Primal Power Training

The three main types of breathing

By: Bruce Mangan

brucemangan at gmail . com

 

Author’s note: These breathing exercises are great for physical recovery and relieving mental stress.  

 

There are three main types of breathing:

• ·     Diaphragmatic
• ·     Intercostal
• ·     Clavicle

 

   Diaphragmatic breathing is the “deepest” type. This is the breathing that is usually performed while meditating and also occurs when you are asleep at night. It causes the least amount of tension in the body and, in fact, causes the body to relax. It also messages the inner organs helping with digestion.  

   Intercostal breathing happens when the intercostal muscles pull the ribcage open which in turn causes air to rush into the lungs. This type of breathing usually occurs when one is in a state of aerobic activity such as running. The breaths are shallower than breathing from the lower torso but the rate of respiration is faster. If you ever see someone hyperventilating, they are breathing from the intercostals.  

   Clavicle breathing is the rarest. It occurs when the lungs become full enough that they push the upper chest and clavicles up and out. The average person never really breathes deep enough to make this happen. 

   Brass musicians take advantage of all three types of breathing on a regular basis. Being a bass trombone player and a brass teacher I use and teach these methods daily.

Most people would think that lung capacity plays a big role in the playing an instrument but it is actually efficiency. Doing exercises that help one become more efficient in one’s breathing will be just as beneficial to the athlete as well as the wind player. When it comes to participating in marching bands and drum corps, these exercises are widely taught. The reason for this is that when one is expelling 70% of one’s air to play an instrument, efficiency has to be very high so that the body will continue to survive. 

The following exercises have been used by musicians for years to help build control and efficiency. 

You will need one of the following:

      -Watch with a second hand

      -Metronome (if you have an iPhone you can download a metronome app) 

First thing you want to do is get the right feeling or sensation. 

Inhale a few times so that only diaphragm (low) breathing occurs. You will not be able to fill all the way this way but remember we are building. 

Then inhale a few times so that diaphragm (bottom) and then intercostal (middle) occurs. You still won’t be completely full but you may be fuller than you have before. 

Finally take a few breaths where you feel the order of low, middle and then top (clavicle).

Take the metronome out and set it to 120 beats per minute (BPM) or snap your fingers twice a second while watching the second hand on a watch or clock. 

Exercise 1

      -inhale 4 counts / exhale 4 counts

            breath completely in the “bottom-middle-top” method 

Exercise 2

      -in for 4 / out for 4  (x4)

      -in for 8 / out for 8  (x4)

      -in for 12 / out for 12  (x4)

      -in for 16 / out for 16  (x4) 

      now reverse in sets of 2 

      -in for 12 / out for 12  (x2)

      - etc… back to 4’s 

(Remember to use all the air in all the counts. Don’t inhale for 3, hold your breath for 1 and exhale for 4. Constant motion without stopping is the goal.) 

For the next exercise you will need a wide diameter drinking straw. McDonald’s utilizes this style... (McDonald’s is actually good for something? ... crazy!?) 

Exercise 3 (weight-lifting for the lungs)

      -With the straw in the mouth:

            - inhale a fast as possible so that you are inhaling against resistance.

            - exhale as normal (not through the straw)

            - do this only about 5 times. 

Exercise 4 (set the met back at 120)

      -in / out for 4’s

      -in / out for 2’s

      -in / out for 1’s 

(Be sure to still try as best you can to breathe in the “bottom-middle-top” method even as you increase to the shorter repetitions) 

Use of these exercises once a day will help your body “relearn” its natural order of breathing as well as increase your overall efficiency.  This will allow for faster recovery times after finishing an aerobic activity. 

If you want to see what kind of efficiency you can acquire, imagine being part of a sport where the majority of the air you are breathing to stay alive has to go right back out. You don't get time to catch your breath. take a look at this example from 2 different angles:

 

-They would do about continuous 20 reps of this a day.

-The larger instruments, Contras (aka. Tubas) weight about 30 lbs.

-The Baritone and Euphonium instruments are around 7 pounds. While this is not much weight, because of how they are held there isn't much leverage. They amount of upper body endurance to carry it in playing position is actually pretty taxing.

-Who said Drum Corps and Marching band isn't a sport?!?

So here is the finished product. Embedding was disabled so here is the Youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ0mc7Yuwws

Imagine after all that running you still have to use your air for something else. I doubt few people have had their lungs burn that bad from the sport in which they participate.

The above performance can not only be achieved from maximum strength or endurance... breathing efficiency with breath control is the last keystone.