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The Flexible Periodization Method: Optimal Breathing forMaximal Strength

In my last column, I argued f or a connection between periodization and breathing techniques basedon three ideas:

1. It is probably better to have a not so good program that is properly instructed and perf ectlyexecuted than it is to have a “perf ect” program that is poorly instructed and poorly executed.

2. Optimal exercise technique is intimately linked with exercise instruction. An absolute key aspect ofexercise technique is an optimal breathing pattern.

3. If you know how to teach proper breathing, you can choose to teach it to the athletes who need tobe taught how to breathe optimally, and you can keep your mouth shut when you work with theathletes who already know how to breathe.

The article went on to discuss the physiology behind so called “French press diaphragmatic breathing”(FPDB) as well as the f irst two steps of a seven-step progression that is used to build up a young athleteto this style of breathing. In Part 2, you’ll learn steps three to seven of how to build up a young athlete toperf orm FPDB.

Step 3: Practice breathing with two shoes to learn how to control the posit ion of the abdominal wall.

(This exercise has been f eatured in previous columns, so you might have already seen this video.)

The athlete/client can place his hands on the abdomen and ribcage instead of the shoes. As the strengthcoach, look f or the characteristics of diaphragmatic breathing—no movement of the collarbones and noexpansion of the ribcage. The only movement should be an expansion of the abdominal wall.

When you watch the athlete perf orm diaphragmatic breathing, ask, “Can you lif t the shoe more on theinhalation? Can you pull the shoe down f urther on the exhalation?” Watch the athlete’s response to thosequestions to learn if he is using his f ull capacity.

An alternative way to teach the diaphragmatic breathing technique is the “f our-point TVA exercise” (1):

1. The athlete kneels on the f loor with f our points of support (knees and hands) and his weight equallydistributed between these points.

2. The elbows are slightly bent to create a horizontal torso, and the spine is held in the neutral curves.Use a dowel rod placed on the athlete or client’s back as f eedback on the spinal curvatures.

3. Place yourself next to the athlete and ask permission to place your f lat hand on his abdominal wall.Give the instruction to “push my hand toward the ground on the inhalation” and “pull your abdominalwall away f rom my hand on the exhalation.” Check that the spinal curvatures remain in neutral.

A side benef it of the f our-point TVA exercise is that the load through the hands and arms naturallyprepares the beginning athlete f or push-ups, crawling patterns, and other pushing exercises. Regardless ofwhich of the two exercises you use, 1–2 sets of three minutes is recommended. Once the athlete canperf orm either exercise f or three minutes straight with good f orm, it is t ime to move on to step f our.Practice this exercise as a part of the main training program or give the exercise to the athlete as“homework.”

Step 4: Practice the f our-point TVA with isometric hold to create optimal tone of the abdominal wall (seeSection 4) as a part of the main training program or give this exercise to the athlete as “homework.”

I wrote in Part I of this series that, “Early on, I made an empirically based decision to make sure that thetone of the abdominal wall is optimal bef ore engaging in exercises that require the abdominal wall to stayf lat.”

1. The f our-point TVA with isometric hold is executed similar to the regular f our-point TVA with theexception that upon the exhalation, the abdominal wall is held in the drawn in posit ion on the nextinhalation-exhalation cycle (should be about eight seconds total).

2. Af ter an eight-second hold, inhale (f our seconds) and exhale (f our seconds) again and repeat. Workup to one continuous set of f ive minutes.

3. Once one continuous set of f ive minutes can be perf ormed, it is t ime to move to step f ive.

While the exercise in step three develops control of the abdominal wall, the exercise in step f our developsoptimal tone of the abdominal wall. The “drawn in posit ion” is not what we seek in subsequent exercises.You can consider the “drawn in” posit ion an exaggerated contraction of the muscles that control theabdominal wall. Through this init ial practice in the exaggerated posit ion, the abdominal wall tends to stayf lat in subsequent exercises without conscious attempts to keep it f lat.

Step 5: Trace your own “weight belt” and perf orm a second exercise with two shoes. (Perf orm theseexercises as part of the main training program.)

Instruct the athlete to maintain good posture in the f ollowing exercises with the lats contracted and theshoulders down. Instruct the athlete/client to have the “consciousness of the core muscles (the naturalweight belt) as the equilibrium point of their attention” (if the attention goes anywhere else, bring it back tothe core).

Perf orm the exercises below f acing a mirror. Check that there isn’t any element of clavicle or chestbreathing. In other words, make sure that the athlete or client doesn’t lif t the shoulders or expand his chest.Emphasize to the athlete that “the only muscle that should be moving is the diaphragm inside the thoraciccavity.”

Watch the French press diaphragmatic breathing video to see the above sequence:

Have the athlete f eel the contraction of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles on you (hand posit ions 1–4below) as you inhale diaphragmatically.

1. Stand and place one hand on the back of the rib cage (palm of hand should be f acing away f rom thebody).

2. Place the back of the hand on the low back. Inhale down into the low back and f eel the f ascia t ightenand the muscles expand.

3. Dig the thumbs into the waist (the internal obliques and transversus abdominis). Feel that thesemuscles contract on an inhalation and push the f ingers out.

4. Place three f ingers f rom each hand on the abdominal wall below the belly button. Feel the abdominalwall “thickening” or t ighten but stay f lat on an inhalation.

Tell the athlete that the muscles and tissue that he has been f eeling in the f our posit ions are our naturalweight belt.

1. Have the athlete reproduce the f eeling of the contractions in hand posit ions 1–4 on himself .

2. Practice the second exercise of breathing with two shoes.

(The instruction f or the two exercises of breathing with two shoes starts at one minute and 35 secondsinto the video.)

Work up to f ive sets of f ive with optimal f orm (f if teen seconds between reps and one minute betweensets) and then proceed to step seven.

Step 6: Have the athlete practice setting up f or a lif t. Include FPDB but don’t lif t yet.

Practice this component as a technique sequence. Typically, the athlete is able to perf orm the f ull lif timmediately af ter. Emphasize the f ollowing steps:

1. Begin with the palms of your hands on your low back with the f ingertips pointing down. Gradually turnyour hands and slide them (touching the skin) along your internal obliques with the f ingertips pointingf orward. Finish with your f ingertips on the area about one inch below the belly button. Repeat twotimes.

2. Tap the same area with the palms of your hands. Repeat two times.

3. Practice FPDB. Repeat two times.

Note:

“The f irst repetit ion is mental.” Visualize the upcoming set.

To increase awareness of the body’s “natural weight belt” that gets activated with FPDB, thef ollowing routine works well before a set:

Assume the correct posit ion f or the exercise that is about to be executed. This posit ion is, of course,completely specif ic to the exercise but might include:

Secure optimal posture with chest slightly up and chin slightly retracted

The crown of the head reaching toward the ceiling and the tailbone reaching toward the f loor tocreate axial extension

“Placement of your shoulders in your back pockets” (This maneuver engages the latissimus dorsimuscles who’s contraction increases tension on the thora columbar f ascia to increase spinalstabilization.)

Practice f orced inhalation (the inhalation portion of FPDB) as the last step in the set up (the deadlif t is agreat exercise to use to practice this skill because the bar is just lying on the f loor).

Because the purpose of the inhalation is to increase stabilization and strength, the inhalation must happenbefore the movement (f or very heavy lif ts) or the inhalation must initiate the eccentric phase of the lif t (f orsubmaximal lif ts).

Give the f ollowing specific instruction to your athletes: “Place your awareness on the low back area. Feelthe f orce (f rom the inhalation) coming down f rom the back of the ribcage f illing the low back,instantaneously “wrapping around” to the lower abdominal wall, and increasing the tension below andbehind the belly button as you…(place here the specif ic cue f or init iating the eccentric phase of thatexercise if the lif t begins with the eccentric phase). (There isn’t any cue given here if the lif t begins with theconcentric phase.)

Supplementary instruction: “Place your awareness on the downward movement (ref er to hand posit ion A instep 5) of the diaphragm as you inhale and f orget about the air moving in through the nose. Make sure thatthe lower abdominal wall does not expand during the inhalation (ref er to hand posit ion D).”

Practicing f orced exhalation, the inhalation with FPDB is of ten perf ormed bef ore or during the eccentric orlowering phase of the exercise. Thus, the exhalation coincides with the concentric phase of the lif t. Theconcentric phase typically has a key movement cue (e.g. “push the f loor away” in squats or deadlif ts).

Here is an example of the specific instruction given to an athlete or client using the cue of pushing the f looraway: “Push the f loor away and simultaneously f eel the pressure exponentially increase below and behindthe belly button. Keep your awareness below and behind the belly button and attempt to exponentiallyincrease the pressure in that area throughout the concentric phase. Notice how the pressure f orces the airout with a “tsss” sound” like a pressure cooker.”

Supplementary instruction: “Do not make a conscious attempt to exhale. A conscious attempt to exhaletends to shif t body awareness to the mouth, a place where the awareness isn’t needed. First andf oremost, keep the awareness below and behind the belly button and make sure that the abdominal wall stilldoes not expand. Keep the f acial muscles relaxed, and f ocus your attention on the lower abdominal area.”

At the end of the concentric phase, the attention shif ts to the low back and the process is repeated.

Step 7: Integrate FPDB into the lif ts and exercises during the main training program.

In Part 2, we looked at steps three through seven in the progression to build up a young athlete tooptimally integrate FPDB in lif t ing. It is a very challenging skill to instruct and execute as well as tosupervise. About a year ago, a varsity team f ootball player at the University of Toronto told me that the wayhe learned the Olympic lif ts in my classes (he was ref erring to the demands of f ocused attention on thebody required during FPDB plus other techniques) was the most intense thing he had ever tried. I thoughtthat was an interesting comment. I mean no one is trying to push you over and take your barbell whenyou’re setting up f or a snatch!

References

1. Chek P. The Inner Unit. At: http://www.chekinstitute.com/f reegif ts847386/TheInnerUnit.pdf .

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