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Breathing and hard climbing (Read 15281 times)

shark

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Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 08:16:12 pm
I'm guilty quite often of forgetting to breathe as I find it hard to breathe and engage core at the same time without a conscious effort. Was recently interested to hear about the Pilates approach where you engage your core and breathe in a way where your lungs and ribs expand sideways. Then last night Dan C talked to me about pursed lips breathing where instead of concentrating on the in breath you focus on the out breath.

Wondered if anyone had tried these or other techniques....

Johnny Brown

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#1 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 08:22:33 pm
Yoga. It's all about the breathing. Pilates is just yoga with a few weights and less history.

shark

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#2 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 08:41:02 pm
Yoga. It's all about the breathing. Pilates is just yoga with a few weights and less history.

Never heard this breathing technique mentioned on yoga classes.

Does Pilates involve weights? If so my interest in it has doubled (admitedly from a low base)

nai

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#3 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 09:40:33 pm
Not sure JB is totally accurate with that description, you could say it's yoga with the lights on and no incense.
Could you get loopy Lou to give you a private lesson and go through the breathing techniques?

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bolehillbilly

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#4 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 09:44:17 pm
Mrs B has been going to a Pilates class as part of triathlon training for the past 6 months.  She seems to have had a lot of benefit and keeps telling me how good it would be for climbing.
Doesn't involve any weights as far as I know but lots of core work, breathing and flexibility. 
I've noticed that she sometimes talks to me with pursed lips too - its usually effective.

shark

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#5 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 09:51:55 pm

Could you get loopy Lou to give you a private lesson and go through the breathing techniques?

I think I understand already. Pursed lipped breathing strikes me as something I want to try out first. Possibly similar to your horse noises?

nai

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#6 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 09:55:25 pm

Could you get loopy Lou to give you a private lesson and go through the breathing techniques?

I think I understand already. Pursed lipped breathing strikes me as something I want to try out first. Possibly similar to your horse noises?
I climb so fast it sounds like I'm galloping to the belay? #climbfaster

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#7 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 10:24:39 pm
Alright dudes, I was thinking about this after our conversation and wondered if that kind of blowing out through purses lips and puffed cheeks actually helps improve aerobic respiration under pressure. There's minimal evidence out there I can briefly find apart from some saying it only helps pathological lungs. But there is this interesting article on. Or text ways to breathe which describes the advantages of a diaphragmatic in breath and a pursed out breath through puffed cheeks as something that helps regulate physical and psychological pressure. This would make total sense to me in climbing and fits with watching some great climbers literally appear to puff their way up routes. Whether in fits in with the yoga 'pranayama' I've no idea. But as s technique to improve efficiency and reduce stress improve focus and keep it as aerobic as possible it's gotta be worth a shot?

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/wellness/master-your-breathing-to-perform-better.html

Still looking for a Friday sport : trad peaks partner if anyone's keen? Moat?

Nibile

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#8 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 10:28:24 pm
I regularly train alternative breathing techniques, but obviously using weights so that I feel some kind of a superhuman mofo.

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#9 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 10:33:41 pm
Nice article on what I was describing here

https://www.climbing.com/skills/relaxing-breath/

shark

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#10 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 14, 2017, 10:42:37 pm
Alright dudes, I was thinking about this after our conversation and wondered if that kind of blowing out through purses lips and puffed cheeks actually helps improve aerobic respiration under pressure. There's minimal evidence out there I can briefly find apart from some saying it only helps pathological lungs. But there is this interesting article on. Or text ways to breathe which describes the advantages of a diaphragmatic in breath and a pursed out breath through puffed cheeks as something that helps regulate physical and psychological pressure. This would make total sense to me in climbing and fits with watching some great climbers literally appear to puff their way up routes. Whether in fits in with the yoga 'pranayama' I've no idea. But as s technique to improve efficiency and reduce stress improve focus and keep it as aerobic as possible it's gotta be worth a shot?

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/wellness/master-your-breathing-to-perform-better.html

Still looking for a Friday sport : trad peaks partner if anyone's keen? Moat?

Yes. Saw that article. Seems like there's very little out there on the subject. I like the idea because breathing out tightens the core and makes the in-breath a reflex action. We'll see

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#11 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 01:57:43 am
Not sure JB is totally accurate with that description, you could say it's yoga with the lights on and no incense.
Could you get loopy Lou to give you a private lesson and go through the breathing techniques?

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I've never been to a yoga class w the lights off and incense burning.  And all of the yoga I've ever done is heavily focused on breathing, and understanding the use of your breath to release and engage during a movement or static hold.  Look up Prana, literally means breathe. 


moose

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#12 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 07:15:06 am
Does practising this kind of breathing make much demand on the core?  On hard, sustained routes, my core is the element that tends to "go" - leading to difficulty raising my legs and keeping my feet on slippy smears at late RP cruxes.  I rarely feel short of oxygen mid-route - so, wondering if engaging the core for breathing might have unexpected negative consequences.  Or are the muscles involved in breathing and keeping feet on completely unrelated, so there is no conflict?

Not directly related, but here are a couple of breathing exercises / relaxation techiques that I recall reading about, and still use.

One (I vaguely recall it being referred to as "Dragon breathing") is to clear your mind and breath in, deep, slow and measured through your nose for a count of 4; hold briefly and relax your face (slack jawed and vacant expression!); and, then out through your slack mouth for a count of 4.  Repeat for counts of 5, 6, 7s, then back down in descending order.  Basically cycle long, nose-in, mouth-out breaths for ascending and descending periods (if you have time) with a relaxed face.  I use it at mid-route rests where you can stay a while but it's pretty stressful and there is a temptation to leave too early.  I find the routine helps me relax into the rest and "collect myself".

The other sounds a bit bizarre but I find it works for quickly settling down at bad rests (or at least it cheers me in stressful situations!): take a deep, long diaphragmy breath through the nose, whilst contorting your face into a huge, canine-teeth exposed grin - a proper "ghastly rictus" as oft described by poor horror writers! Then suddenly relax your face completely (jaw slack), and forcefully exhale through the mouth.   Feels daft but at shitty "a quick shake rests", I feel it encourages me fore setting off - I feel a bit calmer, yet determined and go into cruxes with a bit more oomph and resolve.

nai

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#13 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 08:31:59 am



Still looking for a Friday sport : trad peaks partner if anyone's keen? Moat?

I might be keen. Well I am keen, but it'll depend on getting stuff done today.

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highrepute

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#14 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 08:40:14 am

Does practising this kind of breathing make much demand on the core?  On hard, sustained routes, my core is the element that tends to "go" - leading to difficulty raising my legs and keeping my feet on slippy smears at late RP cruxes.  I rarely feel short of oxygen mid-route - so, wondering if engaging the core for breathing might have unexpected negative consequences.  Or are the muscles involved in breathing and keeping feet on completely unrelated, so there is no conflict?

I think it the opposite is considered more true. Good breathing can be used to aid the core such that they should be practised and trained together. My example has always been tennis players are taught to exhale on striking the ball, hence all the grunting. And the trumpet blowing that climbers do on hard moves is because holding an out breath like that helps stabilise the core. So they are not independent they are the same. So I suppose there could be a negative effect or looked at differently, if exploited can give a positive effect. That is just mainly my opinion.

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#15 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 08:55:31 am



Still looking for a Friday sport : trad peaks partner if anyone's keen? Moat?

I might be keen. Well I am keen, but it'll depend on getting stuff done today.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


Nice one Ian, I'll pm you my number :)

Johnny Brown

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#16 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 09:25:57 am
Quote
Never heard this breathing technique mentioned on yoga classes.

As above, it's at the core of the practice. When I was doing a lot my teacher used to hammer the rib expansion technique for the strenuous stuff. But mainly, you are continually reminded to focus on keeping the breath strong and regular whilst moving through difficult sequences, and moving with the appropriate breath. Likewise lots of exercises as Moose describes, we were also taught how a deep breathing out exercise to empty our lungs. Which came in very handy when I got breathalysed.

TobyD

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#17 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 09:37:05 am


Yoga is meditation on breath, and intrinsically doesn't require anything to do with stretching... I have found it by far the most relevant benefit of yoga to climbing.

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#18 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 10:04:30 am
Yoga means union or to merge with the Self.  Asanas and pranayama (posture and breathing to keep it simple) are one of the limbs of yoga to help bring this about.  Sorry to be a pendant.

Back on subject.  To be useful for climbing, ujjayi pranayama (breathing) I think would be the most effective technique to utilise.



T_B

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#19 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 10:21:14 am
Releasing your breath also gives you more reach.

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#20 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 10:26:42 am
The flipside of all this talk is I think the next level of local eliminates would be to do problems without breathing. Especially longer things like powerband, stuff like that. Could be a whole new set of challenges out there. In the same way that in Kabaddi they have to constantly say "kabaddi" to prove you're not breathing in, we should do something similar for kabaddi bouldering. Maybe just chanting "waddage" during climbing.

T_B

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#21 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 10:29:46 am
Mecca sans kneebar and w/o breathing. 8b+!

Johnny Brown

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#22 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 10:55:25 am
Releasing your breath also gives you more reach.

As if you need any more reach! Could be a neat leveller this kabaddi bouldering, I like it.

T_B

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#23 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 11:41:19 am
Releasing your breath also gives you more reach.

As if you need any more reach! Could be a neat leveller this kabaddi bouldering, I like it.

I've actually got really short arms. I'm just good at getting my feet high, you know, getting close into the rock, releasing my breath and streeeeeeeeetching  ;D

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#24 Re: Breathing and hard climbing
June 15, 2017, 12:10:08 pm
Typical yoga vid! - 2mins10seconds out of 2mins16seconds contains useful practical information that anybody can follow on how to develop breathing techniques. The last 6 seconds has philosophical jargon about evening out your consciousness that will mean nothing to most people.


Could be a whole new set of challenges out there. In the same way that in Kabaddi they have to constantly say "kabaddi" to prove you're not breathing in, we should do something similar for kabaddi bouldering. Maybe just chanting "waddage" during climbing.

'Kneebari' - ancient practice of the union of knee and rock. Proponents use breathing techniques in conjunction with holding body positions, to develop a higher grade actualization.
'Kneebarrow' - a recent offshoot of Kneebari. Proponents advocate using rubber, 'marginal scums', and practicing of knee-rock union in areas previously thought sacrosanct.

 

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