ExRx.net

to put it mildly

Not crazy, Immortal, but being irrational. There is no way that this ritual could break a stall. To break a stall you have to get stronger. To get stronger you have to lift heavy stuff. If you have a routine that helps you get set up for your reps fine, but I don't see how 10 deep breaths could do that. When you stall, it's time to persevere more than anything. Changing routines, changing rep-set schemes helps, doing different accessories helps, but to get stronger you have to lift.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I'm not sure if that really breaks any stalls. Lets think about it this way. You do squats for 10 reps. You take deep breath for 3-4 reps a time, or once every rep. There is not much break between reps. Then there's your methdod, where you breathe in heavily ten times between each and every rep. Think about how much break and rest you get between every rep. Practically what you are doing is 10x1 with 10-15sec rests, not 1x10 sets. There is a huge difference. There is a method called cluster sets, and you style is more resembling that. In the method you do lets say 4-5 reps with your 5RM weight, rack the bar for 10 to 15 seconds, then crank up another rep, maybe rest again, and then do more. That leads to total of 6-7 reps with your 5RM. But I could hardly call it one set of 7 with huge progress behind it.

The breathing is just giving you time to rest, what makes you get more reps and not fatique you out so quickly. I can't see anything else that it could benefit.

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Prove the impossible!

Just sounds to me like a mix of clusters and "breathing squats", both of which could help get through a plateau.

Also, some people stall due to fear or intimidation of the weight i.e. a mental barrier. Things that "test your metal" (like breathing squats) can help get over it for that reason a lone (training at an insane intensity, which makes your normal workouts seem like a walk in the park when you get back to them).

I've used clusters quite a lot to get through a plateau. What you're doing sounds more like clusters although a little more horrible. Clusters are horrible anyway but then you add some horribleness from breathing squats. It makes sense to me lol.

KPj

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Thanks TimD

Well two days ago I did the new "wheelchair workout" my trainer gave me for lower body volume day -- if you can leave the gym w/o a wheelchair you did it wrong. Trap bar dealifts, single leg squats, and Stiff leg deads, all on the same day.

Starting yesterday afternoon I got some serious DOMS going, which is still with me. I'd love to think this means I'm going to blast the 1RM attempts on Saturday, ha ha, but it might just mean I'm sleeping wrong.

I didn't get that he was taking 10 breaths for every rep. Yeah, that's clusters or pause-reps. And, OK, it might be a good strategy sometimes.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Latest: Did a box squat today for 270, which is 15# more than I've ever squatted in any variation.

The only real difference is the change in program, a 1M day and a volume day. Volume day or "wheelchair workout" was 3x8 Trap Bar DL, 3x8 Split Squat, and 3x8 Straight Leg deadlift, leaving me sore for days.

It may be I just simply have to do all of that pounding. We'll find out I suppose.