CC's - What will breathing ever do for you?

So let's deal with the first part of your ignorance first. 

Pity really, since if you're actually a runner, you know all about this. 

Below i've posted some of the very crucial attributes that breath control delivers.

1) Fluidity - Breathing rhythms are as vital to combinations as the punches themselves. 

2) Gas - Controlling your breath allows you to stack your muscles with O2 and directly leads to the efficiency of energy expenditure.

3) Power - Understanding when to contract your diaphragm leads to increased solidity/momentum behind punches. 

4) Muscle memory - Ties in with point 1 above. It provides a larger network for muscle memory since more of your body is involved in the punch/combo. Meaning that when you are tired, you have a greater reserve of pseudo-reflex action to rely upon.

5) Focus - Understanding your breath provides the fighter with a real-time feel for what's happening beneath the bonnet. It offers an internal focal point that holds the mind on task while drowning out external distractions. Also, remember the old adage, "tired players make more mistakes"? The more oxygen your brain and muscles have, the better your response and decision making is.

Anybody that is any way involved with sports that require stamina won't require an explanation as to the above. 

I added the explanations just to help you on your way a tad. It's clearly necessary.

NOW, before you think of some asshole'ish thing to say, allow me to give you just one simple task.

Go out and find me a link to a video or an article where ANY PRO TRAINER, says that breath control doesn't provide a huge advantage or is unnecessary.

In other words, go an find just one trai ner that agrees with you.

We'll get to hand speed. Best to keep them separate for now.

You tit.

Plum ... yes ... you are absolutely right. I need to adapt. I am just too damn old school.

I have decided to take your advice and improve my breathing control ... so ... I'll be going out for my usual run this morning ... however .. to speed the process up ... I've decided to hold my breath for 30 seconds before exhaling ... and then hold the empty lung for an additional 30 seconds before inhaling ... that way I should get at least 2 breaths in per a minute.

I hope to work my way up to a single breath per minute by monthsend.

Thanks for the help.

I'll keep you posted.

Yes ... thank you ... I'm old ... and can only focus on one thing at a time.

I'm curious though. If I run underwater, would that improve my foot speed too? I'm just thinking out aloud. I've kinda hit a plateau and need to improve my 2.4 time.

It makes sense ...improved breath control + better foot speed = better 2.4km time.

I take it you have no actual rebuttal?

Lesson 1 is complete then.

Shall we move on to hand speed?

No ... no rebuttal ... the way you're carrying on, one would swear I had issues with breathing rhythmically.

I don't.

You've actually confirmed what I've said all along ... glad to finally have you aboard.

Does that mean that I no longer have to hold my breath while running? Are you saying that holding my breath is simply a crock of sheeeeat ... that it will in no way improve breathing cntrol?

Well ... I agree with you there too.

No wonder it's raining.

Now ... about getting my foot speed enhanced.

The floor's yours.

No no no my sneaky friend.

Are you really going to try wriggle out of this one?

Ok, we'll the door is right there.

The key? Well, I'll hand it over as soon as you find me just one coach that agrees with your take "What will breath control ever do for you?"

Cumon now, it shouldn't be that hard. Especially not if you're in any way correct.

Sneaky? Me? Never!!

I'll stay in the room as long as you want me here.   

Plum ... you are the one with the absurd notion off holding your breath while running is used as a training technique ... not me. 

You are the one claiming that regulating your breath through asphyxiation is a method taught by coaches to control one's breathing ... not me.

I clearly told you that you needed to open your passage way and get a rhythm going. I also mentioned that your fitness levels determine how easily you breath ... not the other way round.

Shall I direct you to my post or can you find it on your own?

Now say you're sorry and let's get on with enhancing my foot speed.

"regulating your breath through asphyxiation is a method taught by coaches to control one's breathing"

This tells me that you entirely misunderstood what i was saying.

I was saying that instead of taking smaller and quicker breath s, your system benefits more from longer and deeper breaths.

As i mentioned...the thing that separates humans from most land mammals. The absolute core of our stamina. Our ability to take numerous steps per a single breath cycle. It's literally why we have less hair on our bodies than other mammals. So we can sweat to cool down from running for hours on end. Something only tiny handful of other mammals do.

Stretching that system to its limit is the Holy Grail of endurance. And yes, it is a system and can 100% be trained and improved. The "fitness" of your body is limited by poor breathing because poor breathing does not fill blood with O2 to the same level as can be achieved through controlled deeper breathing. That's just a fact man.

It's got nothing to do with asphyxiation and everything to do with maintaining higher blood oxygen levels through a refined and disciplined breathing technique.

You are breathing more and better and you are spending proportionally less energy while delivering equivalent power.

Ok, maybe there was a misunderstanding here . ..…..

Shall we now attempt to try and move this discussion in the general direction, or at the very least, to the approximate proximity, or basically to the designated area where a discussion on foot speed is supposedly going to be taking place sometime in the near future

But we're still ball-deep in breath control.

Plum ... I’m relatively fit and can tell you that I have never managed to outlast my dogs on a run. Even at 10 years old, they still clean me up. After a 10 minute 2,4, I’m shot and gasping for breath, while they still have enough go to mess around with each other, with me and to chase the resident guinea fowl around.

Take a Wild Dog as an example. That hound can run for days on end and I would hate to try out last it, especially at its pace.

Breathing is a natural process. It doesn’t need to be taught. We breathe without even thinking about it ... all day long.  

The technique I use when running is a simple one. It’s what my body taught me. There is nothing complicated about it at all. I breathe through both mouth and nose and I draw my breath from my stomach (diaphragm). That is the only technique I use. Rhythm comes naturally. There is nothing forced about it. No holding of breath for any kind of count ... however ... what I’ve found over time, is that a build up of CO2 hinders getting full lung fulls  and so I’ll empty my lungs complete every so often. This is just a random habit I’ve picked up and isn’t set to any specific count either.

It’s like weight training. If I may use the barbell curl as an example ... controlling the weight down to its starting position is just as, if not more important than curling it up to my chest. I don’t just drop the weight. If I can’t control its descent, the weight is too heavy. I don’t need a technique for this. It’s simply my body telling me to make an adjustment ... and besides that, it’s logical.

Your fitness levels determine your breathing ... not the other round. You can apply any kind of technique, if you aren’t fit you will end up gasping in no time.

Take a Kenyan distance runner. He can run 42km at under 3 minutes a km and end the run breathing like I am now, sitting here behind my desk. His body gives in before his lungs do. Most of us suffer the other way round.  

It’s not a breathing technique that enables him to do this. It’s because he trains at altitude. There where the oxygen levels are practically none existent. It's all about fitness and his levels are beyond everyone else’s. That is his secret weapon  and so when he comes down to sea level, it’s like having twin carbs and an abundance of fuel all around. He runs you into the ground through fitness and not by any technique. 

I see your point though and if that works for you then great.

Told you I’m old school ... and ... set in my ways

Check this out, CC. Perhaps you'll find it interesting.

"But what most sets us apart as runners is that we’re really cool—we naked apes are champion sweaters and can dissipate body heat faster than any other large mammal. Our main rivals for the endurance-running crown fall into two groups: migratory ungulates, such as horses and wildebeest, and social carnivores, such as dogs and hyenas. They can easily out-sprint us by galloping. But none can gallop very far without overheating—they largely rely on panting to keep cool, and they can’t pant when galloping, for panting involves taking very rapid, shallow breaths that would interfere with respiration when running. Dogs can gallop for only about 10 to 15 minutes before reverting to a trot, and so their distance-running speed tops out at about 3.8 meters per second. Horses’ average distance-running speed is 5.8 meters per second—a canter. Wildebeests’ is 5.1 meters per second."

Bushman today still shoot an animal and then spend days running it down. 

We lost our body hair so we could keep cool through sweating, and this means that we rely on breathing solely for oxygen supply and not temperature regulation. 

Basically, much of our appearance and build, including things like sinus diameter are all fine tuning or extended components of the system that aims to load the blood with O2. 

This is why blacks have larger sinuses than whites do. To regulate air temperature upon inhalation. Colder climates = smaller nostrils/sinuses and hotter climates = bigger nostrils/sinuses.

This is why blacks get cold so quickly and why whites get hot more quickly.  

That core system of multiple steps per breath was so key to our evolutionary path that it literally changed how we look.

I find all this stuff completely fascinating.

Yes ... that is an interesting read.

My dogs jog beside me and I hear their rapid panting.

I've seen a full dressed black man wielding a pick in the blazing sun with the temp at 35 friggin degrees and have no issues.

Sweat runs down my body when all I have on is a pair of shorts ... and ... I'm sitting under my lapa sipping a cold brewsky.

Crazy huh?

Nice to see, thanks guys

Civil discussions and sharing ideas...….

Sun, Lapa, Brewsky…..

Fuck off CC, you never mention that at 09:53am on a fucking sweltering hot work day bru

L us right now.....

Lol DA

Ja, it is possible. 

CC

We did it man  

Yes we did, Plum ...

Nice chat.

Peace brother.