Breathing is a highly underrated aspect of training...

Honestly, it's sounds strange to say it, but breathing wrong can have a HUGE impact on your training performance and the results you get with your training.

To give you an example, when you're training your back, you actually should breathe BACKWARDS.

This means you inhale on the contraction (so you expand the rib cage and puff the chest out to better activate the muscles of the back) rather than exhaling on the contraction (which flattens the rib cage and chest and puts the back muscles at a mechanical disadvantage).

It feels really weird the first time you do it (if you haven't done it before), but the difference is AMAZING in terms of muscle activation.

Now yesterday, I told you about an excellent bodyweight program for building muscle and strength from my friend and colleague, Todd Kuslikis, called "Isometrics Strength"

One of the KEY components of this style of training is proper breathing...when you're tensing muscles in isometric training, your body still needs air to perform. You can't just clamp down and hold your breath and hope for the best.

I grabbed an excerpt from the book here to give you the rundown on proper breathing mechanics during isometric training. This is really good, practical info.

---

Breathing properly is very important in isometric training...since your muscles are tense your blood flow is going to be restricted.

If you hold your breath it is much more likely that you’ll pass out. We obviously don’t want this.
There are three breathing techniques that you can incorporate into your isometrics training.

Breathing Technique 1 - Sipping Breath

The first breathing technique I recommend practicing is called, Sipping Breath. This will help you breathe properly while training and also help you tighten the muscle more fully. There are two elements needed to ensure proper sipping breath.

The first element is to breathe into your lower belly or Tan Tien. Here’s how to find it your Tan Tien. Stand up. Place your left thumb in your belly button or navel. Rest your hand on the area below your navel. This is the Tan Tien. In internal martial arts, your Tan Tien is a location to store energy.

In the Western world (if you don’t believe in energy), it is the place to focus your attention so that your diaphragm, (muscle that pulls in oxygen) can bring air into your lungs.

This is important because it will enable your body to tighten deeper. In this technique, you are tightening on the inhalations. If you aren’t able to inhale very much then you’re not going to be able to tighten much. If you can inhale a lot then it gives you plenty of opportunity to tighten fully.

How Do You Do Sipping Breath?

When you are breathing in and tensing your muscles, breathe in, as if you are sipping a bit of water. Sip in for short, quick bursts.

Keep doing so until you can’t breathe any more. Then relax fully.

This is considered one set.

You always want to breathe in fully in order to maximize the third principle... tension (I’ll explain more in a bit.).

Breathing Technique 2 - Long Breath

The second breathing technique to practice is called the Long Breath.

This breathing technique helps you focus on one long contraction in your muscle as well as one long inhalation.

If you are noticing that you are getting light headed while doing the sipping breath, switch over to this technique and it should eliminate the problem.

How Do You Do The Long Breath?

As you contract in each position, you will breathe in slowly. Tighten your muscle(s) at the same rate you breath in. Once you can not breathe in any more you are done with one rep.

Breathing Technique 3 - Long-Sipping Breath

The Long-Sipping Breath is the most advanced out of the three.

You should use this technique only once you are on the fifth week of the program.

How Do You Do Long-Sipping Breath?

This breathing technique is just like the Long Breath however, you don’t relax your muscles after you have breathed in fully.

Breath in slowly as much as you can while contracting your muscle(s). Once you can’t breathe in any more - forcefully exhale the air from your lungs. Then while your muscles are still contracted start inhaling again while contracting your muscle(s) to an even deeper level.

Keep breathing in this manner until you reach full fatigue.

It’s tough!! Try it.

---

Give these techniques a try and see how you like them.

Proper breathing mechanics are not glamorous but can make a HUGE difference in your training.

If you'd like to learn more about using bodyweight isometrics to build muscle and strength, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out the full program.

Beyond just bodyweight training, there is information (like breathing technique) that you can apply to your regular workouts as well.

And just so you know up front, when you do pick up Isometrics Strength program, you'll also get a 14-day trial membership to Todd's "Bodyweight Physique Academy" site where you'll get a ridiculous amount of information on how to build muscle and strength and get LEAN using bodyweight training methods. If, at any time, you feel it's not for you, you can easily cancel, no questions asked, and never get charged an additional dime.