• 800m Run
• 30 Burpees
• 30 Pull-Ups
• 30 KB Swings (53/35*)
• 1000m Row
That Breath of Life
One of the most important things to surviving a WOD is the ability to control your breath. If you look at those who seem to move through a WOD effortlessly, you will discover one common trait amongst them: they breathe.
Sometimes this breathing can look effortless; at other times, it is quite deliberate. But one thing is true of all these individuals: Their breathing is never frantic nor labored.
Control. That's the name of the game. That's the key to not only conquering a WOD, but completely owning it. As you control your breath and breathe deeply, you'll soon realize how important it is to get oxygen to your working muscles. Well-oxygenated muscles are able to endure heavier loads as well as endure a workout to the end. It is such endurance that makes the difference between you slumping to the ground in the middle of the WOD or when the WOD is complete. Certainly, one is better than the other.
So, how can you increase that deep breath and keep in step? Today we have a few techniques you might want to try for your next WOD. But first, let's take a look at a few common breathing errors that we see in the Box all the time.
Breathing Errors
Before we cover some of the techniques you can employ for utter WOD domination (please read that statement in whatever manner you wish), let's look at some of the common errors people unknowingly and unintentionally make during a WOD.
1. Holding your breath: Yup. People hold their breath during movements without even realizing it. When do they come to reality and realize they need to breathe? It normally occurs around the time they soon realize they are suffocating. By that time it's too late. The muscles have been depleted of that oh-so-important oxygen, and fatigue quickly sets in.
2. Shallow breathing: Well, breathing is not enough. It's the type of breathing we do that becomes very important. You're probably very familiar with that shallow breathing we are all prone to do when things start to get spicy and heat up during the WOD. We end up sounding like a dog panting after a long run outside. Yet, we've probably only gone about 50m dragging a weighted sled behind us. Why the panting? Well, the simple answer is that we are not breathing into our abdomen, but rather are taking quick, shallow breaths. This has the making of a Death WOD written all over it. Don't do this. Breathe deep into the abdomen to make sure you get that oxygen to all the itty bitty parts that need it so badly.
3. Slowing your breathing: This will sound a bit counterintuitive at first. We're talking about controlled breathing for the sake of not simply surviving a WOD, but absolutely destroying it. This means controlled breathing. However, controlled breathing does not necessarily mean slowing your breathing. When we slow our breathing, we inevitably slow down as a whole. Now, if you are doing an AMRAP set with 1 minute breaks in between, or an EMOM where you have 30 seconds to recover, then surely slow down your breathing. You're not moving, so you can breathe deep and slow. However, if you are in a constantly moving WOD and you are looking to control your breath, what you want to do is learn to breathe into your abdomen without necessarily slowing down your breath to a base level controlled state.
Breathing Techniques: The Way of the Seal
So look, I'm not going to lie...this is the one resource you need to look at to learn how to master your breath, control it and use it during a WOD for sustained endurance and absolute victory. 'Murica!
What will you learn in this article? Well, you'll learn how to master performance breathing by practicing deep breathing meditation techniques. Mark Divine, former Seal Commander and founder of SealFit, takes you through the necessary techniques to learn how to breathe and utilize that breath not only for WODs, but also for life as a whole.
We really encourage you to read the full article and to start employing these techniques to grow in your endurance as well as health. As a precursor, take a look as he explains the technique in this video:
