Yes...you breathe, you compress....but things HAVE changed....when I first began this there was the 'head tilt/neck lift' (yes I'm dating myself with THAT one)....and you gave 4 SLOW breaths....now its2 breaths and compress.....it use to be 80 comp/min....now you're doing 100+......and the breathing has changed....so yes you breathe and you compress.....but things have changed....a lot.