Push-ups: How to breathe?

[ny biker]

I'm not in this challenge, and the most pushups I ever do in one set is 15, but I've been doing weight training for a long time. My advice is to just keep practicing until proper breathing becomes second nature, even if that means you keep to a low number of pushups a little while longer while you're getting the technique down.

Good luck!

[spindizzy]

Funny you should mention this..I just realized that after about 10-12, I am holding my breath.... trying to get it over with.

[OakLeaf]

The way I breathe doing pups is more like Pilates breathing than belly breathing, I think. Abs are engaged, so I'm breathing more into my ribcage.

If you don't do Pilates, try this Stott Pilates breathing practice: sit on a mat, hug your knees in and curl over them, then just practice inhaling and exhaling. The only way for your lungs to expand is into your ribcage. Doing that will give you an idea of how it feels to breathe into your sides and back.

Yup, forceful exhale on the way up. You can subvocalize counting as you exhale, if it helps to count out loud.

HTH.

[Grog]

Thanks all! I will try these tricks on Wednesday. I think I will be able to count and exhale at the same time as you describe, Oakleaf! Will keep you posted.

[Grog]

Ok, tried and tested this:

I experimented on the breathing thing. I got it right on the second and third level, and then kept "experimenting" and that's how I almost failed the fifth level, as my breathing was totally out of whack. Anyway I've figured out what I have to do: I need to breathe out before I start, then I breathe in during the descend and the start of the push up, and exhale the rest of the way up. Start inhaling again before I start going down, and the beat seems about right. My heart rate shoots up, but that will improve in time.

Does this make sense?

[ny biker]

I was talking to my trainer about this on Monday. He said, if you hold your breath, the worst that will happen is that you'll pass out. And since you're doing push-ups you're already close to the floor so you probably won't hurt yourself. Although you might want to have a mat under you just in case.

(Yeah, he can be quite the wise-*** at times. And yet I've been putting up with him for over 11 years now. Of course if you asked him, he'd say he's been putting up with me.)

Anyway it sounds like you're doing a good job figuring it out. Keep practicing and before you know it, you won't even have to think about it anymore.