Correct breathing technique?

[ccme]

So, I'm brand-new at rowing on the concept2 (Broken monitor) which I've set to level 1. I've watched videos and learned to start by warming up with just arms, then back and arms, then slightly bent knees back and arms for about 3 minutes. Afterwards I followed a forum users guidelines for 20 strokes per minute (I'm 188 cm tall). After about three minutes I couldn't coordinate my breathing with the strokes any longer and ended up laboring to breathe three times per stroke. I had to back off just to complete 10 minutes. So… can anyone share with me the correct breathing pattern for this exercise?

[Citroen]

In then out, one after the other, repeat as needed. Increase pace as needed even if you end up doing more than one breath per stroke.

[ccme]

I like your style Citroen…

But seriously, proper breathing techniques have always been important to my various exercise routines such as Walking, riding a bike, situps, push-ups, etc: I tend to match my breathing to the cycle of the activity. So I poked around a bit and this is what I found http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/t ... techniques

So, if I have labored breathing at 3x per stroke while rowing, then I might be pulling a bit too hard to begin with.

[hjs]

I like your style Citroen…

But seriously, proper breathing techniques have always been important to my various exercise routines such as Walking, riding a bike, situps, push-ups, etc: I tend to match my breathing to the cycle of the activity. So I poked around a bit and this is what I found http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/t ... techniques

So, if I have labored breathing at 3x per stroke while rowing, then I might be pulling a bit too hard to begin with.

If you had to breath 3 times per stroke, 60 x per min. you went out way to fast. If you breath like that your are working close to max. Breathing should stay calm, once per stroke is fine, breath out after the stroke, in during the recovery.
If you time trial, you will get out of breath ofcourse and breath more often, then there will serveral breaths like you had today. Those will not be the same. No way to get around that.

[jamesg]

Training rates for me are slow, 19-20 and 130-140 W, so I've plenty of time to breathe and need it only once during the recovery. I pull quick at low drag, taking about 0.8s, so leaving 2.2s for the recovery.

Those who like to work harder and/or at higher ratings will probably catch a quick breath during the pull too. At my levels I've found that consciously breathing deep makes me even more light-headed than usual, so one breath must be plenty.

As you are using low ratings but have no monitor, a HR counter can help you avoid overload. Our fitness level whatever can only let us pull at a certain power, beyond that all sorts of nasty things happen, not just breathing problems.

[sekitori]

As noted earlier, Concept 2 recommends two breathing techniques. For lower intensity rowing, they recommend one breath, exhaling on the drive and inhaling on recovery. For higher intensity rowing, they suggest using two breaths, exhaling on the drive and inhaling, exhaling quickly, and inhaling again during recovery.

I have always used the one breath technique during both high and low intensity rowing and it has been effective for me. I don't care to take a second breath during a stroke because that would upset the breathing pattern I've developed over the years. However, if someone feels that the two breath technique works better, then by all means use it.

C2 goes on to say that no matter which technique you follow, the most important thing is to create a breathing pattern that is effective for you after you have done so, stay with it during the row.

[Carl Watts]

You basically end up breathing the way it comes naturally to you and trying to change it is very hard and appears to make little difference anyway.

On the drive I breath IN or inhale and on the recovery/catch I breathe OUT or exhale.

Personally I don't know how you would reverse this it just doesn't work for me for two physical reasons.

1. At the catch my knees are approaching my chest and I'm leaning forward, ALL the air wants to be out of my lungs at this point.

2. During the drive the arms come back and the chest is open, the air wants to go in not out.

3. Keeping the arms as horizontal as possible and back straight at all times has a marked effect on the heartrate, it lowers it for a given pace, don't really know why but it appears to aid airflow.

With a little practice you can catch an additional breath on the recovery because this is longer, especially at 20spm its really long and a second breath is easy.

Low intensity work should be just one breath per stroke but higher intensity work you can begin to grab the second quick breath during the recovery.

Once your sprinting and its extremely hard the breathing pattern tends to go out the window and you just grabbing as much air wherever you can.

Just make a mental note of the way it works for you, I don't think everyone is the same.

[bonefixer]

I've rowed millions of meters over the years, and this is something I've never thought about. Thinking about it now I have no idea whether I breathe in on the drive, or the opposite. I just breathe.

It was different when I used to run - breathing was definitely in time with the steps, and the ratio of breaths:steps would start at 1:8, quickly shift to 1:4, and go as far as 1:3 for the sprint finish.

I think it was Emil Zatopek who when asked whether he breathed in through his mouth or his nose said, "I breathe in through my mouth and my nose, and my ears and eyes if I can manage it"

[left coaster]

I'm a newb, but I rowed regularly as a warm-up when I was a gym rat in my 20's.

I always use the 2 breath technique for anything where my heart rate is 125 or higher. I usually pull a stroke rate of around 22, so this works well. I use the breathing technique outlined above, with a deep breath in at the end of my stroke as I start the recovery and then I use the compression as I go into the catch to drive the exhale. I've got a thick build, stubby leg for my height and thick quads with short arms so my body compresses quite a bit on the catch. I can't really inhale properly as I approach the catch during the recovery. The mechanics of it most efficiently facilitate an exhale at that point.

The extra breath I take through the stroke is more like a 1/2 breath, it's a quick in and out with the exhale driving the end of my stroke. As I break the compression at the catch the mechanics of it just suck air into me. I'm so used to exhaling on the drive while pushing weights that not doing this on the drive portion of the stroke feels weird. I would go hypoxic very quickly if I tried to row hard with one breath per stroke, my stroke rate would need to be in the upper 30's, I'd be flying though!!! for a minute or two anyway

Like you, I get all messed up with my timing if I don't get my breathing in sync. It would be amazing to be able to breath freely and to not think about it, perhaps I'll get lean enough that this is one day possible

[Carl Watts]

Rowing is different to the Gym where I used to do the bench press for example.

On the bench press or in fact even the leg press you exhale as you push, its different for me on the rower I want to do the reverse.

[Bob S.]

@ Carl Watts: You are in good company with regard to breathing in on the drive. Xeno Mueller, the Olympic gold medalist sculler, recommends that as well. And, as you described well in an earlier post, it just makes sense to have your lungs empty when they are compressed at the catch and to inhale as you pull your arms back on the drive, since that action naturally opens the chest. I wish that I had caught on to that many years ago before developing the old, ingrained habits make it very difficult to try to change over

Bob S..

[left coaster]

think I'll take a run at the single breath per stroke approach. A higher stroke rate, and lower drag, may work well with this. I'll just do some slow and easy work with it to start and see where I get...

[left coaster]

EGAWD... that was unpleasant . think I'll need to stick with the 2 breath strategy for a while . Shawn, you must have some big lungs indeed!

[ccme]

Wow, thanks for sharing all of the great technique.

I brought a couple of D cell batteries to the gym and fired up the Concept2's monitor! With the "just row" function I was able to use the monitor to keep my pace at 20 strokes per minute while using the one breath per stroke method and keeping my effort level at… comfortable. I did this for 15 minutes traveling 1.9 km. It was beautiful!

As for breathing technique, I just did what came naturally: I inhaled on the drive and exhaled on the recovery... apparently just like Xeno! I'll give it a try the other way next time... just maybe everyone else is on to something

[lindsayh]

@ Carl Watts: You are in good company with regard to breathing in on the drive. Xeno Mueller, the Olympic gold medalist sculler, recommends that as well. And, as you described well in an earlier post, it just makes sense to have your lungs empty when they are compressed at the catch and to inhale as you pull your arms back on the drive, since that action naturally opens the chest. I wish that I had caught on to that many years ago before developing the old, ingrained habits make it very difficult to try to change over Bob S..

Me too - breathing out as the chest closes/compresses has always seemed right for me. The breath in as the chest opens on the drive.
one breath for each stroke about 95% of the time.