An often over-looked aspect of strength training is proper breathing technique. While it may come naturally to some, others find it’s something they have to work on.
Many beginners will often hold their breath as they perform a strength exercise and before they know it they’re feeling dizzy and faint. A rhythmic, paced breathing technique will help prevent any problems like that and can also help control the blood pressure from getting too high.
Breathing Technique: The Basics
The general rule of thumb that you should follow is to exhale while lifting or forcing a weight (concentric phase), and to inhale while lowering or letting it down (eccentric phase). However, there can be slight variations to this rule when you perform different types of lifting, such as high-speed lifts, extremely slow weight training, and the lifting of extra heavy weights.
For example, heavier loads and max effort lifts will often call for using the Valsalva Maneuver. This is a technique that involves taking a deep breath immediately prior to lifting and holding that breath throughout the lift. This method creates a lot of intra-abdominal pressure giving your body a strong foundation and allowing it to handle more weight. Before approaching a max-effort deadlift, for instance, lifters often stand over the bar and prepare for the lift. Right before setting their grip, they’ll take a deep breath in and hold that air inside the lungs throughout the rep.
But for those of you who are fairly new to strength training and not yet worried about single rep max lifts, focus on breathing throughout your recommended repetitions to get the most out of each set.
And, as with any piece of health advice, it’s best to check with your doctor prior to getting under the bar just to be safe!