kit with all the necessary tools to set it up yourself literally anywhere. The base comes with suction cups and should be filled with either sand (generic) or water for extra stability.
We have many setup in professional boxing, kickboxing (& Muay Thai) and mixed martial arts (MMA) gyms. In fact, a few professional boxers and UFC fighters use it too. We also have many customers across the globe who have setup The Butterfly at home, in their home gyms and garages.
Do you have any tips for how I can use it?
Once the setup is complete (instructions provided in the box) its literally time to train!
Here is a simple training programme:
- Adjust the height to your preference using the handle. Usually you want the ball to be at shoulder height or higher. The height range is between 150 cm - 180 cm (59" - 70”) <6 feet.
- Set a timer to either 2min or 3 min rounds with a minute rest in between. Depends on your level of fitness you may want to start with the shorter rounds initially. We recommend going 10-12 rounds, but again you may want to start with 6 initially. If you have experience with HIIT or Tabata training this is an advantage.
- Wrapping your hands is recommended. We will have wraps on our store soon.
- Put on your gloves (an MMA style pair of gloves is provided in the box). We will also have other varieties of boxing gloves available on our store soon.
Try this great free workout timer app. Download here:
Timer Plus - Workout Timer (Apple)
Timer Plus - Workout Timer (Android)
Stance: Stand up nice and straight and place your feet about a shoulder width apart. Shift one of your feet slightly in front of the other, keeping them mostly parallel to each other. Your lead foot should be far enough ahead of your back foot that you can shift your weight when throwing a punch but close enough to maintain your balance. Your back foot is usually your power side e.g. if you are right handed/footed then this should be the rear (Orthodox). If your power side is your left then this foot should be the rear (Southpaw). You should be about 1 foot away from the base of The Butterfly.
Hands up (guard) to your cheeks, chin down and elbows tucked in. Facing the ball of The Butterfly. You are now ready to throw some hands.
Jab and Cross (1 and 2): Extending your leading hand all the way in front of you and twisting your knuckles (glove) towards the end to connect with the ball. Whilst performing the jab you want to ensure your other hand comes back slightly and covers the side of your face to protect you from a counter punch. Just like you're answering the phone. Bring your lead hand back to your guard swiftly. Your cross is done in a very similar way but try and rotate your back foot as well and move your hip as well in the direction of the punch. This will give you more reach and power as the cross is your power punch. You want to effectively drop about an inch when you rotate your foot and hip so that the cross comes out nice and straight with lots of impact. Again, answer the phone with your lead hand. Now return your hands to your guard. That's the 1-2, the jab and cross.
The jab is very important. It sets up everything in boxing; distracting your opponent, feeling range, creating openings. The jab is not to knock someone out. Throw them fast and straight to make way for the cross, hooks and uppercuts. The combinations.
The fun part about The Butterfly is that the ball will come back at you, fast. So you will need to calibrate and sync with its movement so that you are either moving away from the ball, or hitting it again as it comes back towards you.
Practice and warm up with the 1 and 2 on The Butterfly for 3 x 3 min rounds.
1
1-1
1-1-1
1-1-2
1-2-1-2 (repeat slow and fast for 30 seconds on and off)
1-2-1-2-1
1-2-1-1
Adjust your feet position as you shift your weight forward and back when throwing the 1 and 2. Move around The Butterfly 360 degrees, simulating a person is in front of you. Try different angles, move around fast and slow.
Rounds 3 and onward: start to incorporate some other strength and conditioning training within the round e.g.
1 min boxing
1 min push-ups
1 min sit ups
Rest.
1 min boxing
1 min air squats
1 min air jumps
Rest.
1 min boxing
1 min standing jumps (high knees)
1 min plank
Rest and repeat.
We hope you find this article helpful to get you started. Keep checking this blog as we introduce more layers to your boxing training with hooks, uppercuts, slips and feints. Don’t forget to checkout and follow our Instagram page (@box_finesse) for videos, pics and news.
