Do you hold your breath while lifting ?

[Vieope]

Sometimes I can´t breath while working out. I know that it is a big problem, just because it is an anaerobic exercise doesn´t mean that you don´t need to breath.

I usually can´t breath while bench pressing.

Do you hold your breath while lifting ?

 

[P-funk]

No way. Always breathe!!!

I have seen freinds pass out because they weren't breathing. Get bloody noses. Blood coming out the ears....etc.

 

[Vieope]

Yes, I am worried about that too but I have somekind of psychological block.

 

[myCATpowerlifts]

well u might wanna just lift light weights for a little and get control of it

since its easy to handle, you can focus less on it and more on ur breathing!

In on the eccentric

and out on the concentric portion

 

[KiDNotorious]

inhaling better is my problem, exhaling now comes natural

 

[Trap-isaurus]

I try not to but often forget and catch myself holding my breath.

 

[Big Smoothy]

The solution: breath.

Next....

 

[squanto]

holding breath while weight training is very bad for you. i know people who have done it, but it just puts way too much stress on your body. nobody i know does it anymore.

 

[CowPimp]

You should always inhale as your muscles relax and exhale as they contract. Muscles need blood pumping to them for oxygen, or they will become tired much sooner. Not only is it potentially bad for your body because you are depriving it of oxygen when it really needs, but your lifting will suffer even if your health isn't affected.

 

[Michael D]

According to Mudge's link on the how to bench topic, you are supposed to hold your breath for sets of 3 and less.

Of course that is just the man's opinion who wrote it.

I personally need to work on my breathing as I hold mine too.

 

[Spitfire]

I did before i read this thread. Thanks again

 

[Paynne]

A few months ago I got a horrible headache while doing neg only preacher curls. On each of the next 4 days I got the same headache instantly as soon as I lifted something. One day I took 20 tylenol and it didn't help(yeah i know now, don't DO that). Doc sent me for an MRI and said go to the emergency room if it happens again. It was nothing and went away after I took a week off.

I bet anything I held my breath by accident and strained too much. Many ppl say to hold your breath during squats to stabalize your core. I'll just lift lighter weight thank you.

 

[supertech]

I find myself holding my breath while doing squats,I try not to but do it any way.One of these days I am going to pass out.

 

[x~factor]

I hold it for a sec to get pass the sticking point. Does that count?

 

[Flex]

I either do what x-factor said^^

or

I just yell "LIGHTWEIGHT" in b/w reps

 

[I Are Baboon]

I make a conscious effort to breathe properly while lifting. That said, I sometimes do hold my breath for the last few reps of an ab set because of how hard I am struggling.

 

[ALBOB]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon I sometimes do hold my breath for the last few reps of an ab set because of how hard I am struggling.

I found an easy cure for that......................I don't do abs.

 

[QuestionGuy]

i dont hold my breath while lifting but when i do puchup i alway hold my breath and god damn i hate it, sometimes i try not to do it but still its just better, when i breathe after every puchup i get really tired fast, like after 30 of them its really hard to breathe but when i hold my breath it is easier to go on

 

[aztecwolf]

i'm with flex, to help yourself not hod your breath, breath in on the way down, and explode(grunt) on the way up, just don't be one of those jacks that yell really really annoyingly loud

 

[Vieope]

Originally posted by aztecwolf
i'm with flex, to help yourself not hod your breath, breath in on the way down, and explode(grunt) on the way up, just don't be one of those jacks that yell really really annoyingly loud

UHHHH AHHH lol
I know what you mean.

 

[willus72]

i was having the same problem today with my bench. i just kept forgetting to breath,lol. but on my last rep of my last set i was having a tough time getting it up and about halfway through i realized i was still holding my breath. i took a breath and put the rest up easily. so i think it helps.

 

[CourtQueen]

Originally posted by aztecwolf
i'm with flex, to help yourself not hod your breath, breath in on the way down, and explode(grunt) on the way up, just don't be one of those jacks that yell really really annoyingly loud

Like David??

 

[glassman]

Yeah unfortunatly I do. I try like hell to breathe while working out but it doesnt always happen. When I was a teen, I used to hold my breath all the time. Then one day it felt like someone had rammed an ice pick in the center of my head. Holy S@@t I thought that I was dying ! I went to the doctor and told him about it and his advise was to stop lifting Maybe he was a horse doctor So sometimes now when I hold my breath, I can feel my head spliting open again so I try to breath. And then there are no problems

 

[Vieope]

Originally posted by glassman
Yeah unfortunatly I do. I try like hell to breathe while working out but it doesnt always happen. When I was a teen, I used to hold my breath all the time. Then one day it felt like someone had rammed an ice pick in the center of my head. Holy S@@t I thought that I was dying ! I went to the doctor and told him about it and his advise was to stop lifting Maybe he was a horse doctor So sometimes now when I hold my breath, I can feel my head spliting open again so I try to breath. And then there are no problems

You should post this problem at the "General Health & Awareness" forum. I am not trying to scare you but this condition is not normal.

 

[Paynne]

I wouldn't be overly concerned Glassman, an MRI might not be a bad idea though. Like I said I got the headache thing too. I just don't do that thing that you see in the muscle mags where they hold their breath, tense every muscle in their body, and get all red in the face Now I'm fine

 

[glassman]

Well, yeah. But that was years ago. I'm not dead yet. LOL I'm not really worried about it. I just try to breath and it doesnt happen. Why it happened, I dont know. Maybe an MRI would do the trick.

 

[165r]

supply your muscle with O2 and they grow. At least that's what I have heard.

 

[glassman]

Good point 165r! This is what my head feels like. LOL

 

[Johnnny]

Sometimes I find myself holding my breath on certain reps of a heavy set but I really try to breath to help output power.

Say on flat bench, incline bench, & military press in the front I take a huge breath as I bring the weight down, & then force out all the air while I push the weight back up.


It's important on every rep to breath as whatever muscle you're working for whatever exercise you're doing for that muscle, the muscle needs a certain amount of oxygen coming into the system to be at it's strongest.

 

[Akateros]

Not on purpose. But I do apparently grit my teeth something awful. After a heavy leg or chest day, my back molars will be all tender. They're ninety percent metal, so that's not such a great thing.

More about various exercise-induced headaches. I think it is the "Valsalva manoeuvre" that is the culprit in most of the cases above.
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/02feb/mccrory.htm