How to breathe when lifting heavy?

[MegaVovaN]

I currently hold my breath during all heavy lifts - DL, bench, squat, OHP. My friend says I should exhale on way up, but it does not feel right...

Thoughts and sources to back them up please? TIA.

 

[KoolDrew]

Exhale during the concentric and inhale before the eccentric. In other words, take a big breath before a rep and breath out near the top of the lift.

 

[crt1530]

http://www.strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1107

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
Exhale during the concentric and inhale before the eccentric. In other words, take a big breath before a rep and breath out near the top of the lift.

When doing a situp, do you inhale as you pull up and exhale as you go back down? I've been meaning to ask about that, it's always felt really weird to me.

Also on pushups, I inhale on the way to the floor and exhale on the way back up. Weird?

 

[GenHoth]

your push up is correct, but inhaling as you situp? weird. exhale as I go up and inhale on the way down for a situp.

And KoolDrew nailed the way I breathe when I squat

 

[Spamela]

i usually take one or more deep (diaphragm) breaths before the rep, hold it during the rep,
and release after the rep.

if you exhale during the rep you won't be able to keep pressure
against the belt.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Spamela
i usually take one or more deep (diaphragm) breaths before the rep, hold it during the rep,
and release after the rep.

if you exhale during the rep you won't be able to keep pressure
against the belt.

Which is important when one is lifting a 1/4 ton like you do:thumbsup:

 

[presidentender]

There are people who are afraid of passing out from the Valsalva effect (high blood pressure in the brain causing a loss of consciousness or an aneurysm) if the hold their breath while lifting. As long as you train progressively, though, this happens only rarely (statistically insignificant) and most people do end up holding their breath (Valsalva maneuver) to help keep their backs in the right position while lifting. You're more likely to hurt your back while exhaling on the way up (especially if your core isn't where it needs to be) than you are to pass out from the increased blood pressure caused by holding your breath.

Needless to say, do lift with a spotter when you lift heavy weights. Valsalva's incredibly rare, but it does happen.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: GenHoth
your push up is correct, but inhaling as you situp? weird. exhale as I go up and inhale on the way down for a situp.

And KoolDrew nailed the way I breathe when I squat

That's what I've been wondering, I've gotta figure out how to break the habit because as my stomach gets tired my breathing becomes difficult the way I do it. But it occurs so naturally that I figured it was correct. I'm going to try and force myself to reverse it.

 

[gramboh]

The way Rippetoe describes works great for me. I do start to exhale near the end of a rep, rather than at actual completion (e.g. I start to breath out right at the top of a squat not at full extension). I used to breath in while going down on squats/bench and tried breath in while pulling on a DL. It does not work well at all.

 

[KurskKnyaz]

Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
I currently hold my breath during all heavy lifts - DL, bench, squat, OHP. My friend says I should exhale on way up, but it does not feel right...

Thoughts and sources to back them up please? TIA.

Holding your breath supports your back. Exhale when you bring he weights down you want that CO2 out of your system.