You can go most of your life without worrying about whether or how you’re breathing, but as soon as someone says you have to breathe a certain way at the gym, it’s easy to get into trouble. when out? in when? Oops, I held my breath instead—is that bad?
Like anything else in the world of exercise, there are different recommendations for different people doing different things. If you’ve heard conflicting advice, don’t worry, we’ll sort it out. First I’ll explain whether or not you should breathe during a lift, and then we’ll talk about how to breathe.
Should I hold my breath while lifting weights?
I don’t breathe during most of my lifts. I spend most of my time in the gym doing big compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, snatches, cleans. I wear a belt for most of them. And I keep my core strong when I do them. For these lifts, the Valsalva maneuver is a powerful tool. This is a catchy name for applying pressure to your torso by holding your breath. You’ve probably done this on the toilet at some point.
Between my belt, my braced core, and the pressure of air in my lungs, I’m doing a lot to stabilize my torso and protect my spine from injury. I am also able to lift more weight this way if I don’t pause or hold my breath. Watch a competitive powerlifter’s face turn red as a tomato during a squat, and you’ll know they’re doing the same.
Although it is safe for most people, most of the time, some people should not hold their breath while lifting for safety reasons. Valsalva can temporarily increase blood pressure, and may result in dizziness and even blackouts, especially if you maintain the pressure for more than a few seconds. American Heart Association recommended That beginners and people suffering from heart disease should not hold their breath while lifting weight. there is also valsalva Not recommended during pregnancyBecause increased pressure poses a risk to the placenta. (If you have any questions about whether you personally Should you not hold your breath while lifting, talk to your medical provider.)
What do you think so far?
If you use Valsalva, you’ll hold your breath during each rep, and you’ll stop to exhale and inhale between repetitions (for example, when you stand up in the middle of a squat). One way to remember this is to pretend you are sitting in a pool of water that comes up to your chest. You hold your breath while you’re “underwater” and take your next breath when you stand up again.
If I breathe while lifting weights, how should I do it?
First of all, there really isn’t one Wrong There is no answer to how to breathe, but there is a general rule that will help most of the time. You’ll want to exhale during the hardest part of the exercise, and inhale when the exercise gets easier. This generally means exhaling during the concentric contraction (lifting the weight) and inhaling during the eccentric contraction (lowering it down). If you forget, just ask yourself which part of the exercise is the hardest.
So suppose you are sitting. You can inhale while you are lowering yourself and then exhale while going up. The hardest part of the squat—the sticking point, it’s often called—occurs immediately after you start going up. How about deadlifts? The hardest part of the movement is when you’re lifting the bar, so exhale right there. You can inhale as you lower the bar.
