Last week I wrote about how to SMASH more weight and get Strong(er) by using your ability to take in air and brace your abs. I also said I had more drills to assist you.
Guess what?
Here is another one.
This something we teach all Personal Training clients and lifters on Day 1.
This is beginner stuff.
It’s Day 1 stuff.
Sadly, it is news to many lifters. I hope it helps all of you lift more.
We are going to review some breathing drills to teach you to take air into your belly, sides and back and then push out in all directions.
In order to move the most weight, we need to create a big base and a stable base to lift from right?
This is part of the foundation.
Think about a pyramid.
A pyramid is fat on the bottom-or big and small at the top. It is stable.
If we took the pyramid and tipped it upside down it wouldn’t be very stable or big.
Making your stance big is the topic for another article, in this I am going to address stability, and more specifically a drill to create more stability by learning to breathe.
I want you all to give this a read and then follow it step by step and go through it.
Step 1: Lie on the floor. Pretty simple.
Step 2: Put one hand on your belly and make a fist with the other and keep it near your mouth.
Step 3: Push your belly out against your hand hard.
Note that the belly is inflated and pushed out!
Step 4: Open your mouth and suck as much air into your belly as you can. Think that you were going to take in air and make a big burp like a little kid, or Rhodes would do.
Step 5: Hold that air and try to push your lower back into the ground, push your sides out and push your belly out as hard as you can while holding the air.
Step 6: Take the hand you made a fist with and press it against your mouth lightly, and then begin to slowly exhale as hard and slow as you can against the closed fist. You should hear a hissing noise coming out from your mouth against your hand.
Step 7: Slowly drive your ribs down to your hips as you curl up into a crunch as you continue to breathe out. Keep your back pressed against the floor and keep pushing your abs out and sides out. Try to exhale for at least a 5/1000 count. Do not inhale!
Step 8: When you think you have all of the air expelled, breathe out harder. Hold the last portion for a 3/1000 count and then inhale as you lower your body to the floor.
If you did it right, you should be a little light headed and you will probably cough.
Step 9: Repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 breaths.
This drill will do a few tings’ as they say in the Irish.
1: It will teach you to breathe and brace as you push the abs/sides/back out.
2: It will help to relieve tension and actually relax you. This is good because you don’t want to be stressed before training. You do need to get a little jacked up for the big sets, but you do not want to be stressed.
I suggest that you go through your normal warm up procedure at this point.
Hopefully you will find this better prepares you for training and helps you to brace harder so you can lift more weight right now.
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Vincere vel mori
