Blood vessels

[webby]

Does anyone else regularly burst blood vessels on there eyelids and neck when doing strenous exercises on the rings? I look like i have been caught stealing Mike Tysons bike by the time i finish training levers on the rings. Is this normal?

[braindx]

It should go away after a while.

[Coach Sommer]

You are working too hard. My recommendation is to make the following modifications to your training:

1) Train easier FSP variations and a less demanding ring strength series.

2) Do NOT hold your breath while you train.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Erik Sjolin]

I sometimes get red marks on the outside of my chest when doing pushup variations, but that could be from my shirt rubbing between the arm and pectoral.

[webby]

Yes they do fade after a few days. Thinking about it i probably do hold my breath initially, something i need to sort out in conjunction with a less strenuous ring sesh. Thanks Coach

[Seiji]

From what I've heard, holding your breath can temporarily increase your ability to generate power... The same with with yelling. Temporary. It seems you're holding it too long and your blood pressure is spiking to unsafe levels. Just be careful

[Joshua Naterman]

It's just the build up of abdominal pressure. You're supposed to "hiss" or "yell" to maintain a constant internal pressure throughout the movement. When you hold your breath, your core pressure increases during the movement but the air volume stays the same. This leads to unsafe rises in blood pressure, and possible aneurysms, which is fancy talk for a busted blood vessel. Get one of those in your brain and it's called a stroke. Don't hold your breath the whole time! When you feel the pressure start to get too much, start hissing just enough to maintain the pressure at the maximum good-feeling pressure.

[Coach Sommer]

Gymnasts do not hold their breath. Rather they use intense muscular contraction to maintain their positions. Otherwise a series of high level strength elements in a ring routine would be literally impossible to accomplish.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Joshua Naterman]

That's very true lol! Sorry Coach, I was honestly just thinking about lifting weights for some reason!

It is absolutely true that you will eventually get used to maintaining abdominal pressure to the point where you can breathe continuously.

The only thing that controlled exhalation does is work together with your core musculature to create optimum internal pressure, which is what stabilizes the spine.

The point I wanted to make was that you are never actually holding the breath. As you exercise pressure will increase and the air must be allowed to flow! For maximal strength work, maintaining the core pressure by controlling exhalation works very well. You WILL be taking a breath with each rep, and exhaling each rep. There is no holding your breath for a rep or between reps. Eventually you will be able to talk during many exercises that involve a lot of core pressure without losing your form, should you choose to do so. I don't think that's a good idea, by the way! Just breathe, don't talk.

[webby]

So what exactly should i looking to do when training the rings with regards to breathing? Should i be exhaling when holding a static position, while contracting my core muscles, then inhaling in less stressful positions. Or is there some other technique i should be trying to master?

[Joshua Naterman]

You will probably be breathing a little bit shallower than normal, but you should be able to breathe when holding FL, PL, BL, etc. At first that will be a challenge. Eventually it will be natural.