« Stay Tuned for More CrossFit Road Adventures | Main | OPT vs. Bionic »
May 5, 2008
Breathing!
Natalie Wolfolk (my hero)
An excellent article from Performance Menu:
Breathing
Greg Everett
April 1 2008
Breath control is critical for increasing and maintaining the structural integrity of the spine while under heavy loads. The supporting musculature is alone inadequate—in order to adequately stabilize the spine, the abdominal and thoracic cavities must be pressurized.
The torso has only a single supporting structure—the spine—on one side, and this structure articulates in all directions, requiring additional support to maintain rigidity. The remaining circumference is comprised of muscle walls, which are able only to pull, not push up to support a load. Fortunately the torso is filled with a collection of organs that are only slightly compressible and a fairly large container whose internal pressure we can easily control—the lungs.
By filling the lungs with air, we can maximize the volume of the torso. By then activating the surrounding musculature, we can increase the internal pressure. These two things in concert allow us to maximize the rigidity of the torso, which will both improve performance and the safety of the spine. In essence this creates a broad, stable base from which the spine can be tied in tightly to prevent folding in any direction.
The athlete will need to draw in as much air as possible, forcing the abdomen to expand to ensure the lungs are able to fill completely; filling the lungs partially by only allowing the chest to lift and expand is not adequate. Once this breath is taken, the athlete will clamp down the glottis—the muscle in the throat that seals off the trachea—to contain the air. The lifter will then tighten down the abdominal and back musculature to increase the internal pressure and reduce the potential for flexion or extension of the torso.
It’s critical the athlete not “hollow”, or suck in the abdominals as many have been taught to do or will believe is correct. If the abdominals are drawn in, the base of support is reduced in width, and this is obviously not beneficial. We want the muscles activated tightly while keeping the torso as wide and deep as possible, allowing us a broad foundation to support the load. It may help athletes having difficultly with this activation to think of pushing the abs down.
The chest should not be lifted any more than may occur naturally with the deep inhalation. This artificial lifting of the ribs will create elevation than can’t be supported well, and will predispose the upper back to rounding forward under heavy loading, which can lead to the breakdown of the entire system. By keeping the chest neutral and filling in the space below it, we can keep the torso compact and tight vertically, minimizing opportunity for unwanted movement.
Pressurization should be maintained throughout as much of the movement as possible. There will be times, however, such as during the recovery of a clean, that the pressure becomes too great and the lifter will feel dizzy and even near unconsciousness. If this occurs repeatedly, the athlete should begin releasing a small amount of air during the highest-pressure moment of the lift through a hissing or similar action. Acting just as a relief valve in a high-pressure system, this tightly controlled release will reduce the pressure just enough to prevent the dizziness, but maintain enough to keep the torso strong.
During the explosive second pulls of the snatch and clean, and even sometimes during the drive of the jerk, some lifters will audibly expel a small amount of air, most commonly involuntarily. If this happens naturally, there’s no need for it to be discouraged as long as it’s a minimal amount of air. The loss of pressure will not be dramatic, and forcing the athlete to avoid the practice—if involuntary—will only hurt his or her performance. That said, the habit doesn’t need be encouraged if it doesn’t occur naturally.
Post thoughts on the article and impressions of Natalie's lifts to comments.
Posted by Nicole Okumu at May 5, 2008 7:43 PM
Comments
I just wanted to say Lance and Sierra were absolutely killing it on Sunday! They were in at 10am to do the 50 burpee workout, afterwards they continued to do some extra training all the way up until 11am, then they squeezed in some L-Sits, and after Candance had closed the door and I was leaving, well after 11am they were doing 200 meters (at least) of walking lunges!!! Are you freaking kidding me? Nice work guys! That kind of hard work and dedication seriously gives me a hard on!
Come on... you didn't think I could complete an entire post without saying something inappropriate did you?
Posted by: Nabil at May 5, 2008 8:57 PM
Nicole knows what I like - Natalie Woolfolk videos. I am hugely impressed with that woman and I want to see her kick some serious ass at the Olympics. Here are a few fun Natalie facts:
She weighs around 63 kg (139 lbs)
She can clean and jerk 118 kg (260 lbs)
She can snatch 100 kg (220 lbs)
Yes, gents, the 139 lb woman in that video can do a 1.87 x bodyweight C&J. Whenever I start thinking that I am doing well on a lift, I think of Natalie and I remember how weak I am. Viva Natalie.
Posted by: TomC at May 5, 2008 10:16 PM
Nabil's posts are so consistently awesome that it hurts.
Posted by: TomC at May 5, 2008 10:21 PM
Since I obviously know too much about Natalie Woolfolk and post too many comments on CFO, I figured I would continue further down the path to the dark side link Natalie's 118 kg C&J. It's fierce.
Posted by: TomC at May 5, 2008 10:32 PM
Speaking of strong women, the NYT has an article about Melanie Roach, who will be competing for a spot on the US weightlifting team in Beijing at the age of 33, with 3 kids.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/sports/othersports/06roach.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
Posted by: Sam L at May 6, 2008 10:00 AM
So I just returned from a 5 day trip to Michigan, where I fell so far off the zone it's not even funny. We went to Cracker Barrel, where I consumed more gravy than any one man should ever consume in one sitting. Can you say starches? Holy crap. How everyone in that restaurant didn't drop dead from heart failure I'll never know. It's no wonder we're a nation of fat asses. Needless to say I'll be sluggish for a few days. Ugh.
Posted by: Jonathan at May 6, 2008 10:12 AM
Jonathan -
I'm from Michigan. Are you saying all Michiganders are fat? And when you say fat are you saying "F-A-T" or "P-H-A-T"?
Posted by: brad gilliatt at May 6, 2008 2:15 PM
I'm from Michigan, too...and yes, most Michiganders are fat.
Posted by: Brad Greenlee at May 6, 2008 2:21 PM
I am not from Michigan but yes, Brad Gi, you're fat.
Posted by: jp at May 6, 2008 2:38 PM
Wait, both Brad G's are from Michigan?
Oh that's rich.
And I'm not fat, I'm pleasantly plump.
Anyone else calls me fat, I'm going to put my beer down, stop eating my chicken pot pie and then sit on you.
Posted by: brad gilliatt at May 6, 2008 3:29 PM
I'm an equal opportunity insulter. Notice I said "nation," therefore not confining my statement to the state of Michigan, but the entire country. If I had to call one state fat all by itself, it would be Mississippi.
So, Brads, have you ever been to Cracker Barrel? The chicken and dumplings with mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy was pretty ridiculous.
Posted by: Jonathan at May 6, 2008 4:14 PM
Jonathon is right. I've lived in the great state of Mississippi and it clearly is the fattest state in the confederacy and the union. When I lived there I had to drive 30 miles one way to go to the closest gym!
Posted by: daniel at May 6, 2008 4:21 PM
> When I lived there I had to drive 30 miles one way to go to the closest gym!
Uphill both ways? :)
Posted by: TomC at May 6, 2008 4:39 PM
I nominate Wisconsin for fattest state. Think Beer, Sausage, Cheese ... Fat is a proud tradition there - not just a way of life, but THE way of life. My brother works as an anesthesiologist in Wisconsin. He says they never have a case that is not complicated by the patient being overweight.
P.S Great Ice Cream at the Univ. of Wisconsin dairy store in Madison, if you ever happen to be in the area. :-)
Posted by: Michael A. at May 6, 2008 5:00 PM
Note to self: Do not EVER visit Wisconsin. The only thing worse would be to add pizza, beignets, and pralines to that list. Oh god, please let heaven be like Wisconsin.
Posted by: Mojo Rising at May 6, 2008 7:40 PM
Well, Jonathan and Daniel are right, Mississippi is the fattest state, at 32.6% obese. Michigan comes in at #14. Colorado is the least obese. California is the tenth skinniest.
Posted by: Brad Greenlee at May 6, 2008 8:54 PM
Posted by: istoretinoineen at August 3, 2008 10:22 AM
Posted by: sumatiptan at August 4, 2008 4:37 PM