ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

Asthma.

I was debilitated with it as a young child.

Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, you probably just had to carry an inhaler around, that’s all.

HA! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

No.

Not at the initial outset at any rate. Upon diagnosis, I was prescribed to use a special machine kit at home twice a day to combat the symptoms. The device had a breathing mask attached to it, and my parents would set it up for me each time because I was but a child at the time. I don’t recall too much as these were early days for me, but I think I was subjected to the machine for around six months before I was released from its machinations and given the far more common hand-held inhaler to utilise.

I had terrible fitness for years, even after coming off all the medication that I was given to help regulate the condition. The damage had been done, or so I had feared; though I was free of the coughing symptoms for many years. Unfortunately, a resurgence occurred during my late teens. I distinctly recall one occasion where I was playing basketball with some of my college mates, and I invited my over 50-year-old father to join in. He obviously didn’t stay in too long, but after a short while just as he was about to get off the court, we looked at each other, and we reached a shocking realisation.

We were both as exhausted as each other.

My fitness level was as bad as a man who was well past his prime – no offense, father!

The Counterattack

Fast forward a few years, and I took up full contact karate at the recommendation of a friend. I watched a couple of videos, and it looked really cool, fighting with the body armour and a helmet. This marked the beginning of my eventual final cure from asthma.

• The workouts were hell
• Training was intense
• I almost puked on more than one occasion

Improvement was made, however! My fitness levels were rising, and it was easier for me to inhale fully. I came across an Elevation Training Mask while researching new ways of training. The device intrigued me; it stated that the elevation mask benefits improved the effectiveness of any workout by a third. So if you usually work out for an hour but another day did the same exercises with the mask on; it would roughly take you an hour and a half due to the additional resistance.

This is an advanced training aid and has been trending a fair amount lately. While there is some scepticism around them, I have used mine to significant effect. I will say that this is not something a beginner should invest in as it is quite expensive and not for the faint of heart. It is worthwhile understanding that the mask does not simulate high altitude training, not in the truest sense of the definition. One won’t be able to wear this constantly for two weeks and then find that their lung capacity has increased once it has been taken off.

What this mask will do however, if used while exercising, is that the pulmonary muscles will be worked much harder. The mask provides a unique way of training the pulmonary muscles, which by nature are difficult to target specifically. Think of it as akin to applying a load on the pulmonary muscles – in a similar manner, weights are used to strengthen the body muscles, the mask is used to strengthen the pulmonary muscles. I believe the mask is best used with cardiovascular activity rather than strength and conditioning exercises because the mask will work most effectively when the heart rate is elevated through constant, dynamic movement in a situation where the body is pushed to its limit.

My Experience

I purchased the mask and decided I would wear it on my daily commute to work by bike, which by the way I definitely do not recommend doing as it is so dangerous. I almost suffocated myself the first time I used the mask on my bike (in hindsight I probably should have used it first in a safer environment), and I have had a couple of other occasions of near fainting. The commute was roughly 20 or so minutes, but while I was wearing the mask, my time increased to near 30 minutes. As with most products of this nature, a pamphlet was provided with some guidelines on use. I don’t remember them all, but I recall it saying not to use the mask without supervision and not to use it in an uncontrolled environment. I broke both of these rules day one and almost paid the ultimate price for it.

On my reverse commute, there was a fairly steep hill, and I rode a single-speed bike. With the mask on, it took everything I had and more to reach the top. By the time I got there, I couldn’t breathe. I literally could not breathe and could not move. My heartbeat was pounding inside my head. My vision was blurred, and the darkness was creeping in. At the top, there is a large roundabout where two exits lead onto an A road with a 60 mph speed limit. Traffic lights control it, but if they are green, the cars tend to drive through quite fast. Then there’s me, half-dead, in the middle of the road, barely maintaining my balance, crawling along with what little momentum I had left. I’m pretty sure I got a nasty horn blown at me, but eventually I regained my senses and got out of the way for the cars to pass. It felt like I was trapped in that hell for an eternity, but the reality was that I was probably stuck for around 5 seconds or so.

You might think after such an experience, I would abandon the mask or at the very least never use it on my commute again.

No.

I realised that I had experienced a near enough worst-case scenario of using the mask while commuting. I was unprepared and therefore, did not regulate my breathing properly while ascending the hill. Now that my body had experienced the sensation, it would instinctively know how to adjust itself accordingly to prevent such vulnerability from occurring in the future. Multiple difficulty levels can be set with the mask and over a few months; I had increased it to the max difficulty.

I admit I did have a couple of other close calls and one time I actually did fall off my bike and got hit by a car. Fortunately, it was on a quiet street, so the car wasn’t driving too fast, which gave me time to protect myself before the impact.

Conclusion

After a few weeks or implementing this training, I noticed a significant difference in my overall breath retention. I could breathe fully! The remnants of my asthma had been vanquished! It was worth risking my life to rid myself from my asthma completely. Sometimes you have to risk everything, put it all on the line for the sake of attaining a mighty result. Once you’ve gambled with your life, truly put it at risk, your perspective changes radically. You realise what is truly important and what is just fluff which can be shrugged off or worked around.

Having said all of that, I don’t recommend you follow suit on this occasion. Nowadays, I simply train with the mask in the safety of my own home, during my cardiovascular workouts. I’ll do exercises like mountain climbers, burpees, and V-ups while wearing the mask. It is far safer than cycling with it. Other alternatives would be to wear the mask on a treadmill or while skipping rope as these will more readily encourage the runner to keep going, rather than slowing down when the going gets tough. The point needs to be stressed that the body should be forced to keep performing the exercise while the mask is being worn; otherwise one may as well not wear the mask and just perform the exercise normally. This is why cycling or the treadmill works well with the mask.

If you do end up purchasing the Elevation Training Mask, use it as your own risk; ideally in a safe environment with supervision; especially if you are unaccustomed to wearing one.

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.