Quick rule of thumb on how to breathe while lifting weights
ninerbuff
Posts: 48,974 Member
Lots of people get confused so here's something easy to remember:
Inhale on the EASIER motion of the exercise (that's usually going to be in the eccentric phase).
A CONTROLLED exhale on the HARDER motion of the exercise (concentric phase).
IE: If doing a barbell curl, the easier motion is bringing the bar back down and the harder motion is curling it up.
This is applied to any exercise. DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH on exercises throughout (especially in the concentric phase) as this will exponentially increase your blood pressure and for some cause them to faint or get dizzy and pass out.
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Inhale on the EASIER motion of the exercise (that's usually going to be in the eccentric phase).
A CONTROLLED exhale on the HARDER motion of the exercise (concentric phase).
IE: If doing a barbell curl, the easier motion is bringing the bar back down and the harder motion is curling it up.
This is applied to any exercise. DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH on exercises throughout (especially in the concentric phase) as this will exponentially increase your blood pressure and for some cause them to faint or get dizzy and pass out.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Replies
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thanks.0
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I always mix this up - thank you!0
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Thanks. I suck at breathing during squats.0
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I hold my breath while bench pressing. Thanks for the reminder!0
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If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween0
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Haven't mastered how to keep it tight while still breathing then. Something to work on.herrspoons wrote: »I always hold my breath on squats until I'm 2/3 of the way up. I also try and do at least the first three reps of bench and press with breath held.
Keeps things tight.
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Same, I need to breathe basically when it feels comfortable. If I focus on breathing while also focusing on the rep itself, then I basically lose all form. It's like when I got distracted while lunging in the squat rack when I was kind of side-eyeing a cute guy LOL. If I just focus on the form and whatnot, breathing just falls into a comfortable place.JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
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See above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
^^^This^^^^
Any training video I have watched, especially with the squat, has them holding the breathe till the rep is complete. This is to help keep the core tight during the lift.0 -
I can see what Niner is saying if you aren't using a belt but with the belt on, pushing out against the belt helps with core tightness. IMHO0
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I keep forgetting that I'm not doing cardio. Timing my movements with my breathing, then taking a breath between, helps to keep me focused on controlled movements instead of bouncing around.0
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Post one. I for one would like to see a legit trainer doing it.JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
^^^This^^^^
Any training video I have watched, especially with the squat, has them holding the breathe till the rep is complete. This is to help keep the core tight during the lift.
People that lose form when breathing out aren't creating "intra abdominal pressure" to keep the core tight when squatting, bench pressing, rowing, etc.
There's a difference in breathing out and just blowing out air and breathing out through the diaphram while keeping your core tight.
Again, it's something to learn and master. It takes practice, but take a breath in and when you blow out, do it by flexing your core at the same time.
EDIT: One quick note I forgot to mention. Breathing out isn't all at once. With squats lots of people do it through "pursed" lips (which is why some sound like they hiss when they lift).
Point is, holding your breath through a movement (especially heavy compound movements) isn't recommended.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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off topic but how are you supposed to breathe when you run? mouth or nose?0
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monicapevans wrote: »off topic but how are you supposed to breathe when you run? mouth or nose?
Personally, when my respiration rate gets to a certain point, nose breathing just don't cut it. So for me, it's mouth/both.0 -
thanks jacksonpt0
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Post one. I for one would like to see a legit trainer doing it.JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
^^^This^^^^
Any training video I have watched, especially with the squat, has them holding the breathe till the rep is complete. This is to help keep the core tight during the lift.
Mark Rippetoe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkeN_fkXrdE
Not a video, but an excerpt from 5/3/1 with Jim Wendler:Before the descent, take another breath and go. Keep this air in until you’re about 2/3 of the way back up. Then you can let it out.
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Yep - - it's actually like pooping. But don't actually poop. Upon this, is frowned.
With love,
Burt0 -
Belts are supposed to be pretty snug making it a little tougher to inhale anyway creating more intra abdominal wall pressure. If they aren't snug before the lift, then it's essentially like lifting without a belt.JeffseekingV wrote: »I can see what Niner is saying if you aren't using a belt but with the belt on, pushing out against the belt helps with core tightness. IMHO
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Gotta work on the kiai bro.
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Person referred to holding breath till rep was COMPLETED. Haven't seen that endorsed here.
Post one. I for one would like to see a legit trainer doing it.JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
^^^This^^^^
Any training video I have watched, especially with the squat, has them holding the breathe till the rep is complete. This is to help keep the core tight during the lift.
Mark Rippetoe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkeN_fkXrdE
Not a video, but an excerpt from 5/3/1 with Jim Wendler:Before the descent, take another breath and go. Keep this air in until you’re about 2/3 of the way back up. Then you can let it out.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0 -
That's a good idea, I want to put someone to sleep right now anyway.
Gotta work on the kiai bro.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
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Honestly, just not sure how I'd comfortably and tightly breathe in during the while staying tight, I'd rather get tight, then go. Coming up underload, you're going to be exhaling anyway.
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I have felt a little light headed after heavy squats before. I think it's because I'll hold during multiple reps. If I breath 2-3 times before each rep, I do much better0
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Alot of people just breathe into their lungs. They don't "bring it down" to their core. In other words when they take a breath, they expand their chest only. Correct intake of breath would involve your abs pushing out FIRST as you breathe in then expand the chest. A short hold of breath at the very hardest execution, then a controlled exhale (again through the abdominals).
That's a good idea, I want to put someone to sleep right now anyway.
Gotta work on the kiai bro.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Honestly, just not sure how I'd comfortably and tightly breathe in during the while staying tight, I'd rather get tight, then go. Coming up underload, you're going to be exhaling anyway.
It's something to practice. Kinda like pec flexing.
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That's a good idea, I want to put someone to sleep right now anyway.
Gotta work on the kiai bro.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Honestly, just not sure how I'd comfortably and tightly breathe in during the while staying tight, I'd rather get tight, then go. Coming up underload, you're going to be exhaling anyway.
I can do it when I'm constipated and pushing... never thought to apply that skill to my lifting.
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That's a good idea, I want to put someone to sleep right now anyway.
Gotta work on the kiai bro.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Honestly, just not sure how I'd comfortably and tightly breathe in during the while staying tight, I'd rather get tight, then go. Coming up underload, you're going to be exhaling anyway.
I can do it when I'm constipated and pushing... never thought to apply that skill to my lifting.
Same basic mechanism, called the Valsalva maneuver.0 -
Ok, learned a lesson. Thanks Niner. I went back to a couple of the popular videos and if you are not paying attention, it looks like they are holding all the way through, they are not.
I did some more research and discovered you are supposed to do a controlled exhale on the way up out of a squat. I was noticing that I was getting light headed sometimes during squats, but felt I was getting enough oxygen so wasn't sure what was going on, I just took more time between reps. Learned that by holding my breathe all the way through the rep is what was causing the issue. By doing that I was temporarily increasing my blood pressure because of intra-thoracic pressure in the chest cavity. Which, can cause cardiovascular challenges. Who knew? Apparently Niner did.0 -
Google "breathe behind the shield" and you'll find some decent info about breathing under tension.0
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Post one. I for one would like to see a legit trainer doing it.JeffseekingV wrote: »If I breath out while doing my lifts, I lose the tightness and my form goes to crap. I have to wait until a finish the rep and breath inbetween
^^^This^^^^
Any training video I have watched, especially with the squat, has them holding the breathe till the rep is complete. This is to help keep the core tight during the lift.
People that lose form when breathing out aren't creating "intra abdominal pressure" to keep the core tight when squatting, bench pressing, rowing, etc.
There's a difference in breathing out and just blowing out air and breathing out through the diaphram while keeping your core tight.
Again, it's something to learn and master. It takes practice, but take a breath in and when you blow out, do it by flexing your core at the same time.
EDIT: One quick note I forgot to mention. Breathing out isn't all at once. With squats lots of people do it through "pursed" lips (which is why some sound like they hiss when they lift).
Point is, holding your breath through a movement (especially heavy compound movements) isn't recommended.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
THANK YOU! This is one of the reasons my husband and I can't workout together. He's a breath-holder. I attempted a few times to explain to him why it's not a good idea, but he's the "man" and is supposed to know better than I when it comes to lifting weights! Uh, ok. Whatever.
I worked really hard to master the slow steady breathing technique both with cardio and lifting, using my full lung capacity and bringing it down to my core, as you say it, and what a HUGE difference it has made! I've had people at the gym ask me how I do my HIIT, maintain a high intensity and not be gasping for breath (although I'm dripping with sweat) and I've tried to explain, but the couple of people who asked me would rather chat with someone else while they do their cardio, so they didn't understand the concept.
Anyway, thank you for addressing this. IMHO this is a very important, but often overlooked key to cardio and weight training.0 -
Glad I could help. While for some it seems a trivial step, breathing correctly while exercising does have an effect on endurance and cardiovascular health.Ok, learned a lesson. Thanks Niner. I went back to a couple of the popular videos and if you are not paying attention, it looks like they are holding all the way through, they are not.
I did some more research and discovered you are supposed to do a controlled exhale on the way up out of a squat. I was noticing that I was getting light headed sometimes during squats, but felt I was getting enough oxygen so wasn't sure what was going on, I just took more time between reps. Learned that by holding my breathe all the way through the rep is what was causing the issue. By doing that I was temporarily increasing my blood pressure because of intra-thoracic pressure in the chest cavity. Which, can cause cardiovascular challenges. Who knew? Apparently Niner did.
There's even a technique I tell my people when doing burpees. For every movement, do a short blow out. They definitely aren't as winded at the end.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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