Breathing During Weight Training

When doing intense weight training you must breath properly in order to have a successful lift as well as maintaining your long term health. You must learn to breathe as your normally would during a lift. That is breath when lowing the weight and breathing out when moving the wieght. This may seem relativly easy with smaller wieghts but as the resistance increases you will see that your body naturally tries to hold its breath.  This is counterproductive since the body can not properly function without adequate supplies of oxygen especially when performing exercise. Practice the following to prevent your self from holding your breath and allowing your body to work more efficently.

1. Stabalize the bar
2. Take a Deep Breath
3. Hold and begin lift
4. Start to move weight towards completion.
5. Let breath out during the last half of the movement towards completion.
6. Repeat

If you hold a breath at high pressures for an excessive amount of time there can be consequences.

• Blood pressure can be increased above safe levels, and the heart must work harder. (Valsalva Effect)
• Tightening of muscles, this prevents the muscles from working to their full capacity. (Counter active)
• Fainting may occur due to the loss of oxygen to the brain.