Breathing when Weight Training

Breathing…

The correct technique for core stabilisation and effective oxygenation

The correct breathing is important for not only for oxygenating your tissues but also for stabilising your core. An athlete takes around 15 breaths a minute – over 20,000 breaths every day.  The form and rhythm of this breathing influences every movement you make.

The most common faults in the gym with breathing are chest breathing and the breath being uncoordinated with the movement. There are 3 parts to effective breathing:

1)      Inhale into the lower third of your lunges – this is where most of your oxygen receptors are and is the most important phase of breathing. If you watch a baby breathing you will see their stomach move in and out as they push their diaphragm down and inhale and fill the lower half of their lungs. This is exactly what you should do, belly breathing.

2)      Fill the middle third of your lungs by expanding the ribcage. If you place your fingers on the side of your ribcage, as you breathe you should feel your ribcage widen by around 2 inches.

3)      The easiest phase of breathing – the chest breath. For many people chest breathing is the only breathing they do, limiting the oxygenation of their tissues and stability of their core. If you struggle with your breathing or powerful movements, breathing may be your problem.

The correct breathing also helps to increase your intra abdominal pressure, this in turn helps to stabilise your whole body and exert power into your movements.

Exhalation

Breathing helps to stabilise the core, however as soon as you exhale you lose this stability, so then when and how should you exhale?

With powerful movements small hole exhalation is the most effective way of maintaining your intra abdominal pressure and stability. When you exhale, breathe out suddenly and do so through pursed lips so that the exhalation is almost forced. The sudden push momentarily increases intra abdominal lung pressure which pushes the diaphragm down and strengthens the core. You will also find that it also causes the upper abdominal wall to retract assisting stability even more.

To benefit the most from small hole exhalation you must master the timing of the breath with the movement. The sudden exhalation must be timed exactly with the instant of greatest effort in the movement. If you exhale before this point you can lose up to 20% of your power.

Half of your breath should be expelled suddenly through pursed lips and the other half evenly to maintain core strength throughout the whole movement.

Practice your three part breathing and then incorporate it into your exercise and you will notice more core stability and strength along with greater power exhalation.

Happy lifting,

Janelle and the Form Fitness Team