Hi all;
Not really sure where to post this, so I'll try here unless I'm directed elsewhere.
Lately, when I'm doing certain exercises in the gym or in the basement, I almost start to hyperventilate or so it feels like. I have to pace around and try to slow my breathing and try to get it to close to normal.
This doesn't really happen on the cardio machines as I can slow down if I feel that I'm getting too "winded" where I couldn't carry on a conversation. Rather, it happens on "big" exercises like deadlifts, clean and presses, and so on. Single movements such as bicep curls and so on don't bother me unless I try to do too much in the way of super-setting.
So, I guess I'm looking for any advice on how to recover....hold my breath, paper bag it, breath faster, etc. and also on how to avoid it in the first place. I find that when I try to think too much about how I should be breathing w/ the lifting, it sometimes makes the hyperventilation appear faster. Any insights and tips greatly appreciated.
Hyperventilating w/ weights
Moderator: Available
Disclaimer and universally sound advice: if you feel unwell, especially if you think there's something wrong with your breathing, go see a doctor in person and make sure there's nothing serious wrong with you. No one can offer you sure advice online because no one can take an adequate history or examine you online.
Hypothetically, if you handle aerobic exercise well, and you handle single-muscle group exercises well like curls, then you may be putting yourself into anaerobic metabolism with large muscle exercises. That's not unexpected, it's why we specifically recommend AErobic exercise in contrast to weight lifting, which isn't aerobic. The more or larger muscles that do this, the more oxygen debt, and the more you will pant after to catch up, while your muscles recover and your liver takes care of the lactate you produce. If you do smaller sets or breath well during exertion (exhale with exertion, never breath hold, inhale with relaxation phase--and let Bill go into detail as he is the weightlifting guru) this should be less noticeable.
That said, if you're feeling short of breath with exercise beyond what you expect, you ought to go see a doctor in person.
Hypothetically, if you handle aerobic exercise well, and you handle single-muscle group exercises well like curls, then you may be putting yourself into anaerobic metabolism with large muscle exercises. That's not unexpected, it's why we specifically recommend AErobic exercise in contrast to weight lifting, which isn't aerobic. The more or larger muscles that do this, the more oxygen debt, and the more you will pant after to catch up, while your muscles recover and your liver takes care of the lactate you produce. If you do smaller sets or breath well during exertion (exhale with exertion, never breath hold, inhale with relaxation phase--and let Bill go into detail as he is the weightlifting guru) this should be less noticeable.
That said, if you're feeling short of breath with exercise beyond what you expect, you ought to go see a doctor in person.
--Ian
Hey there;
Thanks for the reply/tips. I do go to my family doctor fairly often for blood work(family history of diabetes and high cholesterol). While my diabetes is fine and my Doc has no cause for concern, I do have high cholesterol and something that was posted perked my interest.
I'm on simvastatin for cholesterol control which I believe works by removing it from my liver, thus my liver "pulls" the cholesterol out of my blood to replenish it. Since the liver gets rid of the lactose(?) would this be a side effect of the drug not allowing my liver to perform it's lactose clearing duties as effeciently as possible and would this lend itself to the panting I get if I work the larger muscles or do super-sets?
I've spoken w/ my doctor about near hyperventilating and his advice was that it could be stress related(a lot going on my plate) and that I'm taking in too much oxyegen and that my body is trying to get the trigger to breath(carbon mon/di(?) oxide and one way would be to breath into a paper bag, of which I carry them around but have not used yet. I've also been lifting rather steadily for a number of years and have had bouts of puffing after a heavy set but this is a newer sensation and recent.
As always, thanks in advance for any assistance and tips on how to avoid and/or recover from these episodes. I might add that it doesn't happen w/ every workout, but enough to be of some concern to me.
Thanks for the reply/tips. I do go to my family doctor fairly often for blood work(family history of diabetes and high cholesterol). While my diabetes is fine and my Doc has no cause for concern, I do have high cholesterol and something that was posted perked my interest.
I'm on simvastatin for cholesterol control which I believe works by removing it from my liver, thus my liver "pulls" the cholesterol out of my blood to replenish it. Since the liver gets rid of the lactose(?) would this be a side effect of the drug not allowing my liver to perform it's lactose clearing duties as effeciently as possible and would this lend itself to the panting I get if I work the larger muscles or do super-sets?
I've spoken w/ my doctor about near hyperventilating and his advice was that it could be stress related(a lot going on my plate) and that I'm taking in too much oxyegen and that my body is trying to get the trigger to breath(carbon mon/di(?) oxide and one way would be to breath into a paper bag, of which I carry them around but have not used yet. I've also been lifting rather steadily for a number of years and have had bouts of puffing after a heavy set but this is a newer sensation and recent.
As always, thanks in advance for any assistance and tips on how to avoid and/or recover from these episodes. I might add that it doesn't happen w/ every workout, but enough to be of some concern to me.
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Just to reinforce the thought... Ian is a physician telling you to go see a physician whenever anything medically significant is going on. Not even the best physician can properly assess you online.
That being said, we can get on to the hypothetical.
We've had "breathing wars" online before - long discussions about various breathing methods. What's my personal philosophy? Study it all, and become a master of your breathing rather than a slave to a breathing method. Easier said than done though.
In general for simple exercises, you should breathe out with the exertion phase, and breathe in with the relaxation phase. But once again, being a slave to this method (or ANY method) is going to get you in trouble in some circumstances. The truth is that you should breathe more when you need more air exchange, and less (difficult to describe) when you need your spine briefly to be tethered with a firm trunk.
You can spend money on tapes from breathing experts that talk about power breathing, and this exhale inhale formula sort of works to an extent. But you get into trouble when doing the really beneficial, complex exercises like power cleans that are multi phase and use a maximum of muscle groups. Do five to ten power cleans with the heaviest weight you can, and this "formula" must be thrown out the bloody window.
These days, I do these complex, taxing exercises regularly, and don't seem to have any breathing problem. I have found my "groove." But I wish I could tape the breathing used to do them. It is NOT one exhale and inhale per rep. It is multiple breaths taken here and there throughout the exercise, and a few spots of - yes - breath holding to tether the trunk at some critical junctures. You need to experiment and find what works.
Here are a few recommendations I would make.
1) Learn abdominal breathing. This can get a little complex. Primarily you want the air to force a bulge down in the lowest part of your abdomen, as this means you are getting air down into the lower lung alveoli where most of the blood is pooled. This means better gas exchange. What might inhibit that? How about a weight belt pulled too tightly? These days, I don't use a weight belt any more; I notice more lifters doing the same.
2) Learn "dragon breathing." This means restricting the inhale by "sniffing" it, and restricting the exhale by "hissing" it deep down in the epiglottis (throat). If done properly with balanced restriction on the inhale and exhale, your breathing will serve both to pump the blood more efficiently through your heart (through waxing and waning of pressure inside your chest which "milks" the vena cava) and serve to tether the spine with a firm trunk at critical points in a lift that requires trunk strength. The positive pressure on the exhalation also helps with the gas exchange. Of course with a maximum lift, the "hiss" can become a yell (a.k.a. kiai).
3) Learn to sneak in quick gulps of air at relaxation phases of a multi-rep exercise that taxes the whole body. The much-maligned "in-between breathing" method practiced by some in Sanchin will help tremendously here. Basically you tank up a few breaths whenever you need them. Don't let your respiratory rate be a slave to your exercise rate.
4) DON'T hyperventilate before you do an exercise. The exercise physiology books recommend against it. You could actually do more harm than good - cause yourself to black out (for instance) before you jump into a pool to swim a long length under water.
I also do NOT recommend you stop yourself from breathing heavily at the end of an exercise by bag breathing, etc. That method is only used when high levels of pre-event stress causes someone inappropriately to hyperventilate. During and after the fact, your body NEEDS that air, and you should give it what it is asking for. Rather, take note of your oxygen deficit, and monitor your progress as you learn to breathe more efficiently.
Good luck!
- Bill
That being said, we can get on to the hypothetical.
We've had "breathing wars" online before - long discussions about various breathing methods. What's my personal philosophy? Study it all, and become a master of your breathing rather than a slave to a breathing method. Easier said than done though.
In general for simple exercises, you should breathe out with the exertion phase, and breathe in with the relaxation phase. But once again, being a slave to this method (or ANY method) is going to get you in trouble in some circumstances. The truth is that you should breathe more when you need more air exchange, and less (difficult to describe) when you need your spine briefly to be tethered with a firm trunk.
You can spend money on tapes from breathing experts that talk about power breathing, and this exhale inhale formula sort of works to an extent. But you get into trouble when doing the really beneficial, complex exercises like power cleans that are multi phase and use a maximum of muscle groups. Do five to ten power cleans with the heaviest weight you can, and this "formula" must be thrown out the bloody window.
These days, I do these complex, taxing exercises regularly, and don't seem to have any breathing problem. I have found my "groove." But I wish I could tape the breathing used to do them. It is NOT one exhale and inhale per rep. It is multiple breaths taken here and there throughout the exercise, and a few spots of - yes - breath holding to tether the trunk at some critical junctures. You need to experiment and find what works.
Here are a few recommendations I would make.
1) Learn abdominal breathing. This can get a little complex. Primarily you want the air to force a bulge down in the lowest part of your abdomen, as this means you are getting air down into the lower lung alveoli where most of the blood is pooled. This means better gas exchange. What might inhibit that? How about a weight belt pulled too tightly? These days, I don't use a weight belt any more; I notice more lifters doing the same.
2) Learn "dragon breathing." This means restricting the inhale by "sniffing" it, and restricting the exhale by "hissing" it deep down in the epiglottis (throat). If done properly with balanced restriction on the inhale and exhale, your breathing will serve both to pump the blood more efficiently through your heart (through waxing and waning of pressure inside your chest which "milks" the vena cava) and serve to tether the spine with a firm trunk at critical points in a lift that requires trunk strength. The positive pressure on the exhalation also helps with the gas exchange. Of course with a maximum lift, the "hiss" can become a yell (a.k.a. kiai).
3) Learn to sneak in quick gulps of air at relaxation phases of a multi-rep exercise that taxes the whole body. The much-maligned "in-between breathing" method practiced by some in Sanchin will help tremendously here. Basically you tank up a few breaths whenever you need them. Don't let your respiratory rate be a slave to your exercise rate.
4) DON'T hyperventilate before you do an exercise. The exercise physiology books recommend against it. You could actually do more harm than good - cause yourself to black out (for instance) before you jump into a pool to swim a long length under water.
I also do NOT recommend you stop yourself from breathing heavily at the end of an exercise by bag breathing, etc. That method is only used when high levels of pre-event stress causes someone inappropriately to hyperventilate. During and after the fact, your body NEEDS that air, and you should give it what it is asking for. Rather, take note of your oxygen deficit, and monitor your progress as you learn to breathe more efficiently.
Good luck!
- Bill
Mr. Glasheen;
Thanks for your advice, from being a long time lurker, seldom poster, I've come to appreciate what people such as you and Ian bring to the table wrt exercise and medical/physical considerations.
Yes, I have been trying to find my "own" method of breathing and one of the first I learnt was if I try to tie breathing in w/ the movements, especially compound movements, I build an oxeygen debt rather fast and have to stop the exercise in order to reset my breathing, so to speak.
I also learnt when I should be sneaking in a few gulps of air and that has helped also. For instance, I'll pause in the upright position of a deadlift to take several breathes before finishing up. Same goes w/ the clean and press. It gets more complicated though when you're doing slow negatives and I find then a few short breathes are better than one long exhale.
I've never wore a weight belt while lifting as I figured the stabilizer muscles wouldn't be getting a workout and also that if I needed a belt, then I must be trying to lift too heavy.
I might add that this shortness of breath also happens when I'm at the end of a shift in hockey and either make a mad dash to break up a two on one or get into a tangle just as I'm about to head towards the bench. That's not as scary as it's not un-expected and I'm usually too occupied to be overly concerned w/ my panting. Guess I just think too much about my breathing in the gym or basement, eh?
I made a note of the no brown bagging it deal too. I also don't try to hyperventilate or whatever it is I see people do when they go for a long underwater swim. Heck, I've seen people do that while they're doing heavy squats and I'm thankful that at least they're doing it in a cage or smith machine as they do get pretty red/purple in the face halfway through and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to try to help them out, especially w/ that many plates resting across their shoulders.
I might also be over-training as my sessions are approaching the 1hr and 45 mins, 2 hours mark and since I have only so many days to get to the gym, I might be over-taxing myself, trying to get the biggest bang for my buck.
I like the idea of finding my own method and of venting my breath, etc. and will make more of an attempt to pace myself and to take note of when I should put the brakes on as this problem, man, when it hits it just ruins the whole session and I have to leave the gym.
Again, I know this doesn't replace face to face medical advice but some good stuff nevertheless. Many thanks and maybe I'll provide an up-date on the issue when it's a heavy day for me or a complex movement day and I seem to get through the session w/o too much concern for this near hyperventilating. To each his own!!
I appreciate it folks.
jaybo
Thanks for your advice, from being a long time lurker, seldom poster, I've come to appreciate what people such as you and Ian bring to the table wrt exercise and medical/physical considerations.
Yes, I have been trying to find my "own" method of breathing and one of the first I learnt was if I try to tie breathing in w/ the movements, especially compound movements, I build an oxeygen debt rather fast and have to stop the exercise in order to reset my breathing, so to speak.
I also learnt when I should be sneaking in a few gulps of air and that has helped also. For instance, I'll pause in the upright position of a deadlift to take several breathes before finishing up. Same goes w/ the clean and press. It gets more complicated though when you're doing slow negatives and I find then a few short breathes are better than one long exhale.
I've never wore a weight belt while lifting as I figured the stabilizer muscles wouldn't be getting a workout and also that if I needed a belt, then I must be trying to lift too heavy.
I might add that this shortness of breath also happens when I'm at the end of a shift in hockey and either make a mad dash to break up a two on one or get into a tangle just as I'm about to head towards the bench. That's not as scary as it's not un-expected and I'm usually too occupied to be overly concerned w/ my panting. Guess I just think too much about my breathing in the gym or basement, eh?
I made a note of the no brown bagging it deal too. I also don't try to hyperventilate or whatever it is I see people do when they go for a long underwater swim. Heck, I've seen people do that while they're doing heavy squats and I'm thankful that at least they're doing it in a cage or smith machine as they do get pretty red/purple in the face halfway through and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to try to help them out, especially w/ that many plates resting across their shoulders.
I might also be over-training as my sessions are approaching the 1hr and 45 mins, 2 hours mark and since I have only so many days to get to the gym, I might be over-taxing myself, trying to get the biggest bang for my buck.
I like the idea of finding my own method and of venting my breath, etc. and will make more of an attempt to pace myself and to take note of when I should put the brakes on as this problem, man, when it hits it just ruins the whole session and I have to leave the gym.
Again, I know this doesn't replace face to face medical advice but some good stuff nevertheless. Many thanks and maybe I'll provide an up-date on the issue when it's a heavy day for me or a complex movement day and I seem to get through the session w/o too much concern for this near hyperventilating. To each his own!!
I appreciate it folks.
jaybo
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Good stuff, jaybo.
By all means, make sure you check with your physician "just in case."
One hour of weight training in a day (a session) is the threshold. When you do weight training longer than that, your anabolic (building) response turns to a catabolic (tearing down) one. Ever wonder why marathon runners and triathletes look the way they do? Is that the kind of body you want for martial arts and hockey?
There are long term consequences as well for training like this. It's no different than being under chronic stress. Do it long enough, and there may permanent physiologic changes that you one day will regret.
Plan your hour well. Go in there, work like heck for an hour, and then go home and enjoy life. Your results will be better, your life will be better, and your health will improve.
- Bill
By all means, make sure you check with your physician "just in case."
Absolutely!!!!I might also be over-training as my sessions are approaching the 1hr and 45 mins, 2 hours mark and since I have only so many days to get to the gym, I might be over-taxing myself, trying to get the biggest bang for my buck.
One hour of weight training in a day (a session) is the threshold. When you do weight training longer than that, your anabolic (building) response turns to a catabolic (tearing down) one. Ever wonder why marathon runners and triathletes look the way they do? Is that the kind of body you want for martial arts and hockey?
There are long term consequences as well for training like this. It's no different than being under chronic stress. Do it long enough, and there may permanent physiologic changes that you one day will regret.
Plan your hour well. Go in there, work like heck for an hour, and then go home and enjoy life. Your results will be better, your life will be better, and your health will improve.
- Bill
Mr. Glasheen;
One more freebie question, seeing how the advice seems bang on and some of it begs further questions.
That 1 and 3/4 to 2 hours' workout also includes some cardio. Don't want to sound as if I'm running the rack or hitting the machines the whole time.
One hour is the measurement and I'll certainly give it a try as when I work out in my baesment, it's less noticeable b/c, well, the weights are free, I can sneak down to work on 1 or 2 body parts in a relatively short time period, and where I have no cardio equipment, save the heavy bag. Whereas w/ a gym membership, I tend to want to over-indulge....kinda like a buffet ....pay your money and get you money's worth....weights, cardio, machines, the whole deal.
Should this one hour include cardio? Should I do cardio on different days? Later in the day(I usually hit the weights at 6 in the AM)? The time I spent now is 5 mins of light to medium cardio to break a sweat, then the weights, then another 5 minutes of medium cardio halfway's through if I've lost the sweat I had going or if the weights/machine I want are in use, then 10, 12 mins of harder cardio at the end.
And if I feel like I didn't get a good enough blast for the part I was working on, I'll crank out a few more sets for that body part and sometimes this bothers my breathing but not as much as the complex and/or super-sets.
Sorry for trying to get so much free advice but as I'm getting older, the realization that I can't run down a horse and wrestle it to the ground is starting to sink in and I really want to be someone that wins the race by the slow and steady approach.
As before, I remain appreciative of all advice and tips and will certainly be discussing this more fully w/ my doctor when I go for another check-up next month.
jaybo
One more freebie question, seeing how the advice seems bang on and some of it begs further questions.
That 1 and 3/4 to 2 hours' workout also includes some cardio. Don't want to sound as if I'm running the rack or hitting the machines the whole time.
One hour is the measurement and I'll certainly give it a try as when I work out in my baesment, it's less noticeable b/c, well, the weights are free, I can sneak down to work on 1 or 2 body parts in a relatively short time period, and where I have no cardio equipment, save the heavy bag. Whereas w/ a gym membership, I tend to want to over-indulge....kinda like a buffet ....pay your money and get you money's worth....weights, cardio, machines, the whole deal.
Should this one hour include cardio? Should I do cardio on different days? Later in the day(I usually hit the weights at 6 in the AM)? The time I spent now is 5 mins of light to medium cardio to break a sweat, then the weights, then another 5 minutes of medium cardio halfway's through if I've lost the sweat I had going or if the weights/machine I want are in use, then 10, 12 mins of harder cardio at the end.
And if I feel like I didn't get a good enough blast for the part I was working on, I'll crank out a few more sets for that body part and sometimes this bothers my breathing but not as much as the complex and/or super-sets.
Sorry for trying to get so much free advice but as I'm getting older, the realization that I can't run down a horse and wrestle it to the ground is starting to sink in and I really want to be someone that wins the race by the slow and steady approach.
As before, I remain appreciative of all advice and tips and will certainly be discussing this more fully w/ my doctor when I go for another check-up next month.
jaybo
REgarding cholesterol, there are two sources: diet and home-made in the liver. Simvastatin and the other statins work by blocking what the liver makes. When it wants cholesterol for projects, yeah, it pulls it out of the blood and shifts the net transport of cholesterol away from your arteries and back to the liver. The liver does not get rid of lactose. This is a sugar broken down by enzymes in your gut; if you lack them, the bacteria gets to it, producing gas, and diarrhea. Statins should have no effect though any drug can cause stomach side effects. I figure though that you meant lactate, which is a byproduct of anaerobic exertion. This is turned by the liver back into the sugar your muscle started with as fuel. Statins shouldn't interfere, but some medicines can cause high lactates--metformin for diabetes in certain sick people, and certain antiretrovirals are good examples.
I don't see why stress would make you hyperventilate when you work out. Exercise is relaxing. If iot were stress you'd probably hyperventilate when you were thinking about stressful stuff, right?
You can't take in too much oxygen by breathing a lot... only if someone GIVES you a lot of supplemental oxygen (don't worry about that unless you're on a breathing machine). You CAN, by breathing too much, blow off to much carbdon dioxide, which will upset your acid base balance, which will cause your available calcium levels to drop in your blood, which will cause muscular irritability, lightheadedness, and numbness around your lips, among other things. I doubt you're doing this.
I agree with Bill that hyperventilation associated with exercise is coming from your body's request to breathe in O2 and blow off CO2--and that exercisers should generally listen to and obey this request.
I don't see why stress would make you hyperventilate when you work out. Exercise is relaxing. If iot were stress you'd probably hyperventilate when you were thinking about stressful stuff, right?
You can't take in too much oxygen by breathing a lot... only if someone GIVES you a lot of supplemental oxygen (don't worry about that unless you're on a breathing machine). You CAN, by breathing too much, blow off to much carbdon dioxide, which will upset your acid base balance, which will cause your available calcium levels to drop in your blood, which will cause muscular irritability, lightheadedness, and numbness around your lips, among other things. I doubt you're doing this.
I agree with Bill that hyperventilation associated with exercise is coming from your body's request to breathe in O2 and blow off CO2--and that exercisers should generally listen to and obey this request.
--Ian
Thanks Ian;
Yeah, I had meant lactate, not lactose. I read your original post about the liver and lactate and fixed upon the liver and statins since I am on a statins and lactate was in my mind, but I am more familiar with lactose term than lactate. At least I was close enough w/ the lactose for you to figure out what I was trying to write.
Thanks for the info that statins should not normally interfere and for the re-inforcement of listening to the body and finding a way to comply w/ the demands placed upon it. Of course, sometimes if I make my breathing too deliberate, I can get fixated on that and trigger a near hyperventilation episode also.
I guess one way would be to be aware of it and to listen to the requests of my body when it needs a good inhale/exhale and/or when it needs a combination of the two or a variant such as a slow release, quick gulps of air, etc. but not to get too worked up over THE way to breathe as we are all unique individuals after all. As mentioned earier, I will be taking these issues up w/ my family doc next month.
Now, after 2 days off, it's time for a chest workout, and maybe triceps and not much more than that as I'll be trying to limit my lifting sessions to an hour as per Bill Glasheen's weightlifting advice. And maybe tinkering w/ the sets and reps where I get a good burn but w/o over-taxing myself too much, if such a thing is possible
BTW, I'm coming at this whole breathing thing in the context of not having had to deal w/ the exhale/don't exhale in the context of my martial arts and while I do get winded at times, it's a different type than w/ weights. Plus I find the constant motion better at helping me recover than just sitting on a weight bench or pacing around a small corner of the gym.
Thanks again.
jaybo
Yeah, I had meant lactate, not lactose. I read your original post about the liver and lactate and fixed upon the liver and statins since I am on a statins and lactate was in my mind, but I am more familiar with lactose term than lactate. At least I was close enough w/ the lactose for you to figure out what I was trying to write.
Thanks for the info that statins should not normally interfere and for the re-inforcement of listening to the body and finding a way to comply w/ the demands placed upon it. Of course, sometimes if I make my breathing too deliberate, I can get fixated on that and trigger a near hyperventilation episode also.
I guess one way would be to be aware of it and to listen to the requests of my body when it needs a good inhale/exhale and/or when it needs a combination of the two or a variant such as a slow release, quick gulps of air, etc. but not to get too worked up over THE way to breathe as we are all unique individuals after all. As mentioned earier, I will be taking these issues up w/ my family doc next month.
Now, after 2 days off, it's time for a chest workout, and maybe triceps and not much more than that as I'll be trying to limit my lifting sessions to an hour as per Bill Glasheen's weightlifting advice. And maybe tinkering w/ the sets and reps where I get a good burn but w/o over-taxing myself too much, if such a thing is possible
BTW, I'm coming at this whole breathing thing in the context of not having had to deal w/ the exhale/don't exhale in the context of my martial arts and while I do get winded at times, it's a different type than w/ weights. Plus I find the constant motion better at helping me recover than just sitting on a weight bench or pacing around a small corner of the gym.
Thanks again.
jaybo
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benzocaine
- Posts: 2107
- Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:20 pm
- Location: St. Thomas
I am not a Doctor Like Ian or Bill, but breathing is my bread and butter so to speak.I've spoken w/ my doctor about near hyperventilating and his advice was that it could be stress related(a lot going on my plate) and that I'm taking in too much oxyegen and that my body is trying to get the trigger to breath(carbon mon/di(?) oxide and one way would be to breath into a paper bag, of which I carry them around but have not used yet.
I don't think your Doc has a good idea here. Like Bill and Ian have pointed out. You are probably trying to breath off CO2 and breathe in more O2.... Breathing into a paper bag will not help obtain either goal. You just might find yourself passed out on the floor.
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Ben has a point. My advice is go see a "jock doc." Most doctors know absolutely nothing about exercise, wellness, and diet. They're only trained to treat pathology. At the very least, find a doctor that used to be a competative athlete in college, and stick with him. Ask around...
As to your question about workout, well I think you're doing too much in one day. Studies have shown that doing weights after too much cardio causes you not to get the full benefit out of the weights. What a waste of a hard effort!
You are right to warm up a bit before stretching and/or doing weights. But don't make it a full blown cardio workout! IF you insist on doing more than one thing in a day, try doing cardio at one part of the day, and weights on another part.
You are right though in thinking of your hour as an hour of weights (no MORE than an hour...). You can do a LITTLE cardio before (or maybe warm up with kata), and some stretching afterwards. But don't get carried away. Get home and have a life!
- Bill
As to your question about workout, well I think you're doing too much in one day. Studies have shown that doing weights after too much cardio causes you not to get the full benefit out of the weights. What a waste of a hard effort!
You are right to warm up a bit before stretching and/or doing weights. But don't make it a full blown cardio workout! IF you insist on doing more than one thing in a day, try doing cardio at one part of the day, and weights on another part.
You are right though in thinking of your hour as an hour of weights (no MORE than an hour...). You can do a LITTLE cardio before (or maybe warm up with kata), and some stretching afterwards. But don't get carried away. Get home and have a life!
- Bill
Folks;
Thanks for the advice. I should note that I wasn't clear on the doc's advice wrt the brown bagging it. I was talking to him about when I get antsy at times for no particualar reason, and sometimes for stress related reasons and feel that I can't breathe properly. I didn't mention to him yet about the issue as ir's related to exercise. Sorry for the confusion and lack of clarity of my part.
Yes Mr Glasheen, I'm keeping my weights sessions to an hour, well, not including the 5 mins. or so of warming up, shadow boxing and/or light kata.
I am finding that with the more focused and shorter sessions, I can keep my pulse rate revved up akin to a cardio session. I am also trying to take an extra day off here and there. I also sneak in some gulps of air when I feel that I need it and sometimes pause on the 4th or so rep for a breath ot twoand have found that helps.
I've felt better after my workouts and have only had one seesion where I was feeling as if I couldn't breathe right but that was my own fault.....at the end of the hour I was like, hmmmmm, maybe a couple more sets of hammer curls to really hit the arms since I'll be taking the weekend off.....that sort of did me in and now I try to stick to an hour and keep it focused on one or two body parts.
I also found that shrugs w/ dumbbells in either hand on the side can get me panting, along w/ using a tricep bar and I think it's because my rib cage raises up and I'm not "belly breathing" as I should be. So I've found alternate exercises for them so my uppper chest doesn't get so inflated and my lower ab is not getting sucked in in order to perform the movements.
I also noticed that letting it all hang out wrt trying to get air in my lower lungs for a better exchange of air and blood helps. Hey, I might be old enough to be huffing and puffing, but still young enough to have to stop myself from the occsional sucking in the gut when a fitness instructor or nissan hard-body walks by.....
Again, thanks to all for the advice, my sessions are getting better and I don't feel like dragging myself to the truck, all beat up feeling after a workout and sometimes I'm actually feeling rather energized when I get home. I set aside cardio days now instead of trying to get in all my cardio and weights at the same time. Or I hit the weights in the basement in the AM and then over lunch/after work I get a cardio session in at the gym.
Thanks!!
jaybo
Thanks for the advice. I should note that I wasn't clear on the doc's advice wrt the brown bagging it. I was talking to him about when I get antsy at times for no particualar reason, and sometimes for stress related reasons and feel that I can't breathe properly. I didn't mention to him yet about the issue as ir's related to exercise. Sorry for the confusion and lack of clarity of my part.
Yes Mr Glasheen, I'm keeping my weights sessions to an hour, well, not including the 5 mins. or so of warming up, shadow boxing and/or light kata.
I am finding that with the more focused and shorter sessions, I can keep my pulse rate revved up akin to a cardio session. I am also trying to take an extra day off here and there. I also sneak in some gulps of air when I feel that I need it and sometimes pause on the 4th or so rep for a breath ot twoand have found that helps.
I've felt better after my workouts and have only had one seesion where I was feeling as if I couldn't breathe right but that was my own fault.....at the end of the hour I was like, hmmmmm, maybe a couple more sets of hammer curls to really hit the arms since I'll be taking the weekend off.....that sort of did me in and now I try to stick to an hour and keep it focused on one or two body parts.
I also found that shrugs w/ dumbbells in either hand on the side can get me panting, along w/ using a tricep bar and I think it's because my rib cage raises up and I'm not "belly breathing" as I should be. So I've found alternate exercises for them so my uppper chest doesn't get so inflated and my lower ab is not getting sucked in in order to perform the movements.
I also noticed that letting it all hang out wrt trying to get air in my lower lungs for a better exchange of air and blood helps. Hey, I might be old enough to be huffing and puffing, but still young enough to have to stop myself from the occsional sucking in the gut when a fitness instructor or nissan hard-body walks by.....
Again, thanks to all for the advice, my sessions are getting better and I don't feel like dragging myself to the truck, all beat up feeling after a workout and sometimes I'm actually feeling rather energized when I get home. I set aside cardio days now instead of trying to get in all my cardio and weights at the same time. Or I hit the weights in the basement in the AM and then over lunch/after work I get a cardio session in at the gym.
Thanks!!
jaybo
Jaybo,
Two doctors gave me no reason why I suddenly couldn't climb my basement stirs without panting and heaving. Stress was talked about because I have a lot.
Finally I got an article about cholesterol causing leg cramps and out o fbreath-ness and showed it to my doc. He lowered the dose and things straightened out.
I have no idea of the chemistry of this.
Two doctors gave me no reason why I suddenly couldn't climb my basement stirs without panting and heaving. Stress was talked about because I have a lot.
Finally I got an article about cholesterol causing leg cramps and out o fbreath-ness and showed it to my doc. He lowered the dose and things straightened out.
I have no idea of the chemistry of this.
Sochin;
Yes, my doc made me aware that the cholesterol pills might cause leg cramps and that is why at 80 mgs., he has my blood work checked regularly to make sure my liver is handling the high dose and that I was to stop immediately if I was getting leg cramps. I had no problems w/ the 40 mgs. and he felt that it wasn't lowering my cholesterol fast enough and so raised it after since I didn't seem to have a problem w/ the 40 mgs. He didn't explain why the drug would cause legs cramps but I'm 2 mons on the higher doseage and no cramps.
WRT stress in the personal life, he did say that some people get cramps in their legs from tightening up and some even get it in the chest. I hear you wrt being under a lot of personal stress and I guess that's one reason I was hitting the weights w/ so much gusto. I also hear you w/ suddenly getting out of breath by climbing stairs or walking a slight hill at times. It didn't happen all the time, but enough to raise a concern to the doc and I'm doing something about that aspect to.
Who knows, maybe there's some cramping going on in my chest that triggers a near hyperventilation episode and that I can't tell the difference btw a lack of air due to over working myself, and/or from personal stress. All kinds of things to ask my doc in a few weeks.
W/ the oatmeal every day, flax seed, omaga 3's fatty oils, garlic, salmon, etc., I'm hoping for better blood-work results next month. The drop in body weight of 9 lbs might also help. I think maybe more fat had been lost but the added muscle on my legs have added to the bottom line(at least I like to think so), so I'll go w/ the 2 belt notches as the best indicator, or until I see any improved results.
Much appreciation to all wrt tips on hyperventilation, cholesterol, and/or overall health issues.
jaybo
Yes, my doc made me aware that the cholesterol pills might cause leg cramps and that is why at 80 mgs., he has my blood work checked regularly to make sure my liver is handling the high dose and that I was to stop immediately if I was getting leg cramps. I had no problems w/ the 40 mgs. and he felt that it wasn't lowering my cholesterol fast enough and so raised it after since I didn't seem to have a problem w/ the 40 mgs. He didn't explain why the drug would cause legs cramps but I'm 2 mons on the higher doseage and no cramps.
WRT stress in the personal life, he did say that some people get cramps in their legs from tightening up and some even get it in the chest. I hear you wrt being under a lot of personal stress and I guess that's one reason I was hitting the weights w/ so much gusto. I also hear you w/ suddenly getting out of breath by climbing stairs or walking a slight hill at times. It didn't happen all the time, but enough to raise a concern to the doc and I'm doing something about that aspect to.
Who knows, maybe there's some cramping going on in my chest that triggers a near hyperventilation episode and that I can't tell the difference btw a lack of air due to over working myself, and/or from personal stress. All kinds of things to ask my doc in a few weeks.
W/ the oatmeal every day, flax seed, omaga 3's fatty oils, garlic, salmon, etc., I'm hoping for better blood-work results next month. The drop in body weight of 9 lbs might also help. I think maybe more fat had been lost but the added muscle on my legs have added to the bottom line(at least I like to think so), so I'll go w/ the 2 belt notches as the best indicator, or until I see any improved results.
Much appreciation to all wrt tips on hyperventilation, cholesterol, and/or overall health issues.
jaybo
The most commonly used cholesterol lowering drugs (atorva-, simva-, prava-, fluva-, etc -statin) do cause muscle cramps in some. The best way to tell if this is the cause is to stop it and see how things go. Two other things worth noting:
--Atorvastatin (lipitor) was noted to have the same incidence of muscle injury at any dose, so the makers asked for and received permission to market multiple starting doses depending on the original cholesterol. I'm not sure just reducing the dose will help.
--There was a recent comparison of diet to a statin in JAMA. The results were the same. If you can follow the diet, you can save $ and side effects on the drug. Not everyone manages to stick to a healthy diet, but everyone can--depends on motivation and strategy.
As for stress causing cramps, eh, I guess stress can do anything, but it sounds like a lot of handwaving. I've been working out downstairs and what had been generally 4 sets of about 10 benchpresses recently turned into 2 hard puffing sets of 8 after an 18 hour shift. Hadn't done any arm work, was just generally pooped. I'm going to listen to my body and take a nap.
--Atorvastatin (lipitor) was noted to have the same incidence of muscle injury at any dose, so the makers asked for and received permission to market multiple starting doses depending on the original cholesterol. I'm not sure just reducing the dose will help.
--There was a recent comparison of diet to a statin in JAMA. The results were the same. If you can follow the diet, you can save $ and side effects on the drug. Not everyone manages to stick to a healthy diet, but everyone can--depends on motivation and strategy.
As for stress causing cramps, eh, I guess stress can do anything, but it sounds like a lot of handwaving. I've been working out downstairs and what had been generally 4 sets of about 10 benchpresses recently turned into 2 hard puffing sets of 8 after an 18 hour shift. Hadn't done any arm work, was just generally pooped. I'm going to listen to my body and take a nap.
--Ian
