Using Meditation to Bulk Up… or Slim Down

Transcendental (sitting/quiet) meditation tends to increase cardiac output and stroke volume while decreasing heart rate. In addition it tends to divert blood flow away from the liver and kidney (abdominal organs) and sends more flow to the skin and skeletal muscle. This is what normally happens during exercise. Furthermore recent evidence also points to total peripheral resistance of blood vessels decreasing during transcendental meditation. Again, this is a normal body response to exercising. However, transcendental meditation tends to decrease metabolic rate and burning of fat. It does not change resting metabolic rate (BMR) just during the act of meditation.

On the other hand, heavy breathing type meditation, such as pranayama, tends to have similar effects with blood flow, but increases metabolism when compared to rest. This generally means it will metabolize fat stores to a greater degree.

Based on this information, it would make sense for strenuous exercise (strength training) to make the most out of both of these techniques. It seems logical to start with a sitting/quiet meditation five to fifteen minutes before the workout to get cardiac output up and increase flow to the skeletal muscles. After this, perhaps doing breathing exercises while stretching or doing some sort of yoga to loosen up the muscles would be a good idea. The breathing meditation/exercises will work to increase metabolism and fat stores. The act of stretching will continue to keep blood flow moving to the muscles. Follow this with quick, heavy breathing to increase oxygen flow right before a set and you have a pre-workout routine.

If one is looking to bulk up, and therefore not lose too much weight, it would seem logical to do some sitting/quiet meditation immediately following the workout and stretching. Since sitting/quiet meditation has been proven to decrease metabolism, doing this after the workout would prevent too much loss of energy stores/weight. Typically the metabolism stays elevated for two to three hours after a workout. Meditating would help mitigate this. If one is looking to lose weight, perhaps doing more pranayama exercises following the workout would help to keep the metabolism rate high after working out.

It should be advised that this research, though replicated, is in the preliminary stages. The effects of sitting meditation on blood flow and cardiac output have been replicated a number of times, suggesting legitimacy. The effects of pranayama and heavy breathing exercises have not been tested as much, and therefore we should take that into consideration. But they seem in line with Shawn Phillips’ Focus Intensity Training practice about breathing immediately before a set and it almost certainly helps promote oxygen flow through the body.

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Rushi Vyas :: Research Team
Mindful Muscle

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