Just Breathe

Shawn Perine
Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

When I work with newbies in the gym, one of the most common issues I see them experiencing has nothing to do with strength or flexibility, but with breathing. It would seem that something so natural and intuitive couldn't possibly be an issue, but then lifting weights isn't natural or intuitive, so it kind of makes sense that the breathing patterns associated with it could be tricky for some.

In short, you want to inhale on the negative portion of a rep and exhale on the positive part. So, if you're doing a squat, you would inhale as you lower yourself, exhale as you push back to an upright stance. If you're doing a military press, the inhale comes when you lower the weight down to your shoulders, and the exhale when you push it back overhead. Easy enough to grasp, but you may be asking yourself, "Why should I be breathing this way?" Good question.

Studies have shown that contracting the respiratory muscles (i.e., exhaling) during the positive portion of a lift helps maintain lumbar and core muscle stability. It's also more intuitive than the alternative: Inhaling requires effort, while exhaling is simply a matter of letting go, so if you're already exerting effort on the positive portion of a rep, you'll want your breathing to be effortless.
Updated: Tue Jun 10, 2014

When I work with newbies in the gym, one of the most common issues I see them experiencing has nothing to do with strength or flexibility, but with breathing. It would seem that something so natural and intuitive couldn't possibly be an issue, but then lifting weights isn't natural or intuitive, so it kind of makes sense that the breathing patterns associated with it could be tricky for some.

In short, you want to inhale on the negative portion of a rep and exhale on the positive part. So, if you're doing a squat, you would inhale as you lower yourself, exhale as you push back to an upright stance. If you're doing a military press, the inhale comes when you lower the weight down to your shoulders, and the exhale when you push it back overhead. Easy enough to grasp, but you may be asking yourself, "Why should I be breathing this way?" Good question.

Studies have shown that contracting the respiratory muscles (i.e., exhaling) during the positive portion of a lift helps maintain lumbar and core muscle stability. It's also more intuitive than the alternative: Inhaling requires effort, while exhaling is simply a matter of letting go, so if you're already exerting effort on the positive portion of a rep, you'll want your breathing to be effortless.

In addition to inhaling and exhaling, there is a third breathing technique that's employed by many bodybuilders and power-lifters, and it's one I've used myself, although I don't recommend it. It's called the Valsalva Maneuver and it basically means forcefully holding your breath. When you hold your breath momentarily during a strenuous lift, and even "bear down" (essentially attempting to exhale against your closed airway), as you do it, you quickly raise your blood pressure. Your muscles become engorged with oxygen-rich blood and you feel a surge in strength. Power-lifters can be seen holding their breath, red-faced and bug-eyed, and sometimes even with blood trickling from their noses, during upward motion of a super-heavy squat.

Back when I was young and feeling invincible I used the Valsalva Maneuver to help me achieve some pretty big lifts. And while I don't hold my breath during a set these days, I do a modified version to help get me through especially difficult sets. We all instinctively do it. No one is focused on breathing when they're pushing hard. Think about the delivery process: Women are encouraged to breathe because there's a tendency for them to hold their breaths as they struggle to deliver.

As for the nose vs. mouth debate, I recommend doing what feels right for you. There are those who argue that breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth is most effective, because the restricted airflow through the nose can lead to greater lung efficiency, and a forceful exhale from the mouth helps to more fully expel carbon dioxide from the lungs. But for the average person, this is over-thinking the simple. Go with what your gut (and your diaphragm) tells you.

Now, take a deep breath and get yourself to the gym!