[Palmetto]

Hey guys I have a question. Does expanding your lung capacity have an effect on lifting more weights and allowing your muscles to grow faster or bigger? I was just wandering because I want to expand my lung capcity by running on the bottom of the pool with weights and doing this a couple times a week. Just wandering.

[tim290280]

I was under the impression that you can't change your lung capacity, and to some extent your VO2Max is hereditary as well.

Improved fitness however does have a marked benefit on recovery, and available intensity during workouts.

[philosopher]

It can increase youre work capacity because you recover faster during sets/workouts.
It increase youre capillaries and blood flow. capillaries bring nutrients to the muscle. Therefore the more capillaries the more nutrients that can be brought to the muscle.

[Palmetto]

I was under the impression that you can't change your lung capacity, and to some extent your VO2Max is hereditary as well.

I don't know if you can or not. But I know that lifeguards on the coast run on the bottom of the ocean with rocks and it supposedly helps them extend the amount of time that they can hold their breath. Wouldn't that be extending your lung capacity? I'm just wandering because I used to smoke a little and I can tell a difference when I run and stuff. I want to get back to where I was and not be out of breath as much. But I am done smoking for good.

[miniduck]

Originally Posted by Palmetto

I don't know if you can or not. But I know that lifeguards on the coast run on the bottom of the ocean with rocks and it supposedly helps them extend the amount of time that they can hold their breath. Wouldn't that be extending your lung capacity? I'm just wandering because I used to smoke a little and I can tell a difference when I run and stuff. I want to get back to where I was and not be out of breath as much. But I am done smoking for good.

That's great to hear! I figure that the more you run, the longer you'll be able to go. It couldn't hurt anything, so why not give it a try?

Also, the reason a lot of big bb'ers can't run very much is because they get tired. The heart and lungs simply can't undergo that much extra stress (as in too much muscle) without being built up along the way.

[tim290280]

Wouldn't that be extending your lung capacity?

Don't confuse fitness for lung capacity.
Don't confuse ability to hold your breath for lung capacity.

Lung capacity is the volume of your lungs. As far as I understand, this doesn't change much at all once you are matured. You can however improve the effeciency of the lungs (fitness) and you can improve the way you breath (diaphram exercises).

[lithium_09]

I owuld think you can take in more air and therefore create more force to push the weights, not to mention increased bloodflow and nutrients to the muscle. I found that when i really focus on deep heavy breaths i get a slight strength increase right away

[tim290280]

when i really focus on deep heavy breaths i get a slight strength increase right away

Like I said, diaphram exercises. This also acts in torso bracing.