Inhale, exhale. The average adult breathes 22,000 times a day. Over the course of one minute, it averages to ten to twelve breaths. Breathing is one of our most fundamental functions for life and yet it is one of the most underrated tasks we perform. How often do you think about your breath throughout the day? Probably only when you are in the middle of an intense workout. Whether you are working out with a personal trainer or exercising on your own, it may be time for you to take a look at your breathing patterns.
Breath science within the last few years has finally received some credibility, not only as it relates to stress management and wellness, but its critical value in sport performance and enhancement. Coaches, including the legendary strength and conditioning Mike Boyle, originally didn’t see much value in coaching for breathing and associated breathing techniques as a yoga strategy.
When done correctly, breathing can lower your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and activate your parasympathetic nervous system (aka the rest and digest system). So what does proper breathing look and feel like? In this article, we’ll explore the two types of “breathers”, breathing techniques to practice for diaphragmatic awareness, and how to implement breathing into your lifting routine.
Vertical Breathing versus Horizontal Breathing
Most people perform Vertical breathing, using the upper chest & shoulder. This is a shallow breath, controlled by the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), the upper trapezius, and the pectoralis major and minor; these muscles are known as auxiliary breathing muscles. Although society has taught us to breath with these muscles, doing so actually deoxygenates us, increasing a stress response within the body and inhibiting our performance.
To breathe correctly, we want to utilize the horizontal breath. Unlike the vertical breathing strategy, which we learn from our social cues during development, the horizontal breath is the strategy we are born using.The horizontal breath does not employ the shoulder shrug we see with the vertical breath. Instead it exaggerates a rib flair, which to the novice practitioner can feel very awkward. To do this, you actually need to recruit the diaphragm and outer intercostal chest muscles during the inhale. To exhale, you need to recruit the inner intercostals & abdominals (transverse abdominis, the internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis). The belly breath is the technique we need to practice to execute this breathing technique.
Anatomical Breath or Belly Breath
The belly breath can be practiced sitting, standing or laying down, but for the novice practitioner, it’s best to start laying down. Begin by laying on your back with your knees bent and hands resting on the belly. Relax the upper body and trunk and begin by inhaling through your nostrils. Notice with your hands how the belly expands and rises with the inhale. Pause for one second and then slowly exhale through the mouth, feeling the belly deflate and constrict. Aim to inhale for four seconds while exhaling for six seconds, while practicing for a total of three to five minutes daily. This mindful breathing technique can be practiced for longer periods of time and incorporated with the body scan meditation technique, which has been shown to have significant benefits for muscle recovery and relaxation.
Crocodile Breath
Another technique to develop awareness of the diaphragm, this exercise consists of laying on your stomach, resting your forehead on the back of your hands. With the body relaxed, take an inhale, focusing on the belly expanding. Notice the sensation of expansion and pressure throughout the belly against the floor with the inhalation. You’ll also feel the back and side ribs expand, creating what is known as the 360 degree breath. On the exhale, slowly release the breath, allowing the navel the draw into the spine. You’ll feel the body deflate as your spine relaxes closer to the floor. This exercise can be practiced for three to five minutes before or after a training session.
Valsalva Maneuver
The Valsalva Maneuver is the name for when you hold your breath against a closed glottis (throat) while pressure generates within the thoracic and abdominal cavity. This strategy is naturally assumed when lifting heavy objects, particularly when squatting, benching, or deadlifting. This is a bracing strategy the body utilizes to support and stabilize the spine, allowing you to generate more strength. The more intra-abdominal pressure you can safely generate, the heavier lifts you can achieve. To do this, begin by taking a deep inhale, expanding the belly and holding the breath, as if you were stopping a cough. The goal is for the abdominals and back muscles to be tight and rigid.
Breathing While Lifting
Now that we have explored the various breathing exercises and strategies, let’s look into putting these techniques into action. The best example is breathing while back squatting. Approach the rack and place the bar resting on the upper or mid traps, inhaling and holding as you lift it from the rack and get into standing position. Take a deep horizontal breath, expanding the low ribs and hold the breath. During the breath hold, descend into the 90-90 position as your knees and hips lower down. You may notice a grunt at the sticking point of this phase, as you begin to ascend. Exhale as you begin to complete the movement and return to standing position. Inhale, brace, and then repeat.
For the bench press, lie under the bar with your feet firmly planted on the ground, your hips and shoulder blades firm against the bench and hands over the collarbone gripping the barbell. Take a full inhale and exhale in this position prior to beginning your lift. Inhale and hold the breath as you push the weight off the rack and align it over your body followed by an exhale. As you lower the bar down, inhale, and as you push the bar to the starting position, exhale. As the weight is outside of the rack, avoid taking deep inhalations and exhalations, focusing on retaining the intra-abdominal pressure.
Breathing and Recovery
When looking at improving your recovery, most people think of active recovery like stretching or lifting light weights, nutrition and sleep. But did you know that meditation can be a powerful recovery tool?
Meditation aims to focus the mind on breath awareness, words, or body scans. When we exercise, especially during strength training, we induce a sympathetic response in our bodies, which is necessary to create a stimulus. But the sweet spot of recovery actually comes from our ability to activate and maintain our body in a parasympathetic state.
A 2017 study by JD Rooks et al demonstrated that 12 minutes of meditation daily improved mood & increased ability to focus & think clearly. Another study in the Journal of Gerontology found that older adults who exercised & practiced breathing exercises had faster reaction times cognitively & performed better on memory tests.
During your next cool down, especially after your workout at The Athleticus, try incorporating the belly breath, the crocodile breath, or belly breathing with a body scan meditation to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and increase the recovery gains your body needs for optimal results. Incorporating breathing exercises into your personal training experience may give you the edge you need to reach your strength training goals.
- Horschig, A., Kevin. (2021). Rebuilding Milo Horschig, Aaron|Sonthana, Kevin. Victory Belt Publishing.
- Rippetoe, M., & Bradford, S. E. (2017). Starting strength: Basic barbell training. Aasgaard Company.
- Vranich, B., & Sabin, B. (2020). Breathing for warriors: Master your breath to unlock more strength, greater endurance, sharper precision, faster recovery, and an unshakable inner game. St. Martin’s Essentials.
