How (and why) to Breathe When You Lift Weights

In and out. Too simple? Too obvious? Hold on a minute. Have you ever been in the gym and heard that burst of sound from pursed lips or that sudden, abrupt “Ahh” sound like the response to your OB/Gyn’s encouraging plea – “Just one more push and she’s out!!!”?

Of course you have. And if you’re working out at home and you hear that sound – you can’t blame it on the muscle head next to you slamming dumbbells around. It was you, baby.

So what’s the big deal about making one of those sounds? Well, seconds before you heard it, somebody was holding their breath. That’s where the sound came from! Why isn’t that ok? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. It keeps oxygenated blood from circulating optimally to the engaged muscles. So the muscle is short-changed of critically needed fuel.

2. You miss an opportunity to relax neighboring muscles that tense up unnecessarily and reduce the quality of the lift.

3. Holding your breath while applying force creates intra-abdominal pressure which compresses the major blood vessels and momentarily spikes your blood pressure, putting an unhealthy strain on the cardiovascular system.

That’s where proper breathing comes in. Does it matter whether you breathe in or out when applying force? Not that much. The important thing is that you breathe freely throughout the movement.

Most people do better exhaling on the more difficult or “exertion” phase – which I refer to as “XX” so you have a little trick to remember. The reason is that it takes more effort to draw in than let out a breath. So, for most people, it allows them to apply a little bit more force to the lift.

But for some, just the opposite pattern feels much more natural. That’s fine. Just breathe, whichever way you do it.

It also helps with recovery between sets.

Funny how a little air can make things seem fresh and new, huh?