It’s shocking to think that we may not have a grasp of the most functions of our body. Something like breathing may seem automatic but a number of factors conspire to create bad habits. Therefore, it’s safe to say that good breathing is important. However, it isn’t just about breathing right. It’s also about understanding how the mechanics of breathing can brace us for exertion like the way we brace our trunk with a deep breath, held properly when we are performing a heavy squat. Breathing creates both flow and pressure and has to be applied correctly for optimal performance, no matter what the activity.

Ted Sloan – Developing Correct Breathing Technique

Proper breathing has become all the rage recently in the fitness world. Schools such as Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) have developed special protocols and arguments for why it is so important to educate your clientele on this often incorrectly performed “natural” activity. I have heard some coaches, books, and articles claim that a common cause of improper breathing technique can be attributed to the ever increasing time spent in seated postures; this, however, is not the case.

The ancient Chinese health practitioners of Qigong have described this same phenomenon in their written texts from thousands of years ago. As we progress from childhood to adulthood, our breathing is altered from deep diaphragmatic breaths through the belly, to upper lung respiration that causes the chest and shoulders to rise, creating stiff musculature in the sternocleidomastoids and upper trapezius among others, instead of using the diaphragm, internal obliques, transverse abdominals, and intercostals.

PRI teaches proper diaphragmatic breathing through a series of carefully designed protocols that reduce respiratory effort, allow for deep inhalation and exhalation, and allow users to access their sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems more easily. This, in turn, allows better recovery, sleep, and relaxation, while enhancing the effects of sympathetic activation, when the fight-or-flight system is required. When discussing the use of PRI protocols, it is important to note that their explanation of how and why these issues occur, is significantly more complex and important to grasp if you are interested in educating others on the subject.

For example, PRI explains that as humans, we carry natural asymmetries, such as our heart inhibiting our inspiration in our upper left thoracic cavity and a liver in our lower right abdominal cavity, which causes unwanted rotational aspects into our breathing patterns and eventually causes semi-permanent changes to occur.

If your goal is simply to learn to breathe properly or teach the basics of proper respiration, a simple book such as Belissa Vranch’s “Breathe” is a great place to begin. It is, however, important to note that changes in how the ribs position themselves above the pelvis, can in some cases negatively affect athletic performance in some aspects and PRI attempts to modify these unwanted changes. Depending on your goals, there are many amazing options to choose from!

Giulio Palau – Respiration for Strength and Stability

Respiration is unique in that it can be a conscious or unconscious process. Many physiological mechanisms are connected or associated with the breath. Therefore, breathing techniques can provide a useful lever on otherwise autonomic processes. This is the basic premise of Wim Hof’s forced breathing practice. Although some of Wim’s claims on the benefits of his program may border on hyperbole, there is evidence to suggest that his techniques are effective at reducing inflammation, suppressing the auto-immune response, and strengthening respiratory muscles.

His breathing exercises are relatively safe and easy to practice. Take 30 deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Begin the breaths at a comfortable pace and gradually increase the rate of each breath cycle while inhaling and exhaling fully. After 30 breaths hold on an exhale until you feel yourself gasping for breath.

Breathe in fully and hold for 10-15 seconds. Breathe normally. Recent studies suggest that this forced breathing exercise causes a release of epinephrine, which in turn stimulates an anti-inflammatory response and a dampening of pro-inflammatory hormone responses. Subjects of the experimental group who were intravenously injected with a bacterial endotoxin were able to significantly suppress inflammation and flu-like symptoms compared with the control group.

Although the exact mechanism is not known, it has been suggested that the production of adrenaline (epinephrine) spikes during forced breathing exercises, while cortisol remains relatively low. This could be a useful tool in mitigating chronic stress and inflammation. As a strength coach, forced breathing techniques are valuable because they strengthen the breathing muscles, many of which are important for stabilizing the spine and maintaining torso stiffness during exercise.

Studies have shown that forced breathing exercises performed 3 times per week over 6 weeks in populations suffering from low back pain resulted in improved results in stabilizing the spine, managing pain symptoms, and addressing lordotic posture.

Strengthening the respiratory musculature also allows for higher levels of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) by increasing the contraction of the exhalation muscles while performing the Valsalva maneuver (exhalation against a closed airway). The skill of IAP is crucial to building maximal strength by stabilizing the torso. Another useful application of diaphragmatic breathing is in populations with shoulder and/or neck pain.

Chest breathing or shallow breathing can overwhelm secondary breathing muscles like the pec minor and upper trapezius resulting in elevation and protraction of the shoulders sometimes referred to as upper crossed syndrome. This posture can result in chronic tightness in the neck and shoulders and an increased cortisol response causing chronic inflammation. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is often useful in releasing tension in the cervical area and building stability in the torso.

Breathing with intention is an indispensable tool for building strength and stability and mitigating stress and inflammation, and may provide a way to consciously affect otherwise unconscious physiological processes. The importance of the breath should not be underestimated in strength training or in its role in health and well-being.

Antonio Squillante – Creating Support and Pressure With Your Breath

Breathing is more than just delivering oxygen and release carbon dioxide. By increasing intrabdominal pressure respiration comes into play as an auxiliary system to support the abdominal musculature as they brace the midsection. It becomes easier to understand the importance of breathing and intrabdominal pressure if we start from a basic example: is it easier to crash an empty, open can of soda or a full, closed one?

A full closed one we would all agree. Well, what creates tension within the can of soda is air, trapped between the walls of the cylinder and the fluid within it. If we do open the can – meaning, we release this “extra” pressure – the liquid itself won’t prevent us from crashing the container with minimal effort. Similar, an abdominal canister that is tightened from the outside in – via the isometric action of the core musculature – and from the inside out – by an increase in intraabdominal pressure via the active, forced inspiration – will always provide a more solid base of support for movements to occur.

Does that mean that we need to learn how to perform the Valsalva maneuver if we want to be able to perform better? By any means, no. It’s all about learning how to brace the core via the active, voluntary diaphragmatic respiration: it’s not about the amount of air we suck into our lungs, it’s rather about the amount of pressure we can generate via the diaphragm pressing against the abdominal cavity. It’s more than just “take a big breath and squat”.

No matter how forcefully we try to inspire, no air goes into our belly to support our core. It’s basic anatomy. The only way of increasing pressure within the abdominal cavity is by expanding the diaphragm so that its fibers can actively “push” from the top down against the abdominal wall. This mechanism is further support by the complementary respiratory muscles, those muscles that support forced inspiration and expiration during intense physical activity. These muscles belong to the core musculature, which again stresses the importance of core training in athletics.

The post Conscious Breathing Strategies in Strength Training and Recovery appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Diaphragmatic breathing, often referred to as abdominal breathing, is the best way to breathe deeply for health, meditation, and exercise. You may have heard of diaphragmatic breathing for yoga, martial arts, and Qigong, but rarely is it ever fully explained or instructed. I have been teaching and practicing it for years, and know that it is easy to learn and extremely beneficial for everyone.

I learned to breathe diaphragmatically when I was a singer, back in my other life as a musician. Little did I know that it would be the best thing I ever did for my body and mind. It is a constant source of calming energy as well as a reservoir of audible focus in the form of a “Kiai” when executing martial arts techniques. I learned how to breathe diaphragmatically using the method below, and I have been teaching it ever since for meditation, martial arts, and learning to be in the moment.

Here is a step-by-step approach to starting your practice:

1. Lie on your back on the floor and relax.
2. Place an object on your abdomen that has some weight, but is not too heavy. In the old days we used a phone book because it was the right size and weight. I often use a binder, so use something comparable.
3. Inhale deeply, and think about pushing all of the air into your abdomen, pushing the binder up as high as possible using only your abdomen. If possible, have a spotter watch you inhale to ensure that your chest does not rise. It is important to make sure you are not breathing into your chest.
4. Exhale and think about all of the air exiting your abdomen. As the object is falling, imagine it sinking through your abdomen to the floor. This will help you execute a complete exhale.
5. Never hold your breath. You should either be inhaling or exhaling.
6. Use counting to ensure the breathing is long and even. Breathe in for a count of five and exhale for a count of five, etc.
7. With subsequent breaths, try to inhale for a longer duration and exhale for a longer duration. Watch as the object rises and falls with your breath.
8. Concentrate on only using the abdomen, as the breath is entering and exiting, to move the object.
9. It helps to take audible breaths so you can hear yourself doing the exercise. Strive to make the breaths long.
10. After about a dozen breaths, you should feel that you are breathing deeper, and be used to feeling of pushing up the object and letting it fall.
11. When you are ready, sit up very slowly. Do not stand. It is common to have a “head rush” when you sit up. If you stand too quickly you may fall.
12. Take a few breaths normally and stand, or better yet, sit briefly in a chair.

Take time daily to breathe deeply for a few minutes. Even two to five minutes will be beneficial. You will find that you can relax deeply and when you finish, you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle what awaits you. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the single most important things that you can do with your body. It is not just for internal business though. On some nights after I close the school, and everyone is gone, I pull out my old clunky guitar and give it a quick tune like I did all of those years ago. I take a deep breath and belt out a couple of my old favorite songs with all the power and volume I want. Breathe deeply, and do all the things that bring you joy.

Are you breathing to your fullest potential?

The Neglected Training Mojo: Breath

The post A Primer on Diaphragmatic Breathing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Belts are part of a much larger topic about bracing and breathing, and this is a topic that is very close to my heart. This is where the discussion originates, so this is where we will start, with the help of some of our other coaches at Breaking Muscle.

Bracing and Breathing

Breathing – well, that’s simple right? Actually it is, but don’t assume you know it already. As strength and conditioning coach Traver H. Boehm says in his video Using Your Breath For Better Performance, “You might think you know how to breath, but it turns out many of us learned bad breathing habits early on in our strength training.” But that’s not the only reason to focus on your breathing. Traver continues, “Taking a deep breath can also prepare you mentally and physically for a challenging and/or explosive movement.”

So how do you breathe effectively? In fact, that’s not the first part of the puzzle. The first part is to brace the core. But how do you actually do that? I guarantee that there are coaches shouting “brace the core” up and down the country with clients who have little to no idea how to actually put it into action.

The easiest way of thinking about it is to imagine someone is about to punch you. As Olympic weightlifting coach Wil Fleming puts it in his article How to Brace and Breathe Properly for Weightlifting:

This cue brings about the image, or it should at least, of bracing your abdomen for a punch to the gut from Chuck Liddell. (There are probably more current references, but the Iceman packed a punch back in the day.)

This is a useful cue, but not much by way of explaination. I love the way Wil goes on to explain it:

Bracing is simply the best way to engage the entirety of the core and to create stiffness in an area that normally does not have stiffness. Mike Robertson, coach at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training, defined the function of the core in the simplest way that I have heard, when he talked about “the two Rs” of the core.

The core has two functions: The first is redistribution, as in redistribution of tension. Think of this R like a suspension bridge. The cables themselves are not tight to begin with, but they can support the weight of the bridge below through a redistribution of tension, like in a plank. The second R is redirection, as in the redirection of force. Power that is created in the lower body can only be moved along the kinetic chain through a core that is tight.

Where Belts Fit In

So where do belts fit into all of this? When you brace and breathe in the above manner, you are basically creating your own weightlifting belt. As Traver explains:

In reality, your breath should be your natural “weight belt” creating core stability during your weight bearing movements. Weight bearing movements include everything from barbell and dumbbell exercises to bodyweight exercises like push-ups.

The foundation of this idea of core-stability is the concept of intra-abdominal pressure. Olympic weightlifting coach Nick Horton discusses this in more detail in his article Weightlifting Belts: Should You Use One? Pro and Con:

All of the upsides to wearing a belt come down to the idea of intra-abdominal force or pressure. A study done by Miyamoto, et al. found that “Intra-muscular pressure of the erector spinae muscles increased significantly by wearing the abdominal belt during Valsalva maneuvers and during maximum isometric lifting exertions”. In short, if you increase the pressure in the abdomen, then you better stabilize the whole area which makes for a safer environment for the spine and can increase your ability to lift heavier weights.

A general rule of thumb is to start wearing a belt around 80-85% of your max. It’s useful to have that number in mind to know if you are way off the mark, but for me, it’s better to go my feel. In my article 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Weightlifting Belt, I wrote

When the going gets tough, the tough wear a belt. I’m not suggesting you wear a belt for all your warm-ups sets. But when it starts to get hairy, add the belt. In fact, I would advocate wearing the belt prior to the sets that matter. Breathing hard against the belt is a skill that needs to be practiced, especially when performing continuous repetitions.

Lifting Raw

If belts are so good, why not wear your belt all the time? This brings us to the topic of lifting raw. Robert Camacho opens up this topic well through his article Getting the Most Out of Assistive Gear: A Motor Patterning Perspective:

Assistive gear is not intended to solve, improve, or bypass a biomechanical problem. If you are lacking strength, then you need to build strength, not wear a belt.

As you’ve probably worked out by now, I’m a big advocate of using a belt. Does that mean I don’t believe in lifting raw? Absolutely not. Are you confused yet? Figured as much. Let’s take a look at the topic of lifting raw. As we’ve already seen there is a bracing and breathing sequence that needs to be followed. This needs to be learned. Nick Horton explains how belt wear can mess with this motor learning.

Many of the best exercises in the gym require a correct pattern of recruitment of the abdominals (including the obliques and transverse abdominals). With beginners, weight belts circumvent their learning of how to “squeeze” their abs tightly and in the right ways during a heavy lift. The belt just takes over.

He continues to state a clear but important consideration:

This issue, however, is pretty easy to get around if you have a good coach or you are paying attention. You should never use a belt in place of proper core work, stabilization, and technical learning. But that should be obvious.

As far as I am concerned, a coach should spend time teaching clients how to breathe properly and effectively without the use of the belt. If this coaching is done correctly, it will transfer well, and almost immediately, into the effective use of a belt. However I still believe that getting the most out of a belt is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced.

Psychological Effects of Belts

I think a lot of it is that they think the belt will protect their back so not as much attention is paid to form. It may also give them a false confidence and encourage them to lift a larger weight than they are truly capable of.

Summary

To summarize, don’t shy away from belts. Learn how to brace and breathe properly first and then learn how to use a belt properly. Train raw often, and always start your workouts like this before adding a belt when it gets heavy. Educate and familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of belt use and act accordingly. Enjoy getting stronger!

Photos courtesy of Strength Education.

The post Bracing, Breathing, and Belts – A Lifter’s Guide appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So far, the research on respiratory training has had mixed results. Recall the popularity of elevation training, for example, and how it has come under fire in the last few years. In fact, the respiratory system isn’t often considered a limiting factor for athletic performance. While your muscles may fail, your blood can accumulate waste products, and even your mind may tell you to quit, the lungs and respiratory muscles don’t seem to have much to do with athletic failure. The primary muscle of breathing, the diaphragm, isn’t prone to fatigue.

Nevertheless, it seems that respiratory training does yield changes in the response of the lungs to exercise. The researchers of the Journal study deemed it a topic worth checking out, particularly considering the popularity of the various methods of respiratory training.

In the study, the researchers used rugby players so they could perform the tests on conditioned athletes. They used two different kinds of shuttle runs. One was a fairly standard shuttle run in a twenty-meter grid. The second run was on the same grid, but involved a defensive roll. The participants dropped to the ground, rolled to their back, and rolled to their chests again before standing up and continuing the run.

The researchers measured blood lactate levels and respiratory function before and after the shuttle runs, and also tracked heart rate and perceived exertion during the runs. In each type of shuttle run, the participants either wore a nose clip to restrict their nasal breathing, or they ran the shuttle runs normally.

In the end, there was no difference between the restricted breathing condition and the normal condition. That goes for blood lactate, heart rate, and other factors during both shuttle runs. Restricted breathing simply didn’t seem to make a difference.

Keep in mind, however, that the study only tested nasal restriction. That’s not a huge restriction, and as a coach myself, it’s not one I see employed as commonly as some other methods. The researchers indicated that the combination of restricted nasal breathing and a snorkel to partially restrict mouth breathing might increase acidosis, which would allow athletes to potentially increase tolerance for that common athletic condition.

Ultimately, such a limited restriction may not have a big effect on performance. Additionally, it may also not represent the actual conditions athletes find themselves in, particularly combat athletes. Perhaps further restricting breath could be of benefit, but until something conclusive comes out, you’re better off practicing your sport instead.

References:

1. Rudi Meir, et. al., “The Acute Effect of Mouth Only Breathing on Time to Completion, Heart Rate, Rate of Perceived Exertion, Blood Lactate, and Ventilatory Measures During a High-Intensity Shuttle Run Sequence,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(4), 2014.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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How has your breathing been today? If you don’t know, then it is likely the quality of your breath has been poor. Few of us have developed good breathing habits, and most of us will never know unless we attend a yoga or breath class. Good breathing habits make your body more effective, both in and out of your workouts, and have the additional benefit of reducing the stress response. Here are some tips and exercises to help you get the most out of each breath.

Tip #1: The Lower Lungs are Better Breathers

If you watch a baby breathe, you can see the slow rise in the belly on the inhale and gentle softening of the belly on the exhale. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Somewhere along the way, though, many of us lose this natural breath pattern. We begin to pull the belly in on the inhale, forcing air into the upper lobes of the lungs. Scientifically speaking, “Chest breathing is inefficient because the greatest amount of blood flow occurs in the lower lobes of the lungs … Rapid, shallow, chest breathing results in less oxygen transfer to the blood and subsequent poor delivery of nutrients to the tissues.”¹ If you train your body to breathe into the lower lungs, you may notice you are able to sustain exercise, as well as daily life, with less effort.

Tip #2: The Breath Indicates Awareness

There is no natural, unconscious movement pattern for the body. For this reason, it is entirely possible to learn a movement, such as running, biking, or yoga, and repeat it with little to no awareness. If we stop paying attention to the breath, however, our unconscious rhythm will kick in. Therefore, it is easy to tell if we’re staying truly present in a yoga class by the breath, and this practice can transfer over into many areas of our lives. Our breath indicates our level of awareness and presence in any situation.

Tip #3: We Can Change our Unconscious Breath Pattern

Ideally, we’d like to get to a point where – even when we stop paying attention – the breath is restored to its natural pattern. We do this by training the breath, just like we do the body, through consistent practice. Try this exercise to experience deep, diaphragmatic breathing: 

1. Lying on your back, place one hand on your belly and one on your heart.
2. Exhale all of the air out of your lungs.
3. Inhale and breathe only into the belly. Feel it lift up into the hand. Exhale out the belly. Do this three times.
4. On your next inhale, breathe only into the ribs – the place between the two hands. Feel the ribs expand up, down, and in all directions. Exhale out the ribs. Do this three times.
5. On your next inhale, breathe only into the heart space at the top of the chest. Feel it rise up toward your chin. Exhale out the heart. Do this three times.
6. On your next inhale, breathe one-third of your breath into your belly, one-third of your breath into your ribs and one-third of your breath into your heart space. Exhale from the heart first, then the ribs, then the belly. Do this also three times.

This practice will help you feel what it is like to start the breath from the bottom and work up. It is amazing how much control you have to send the breath into different places on your lungs and ribs.

Tip #4: Diaphragmatic Breathing Increases Lung Capacity

It is thought we have the capacity to inhale up to two gallons of air in one breath. Most of us likely only use a small amount of that capacity, causing us to take more breaths than necessary. Each breath is a use of our energy, so by becoming more effective with the breath, we waste less energy. When the diaphragm is tight against the ribs, there is less space for the breath. When the diaphragm pulls away from the ribs first, it opens up space and creates a vacuum effect, pulling air into the very base of the ribs. Here, the lungs are effective, and we get the added benefit of taking in more breath overall.

Tip #5: Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Stress

Of all the reasons people come to my yoga class, stress reduction is in the top three. I think we all know someone who deals with too much stress, and that someone may even be you. If you’re looking for a simple, cost-free way to reduce stress, look no further than diaphragmatic breathing. When we breathe this way, we can lower our heart rate and, eventually, our blood pressure. These are two key signals to the brain that everything is okay.² In fact, slow breathing itself signals the brain that we are just fine, causing the brain to release less stress hormones from our endocrine system. This gives the body a chance to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, essentially stepping in and reversing the effects of the stress hormones already present in the body.

Yogis have long known the breath is the connection between the external world and the internal world. We use the same word – prana – to describe breath, energy, and life itself. Anytime you think of it, pay attention to your breathing. If a day goes by where you haven’t consciously thought of your breath, you may be unconsciously causing yourself more stress in a way that can be easily fixed for the benefit of your health and longevity.

References:

1. “Health Hint: Breathing Exercises,” American Medical Student Association.

2. “Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress,” Mayo Clinic, May 19, 2011.

The post How to Breathe for Efficiency, Longevity, and Stress Relief appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Breathing. We do it all day, every day. So what’s there to learn? As it turns out, the answer is rather a lot. Becoming better at breathing is advantageous for everything from relaxation to performance. And let’s be honest, you get plenty of chance to practice! Here are eleven pieces to take you through the ins and outs of mastering this seemingly basic task.

The post Back to Basics: 11 Articles and Videos on Breathing Better appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Our breath is our primary nutrition. We can go without food for somewhere in the range of twenty to forty days, and we can go without water for a significantly shorter period of time at about three to seven days. However we can go without breath, or oxygen, for only three to seven minutes. Try to hold your breath and eventually your nervous system will shut the experiment down by making you black out so it can get some air into you again.

That we need oxygen is clearly well established (duh). But what we talk about less is when people are restricted in the full expression of their breath due to structural compensations, and therefore are receiving sub-optimal cellular nutrition. Are you going to black out or get brain damage from this kind of low-level restriction? Nah. But as an athlete if you have some kinks in your breathing you will be slower to recover and to heal, and you will at some level have subpar performance (i.e. if you pay a little attention to training your breath you are likely to feel like you’ve been given some super-powered training mojo).

There are two main ways that people develop breath restrictions they may not notice:

1. They decide, either consciously or unconsciously that there is such a thing as “good” breath and “bad” breath.
2. Their abs of steel start getting in their way.

Good Breath vs. Bad Breath

First, we have three main kinds of breath – clavicular, thoracic, and abdominal:

Clavicular breath happens up high by your collarbone and first ribs. It lifts your shoulders up rapidly and dramatically to get as much air in as possible. This is emergency respiration and you may notice it comes in handy when you are at the end of a race (people leaning forward with their hands on their thighs panting furiously are engaging in clavicular breath), or when you need to move quickly in an emergency (people who sprint to the road to get their child out of traffic are also engaging in clavicular breath). In both of these cases, your nervous system decided that you needed to get as much air as possible and pronto. This gets the job done without the blacking out.

Thoracic breath happens where your lungs are, i.e. everywhere you have ribs. Thoracic breath happens most naturally when standing or sitting, as you need your core and pelvic floor to be more “on” in these positions to support your upright spine. If you force extreme belly breath while sitting or standing you are creating a kind of plunger effect on your pelvic floor, which may be ultimately good for the adult diaper industry, but probably isn’t great for your long-term quality of life.

Abdominal breath, sometimes called belly breath, occurs most naturally when we are lying down or at rest. This is when, because of the position of your body, the full expression of your respiratory diaphragm descending and moving the organs downwards can occur. This is a very relaxing breath for the nervous system, unlike its buddy clavicular breath.

Of course none of these types of breathing occur in isolation, so it’s more a matter of which you are doing most at any given time. You may also notice that none of these kinds of breath are bad. It’s just that some are more appropriate to certain circumstances than others. Trying to fall asleep while doing rapid, shallow clavicular breath won’t really do you any favors in the insomnia department, and belly breathing while you sprint to grab your child out of traffic won’t do you or your child any favors (as you will pass out before you get there from not having enough oxygen to get the job done).

Sometimes we choose a “good” breath and a “bad” breath and convince ourselves that we should only be breathing one way and commit to it. This can happen consciously if you had a teacher who at some point told you there was a holy grail of breath. This can happen unconsciously if you have restrictions in your soft tissue from injury, movement patterning, or trauma of both the emotional and physical variety.

In reality, what we want is to have the ability to breath in all ways and in all dimensions, and then leave the day-to-day decision making up to our nervous systems. I am by no means advocating against using certain kinds of breath for training – whether it’s the more bracing breath of powerlifting or the breath explorations, called pranayama, of yoga – but we should not have to think about our breath most of the time. We should just be fluent and adaptable and let our nervous system choose what is going to be most helpful.

When Good Abs Go Bad

Now on to the abs of steel issue. Whether it’s the six-pack, shredded up, wearing the cobra hood up at all times kind of abs, or the perma-corset abs that are advocated by some forms of Pilates and dance, constantly splinting like this can cause trouble. Our core – meaning the hard and soft tissues of our abdomen, spine, and pelvic floor – should not be like wearing a rigid metal back brace on the inside of our skin.

Our core is the center of our structure and has so much gorgeous movement potential, and with good reason. The core is really meant to function like a movement conduit, translating input across our center and into our limbs and upper and lower body. To shut it down rigidly shuts down a lot of potential, including our breath.

Meet Your Respiratory Diaphragm

While breath is complex, for the purposes of adding a little breath training into your work at home, let’s work on freeing up the capacity of the respiratory diaphragm. The respiratory diaphragm can kind of be seen as the mob boss of breath, if you will. It says what goes first, and everything else follows.

Since your respiratory diaphragm can’t be trained the way, say, your biceps can (though I would love to see someone make a video Respiratory Diaphragms of Steel), it becomes less about making it “stronger” and more about making it responsive and allowing all of the other tissues it affects to react to its movement. We need core musculature that is strong and mobile.

You can picture the diaphragm muscle as an umbrella that lives, dome-shaped, high up under your ribs. It’s a pretty fascinating muscle because while it originates by lining the inner surface of the lower six ribs, and also attaches at the upper two or three lumbar vertebrae and the inner part of the xiphoid process on the sternum. Its insertion is a little wacky because it is on itself, via the central tendon (the handle of the umbrella for visual purposes, though it does not function at all like the handle of an umbrella). All breath occurs by a change in internal pressure, and this change is produced when the central tendon pulls down, increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity, which pulls air into the lungs and displaces the organs downwards (this is the belly swell of abdominal breath).

So, watch the video below and let’s give your diaphragm some love via soft tissue work with a Coregeous ball. This is from the Yoga Tune Up world, and the Coregeous ball is an air-filled, super gushy, slightly sticky ball. Perfect and delish for doing home core tissue work. Do not do any work in your abdomen with any ball that is harder than this – no lacrosse balls, therapy balls, etc. And while the ball should be air-filled, it should be pliable and air-filled, so no basketballs or soccer balls! Be kind to your abdomen, okay? Last caveat – this work is a no-no for anyone with a hernia or a diastasis.

Photos 1-3 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The Neglected Training Mojo: Breath appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The body deals with reduced pH levels in a few ways. One such way is through good old fashioned breathing, and it’s one of the reasons why you breathe hard when you exercise. Bicarbonate bonds with hydrogen ions, creating carbonic acid, which is then turned into water and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the stuff you breathe out when you exhale. In a study this month in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, researchers wanted to know if purposeful hyperventilation – basically forcing yourself to breathe hard – would improve performance through a greater maintenance of acid.

Hyperventilation isn’t the only way to do this. Consuming a bicarbonate like baking soda can chemically perform a similar task, but results are mixed for timing and amount, and most people experience gastrointestinal upset as a result. Hyperventilation, on the other hand, can be performed at any time, by any athlete.

So the only question becomes whether or not it actually works. To find the answer, the researchers use repeated sprints on a bike to induce acidosis, the state in which the body’s pH isn’t ideal. In between each bout, there was a sixty second rest, in which the participants would either breathe normally, or purposely hyperventilate for the last thirty seconds with forced breaths every second.

Sure enough, the hyperventilation helped. The pH of the blood was increased by hyperventilation, meaning there was less acid. Not only that, but performance also improved. For both peak and average power outputs, the results took similar twists and turns. For both groups and for both peak and average power, the second bout of sprints showed a drop-off. The third showed a comeback, followed by a declining performance from the fourth bout on. However, this decline was attenuated big time by hyperventilation, where the drop-off in performance from the fourth round forward was not so bad.

Personally, I also use hyperventilation before a strength set and it works. I can usually get another clean rep or two if I use this method, but probably for different reasons, like increased oxygenation of the blood, or stimulation of the nervous system. However, before this study I hadn’t used hyperventilation to improve performance on repeated bouts of cardio exercise.

And there you have it, hyperventilation works. Not only will it improve your sprinting and interval performances, but may also boost your resistance training as well. Give it a try and watch your PRs benefit from it.

References:

1. Akihiro Sakamoto, et al., “Hyperventilation as a strategy for improved repeated sprint performance,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182a1fe5c

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But sometimes fitness nuts are just that: nuts. That tendency makes you wonder if there is any research out there that actually demonstrates a benefit to this obscure training method, and it turns out that there is. A review published this month by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning looked at the studies that examined this topic. There were 21 such studies, and all were focused on healthy athletes.

The first question the researchers addressed is whether or not respiratory training does anything at all. The answer here is a resounding yes. Respiratory training has a marked effect on the respiratory muscles like the diaphragm. When trained, these muscles go through the normal changes that our other muscles do. Training increases aerobic enzymes and blood flow and improves both endurance and power when done appropriately. The respiratory muscles even get stronger in the range of motion that you work them in, just like your other muscles. It seems odd to think about it that way, but the respiratory muscles really do function like our normal skeletal muscles that lift weights.

Now that’s all well and good, and very fascinating (to me at least) but what about the bottom line? We are athletes and coaches, and we want to know if respiratory training will actually help us win.The answer to that question is a mixed yes. Respiratory training was demonstrated to improve performance for almost any activity except swimming, diving, and special forces training. The latter was probably simply too technical, and perhaps an accidental part of normal special forces training anyway. For cyclists, there were trends towards improvement. In every other sport studied, the outcomes of athletic performance were improved.

The results were mixed for a few reasons. Each study used a wide array of methods for strengthening the respiratory muscles, some of which were undoubtedly more effective than others. That alone could account for all of the variation in results. Next, some sports include respiratory training to some extent as a matter of daily training. Because of water pressure, swimmers have frequent external loading to their torsos and forced breathing. Diving is probably too short an event to show much improvement from respiratory muscle training.

Now that we know respiratory training works, we just need to know how to do it. Well, swimming is obviously one way. But like all muscles, you need progressive resistance, so you’d have to get even better at swimming, which may not work for all athletes. There are products available that develop respiratory muscles, some of which are marketed as mimicking elevation training, but really do not. While this is an option, it’s typically an expensive one.

Perhaps the simplest and cheapest way to work the respiratory muscles is tube breathing. That’s right, good old breathing through a straw. Do this progressively, with stronger, faster, and deeper breaths through ever smaller tubes. That’s it – simple and effective.

References:

1. HajGhanbari, et. al., “Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Performance in Athletes: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(6), 2013

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Within a given workout there are multiple variables either a trainer or you can dictate. The movements you will perform, the loads with which you will be challenged, the number of reps you will do, or even how long your rest period will be. These variables can be used mathematically to bring forth sought after results. Whether it is to put on that extra ten pounds of mass or maybe shed the last few pounds before the summer, these variables when used correctly are the key in opening the door of success.

The “forgotten” variable, the one least-often controlled while training, is your breathing patterns. When someone tells you to rest one minute in between sets there is no fine print stating how many breaths you are allotted within that given rest period. Whether you fill your rest period with calm, meditative breaths or breathe like you are going into labor, for the most part, the program does not really care.

But it is time to start caring. It’s time to challenge yourself aerobically unlike you have ever done before and insert metabolic breathing ladders into your training routine.

Originally created by Steve McNamara of the RKC, metabolic breathing ladders consist of a high-volume workload executed at a relatively low rate of intensity. The exercises that best fuel the correct end results of metabolic breathing ladders are compound movements. Ideal movements for the ladders would be such exercises as kettlebell swings, dumbbell thrusters, and front squats. These compound movements will place a significantly larger demand on your oxygen intake, much greater than that of, say, a bench press, which involves fewer joints. The body’s ability to deal with this increased demand will in turn lead to more regulated breathing during other metabolic type exercises or sports and can significantly raise your vO2 max.

Metabolic breathing ladders consist of a 1:1 work to fixed breath ratio. Meaning, for every rep you complete, your rest period consists of identically that many breaths. If you complete five thrusters, then five deep breaths will follow. Just like regular programming, metabolic breathing ladders bring forth three distinct variables that directly correlate to how severe of an oxygen demand is created. The three variables are the movement, the load of the object, and rep scheme of the ladder.

Using a big compound movement with a significant load will call for extreme efficiency of oxygen utilization. While determining your rep scheme, understand that ladders that continuously climb up to a given variable will be ones that you should start a client out with. These ladders may be moderately taxing on the muscles due to increased reps and therefore work done, but the breathing also increases by number, thus not placing a high demand. An example of an increasing ladder could look like 1-20, starting at 1 rep and breath and increasing both by one until your last set will be 20 reps and 20 breaths.

When considering ramping up the intensity and bringing out the true potential controlled state of panic, you should use an ascending ladder scheme followed by a descending. In this situation a ladder may look something like 1-20, then back down from 20-1. After the ladder has reached its peak, even though the reps will then decrease, the amounts of breaths taken do as well. This immediate decrease in oxygen intake when it is most needed brings forth a state of panic. It’s a way to make your mind think it is quickly losing oxygen (almost if you drastically changed altitudes), while you are really just restricting the lungs’ ability to replenish the supply.

During these demanding times, you will experience a switch from the traditional nose breathing into transferring through the mouth with panicking gasps. If that oxygen demand becomes high enough and the body feels as though it is suffocating or quitting, this means the ladder was a success. You now have an idea of how far your oxygen intake can be challenged and have a baseline of your breathing efficiency.

Metabolic breathing ladders are an excellent way to increase your VO2 max and tolerance to push through demanding workouts. We are so used to working in a state of free breathing where there are no guidelines, and that can hinder us athletically. If you just completed a tough set or even an intense sprint, you may not start up again until you have fully caught your breath. By doing so, you are letting your cardiorespiratory system return back to being comfortable and not making yourself any better, aerobically speaking.

Ultimately, using programmed strict breathing will not only enable you to push through barriers you never thought possible, but also give you a concrete guideline so you do not just stare at the bar or kettlebells until you feel ready. So pick a movement, a load, and a scheme, and be willingly ready to step into a state of controlled panic.

Examples of Breathing Ladder Routines:

• Heavy Kettlebell Swings (24-36kg) 1-20-1
• Double Dumbbell Thrusters (20-40#s) 1-8-1-8-1
• Barbell Front Squats (75-135#s) 1-10-1-5

Photos provided by CrossFit LA.

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It’s long been thought that athletes, martial artists, and fighters grunt and make noise as a source of intimidation. There is certainly some truth to the assertion. Sudden loud and jarring noises can throw one off their game – just ask a golfer. For most professionals, however, a noise is just a noise and part of the background, if noticed at all. For most performers who are on their game a noise or a camera flash isn’t even seen or heard.

So what is the deal with these grunts, yells, and screeches? The deal is the release of breath. And while Monica Seles perhaps went overboard, the release of breath is as vital a component of athletics and artistry as anything. In the martial arts this is lesson number one. One who can fight is one who can breathe, pure and simple. A huge part of breathing effectively is connecting to one’s center and releasing breath properly. Every martial art from karate to muay Thai to Western boxing uses such a breathing technique.

While it’s a relatively simple concept, it seems to be a tough one for many to grasp. We are often disconnected from our breath and you can literally see this difference in how people move and breathe. Have you ever sat next to a really heavy person and heard them breathe? You can hear the whisp of their thin breath and see their chest rise. In doing so, they are breathing inefficiently from their chests and as a result their body gasps for air.

But it isn’t just heavy people who breathe incorrectly. Even expert exercisers and athletes can breathe inefficiently. There are many who look fit despite this deficiency. While a person may look fit and even have a high level of fitness, it is hard if not impossible to truly move well without mastering the art of breathing.

As someone who has coached and trained in boxing and in fitness for years, I’ve had difficulty at times getting this across to students. In a boxing gym, one should hear the “shh” whisper sound as boxers release breath with their punches. The “shh” sound is how boxers connect to the diaphragm and train their body to use breath efficiently. In muay Thai we use the sound “aish” for a roundhouse kick and in karate they use a sound called the kiai.

I’ve had many students who seemingly cannot or will not connect to their breath in this way. I say “breathe” many times a day as I am coaching, but this comment is often met with a perplexing look as if to say, “I am obviously breathing coach, I am above ground, aren’t I?” Clearly they are missing the point with such a response. Indeed, if you can’t breathe efficiently, you cannot move effectively.

If you’re struggling with the concept, start by finding a quiet place to stand still and place your hand on your stomach. As you inhale, feel and see your stomach push your hand out, counting to five. As you exhale, again count to five, slowly watching your hand come back in towards the body. As you do so, try practicing using a soft noise to connect to this exhalation. See Traver’s video for further demonstration:

Breathing correctly typically means one can see you breathe by how you move and it means one can hear you breathe correctly. For example, you simply cannot box without releasing breath. You cannot lift weights correctly or optimally without coordinating your breath. My sense in my experience over the years is that people do not understand or see how disconnected they are from their breath. The primary obstacle to breathing correctly seems to be a person’s lack of awareness of being truly connected to their breath. It takes practice and it also takes the willingness to work.

Such willingness leads me to a second obstacle to breathing effectively and efficiently – the ability to be open-minded and to truthfully observe ourselves. The reality is that many are too self-conscious to release their breath because of how they think others might look at them. Like an actor who’s job is being truthful in the moment, to do so comes at the risk of looking silly or foolish to others. When grunting and breathing, others will take notice and you become the center of attention. Many don’t like that spotlight. My response to that – suck it up, or rather, breathe it out.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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The study completed a systematic review using a method known as the Cochrane Collaboration protocol. The Cochrane Collaboration is an international network of more than 28,000 people from over 100 countries who prepare, update, and review more than 5,000 Cochrane Reviews. They also prepare the largest collection of randomized controlled trials in the world. EDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, EMBASE, EBM reviews, and COCHRANE electronic databases were searched from 1946 to July 31, 2011 to find relevant information. Articles were included if: participants were athletes, RMT was compared to sham or control in a randomized controlled design and included outcomes of respiratory muscle and sport performance, and if research was published in English.¹

Two authors used PEDro (a free physiotherapy evidence database of over 22,000 randomized trials, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy and data abstraction) to perform quality assessment and abstraction. The outcomes were evaluated based upon the measures of sport performance, exercise capacity, spirometry, and respiratory muscle strength and endurance. Meta-analyses were also performed on outcomes reported in two or more papers.²

The results of the systematic review showed that out of the 6,918 citations recovered from the search, only twenty-one met the criteria for inclusion. The meta-analyses showed a significant positive effect of respiratory muscle training on sport performance outcomes of time trials, and exercise endurance times and repetition on yo-yo tests.³

Most studies showed that muscle and strength endurance improved, but was mostly dependent on the type of respiratory muscle training implemented. The review was unable to narrow down the type of athlete who would benefit the most from RMT due to small sample sizes, a difference in RMT protocols, and differences in outcome measures among the studies.⁴

It be concluded that RMT can improve sport performance, respiratory strength, and endurance. However, more attention needs to be focused to match the requirements that RMT demands during athletic competition. More aggressive progression of training intensity may reveal greater improvements in future studies.⁵

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