Breathing is a crucial element to understand when lifting weights. It is important to understand what your breathing does and how it affects you weight training.
When we breathe we inhale oxygen into the lungs, from here the oxygen is transported into our cells. Once in our cells, the oxygen is used to do a variety of complex functions but on a basic level, it is used to create energy. Without oxygen we will pass out and if no oxygen enters the body while we are passed out we will eventually suffer brain damage and then death.
It is important when lifting weights to NEVER hold your breath. When you hold your breath you are depriving your body of oxygen, resulting in you become light headed or passing out. This may lead to you falling over or dropping a weight on top of yourself. Something you don't want to happen. A general rule of thumb is to breathe in on the eccentric phase and out on the concentric phase. Put simply, breathe in on the easy part and breathe out on the hard aspect of the lift.
For example: If you are performing a bench press you breathe in when lowering the barbell to your chest and breathe out when pressing the bar back towards the starting position.
It may take a few training sessions to become familiar with timing your breathing with lifting. Try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
There is another aspect of breathing that I need to mention. It is called the "Valsalva manoeuvre." Put simply, the Valsalva manoeuvre is when you try to exhale through your mouth but keep your mouth shut. This significantly increases the amount of pressure inside your chest cavity. This is exceptionally troublesome for trainers suffering from high or low blood pressure.
The Valsalva manoeuvre mostly occurs when a trainer is struggling extremely hard and forgets to breathe. As a spotter you must always encourage breathing and be aware if you do this when training alone.
An example of a correct breathing pattern on a bench press is as follows:
• Un-rack the bar
• As you lower the bar in a controlled fashion breath in through your nose
• When the bar slightly touches your chest begin to breathe out through your mouth until the bar reaches the starting position.
Note: There are times at the very beginning of the upwards phase of the bench press where you hold your breath for no more than half a second. A breath held for any longer than half a second is unacceptable.
Author: Matt D'Aquino
http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/
Matt is the founder of Beyond Grappling fitness and conditioning. He is a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian as well as nationally ranked freestyle wrestler and National Champion in Brazilian Jujitsu. Matt has a passion for teaching all aspects of grappling especially the fitness and conditioning aspect. Recently he has been traveling the world aiming to qualify for his second Olympic Games. To learn more about Matt and his fitness and conditioning training visit http://www.workoutsforjudo.com/
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