Need advice on breathing

Just started Foundation 1 series and notice that there is very little discussion in demo videos on appropriate breathing techniques during strength and mobility. Are there any suggestions or videos on breathing techniques/pacing for endurance. Thanks

I prefer diaphragmatic breathing for all HBH variations. This allows me to keep the hollow shape and breath comfortably when full body tension, and the hollow shape, are utilized in other GB movements and progressions.

 During isometric holds such as handstands, hollows, and L-sits when the muscle tension makes breathing difficult, it can be helpful to breath at a fraction of lung capacity so that you can keep core engaged. In other words, taking small sips into the upper lungs for the duration of the hold. For dynamic movements that allow more room for breathing,  you can inhale while performing eccentric movement and exhale during the concentric. The reason for this being that it's easier to brace your core during an exhale. 

For example, when lowering down from a plank to push-up, you'd inhale, then brace your core and exhale as you push back up. If you were to stop at the bottom of the push-up and hold it, brace your core and take smaller sips of air while keeping trunk tight. 

Hope that helps!

Grace 

For beginner I suggest to lay down on your back with the legs bent (like the position of a crunch) , put a 5 kg plate on your belly and learn how to breath deeply with your belly. spend 5' 2-3 times a week.

If you are unable to do that probably your serratus posterior it is weak. before attempting to hold the breath for a long time you need to train specifically these muscles in order to reduce the fatigue and promote the resistance of diaphram.

20 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

For beginner I suggest to lay down on your back with the legs bent (like the position of a crunch) , put a 5 kg plate on your belly and learn how to breath deeply with your belly. spend 5' 2-3 times a week.

If you are unable to do that probably your serratus posterior it is weak. before attempting to hold the breath for a long time you need to train specifically these muscles in order to reduce the fatigue and promote the resistance of diaphram.

 

Is the goal to move the weight while breathing with your belly, or NOT move the weight with your belly? 

Whenever I breath with my belly, my stomach moves quite a bit. 

Yes, the goal is to not move the weight with your stomach.

5 hours ago, Cole Dano said:

Yes, the goal is to not move the weight with your stomach.

I thought that with diaphragmatic breathing, the goal was for the stomach to rise and fall with each breath. I'm confused. 

On 10/7/2016 at 11:09 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

For beginner I suggest to lay down on your back with the legs bent (like the position of a crunch) , put a 5 kg plate on your belly and learn how to breath deeply with your belly. spend 5' 2-3 times a week.

I don't understand how this is done. If I breath deeply, my belly moves up and down. Alessandro could you please explain in more detail the exercise? Thanks

There are any number of different ways to breathe. In yoga there are literally hundreds of techniques. We could use the weight and have it rise and fall, or relax the belle and let it sink in and not move, or brace the core and have it not move.

But think for a moment what is needed in gymnastics, to do hold the hollow position. The core needs to be kept tight, allowing the belly to rise and fall is not an option. How to do it, that's what you need to figure out.

Alex gave a clue when he mentioned weak serratus posterior, it can help to think of breathing in the back.

Adding to what Cole said, I think directing the air towards the upper portion of the lungs could be another clue. It may be convenient to start with thoracic rather than abdominal breathing (i.e. chest cage/lower ribs expand a bit, belly mostly stays put). I am fairly sure that once one has acquired a good control on the breathing muscles it is possible to use the diaphragm as well, thus allowing for deeper breathing, while keeping the core contracted and the belly stable: the diaphragm moves downwards and the contracted core prevents an "exoansion" of the belly.

If you belly moves up and down you are doing it correctly. every single very young kid after they were born...usually breath in the belly not in the upper ribcage. after we tend to lose this habit...very very bad.

Sorry folks for confusing the issue, I'll let Alex take it from here. Alex is talking about a method to directly strengthen the diaphragm.