A. I've been working out and training for so many years that some things have just become second nature to me. One of which is proper breathing technique during strength training. This past week I was talking about getting back into yoga which I had let go by the wayside. I started discussing how breathing properly during yoga not only made the different positions easier to get into but also relaxed my body etc. With that fresh in my mind I started noticing how people breathed during their strength training workouts.
Next time you're in a gym look around and see how many bright red faces you see at the gym. That doesn’t necessarily mean they're having a great workout. It could be the result of incorrect breathing technique or not breathing at all but holding their breath! Some believe holding your breath during the concentric or lifting portion of the exercise is beneficial. The Valsalva maneuver, is the practice of forcefully exhaling against a closed airway. Weightlifters commonly use this technique, believing the trapped air in the body helps stabilize the spine during a lift, preventing injury and allows for a more forceful lift.
The practice of holding your breath during the lifting phase of your workout is dangerous. Studies have found that the Valsalva maneuver actually increases the pressure of the spine compromising it's stability. The Valsalva maneuver increases your risk of stroke, raises the amount of pressure within your eyes and greatly elevates your blood pressure. Breathing in this manner also risks dizziness and fatigue. Holding your breath or forcefully exhaling through "pursed lips" can caused broken capillaries and fainting in some severe cases.
I've learned through many years of martial arts that proper breathing technique allows focus to both your breath and your body, allowing it to perform more efficiently and effectively.
The proper breathing technique for maximum strength, muscular endurance and less risk of injury is to exhale during the concentric (lifting) phase of the exercise and inhale during the eccentric (lowering).
An example of proper breathing technique for the bench press...
As you lower the bar to your chest, inhale deeply through the nose, expanding your diaphragm
As you push the bar up, begin exhaling through the mouth until you return to the top of the exercise
Repeat this process by inhaling once again as you lower the bar for another rep
The same process is used for all exercises. To maximize proper oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange as well as proper circulation, practice proper breathing and you should see an increase in your strength and cardiovascular progress.