**breathes in**
It has come to my attention that breathing is harder than I thought.
So don’t think this blog is targeted at you as I stand next to you whilst deadlifting breathing together as if you’re in labour. It’s just because its bloody important for the best results and the least injuries. Many of you lift heavy shit. Which is really cool.
Not so cool if you have to tell the doctor you popped a rib because “you breathed wrong” So here we are…
WHY SHOULD I BREATHE?
Because you will eventually die if you dont.
But more practically when you breathe one of two things happen
1. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) P, think Peaceful responsible for reducing stress hormones, performing cellular processes and digesting things
2. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) S, think Stress. Responsible for raising cortisol, slowing digestive processes and getting you ready for FEAR (f**k everything and run).
Which one do you think is better? It’s P – PNS
Q. HOW DO I BREATHE AND LIFT AT THE SAME TIME??
There’s 2 ways of remembering it. One overrides the other.
A. Exhale on the up – suggesting against gravity.
This works most of the time except when you’re doing an exercise which occurs on the horizontal plane such as horizontal rows, so we’d need to defer to the more correct rule:
A. Exhale on the hard part / exertion
If you think about any moving exercise there’s always two phases… one part is easier, the other… is harder – So exhale against gravity / on the hard part.
And hence, inhale on the easier part.
I like to think I’m blowing the floor away during deadlifts and pushups or blowing the weight away from me when I’m bench pressing
Let me not go into more complicated pausing, bracing, lifting faces for today.
So you have two factors.
1. when you inhale/when you exhale
2. when you lift (concentric phase) /when you release (eccentric phase)
Cross your wires and you explode.
not really.. but almost.
Correct response 99% of the time.
✅A. Breathe out on the hard part. Breathe in on the easy part.
You will
1. Brace the core leading to a stronger (easier) lift
2. Be able to lift heavier shit
3. Easier to breathe into the belly
4. Activate the PNS (rest and digest) system as you train
5. Avoid injury
❌ Incorrect response 99% of the time.
Breathe in on the hard part. Breathe out on the easy part.
You will
1. Lose tension through the core equivalent of a wet sock
2. Increase pressure in the neck and ribs
3. Breathing wont pass lower than the ribs
4. You will strain as you lift
5. Not likely to lift heavier
6. diminish technique of lift
7. Less oxygen – prematurely out of breath
8. Activate the SNS (fuck everything and run) response
9. Risk of injury.
There ya go.
Breathing science.
Here’s some exercises as examples. Try some at home now.
Squat – down/in – up/out
Lunge – down/in – up/out
Pushup – down/in – up/out
Horizontal row – pull/out – release/in
Deadlift – down/in – up/out
Situp – up/out – down/in
Cable twist – swing/out – return/in
Kettlebell swing – up/out – down/in
Live long and breathe out on the hard part 🖖
Elise
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