# Breathlessness During Weight Training?



## Corporal Hicks (Sep 9, 2006)

Hi there,
I know theres quite a few serious weight trainers amongst you guys (and gals) so I thought Id get a wider perspective on what the problem could be. 

Recently within the last 3/4 months my weight training routines have become increasingly difficult and in the case of abdominal exercises pratically zero workouts due to the fact of something I cant quite explain. Its almost as tho everything in my neck, face, and head tenses and I cant breathe freely. Recently I've found working with lighter weights in the gym is helping and I can complete sets but the problem lies with abdominal exercises.
When using an exercise ball (Swiss ball) and laying completely over it the sensation comes on without me doing anything, I cant complete adominal exercises on the ball or otherwise (apart from crossovers) because of this strange tightness. 

The doctor put it down to asthma but its been ruled out because it only effects abdominal and weight training and not cardio. 
Its become increasing fustrating because I cannot complete workouts (especially abdominal) and I know my muscles have not been worked. 
Could it be due to the strenous about of cardio I've been doing recently?

Has anybody else experienced anything similar? Thanks for reading,
All the best
C.


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## Cruentus (Sep 9, 2006)

For the record, I hate responding to these threads because it seems like everyone has an opinion, and they're all different, and the opinions are usually not from experts.

That said, I would consider myself knowledgable because I have been designing workout/diet programs for myself and others for years. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, as I am not credentialled in excersise science. So take anything I say with a grain of salt (as you should with everyone, really).

Cool. Now that that is out of the way...

question:

1. What other exercises are you doing in your workout program? What is the overall strategy (are you isolating body parts or doing complex exercises, are you circuit training or resting between sets, are you building or cutting, etc., etc., etc.)

2. When do you do abs in relationship to your other workouts (before or at the end of resistance training, or before or at the end of cardio, etc.)? 

3. How many times a week are you doing abs?

4. What are you doing for your ab workout? Describe HOW your doing the exercises as well, please (fast and vigerous, slow and controlled, etc.)

5. How much cardio are you doing, and when are you doing it in relationship to your ab workouts?

6. Do you feel soreness in your abs as well, or is it just exhaustion that you descibed (out of breath, tense in other areas, etc.)

7. In the basic sense, what's your diet like, and when are you working out in relationship to your last meal?

Sorry for all the questions. I can make a few guesses as to what the problem might be, but it is really better to get all the information necessary first, before making any kind of determination.

So, let me a basic rundown of all that stuff when you have time, and I'll get back with you on it this weekend if I can.


Paul


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## BlackCatBonz (Sep 9, 2006)

does the shortness of breath take place during the exercise....as in something physical happens that is preventing you from breathing?

Someone like Dr. Dave could really address this........but this is what it sounds like to me.

If you're laying on top of an exercise ball on your abdomen (which is what it sounds like you're doing) you are applying a lot of pressure on your abdominal aorta, this will temporarily increase the amount of blood flow going anywhere superior to the pressure application (like the carotid and subclavian arteries), this could possibly cause the tightness in your neck. The pressure on your abdomen also makes it harder for your diaphragm to do its job.

Doss this problem pop up with all abdominal exercises including crunches?


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## Cruentus (Sep 9, 2006)

BlackCatBonz said:


> If you're laying on top of an exercise ball on your abdomen (which is what it sounds like you're doing) you are applying a lot of pressure on your abdominal aorta, this will temporarily increase the amount of blood flow going anywhere superior to the pressure application (like the carotid and subclavian arteries), this could possibly cause the tightness in your neck. The pressure on your abdomen also makes it harder for your diaphragm to do its job.


 
I was thinking that he was doing abs on the swiss ball, so that he was laying on it with the small of his back towards the ground. These exercises are great, but they can really stretch out the PC and diaphram causing some of the same effects that you described; and there is virtually no neck and head support either. The form of the exercise could have something to do with it as you mentioned.

But, because he said that this occurs when ever he does "abs" period, I am thinking that there might be more of a total picture to look at here. We'll have to see what he has to say on the matter...


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## searcher (Sep 10, 2006)

Without bering there and doing an assessment on you it sounds almost like you are performing the Valsalva Maneuver.  This is when you are exerting a great deal of force and you are restricting airflow through the epiglottis in your throat.   It is one of the things that we as fitness instructors are told to watch for and try to help our clients work through.  It can be overcome with some time and work.   It often leads to shortness of breath and can even make people pass out.


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## Corporal Hicks (Sep 10, 2006)

Hey, thanks for the replies. The answer to your questions Tulisan is that:

1) Other exercises would include chest, shoulder, leg, arm workouts but done on alternate days. But with abs, I usually do leg exercises first then finish with abs or chest first and then abs. Im taking the minimum rest between workouts but thats only focused upon non-ab exercises so thats technically circuit weight training. I usually break between the abs workouts because they are at the end of my training session. The main focus is on complex exercises, the only isolation exercises are abs and sometimes arms. 

2) Abs are done at the end of resistance training.

3) At the moment, I cant do abs at all, I've not done an ab workout for at least six weeks, only trying to do them, but as of yet, unsuccessful.

4) Ab workout is taken from an "essential abs" book, its a number of different exercises, which is a mixture of crunches, situps, oblique exercises, incorporating all 3 sections of the abs (if its 3). Oblique exercises such as the crossover seem to be the ones that I struggle with the least.

5) Cardio, used to consist of 5 times a week, hard interval training lasting roughly 30 minutes, now Im using the gym its about four, 15minute moderate sessions with occasional hard interval sessions 2 times a week outside. Ab workouts were generally done after cardio, in the gym it was after resistance training, and out of the gym, after hard cardio.

6)There never seems to be any soreness, its only exhaustion whilst performing then.

7) My Diets are generally good, I eat six small(ish) meals a day, breakfast, then snack 2/3 hours later, then 2/3 after healthy lunch usually salad, then 2/3 hours another snack, then tea etc, generally what is considered to keep ur metabolism going. I dont eat chocolate snacks and keep unhealthy foods to a minimum. I generally workout 2 hours after eating.

Really, got to thank you for taking the time to reply and asking the questions Paul, thank you!

Searcher, its rings true with what your saying, not totally sure why, but 
it does.

BlackCatBonz, it does occur with crunches, thanks for your input, is that similar to what searcher was describing?

Thanks for all of your replies, really appreciated!
All the best
C.


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