Do you have any idea how much concentration it takes to keep breathing through your nose while working out? Or just keeping the mouth open a crack? I was trying to make sure only warm, moist air would get into the lungs and avoid an asthma attack. Put pressure on the sinuses. Heart didn’t like the extra pressure and got palpitations a few times, but only lasted a moment. But did some really solid lifting.
Bench
45 x 8
65 x 5
95 x 3
115 x 3
135 x 3 - tough but smooth
135 x 3 - almost hit failure
125 x 5 - ok, that’s plenty
made sure to keep elbows in, I think letting them swing out caused the former injury. Felt fine, no soreness. And the lifts all felt good and solid.
OH press
30 x 10
45 x 8
65 x 6
75 x 5
85 x 5 - expected 3, delighted to get 5
weird trying to keep all breathing through nose or mouth cracked, but all reps good control
Dip machine
80 x 15
100 x 12
120 x 8
120 x 10
still good, solid movement. I may be on to something.
Cable Row
60 x 8
80 x 5
90 x 5
110 x 10 . much better than last time
Pullups (sortof)
x 6
x 5
Chins
x 3
x 3
Arm curl
45 x 5
55 x 5
65 x 5 . that reached my LIMIT
was watching in mirror and had to twist around to straighten up - I blame the scoliosis.
Wrist curl
30 x 10
50 x 8
70 x 5
80 x 8 . better than last time
Didn’t do abs with the last leg day, so here:
Cybex crunch
80 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 8 . that was good
This new breathing system is really tricky to get used to. I have to concentrate constantly. My lungs want more air, creating pressure in chest which touches off brief palpitations. I suck harder to get enough air, which puts pressure on sinuses. So fair, so good - workouts are going quite good. Next time is lower body - this will really take some thought on how to get through it.
Yep fellow asthma suffer. I can only do nose breathing, by mouth always makes it worse. Took me a while to realise.
Try looking up reduced breathing. It sounds counterintuitive. Oh and practice a lot before you try it when you have an attack. Helps acute attacks but don’t really believe the other BS about it.
Everything is looking good in your log even though have not been around. Keep it up.
Hey! I have asthma too. advice from me is never really push yourself on the cardio unless you want to get bronchitis (cardio is ok just don’t push it) and dont’ ever do HIIT. at least for me it gave me pneumonia twice.
another peice of advice from me (sorry) is to constantly try to relax your breathing and your lungs… it sounds nonsensical but alot of my problems in the past have come from over breathing… mind over matter kind of sorta works (it helps but isn’t a cure).
Thanks, guys. Too late about the HIT - I did Nautilus for years and it whacked me. Thought I wasn’t working hard enough or something. And don’t get me started about those 20 rep squats I did for a bit. Look up “torture” in the dictionary and you’ll see my face. Well, they said I was supposed to be sucking through mouth and be out of breath and exhausted - how was I to know?
It does burn me that Ludus Magnus had me pulling sleds and flipping tires and I was hacking horribly - and NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON NOTICED OR SAID ANYTHING. I have grown VERY skeptical of experts knowing anything about anything.
Will look up reduced breathing.
Took a beta-blocker before workout to eliminate palpitations. Concentrated on breathing: in through nose to get warm, moist air into lungs, out through mouth to moisten. Try to keep from using mouth, or just open a crack. Big change from just dropping jaw and gulping air.
Squats
65 x 8
105 x 5 . good and controlled
125 x 5
145 x 12 . this was amazing. No hacking or retching. Just solid oomph on thigh muscles going up and down. Didn’t expect to do so many reps, but felt such good control.
Cybex leg curl
50 x 15
70 x 10
75 x 8
Deadlift
95 x 7
135 x 5
185 x 4
225 x 5
255 x 3
surprisingly good control. Rested several minutes between sets, practicing breating. Was a bit apprehensive about the last set, and it was tough, but plowed right through it.
Strangely, didn’t seem as much out of breath as usual.
Had a hellava appetite after working legs. Stuffed myself at an all-you-can-eat buffet, then came home and had 3 or 4 more meals.
Did zero for bodyweight - still the same at 200.
Second pushing day with anti-asthma breathing:
Bench
45 x 8
65 x 6
95 x 6
115 x 3
curious to check max, then do work set
145 x 2 . grinders, but did them
125 x 6 . same as last time, can’t see any improvement
OH press
30 x 10
45 x 8
65 x 6
75 x 3 . save myself for the tough one
85 x 6 . FAILURE
didn’t intend to conk out, but tried to get more reps than before. no good, just barely one more rep.
Damn, body just won’t give me any gains here. Just keep dragging myself through more years of misery
Icarian dip machine
80 x 15
100 x 12
120 x 13
140 x 10
alright, what’s going on here? last time, could barely budge 140, now whipping it around. gain on this thing, but can’t budge the lifts that count.
Went home, ate, develop ways to cope with frustration.
I hear Robin Williams committed suicide. Depression. Poor guy. I know the feeling. No, really. I know the feeling. I’ve had to fight depression much of my life.
Today’s workout put a dent in the depression, lost a pound of flab, went up in everything. Nice.
Cable row
60 x 10
80 x 8
90 x 5
120 x 7
Pullups
x 4
x 3
think I got a little higher on these
Chins
x 3
x 3
good form, went flying up
Arm curl
45 x 5
55 x 5
65 x 9 . big improvement over last time
Wrist curl
40 x 15
50 x 10
70 x 5
80 x 12
another improvement
Cybex ab
110 x 12
110 x 8
didn’t want to bother with warm up, did fine
Still takes concentration to breath through nose, sinuses don’t like it. Cold weather is gonna be brutal.
Looks like you’ve made a serious breakthrough! Nice work.I sure do like the amount of recovery you are using, its even more than me! Its really interesting that it took all this time to figure out about the breathing problems. Wow.
Thanks, Confusion. Well, since regular programs were just burying me, I had to get extreme with the recovery. No more sprains, some simple mobility stuff on off days. And it is amazing that it took me so long to figure out the breathing, especially since not one goddamn trainer or doctor or expert ever noticed it. Seriously, I’ve hacked my lungs onto the floor in front of national class lifters and they just go “What problem?”
Squat
65 x 10
105 x 6
125 x 5 . good control
135 x 3 . very good
155 x 7 . rats. got a little unsteady here, bar actually swung a little. Could have done a couple more reps, but looked like I was losing control.
Leg curl
50 x 15
65 x 2 . say what? Did weight stack stick or something? Had to be a fluke, keep going
75 x 10 . okay, that’s more like it
Deadlift
95 x 8
135 x 8 . easy
175 x 3 . no problem. want to go up to 225, but keep low, be sure I’m really building
205 x 10 . now THIS was weird! thought it’d be easy . . . but the first few reps were surprisingly hard . . . but a switch was thrown and I just kept belting them out.
Enh squats, great deads, I’ll take it.
Sure is weird, taking deep breaths through my nose. Almost like having a case of sniffles. But seems to work.
Bench
45 x 10
65 x 8
95 x 6
125 x 8
that was 2 more reps than last time, last rep near failure. I’ll take it.
Thinking of getting some 1 lb weights to go up more gradual. Tired of putting on 5 or 10 lbs and the bar crushes me.
OH press
45 x 10
65 x 6
75 x 4
85 x 6
same reps as before BUT this time I didn’t hit failure - will take that as promising
Icarian dip machine
80 x 15
120 x 10
getting pretty uncomfortable, weight stack is enough so I keep bobbing up and down - is this near my bodyweight? If so, should be able to do normal dips
Dips
x 6
x 5
got about halfway down, two thirds, something like that - not TOO bad.
get home to prepare for next semester, also looking into part time job on side
Stopped at the sports store, but couldn’t find any small plates, 2.5 # as low as they go. Disappointing. OK, if I can’t increase weight in small increments . . . will have to go up in more sets. But will aim for only 2 or 3 reps, and do several sets for complete volume. Here we go . . .
Cable row
60 x 12
80 x 10
100 x 3
120 x 10 . not just go up in reps, but held the last one
Pullups (sortof)
x 4
x 4
decide to skip chins, rows and pullups should be plenty for lats
Arm curl
45 x 5
55 x 5
70 x 3
70 x 3
70 x 3 . tough, but doable - just right
Wrist curl
50 x 15
70 x 10
90 x 4
90 x 4
90 x 4 . good, and held last one
Cybex ab
75 x 15
95 x 10
115 x 3
115 x 3
115 x 3 . held last one
So it worked fine, went up too much weight but compensated with low reps and multiple sets.
nice work Cav. My old track coach had us breathing like that when running. the mantra was…smell the flowers, blow out the candle.
Hawkman, I’ve heard the saying of breath in through nose and breath out through mouth, but no one ever said why. And since I’ve never seen anyone else in the gym - ever - have coughing problems, I never thought breathing was an issue.
Last time, squat got up to 155 but form was poor. Still, I got out 7 reps, so if I concentrate, should be able to up the weight:
Squat
65 x 8
105 x 6
125 x 5
135 x 3 . oh, this was easy and solid, should be no problem
160 x 5
165 x 5 . all solid reps, good form, very happy
Leg curl
55 x 12
65 x 6
80 x 1 . alright, what is with this machine? Did I exhaust myself on the first set, or is it sticking , or . . . what?
60 x 5 . excuse me? I took a couple minutes between sets, no rush - am I just wearing myself out so fast?
Deadlift
95 x 8
135 x 6
175 x 5
215 x 8 . good!
thought about a second set, but this was good and solid, will stop there.
In the past week, I’ve noticed picking up things got a teensy bit easier, hoping deads are helping. Yeah, I’ve used more weight in the past, but tired of increasing weight and hitting brick walls. Want to be sure I’m really getting stronger.
Had been having problems with left shoulder, hurts some, had hoped it had healed up. See if it bothers me today.
Bench
65 x 10
85 x 8
105 x 3
130 x 3
130 x 3
130 x 3
these were good and solid
OH press
45 x 10
65 x 8
75 x 3 . these felt hard, can I possible go up? fuss a bit, make sure form is good, then try it
85 x 8 . all right! more than I expected. had to give it my all, but made it.
Dip - sort of, got about halfway or two thirds down
x 5
x 3
Finger tip pushups - I’ve experimented for a long while with trying to strengthen fingers
x 5
x 2
ok, so I didn’t go all the way down, but a good workout anyway.
Pulling day.
Cable row
60 x 10
80 x 8
100 x 3
130 x 3
130 x 3
130 x 3
pretty good, considering a whole plate is a big increment. So I go for low reps and many sets until get stronger on it.
Pullups (not chins)
x 3
x 3
hey, I actually got a little higher. At this rate, my chin will clear the bar in a couple of months.
Barbell curl
45 x 8
55 x 4
70 x 5
70 x 5
bit of improvement, although that last rep had me really straining. (I hate mirrors, it’s not pretty when I grimace.)
Wrist curl
50 x 15
70 x 10
80 x 5
90 x 7
90 x 7
a bit of improvement
Cybex Ab
75 x 15
95 x 10
115 x 5
115 x 5
Overall, a bit of gain. Looks like this hardgainer program is working, but wow, it’s slow as mail.
Lower body day.
Squat
65 x 10
115 x 8
135 x 3 . seemed easy
did 165 x 5 last time, determined to break that this time
165 x 8
GAGGG I had to strain so hard, I racked it, threw my body onto the bar, and burst out crying and sobbing
I need more reps to make this stick, so rest and do again
165 x 3 , more crying. Could barely move the bar, must have really fried my legs. Need a couple more reps
165 x 2
Cybex leg curl
30 x 8 . what??? this thing’s sticking like crazy
50 x 3 . alright, sticking way too much, machine just isn’t working. What else we got?
Icarian leg curl
40 x 15
70 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 7
normally don’t like seated leg curl, feels like I’m pulling myself onto the floor, but this one isn’t bad, I pretty much stay put
Deadlift
95 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 5 . GAGGGG CRYING SOBBING STRESSFUL STRESSFUL
Went home and ate.
[quote]cavalier wrote:
Hawkman, I’ve heard the saying of breath in through nose and breath out through mouth, but no one ever said why. And since I’ve never seen anyone else in the gym - ever - have coughing problems, I never thought breathing was an issue.
[/quote]
Breathing through the mouth sends the air straight to the lungs which is fine if the air temperature and humidity is perfect in addition to being filtered of dust, microbes, etc… That’s what the nose does. The cilia filter it, the blood warms the air to near body temperature, and the mucus hydrates it to near 98% humidity. Mouth breeding - I mean breathing - bypasses most of that and you get unconditioned air in the lungs which reduces the amount of gas exchanged with the blood. I’m sure the temperature also causes bronchial spasms (like that spasm you get when you get a blast of cold water on your skin).