While common, holding your breath during strength training is not helpful.
Why will we are likely to hold our breath?
Most of us are guilty of this bad habit. But what makes it so tempting? According to the exercise physiologist Tom HollandBowflex fitness advisor and writer Beat the Gym: Secrets of a Personal Trainer – No Personal Trainer Price Tagpeople are likely to shorten or hold their breath in stressful situations.
“Often, that is the result of diverse physiological processes occurring during our sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-flight response,” he explains.
While exercise may seem to be the calmest, most focused a part of the day, it still puts a whole lot of strain in your body. If it wasn’t, you’d never have a tough time getting one other rep, one other set. It is that this stress that individuals often overlook that makes us hold our breath.
“We often do that unconsciously, which is why fitness instructors and private trainers often give the easy tip to ‘just breathe’,” adds Holland.
How does holding your breath affect your strength?
Some of the world’s strongest people are likely to hold their breath during exercise – but make no mistake: practice doesn’t profit bizarre athletes.
“Powerlifters often hold their breath to extend abdominal and chest pressure, thereby increasing pelvic and spine stability,” says Holland. This is usually called the Valsalva maneuver. “This might be helpful when lifting heavy, maximal weights, especially those involving compound exercises reminiscent of deadlifts and squats.”
Do you would like proof? In a 2021 study published within the journal Sport Biologyresearchers found that holding the breath during maximum bench press had no profit.
Is it bad to carry your breath while lifting weights?
Not only is holding your breath useless, but Holland says it also has not-so-good unwanted effects. Namely, “rises in blood pressure, fainting spells, hernias, and even heart attacks, depending on current health and pre-existing medical conditions,” he warns.
That’s why it is vital to continuously remind yourself to breathe while lifting weights. Generally, personal trainers will instruct you to inhale in the course of the easier part and exhale in the course of the tougher part. More scientifically, Hollands says “inhale in the course of the ‘down’ or eccentric phase of the exercise and exhale in the course of the ‘up’ or concentric phase.
Consider the next example: “During push-ups, you inhale as you lower your body toward the ground, then exhale as you push yourself back to the starting position,” says Holland.
While it could take some practice to regulate your respiratory to your movements, Holland says a very powerful thing is definitely respiratory constantly. “Avoid holding your breath and breathe naturally in the course of the movements,” she encourages.
