He liver-kicked legends into submission and finished a 22-fight unbeaten streak as UFC Heavyweight Champion — Bas “El Guapo” Rutten discovered the ultimate cheat code: breathe. The same kid who once wheezed through asthma attacks turned suffocation into a superpower, inventing the O2Trainer that restricts air on the inhale, forges diaphragm steel, and rockets oxygen uptake by up to 5X. Now, the Hall of Famer who made Joe Rogan gasp on a single rep is handing everyday warriors the exact playbook: 30 daily reps that bulletproof your lungs, melt panic in high-stakes meetings, supercharge workouts without extra miles, and flood every cell with calm, confident fire—proving the fight isn’t won in the gym or the boardroom; it’s won one controlled inhale at a time.
In the raw intensity of the Octagon, where every second is a razor’s edge between victory and collapse, Bas Rutten learned the hard way that oxygen isn’t just fuel—it’s the firewall. “I’d gas out in training, choking on my own lungs like a fish on dry land,” Rutten recalls in his latest instructional video, Foundations of Breathing Tools, created as part of his new Fighting Machine workout. That vulnerability? It stemmed from childhood asthma, the kind that turned playground tag into a desperate wheeze. But Rutten, ever the alchemist of adversity, flipped the script. He pored over physiology texts, tinkered in his garage, and birthed the O2 Trainer—a deceptively simple silicone mouthpiece with swappable resistance caps that choke your inhale just enough to awaken dormant muscles.
Picture this: You’re seated, hands clamped to a chair’s edge. Shoulders locked, core braced. Exhale fully—empty the tank. Then, through the O2 Trainer’s narrow gate (start at level 4, 5 or 6 of the O2 Trainer for that sweet spot burn), inhale with force to pull air in and deep. No shrugging, no shortcuts. Your diaphragm ignites, abs ripple like they’re carving themselves mid-breath. Thirty reps. Three to four minutes. Done. “That’s it,” Rutten grins in the video, sweat beading on his brow after a demo set. “You just trained 11 pounds of breathing muscle you didn’t know you had. And trust me, they were lazy until now. But now you also access the lower part of your lungs which is the most dense oxygen rich part of your lungs”
The science isn’t hype—it’s etched in over a 1000 peer-reviewed studies. Restrictive inhaling (Inspiratory Muscle Training) makes your breathing muscles stronger so they can expand your chest and diaphragm maximally and thus making you able to pull much more air into your lungs, in other words; hypertrophying the inspiratory muscles that yank oxygen into your bloodstream. Result? VO2 max climbs, lactate threshold stretches, and you’re not just enduring; you’re thriving. Rutten’s own lab: From UFC beast-mode to podcast immortality, where Rogan—mid-rep—wheezed, “Holy sh*t, Bas, I feel it already, I feel muscles I have never felt before!.” Everyday? It’s a panic-dissolver. High-stakes pitch? Once you start breathing correctly thus more efficiently, you can start controlling your breath, like a breathing technique that stimulates your Vagus nerve which will lower your cortisol levels, dropping your heart rate and therefore makes you calm and relaxed. Which is great to calm yourself before a big meeting, sporting event, stressful situation, you name it.
Rutten’s routine is warrior-simple, scalable for the boardroom brawler or couch commando. Morning ritual: 30 reps at level 4 post-coffee, priming the day’s fire, that’s it? Yep, that’s it! He demos variations in the aforementioned Foundations video—sitting or standing in a horse stance, in the car (best driving shot gun), in the pool which somehow makes you feel your breathing muscles better, at the park with the dogs, using it with a less resistance cap while walking the dogs, you name it—proving it’s not rigid; it’s revolutionary. “Abs? I don’t crunch. Breathing built these,” he boasts, flexing a six-pack forged not in the gym, but via the grind of controlled gasps.
But it’s the testimonials that hit like a Rutten knee: A SWAT instructor breathes relaxed after two days; a saxophonist sustains notes like never before; a teen ditches exercise-induced asthma attacks after a month. Even non-fighters cash in—runners log 10-mile PRs, cyclists crush hills, BJJ practitioners and dancers owning the floor. Rutten’s message? Breath isn’t passive; it’s your hidden arsenal. In a world choking on shallow sips, he’s the liberator.
So, grab the O2 Trainer. Channel El Guapo. One inhale at a time, rewrite your limits. Because as Rutten thunders, “The real fight? It’s in here.” And with breath as your blade, you’re unbreakable.
The Ex-Athlete’s Edge: How to Reclaim Your Lungs and Dominate Life After the Final Whistle
You used to sprint 40 yards in 4.6, bench 315, or run the floor for 40 minutes without a sub. Now a flight of stairs feels like fourth-quarter overtime. The muscle memory is still there, but the engine? It’s idling on fumes. Bas Rutten—former UFC Heavyweight King and the guy who turned asthma into an afterthought—has the fix: 30 controlled breaths a day which takes less than 4.5 min. No gym, no track, no coach screaming splits. Just you, a simple yet super effective $60 silicone mouthpiece, and the same respiratory system that once carried you to glory.
This is your how-to guide to breathwork, built for the linebacker who still wakes up sore, the point guard coaching from the couch, the swimmer who misses the black line. We’ll cover the exact protocol, the science that backs it, and the broader breathwork toolkit so you can stack wins long after the jersey’s retired.
Step 1: Gear Up – The O2 Trainer (Your New Mouthpiece Coach)
Order the kit at O2Trainer.com (includes mouthpiece + 14 resistance caps).
Start at Level 4, 5 or 6. Too easy? Add more resistance, its weight training for your breathing muscles
Step 2: The 30-Rep Daily Drill (3–4 Minutes Flat)
Position
Sit on a firm chair, feet planted.
Grip the seat edges with both hands—lock shoulders down. This forces the diaphragm to do 100% of the work.
Execution
Full exhale – blow out every last molecule like you’re fogging a window.
Explosive inhale through the O2 Trainer – 3–4 seconds, no shoulder rise, no half-breath. Feel the abs contract outwards.
Quick relaxed exhale – let it fall out naturally.
Repeat for 30 reps total
Pro Tip from Bas: “If your neck veins pop, you are straining too hard and you’re not focussing on your diaphragm. Every muscles in the body needs to be relaxed, you should only focus on your core muscles pushing out. So if it’s too hard, drop a level.”
When to Do It
Any time of the day but preferably the morning (pre-coffee) – primes VO₂ max for the day.
Step 3: Track Progress Like Game Film
Pro Tip from Bas: “Do NOT try to do the hardest setting, you will not be able to do it the correct way. You will not completely inhale and therefore will not use your entire Inspiratory Muscles. I have been doing it daily for 8 years straight and use setting 2. I can do setting 1.5mm (again, correctly) but I believe I can’t completely push out my chest, technique is everything. If you put a nose clip or clothes pin on your nose and you can do 30 reps without sneaking in air through the side of the mouthpiece, only then, when you go below 3 min, it's time to go to the next setting, TAKE YOUR TIME! I have had many people say they can do setting 1, but as soon as I put a noseclip on their nose, not ONE (ever) was able to do it, so again, please focus on technique which makes it WAY more effective.”
The Science: Why This Works for Ex-Athletes
Inspiratory Muscle Hypertrophy
18 studies show 4–6 weeks of resistance breathing increases diaphragm thickness by 20–30%.
Translation: The same lungs that once powered 4th-quarter comebacks now delay fatigue in pickup hoops or weekend warrior leagues.
Oxygen Uptake Surge
VO₂ max ↑ 8–12% in trained adults (Journal of Strength & Conditioning, 2019).
You’re not running extra miles; you’re making every mile count more.
Lactate Clearance
Stronger respiratory pump = faster CO₂ dump = legs feel fresh in the second half of your alumni game.
Autonomic Reset
Powerful restricted inhales trigger parasympathetic dominance. HRV jumps 15–25% in 30 days—same benefit as 20-minute meditation, zero lotus pose required.
Broader Breathwork Toolkit (Stack for Compound Interest)
Tool | Protocol | Ex-Athlete Payoff |
Box Breathing | 4-sec inhale / 4 hold / 4 exhale / 4 hold × 5 min | Sideline nerves before coaching or big presentation |
Wim Hof Lite | 30 power breaths → breath-hold → repeat × 3 | Cold shower tolerance + mental toughness |
Physiological Sigh | Double inhale through nose → long exhale × 3 | Instant panic killer when the boss calls |
O2 + Bodyweight | 15 reps between push-up sets | Turns 100 push-ups into cardio finisher |
Real Wins from the Locker Room
Former D1 linebacker (315 bench PR): “Two months in, I’m repping 225 for 15 again—without touching weights. Just the O2 Trainer on lunch breaks.”
College point guard turned sales exec: “Used to get winded on demos. Now I close deals calm while the rookie sweats.”
High school state champ swimmer: “Black-line lungs are back. Hit a 200 free PR in the masters meet—first time under 2:00 in 12 years.”
Your 30-Day Playbook
Day | Focus |
1–7 | Perfect form, Level 4, 30 reps × 1 |
8–14 | Add 15-rep car sessions, Level 5 |
15–21 | Level 6 + 3 physiological sighs pre-bed |
22–30 | Level 7–8 + 1 weekly O2 + push-up ladder |
Final Whistle
You don’t need the stadium lights to feel the roar. Thirty breaths a day—less time than lacing up cleats—reignites the engine that once made you unstoppable. Bas Rutten didn’t just survive the octagon; he mastered the inhale. Now it’s your turn. Lock shoulders, grip the chair, and breathe like the champion you still are.
