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breathing importance

dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/02/26, 03:27 PM I've been told that breathing correctly during weight exercises is very important. I would like to know if people actually noticed a difference in their ability when they began to breathe properly. Or if anyone pays no heed to breathing in a certain fashion when lifting, I would be interested in this to. cheers.
Lonegirl Posts: 446 Joined: 2002/11/13	2006/03/14, 06:11 AM Breathing properly is very important...anyone who has taken martial arts will also agree...exertion of force is greater with better breathing techniques...Holding ones breath (most common mistake) can be quite dangerous as it causes a lack of oxygen to the brain...and one could potentially pass out as well. Inhale at the beginning of the lift and exhale during the release of each weight. Be conscious of your breathing...
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/14, 10:48 AM Try this. Get on the bench press, and work up to a 5rm. Then, do a set with that weight while inhaling on the way down, bracing your abdominals, and slowly forcing the air out on the way up. Wait 120s. Now do the opposite, inhaling on the way up. Tell me what feels easier... -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/18, 05:45 PM I tried varying the breathing, I have come to the conclusion that I find it easier to inhale on the positive movement, and exhale on the negative, rather than the other way round. But I am not sure whether the inhalation helps rather than ignoring breathing..........I think it might.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/18, 08:07 PM Then you are not using your tva properly, and you more than likely have poor body tension or are exhaling with a relaxed diaphragm. But then most people, myself included, need to practice better body tension during lifts. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
	2006/03/19, 06:56 AM wrestler would you want to breath during 1rm or no? I usually just take a big breath and hold it....on non-1rm max sets it depends on the exercises....on pushing/lowerbody exercises....you want to inhale on eccentric phase(descent) and exhale on the concentric(ascent)...while on pulling movements it's the opposite...
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/19, 11:19 AM Usually I am contracting my diaphragm as if to forcibly expel air, but I block the actually exhalation with my toungue on my teeth. The result is sometimes a compressed hissing sound, other times it held until the end portion of a lift. Attend a powerlifting meet and you will see the same. When doing things like explosive strongman events and olympic lifts, where TUT < 1(s), I like to explosively exhale, and it often sounds like a grunt or yell. Attend an olympic meet or watch a video and you will see the same. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/22, 02:55 PM ============ Quoting from wrestler125: Then you are not using your tva properly, and you more than likely have poor body tension or are exhaling with a relaxed diaphragm. But then most people, myself included, need to practice better body tension during lifts. ============= You have much more knowledge to impart. Any chance you could elaborate on this with some laymans terms? Cheers.
Mojo_67 Posts: 1,299 Joined: 2003/09/23	2006/03/22, 07:47 PM Yeah, inhale on the pull and exhale on the push. Go ahead, jump all over it...punch holes in it. I'm much too simple I know. My screen name should be "CAVEMAN". Sue me. -------------- Hungry and mean!
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/22, 09:55 PM Stay tight. Simple? When you bench press, every muscle in your body should be tight, ESPECIALLY your abdominals, which should be FORCING the air out. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
	2006/03/23, 03:24 AM I also like to get a big arch in my lower back and keep it as tight as I can...along with the abs....and get legs underneath you dug into the ground and tight throughout..... there's a transfer of power from the legs to the lower back/core and finally to the muscles involved in the pressing.....if you're loose...and not staying tight properly...you're losing a ton of strength.....
	2006/03/23, 03:26 AM (that's also the case in other exercises...I used bench press as an example....since it way mentioned...)
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/23, 06:39 AM Ok, Cheers. But on lifts this is reversed right? I mean Bicep curl(eg), you exhale as the elbow bend increases, staying tight?
	2006/03/23, 07:17 AM breath in while curling, breath out when lowering the arm...
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/23, 08:21 AM Ok. So inward bends are always coupled with inhalations. Im interested in what yous mean by staying tight. I understand that in martial arts they use the breathing principles, and also this principle you mentioned of bringing energy up through the body. But they tend to say that more power is exerted from a relaxed muscle. Does it not compute that if muscles are tight/tense they are consuming energy to do this which detracts from the exercise itself?
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/23, 03:07 PM I don't know how else to say this. Tension has an additive effect. Everyone I train can see an IMMEDIATE increase in strength through applying tension. Hell, I thought I was good at this until I met Dave Tate. He added 20 lbs to my raw bench in one session, just by getting me tighter. More power is exerted from a relaxed muscle. What the hell does this mean? If your muscle is relaxed, there is NO power. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/24, 04:32 PM Chill out. Notice the the plural. Obviously the muscle(s) aiming to be worked by the exercise will be expending max effort(or close to), but I'm just interested in the theory. Looking at it completely objectively, would you not want use the muscles not directly involved, only as much as necessary.......leaving mroe oxygen/energy for the muscles involved......... I'm not trying to question your Cred. wrestler.
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/24, 04:34 PM "want to use" I should've said.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/24, 07:39 PM No. Not at all. Reread my post for an example. Or better yet, come and train with me for a day, and if I can't add at least 20lbs to your bench in a single session through tension, I will never post here again. Question my credentials, and everyone elses. I am glad you are asking questions, and try not to take me the wrong way, I do not aim to sound like a smart ass. Try to look at your training like a chain. Basic biomechanics. If you are doing a hamstring exercise, lets say hip flexion. The hamstring ties into the glutes and calf muscles (gastocnemius and soleus). If these muscles are not tight, then the hamstring is pulling on bands (yes I understand that muscles also tie to tendons, but if your muscles are loose, then there is significant stretch and movement), rather than pulling on cables. As a result, the central nervous system will not allow that muscle (the hamstring) to fire properly, as it will risk injury. Similarly, if the glutes and calve are partially tense, the cns will not allow the hamstring to fire at full intensity. Your muscle weaken during a set due to the depletion of creatine stores, which are localized, not becuase of lack of oxygen. So your logic is slightly off. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/24, 07:42 PM *hip flexion should read either knee flexion, or hip extension -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
Mojo_67 Posts: 1,299 Joined: 2003/09/23	2006/03/24, 10:51 PM Smart ass?...Funny...I was kinda thinkin' arrogant little F#@%! Awwwww...I'm jk, you know I don't mean it...I love you man...now give me your Bud-Light! Truth be told, I wouldn't mind spending a day or two working out with ya. -------------- Hungry and mean!
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2006/03/25, 12:42 AM ehhh, american beer. you can have it. I don't drink often, but if I am going to, it better be a little better than bud light. If your ever in the rochester area, let me know. -------------- Iron and chalk. Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
dogfather Posts: 21 Joined: 2006/02/02	2006/03/25, 03:03 PM Ok, cheers. Pretty interesting. It's not my logic, rather a hypothetical. Obviously if I knew exactly what I was doing, I wouldn't ask. Thanks for the info.
Mojo_67 Posts: 1,299 Joined: 2003/09/23	2006/03/25, 08:14 PM Will do brother. I'll be the one with the cheap sunglasses and worn out leather jacket. -------------- Hungry and mean!