bros used to nag on gsp for his “hgh belly”
one day i read about ricksons belly breathing. u fatten your tummy on enhale to give more room for lungs to expand. rickson swears its his key to cardio.
gsp is into a few weird things, so i thought he might do this
and he does
its 1 explanation for pics that show him (temporarily) having a big belly
chatgpt:
Yes. Georges St-Pierre has spoken about using diaphragmatic (“belly”) breathing as part of his training and mental preparation.
GSP has incorporated breathing exercises inspired by yoga, martial arts, and performance coaching to help with:
- Stress control before fights.
- Improved endurance by breathing more efficiently.
- Faster recovery between rounds and training intervals.
- Focus and composure under pressure.
Belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) means that when you inhale, your diaphragm descends and your abdomen expands, rather than primarily lifting your shoulders and upper chest. It’s a common technique among elite fighters because it:
- Uses the lungs more efficiently.
- Helps reduce unnecessary tension.
- Can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and promoting calm.
That said, GSP didn’t exclusively belly-breathe all the time. Like most elite athletes:
- At rest and during controlled breathing exercises, he’d emphasize diaphragmatic breathing.
- During high-intensity exchanges in a fight, breathing naturally becomes faster and involves both the diaphragm and chest.
So if you’re asking whether GSP intentionally practiced belly breathing as a training method, the answer is yes. It was one of several breathing techniques he used to improve performance and stay calm under pressure.