Don't Forget to Breathe!
I tend to make this statement all throughout my client's sessions, especially ones that include thrusters or wall ball. I make sure to say this while my clients are on the rower...or pretty much performing any movement. I get quite a good laugh when the client is stretching and their face is more red/purple/green during stretching than during the actual workout. We sometimes forego the breathing to accomplish the task at hand. In some cases, that is a good thing. In most cases, its a HUGE hinderance. In addition, it doesn't help that most people breathe incorrectly.
For the most part, we take very shallow breaths. We have a tendency to breathe using our chest. Try this out: have a seat anywhere and breathe normally. Is your chest moving up and down with every inhalation/exhalation? If so, you're breathing incorrectly. If your stomach moves in and out, awesome! You're breathing correctly! Don't worry if you're not. This takes some getting used to and takes lots of practice. So why is "breathing with your stomach" better?
Its better for a couple reasons. However, let's start with what happens when we breathe.

Lining the bottom of our chest cavity and ribs is a muscle called the diaphragm. This is what allows our lungs to expand and contract during inhalation and exhalation. Directly below the diaphragm is our stomach. Without the extra room to contract, the diaphragm moves downward slightly, forcing our chest to move upward and actually compressing our lungs against the ribs. This forces us to use less of our lung capacity. If you use stomach breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, this would entail pushing your stomach out of the way, allowing the diaphragm to contract further and allow the lungs to expand even more. So you're stomach expands out when you inhale and contracts in when you exhale. Now don't be fooled. There will be SLIGHT chest expansion with diaphragmatic breathing but its NOWHERE near the expansion compared to "chest breathing". So wait...how is not breathing a good thing?
This is a plus during any lifting of heavy objects (barbells, stones, couches) and the same diaphragmatic breathing technique should still be used...with one slight change. Let's say that you are about to do a 3RM back squat. You're already warmed-up and about to start your first working set. You get underneath the bar, unrack it and step back slightly. Right before your first rep, you use the technique stated earlier: take a breath by pushing your stomach out, only this time, you hold it. You actually want to hold your breath while pushing the air against your stomach at the same time. By doing this, you are actually using your body's natural weight belt: your abdominals. (I know, I know...we all think the abs were meant for 1,000 sit ups everyday, especially if your Herschel Walker, but alas, they weren't.) Your abs are meant to transfer energy but, more importantly, to protect internal organs and your spine/vertebrae. You can actually see this being done right before an Olympic lift is performed in addition to the typical powerlifting movements (back squat and deadlift) and front squats.
One last part about breathing. There is a rhythm to breathing as well. Whenever you are going from the starting point to the midway point of the movement (eccentric phase), you are to breathe in. When actually performing the movement (concentric phase), you breathe out. For example, when performing a push-up, you take a breath in on the way down and breathe out on the way up. When performing a squat, you breathe in on the way down and out on the way up.
So during the strength portion of a workout, you are to use the diaphragmatic breathing with the pause. However, during the conditioning portion of a workout, the technique to be used can vary. Sometimes, the wegith is light enough to breathe constantly...like this (I recommend watching the entire scene but it gets really good after the 4 min mark. And when I say during class "breathe deep and breathe often", this is EXACTLY what I think of!). If the conditioning portion is "short and heavy", you are to use a combination of the diaphragmatic breathing and "breathing Cosbys" technique.
Again, this will take some getting used to but also TONS of practice. I've been breathing the proper way for close to 5 years and only because of my martial arts background. However, every once in a while, I fall back to old habits. Its usually corrected quickly by realizing I'm very short of breath.
Next week's post will be on how chocolate cake is great for breakfast...

Felipe Polanco






