Transform Your Training: The Power of Breathwork in Strength and Performance
- Ashley Bonomo
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 15
If you're lifting, flowing, sprinting, or stacking reps on reps—but skipping breathwork? You're leaving power on the table.
Pranayama isn't just about chilling out (though, yes, it will help you chill). It's a strength practice. A focus tool. A nervous system reset. If you're in this for the long game—the kind of strength that transcends workouts and reshapes your mindset? Breathwork is non-negotiable.
Why Breathwork Matters for Strength and Performance
When your nervous system is dysregulated, your body doesn't feel safe. When your body doesn't feel safe, it doesn't move well.
Training in a chronically stressed state taxes your recovery, dulls your focus, and holds you back from hitting your true potential. Pranayama helps rewire that. It calms an overactive sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), supports parasympathetic activation (rest and digest), and increases your ability to find control under stress—on and off the mat.
Plus, breath control equals core control. You want deeper stability in your inversions, heavier lifts, and longer holds? Master your breath.
Meet Your Breath Training: Nadi Shodhana
One effective technique for beginners is Nadi Shodhana, also known as alternate nostril breathing.
Benefits
Balances the left and right sides of the brain.
Helps regulate your central nervous system.
Reduces stress, anxiety, and mental fog.
Improves focus and builds emotional resilience.
Preps your body for deep work or deep rest.
How to Do It
Find a comfortable seated position with a tall spine.
Close your right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through your left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger, release your right nostril, and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril.
Close the right nostril, open the left, and exhale through the left.
That’s one round. Repeat for 5-10 rounds or up to 5 minutes daily. Try it before strength training, after a tough session, or as part of your morning routine.
Bonus Breath: Box Breathing
If you're feeling anxious, scattered, or overstimulated before a workout or a big life event, box breathing is your go-to.
How it Works: Inhale for 4. Hold for 4. Exhale for 4. Hold for 4. Repeat. Just like a square.
This technique brings your nervous system into a more regulated state quickly—which means better decision-making, stronger lifts, and smoother transitions.
How to Integrate Pranayama into Your Training Routine
Don’t overthink it—just start plugging it in.
Use breathwork as a warm-up to lock in focus.
Use it post-training to shift from high intensity to recovery mode.
Use it on rest days to support recovery and nervous system regulation.
Like strength training, breath training works through repetition. Treat it like you would a lifting session—consistent effort beats occasional intensity.
The Mind-Body Feedback Loop
Controlled breath creates controlled movement. When training gets uncomfortable? Your breath is your anchor.
Studies show athletes using breath techniques can push through approximately 40% more discomfort during high-intensity efforts. That’s not just mindset fluff; that’s physiology.
Your breath literally changes how your body responds to stress. The more control you build, the more power you unlock.
More Techniques to Expand Your Breath Toolkit
Already using Nadi Shodhana? Add these to your breath toolkit:
Ujjayi – An oceanic breath that keeps you calm and steady mid-flow.
Kapalabhati – Fast, forceful exhales that wake you up and build heat.
Bhramari – A humming exhale to downshift your nervous system quickly.
Test them. Stack them. Find what supports your training style.
Breathwork (Pranayama) for Recovery
Your recovery doesn't start when you're done lifting—it begins with how quickly you can shift out of "go mode." Breathwork helps you flip that switch faster.
Techniques like Ujjayi and Bhramari signal your nervous system to relax. This promotes muscle recovery, reduces soreness, and encourages deeper rest.
Use them post-training or stack them with sleep, hydration, and nutrition to upgrade your recovery game.
A Crucial Skill to Empower Your Performance
Breath training isn't fluff—it's a force multiplier. The more you practice, the more power, resilience, and regulation you gain.
Start small. Stay consistent. Let your breath become your edge.
Breath is the foundation of every rep, every flow, and every moment of control. If you're not training your breath, you're missing the upgrade.
Want more breath-to-strength practices? Stay tuned—we're just getting started.
Comments