When it comes to lifting, breath control is more than just inhaling and exhaling. It’s about harnessing the power of your breath to enhance stability, protect your spine, and optimize your performance. Two primary breathing techniques are commonly used in strength training: 360-degree core expansion (balloon breath) and the abdominal draw-in maneuver. Understanding when and how to use these methods can make a significant difference in your lifting outcomes.
The Balloon Breath Technique
One of the most effective ways to create a stable core while lifting is through the 360-degree core expansion technique, often referred to as diaphragmatic breathing. This method involves breathing deeply into your diaphragm and expanding your abdomen and lower ribcage in all directions—front, sides, and back.
Steps to Perform 360-Degree Core Expansion:
1. Inhale Deeply: Begin by standing or lying down. Take a deep breath in through your nose, focusing on sending the air into your lower belly, not your chest. Imagine inflating a balloon inside your abdomen.
2. Expand in All Directions: As you inhale, visualize your torso expanding outward, like a balloon filling with air. Your stomach, obliques, and lower back should all push outward slightly. This creates a solid, pressurized core that provides stability to your spine.
3. Maintain the Pressure: While holding this expansion, perform your lift, whether it’s a deadlift, squat, or overhead press. The intra-abdominal pressure you create helps protect your spine and allows you to lift heavier with greater control.
4. Exhale Slowly: After completing the lift, exhale slowly through pursed lips, allowing your core to gradually relax.
This technique is particularly useful for heavy lifts where core stability is paramount. It provides a bracing effect, much like how a weightlifting belt supports your midsection.
The Abdominal Draw-In Maneuver
In contrast to the 360-degree expansion, the abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) focuses on pulling your navel toward your spine, engaging the deeper transverse abdominis muscles. This technique is often used in physical therapy and rehabilitation settings to activate the core muscles without increasing intra-abdominal pressure significantly.
Steps to Perform the Abdominal Draw-In Maneuver:
1. Exhale and Engage: Start by exhaling completely. Then, gently draw your navel towards your spine as if you’re trying to make your waist smaller. Avoid sucking in too hard; the goal is a controlled engagement of the deep core muscles.
2. Hold and Maintain: Maintain this engagement while performing exercises that don’t require heavy lifting, such as planks, bird-dogs, or when focusing on lower back stability during lighter exercises.
3. Breathe Normally: It’s important to continue breathing normally while holding the draw-in, as this technique isn’t about creating pressure but about engaging specific muscles.
When to Use Each Technique
360-Degree Core Expansion is your go-to technique for heavy, compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, and presses. It’s ideal when maximal core stability and spinal protection are needed. By creating intra-abdominal pressure, you effectively brace your spine, allowing you to handle heavier loads safely.
The Abdominal Draw-In Maneuver is better suited for exercises that emphasize core control without heavy lifting, such as stabilization exercises or when focusing on activating deep core muscles during lower-intensity movements. It’s also beneficial during rehabilitation from injury or when working on improving posture and core engagement in everyday activities.
Both techniques have their place in a well-rounded strength training routine. By mastering these breathing methods, you can enhance your lifting performance, protect your spine, and build a stronger, more resilient core.
Mason Stevens, MS, ACSM-CEP, NSCA-CSCS
Clinical Exercise Physiologist
댓글