Winded?

Im a bit curious. Back in the day when I played football we would do windsprints and get extremely tired in which our coach would tell us to hold our hands above our heads when we were breathing. They said this would open up our lungs and let more oxygen in. When I tried this it seemed to work(it could have been psychosymatic) I am curious, if this is true, why the UFC or Pride fighters dont use this method when extremely winded during competition.

Any factual input?

Shaolin36

Priopreceptors (sp?) located all over the limbs indicate position and motion back to the brain. If your brain receives input from alot of priopreceptors, it more massively activates sympathetic stimulation of the lungs, heart, sweat glands, etc.. That's why you can run for like 30 secs, but your heart rate will be elevated and your skin will be warm, but you can lift for like 5 minutes and not get winded -- running, with your whole body in motion activates more priopreceptors.

Just like if you're feeling a little feint, you can just flex/extend your legs repeatedly to remedy the problem, it's probably the same with putting your hands up when you run - the change in the position and motion of the limbs initiates some kind of stimulation. There's also mechanical factors -- flexing/extending your leg also acts as a pump increasing venous return. Probably putting your hands up allows for gravity to help venous return from the upper extremities.

As for the UFC, in a fight, putting your hands up may leave you a tad too open to a low level attack/takedown.

Thanks for the input Fmann,
regarding UFC, I was thinking more along the lines of inbetween rounds, when trying to catch their breath.


No offense but that would be funny during the match, they would leave themselves wide open.

Shaolin36

and it does seem to work, aren't those windsprints a b!tch!? Those were my least favorite but probably the most benificial, i just did a few a few nights ago(first time i ran in a long time)...and i started to feel feint, wish i knew that flexing the leg thing, i'll keep it in mind, thanx...but after i did the wind sprints, the next day(woke up sore) i was jogging, and i had more endurance already, the most i had in years, im gonna force myself to continue with some more of those, cuz when i ran football, i had more endurance than the people in my gym class(cept my fellow teammates)...u should try to have a running drill similiar to your football ones, it'll be a little easier without pads but hey, you'll still benefit...

1 question though, it was a long time ago when i played(like 4 years) and i dont remember how it was when i first started out...like when i first joined the team, do you happen to remember how to start out before giving yourself those exhausting running drills? It can't be healthy to just jump into it, or can it?

(Any advice is welcome)

tHE WAY i DO IT AND THIS SEEMS TO WORK BEST FOR ENDURANCE AND EXPLOSIVE POWER.(OOPS) is set out to jog lets say 2 miles, start off slow until your body gets warmed up then about every quarter mile go into a full blown sprint balls out for a certain distance(25yards or so) then at the end of the 25yds go back to a jogging tempo letting your heart calm back down repeat this every quarter mile. This will definately help.


To answer your question we would start jogging, then go through all the excercises and sprint at the end of the workout. It was a biiiaaaatttccchhh.


Shaolin36

could someone post an example of a wind sprints training routine?
THANKS -FJ

Fa-jing,
Wind sprints are when you sprint all out for an alloted yardage, then stop, take a 5-10 second rest and then do it again, repeatedly and in football it was until you dropped or puked.

Instead of windsprints (because it's winter and there are no indoor tracks around me), I do the same type of workout, but wiht kicking. 20 seconds kicking as fast as I humanly can then 10 seconds rest. I do this for 4 minutes, right now, 8 cycles. It's working pretty well to improve my cardio.

Robin

Robin, I'd be afraid of hurting my knees, like I always did way back when I trained TKD.

Great wind drill: 3 five-minute rounds of punching and kicking on the air shield. I've gone up to 4 rounds. In the beginning this was nearly impossible.

Also, skipping rope.

-FJ

Getting back to your original question...by reaching up and back you are expanding your lungs as much as possible. With your lungs stretched out they have more surface area which allows them to work more effectively. It's sort of the same thing when you sing or whatever and you are told to sit up straight with your shoulders back...which will give better lung capacity than when you are slouched.