BREATHING LADDERS
Using Breathing Ladders to Train O2 Efficiency
BY MARK TWIGHT
From time to time we find it necessary and interesting to train aerobic endurance using weights and weightlifting movements. Steve McNamara, RKC introduced us to one method called a Breathing Ladder and - all things being relative - it features high work volume executed at moderate-to-low intensity.
To execute a Breathing Ladder pick a weight, a movement, and a load (examples below) and do one rep followed by one breath, then do two reps followed by two breaths, three reps followed by three breaths, etc. Breathe as much as you want while working. Breathe only the specified number of "reps" while resting.
Generally, athletes with an efficient O2 utilization system that is adapted to the movement can make a Breathing Ladder done in a 1-20-1 pyramid totaling 400 KB Swings (53# KB) last about 45 minutes
The movement must be "big" e.g. Kettlebell (or dumbbell) Snatch, KB/DB Swing, Thruster, Power Clean. The point here is oxygen consumption and efficiency. Big movements cause a great oxygen demand. Pull-ups do not work because the muscle mass is too small to create significant O2 demand before muscle acidity and fatigue cause work to cease. Once the movement is chosen structure load and reps to achieve one of the following two outcomes:
#1: Use a rep/load/movement structure to cause a state of "panic breathing" that teaches breath control and efficient recovery in fixed/limited time. When the combination of reps/load/movement is well matched the Breathing Ladder will force the athlete to quit. If the outcome is any different, the intensity of one of those characteristics was insufficient. The "panic breathing-inducing" style of Breathing Ladder should last around 20-30 minutes. For most athletes this appears to be the time frame at which the accumulation of a variety of factors causes O2 demand to overrun the supply chain. Longer periods in the panic-breathing zone are obtained by conscious manipulation of panic through breath control, resulting in a calm state of mind and ultimately more efficient recovery under stress.
#2: Use rep/load/movement structure to trick the athlete into doing a lot of volume that teaches efficient recovery without causing the athlete to panic-breathe. If mentally resilient enough to keep going this can be quite an endurance effort using what one would not normally consider an endurance movement. When rep/load/movement structure is matched to the individual athlete Breathing Ladders done in this way should last a minimum of 30 minutes. Using this "trick" one individual did eleven ladders from 1-10 in 1:26:55 during which time he did 605 Thrusters with 2x 20# DBs. Despite the huge volume, the varied and lengthy rest periods combined with the hyper-oxygenation of the skeletal muscles during the work interval, prevent this type of breathing ladder from causing significant soreness.
The standardized rest position is standing. Resting prone significantly extends the duration of the workout because recovery is much faster when the skeletal musculature is unloaded and the heart need not work as hard to circulate blood. Rest taken lying down may prevent the athlete from achieving the objective. Breathing methods can also manipulate the effectiveness of the rest interval. In Paleo terms, mouth-breathing is associated with the fight/flight response while nose-breathing is associated with a more relaxed psychological state. Typically, the athlete will start the rest period with a session of heavy mouth-breathing to hyper-oxygenate the system followed by measured breaths taken in through the nose and blown out through the mouth to regain composure. None of this matters during the first few ladders, usually up to ten, at which point self-control becomes more important.
Logan working through the onset of the panic-breathing
Matching the rep structure to the load to achieve a particular outcome is individual and the result of experimentation; each athlete must test him/herself and record the outcome. Lacking information the outcome will be completely random and that's OK because this particular training "mechanism" is largely mental. If the result of a workout is completely unpredictable - and we've seen sessions last from 12 to 86 minutes - the individual carries more stress into it, and adapting to that is also part of any good training program.
Record the time for each effort because then, when an effort is repeated one might learn - all other parameters being equal - whether oxygen efficiency has improved or not. The longer it takes, the more time was spent breathing, which results from better breath-control and that discipline bought longer rest periods. Apart from training the aerobic system in a gym setting, Breathing Ladders teach breath and mind control. The perfect combination of movement/load/reps will keep the athlete in the zone where total panic is a single mistake away and Zen-like calm is the prize for those who can reach it.
These are some examples of different movement/load/rep structures applied to different individuals (with all of the height/weight/fitness variables that implies) and the varied outcomes they experienced.
Kettlebell Swing (normal, two-handed swing):
MFT = 1-30 ladders @ 53# (465 swings, in 35:45), rest taken standing up, called due to time constraints
Logan = 1-33 ladders @ 53# (541 swings, in 58:00), rest taken lying down
Steve S = 1-20-1 ladders @ 53# (400 swings in 45:31)
Steve W = 1-20-1 ladders @ 53# (400 swings in 32:31)
Logan = 4x ladders 1-10 @ 70# (220 swings in 23:10)
Josh = 1-25-1 ladders @ 70# (625 swings in 60 minutes +/-)
Kettlebell Snatch (1x Snatch L hand, 1x Snatch R hand, put KB down take 2 breaths, then 2x Snatches L hand, 2x Snatches R hand, put KB down take 4 breaths), no part of an incomplete ladder is counted:
Steve W = 1-15 ladders @ 53# (120 Snatches with each hand in 19:54)
Logan = 1-17 ladders @ 53# (153 Snatches with each hand in 28:50)
James = 1-14 ladders @ 53# (105 Snatches with each hand in 32:44)
Dylan = 1-17 ladders @ 53# (153 Snatches with each hand in 34:50)
Lisa = 1-15 ladders @ 26# (120 Snatches with each hand in 32:22)
Goblet Squat and Overhead Press combo (set KB down during rest, rest standing):
Logan = 3x ladders from 1-10 @ 53# (165 reps in 21:03)
Front Squat to Overhead Press (set load down during rest periods):
Logan = 5 complete ladders from 1-10 @ 65# (275 Thrusters in 28:15) , called due to time constraints
Logan = 3 complete ladders from 1-10 @ 75# (165 Thrusters in 17:10), the extra load made the O2 demand climb too high, too fast.
MFT = 11 complete ladders from 1-10 @ 40# (605 Thrusters in 86:55), too light to cause serious O2 system failure until DBs were held through rest periods (ladders #9-11), called due to time constraints
Power Clean:
Steve W = 1-10 ladders @ 115# (55 Cleans in 8:13), a big movement combined with a big load started "righteous, unadulterated, panic breathing" early in the game.
Hang Clean:
Logan = 1-16 ladders @ 95# (136 Hang Cleans, unknown time)
MFT = 1-15 ladders @ 95# (120 Hang Cleans in 15:50)
Deadlift:
MFT = 1-10, 10-1, 1-10, 10-1 ladders @ 145# (220 Deadlifts in 25:52)
Romanian Deadlift:
Steve W = 1-12 ladders (78 RDLs @ 225# in 9:51), grip failure
MFT = 1-19 ladders (1-10 @ 185#, 11-19 @ 225# in 29:31 minutes), grip failed before O2 became a problem, peak HR was 169.
MFT going for volume with a light load
Josh well into his 625 swings with the 70# KB
And after an hour of swinging and breathing. The next two days were apparently quite memorable, though not as bad as expected
Another article about Breathing Ladders may be found here:
http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode3&articleid=72
The application of this idea is likely to have originated here and made its way to us via another RKC although it is not unlike other varied interval forms used in running, cycling, and Nordic skiing.