I have doing the exercises in RYV and Ult. Breathing just about everyday for about two months straight. Recently, I realized that I can greatly increase my numbers in the Ult. Breathing exercises by flooding my lungs with oxygen. Meaning, that I breath in and out a few times pretty heavily before each exercise. I found that it was lack of oxygen in my system that was slowing me down not my muscles. I don't remember if this was mentioned in any of Jaime's books but I would like some input and opinions from people to see if this is okay. Thanks!!

It might also be that when you exhale slowly many times in a row, the lack of CO2 to your brain prevents it from "feeling" the need to breath therefore helping you to hold your breath longer. Is that what you're asking about?

If you feel dizzy, sit down and take a break.

Well, that sounds kind of like what's going on. My need to breath again was happening sooner than my need to take a break because my muscles were tired. Does that make sense? Now, when I breath heavily a few times prior to each exercise they last a lot longer and I am working my muscles pretty well. I still run out of breath and what not but I just don't have that need to get O2 into my system as quickly as I would before.

Im curious to find out if I'm supposed to incorporate the feeling of needing to breath again into the exercises. Thanks!

Well any way you can improve holding notes is fair game. Try practicing holding your breathe. My old record was 2:30 underwater.

I'd get the Ult. Breathing workout, but I think I have my breathing in good shape. I can hold a note for 30 seconds without a problem. My record is 35 seconds. Sure maybe people who master the book can do like, a minute. But to me thats unnecessary. And I know its not about note length, but control in just singing. But I think of it as if i'm doing the exercises in RYV, and singing with songs to how i'm satisfied, then why get the book? I'm sure its a great book that helps with everything, but i'm not finding it necessary.

Anyone wanna try to convince me that Ultimate Breathing Workout is something I should get?

Andrew, 2:30 is crazy! I've only ever done 1:30, and that's over water.

Although I have the Ultimate Breathing Workout, I'm afraid I haven't done much work on it. But I definitely think it's worth while! The longer you can sing notes, the less breath you are actually using at a time. And as we know, less breath -> very good. So if you can expand your best time from 35 sec to 1 min and 10 sec (which is possible), you will be using only half as much breath for the note, and have twice as much control.

So my suggestion is: get it!

Oiselle, you are the first coach I have ever heard being correct about the stumulous for ventilation. Good work lol.
So, for those of you that are interested in the science behind it, excess CO2 in the body (known as hyercapnia) is the main stimulous for ventilation in the healthy individual. Lack of oxygen (hypoxia) acts synergistically but if you have low oxygen levels and low CO2 levels, you will go unconscious before you start to breathe again. I't a really surreal experience because you simply don't feel the need to breathe.
The body has pretty much fully saturated oxygen levels as it is (usually 98/99% in the healthy individual) with normal breathing (known as tidal breathing). Therefore you can't really increase the level of oxygen in the blood without going into a hyperbaric chamber but the body then transports O2 via a different mechanism. So don't pay obscene amounts of money at oxygen bars. You may as well throw the money down the drain!
So, to increase the amount of time to hold your breath, you can hyperventilate as this helps rid the body of CO2. You will frequently see free divers doing this to maximise their dive time (not always healthy as I'm sure you can fidure out after what I have said, particularly when the effect of pressure changes on the gas are accounted for).
That may interest no one except me...but if you're interested, there you go lol.

As far as the book goes, I got this book a year ago and didn't pick it up and really wish I had. Used in conjunction with raise you voice I have seen huge gains in my voice overall in just over two months. I'm borderline OCD about practicing though!! (haha) Ult, Breathing when used together with RYV makes the exercises in RYV easier because breath control is a huge piece of the pie. I find now that I don't even think about breathing when doing the transcending tone etc. I just know my support will be there. If there is anyone not sure about whether or not to buy Ult. Breathing all I can say is that for me, I can't imagine doing RYV without doing the Ult. Breathing with it. It has taken me less time to see larger gains then when I was just doing RYV alone.

Legato, well i'm 16 so maybe it helps being younger haha. I've never smoked anything either ;) It took quite a while of practice haha.

Hey Open Mic, I actually learnt that to the peril of my own life!!

I practiced synchronized swimming for over 8 years when I was a kid. I was quite serious at it. We would always end our lessons with a lap or two in my case swimming under the water without breathing. I'd always breathe slowly before going cause that is how I had learned to concentrate (of course not knowing at the times of the dangers of doing that). One morning I lost consciousness under the water. I could have drown; I even had an out of body experience but luckily, my coach rescued me

So guys take my advise, be careful when you do these breathing exercise o.k.?!