Breathing Squats and Pullovers for Enlarging the Ribcage

[bruteforce]

I've read about the use of breathing squats and heavy pullovers for increasing the size of the chest and ribcage but always wondered if it actually worked. Thoughts, experiences, anecdotes?

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

I've read about the use of breathing squats and heavy pullovers for increasing the size of the chest and ribcage but always wondered if it actually worked. Thoughts, experiences, anecdotes?

Squats, no idea at all...with the pullovers though, they were used for that purpose by a lot of the oldtime lifters, that's not to say that it worked but I suppose due to the intense stretch felt during the move it could well have been a solid basis for a possibility of it increasing the chest and ribcage size. We read about static/loaded-passive stretching being used between sets to increase muscle size, these days, and to some degree it would fall under that because of the intense stretch under load that the chest inevitably recieves during the pullover.

For one thing, it would most definitely help with opening up the ribcage for better deeper breathing since it would stretch all the respiratory musculature.

[IronManlet]

Deep breathing, 20-rep breathing squats, posture exercises, etc

They worked for many old school lifters. The idea is to expand the ribcage by lengthening the surrounding tissue and allowing for a deeper lung capacity. This in turn increases vitality, endurance, and stability under load.

I've never done specific weight training with this in mind, but I always make sure to breathe deep between sets. I used to do a lot of breathing/ribcage exercises for posture when I had a really bad 'slump' and it worked like a charm.

[Off Road]

I've ran the breathing squats and pull-overs routine several times in my life. I have a pretty deep chest, so it may have some validity. I can't say for sure, but given the oportunity I'd do it all over again.

[bruteforce]

Some interesting thoughts. One of the other things I wondered was if the benefits, supposing they are real, would carry on after bone growth had stopped. Been thinking about giving them a try, because who doesn't want a bigger upper body?

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

Some interesting thoughts. One of the other things I wondered was if the benefits, supposing they are real, would carry on after bone growth had stopped. Been thinking about giving them a try, because who doesn't want a bigger upper body?

I would imagine they would carry on after cessation of bone growth, because of the intercostal muscles etc, they must have some impact, if they grow, even if that's only slight expansion of the spaces between the ribs and such; though, I am only guessing here, since I'm no doctor or anything.

[IronManlet]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

Some interesting thoughts. One of the other things I wondered was if the benefits, supposing they are real, would carry on after bone growth had stopped. Been thinking about giving them a try, because who doesn't want a bigger upper body?

John Grimek addressed that very point once, and stated that there were still many lifters who'd had success with it past the point of natural bone growth.

[Off Road]

Ya, I was WAY past the point of bone growth when I started them.