Quick rule of thumb on how to breathe while lifting weights
Options
ninerbuff
Posts: 48,671 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.
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
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
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0
Replies
-
thanks.0
-
I always mix this up - thank you!0
-
Thanks. I suck at breathing during squats.0
-
I hold my breath while bench pressing. Thanks for the reminder!0
-
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
-
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.
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 -
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
0 -
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
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0 -
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
-
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
-
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
0 -
off topic but how are you supposed to breathe when you run? mouth or nose?0
-
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
-
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.
0 -
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
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 -
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
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 400 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 988 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions