breathing.

tom_tarbucket

I've started weights again after about a year off. I've been doing weights on and off for about 10 years.

I'm doing the 5 x 5 strong lifts thing.

One thing I'm focusing on now is the breathing, in the past I never really concentrated much on breathing.

I started reading about it and tried a different breathing technique yesterday as follows.

This was on a bench press.

1. lie back on bench, take a big breath and hold it
2. lift weight off rack ( breath still held )
3. bring weight down ( breath still held )
4. just AFTER starting push up, release breath slowly
5. at top of push up, hold breath again and repeat for each rep.



However straight after doing this technique yesterday morning, I had a headache all day and it was quiet acute last night. I dont normally get headaches.

thankfully the headache is gone now.
now I dunno if the headache was 1. just a coincidence, 2. because I'm not used to this breathing technique or 3. because the breathing technique I did was wrong.

Then I was reading that the above technique can cause increased blood pressure and even fainting etc


can anyone recommend a proper breathing technique or advice here ? without getting over technical

Squatman

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

I've started weights again after about a year off. I've been doing weights on and off for about 10 years.

I'm doing the 5 x 5 strong lifts thing.

One thing I'm focusing on now is the breathing, in the past I never really concentrated much on breathing.

I started reading about it and tried a different breathing technique yesterday as follows.

This was on a bench press.

1. lie back on bench, take a big breath and hold it
2. lift weight off rack ( breath still held )
3. bring weight down ( breath still held )
4. just AFTER starting push up, release breath slowly
5. at top of push up, hold breath again and repeat for each rep.



However straight after doing this technique yesterday morning, I had a headache all day and it was quiet acute last night. I dont normally get headaches.

thankfully the headache is gone now.
now I dunno if the headache was 1. just a coincidence, 2. because I'm not used to this breathing technique or 3. because the breathing technique I did was wrong.

Then I was reading that the above technique can cause increased blood pressure and even fainting etc


can anyone recommend a proper breathing technique or advice here ? without getting over technical

In theory this seems fine, however, how long does it take you to complete a rep?
when i do it i take a breath, unrack the bar, take another breath, hold, lower bar, and explode the bar up, once the bar starts moving from my chest, (an inch or two up) i blow air out hard.
1 rep for me takes 1 - 1.5 seconds. and id only really go up to 6 reps in a set.

tom_tarbucket

Squatman wrote: »

In theory this seems fine, however, how long does it take you to complete a rep?
when i do it i take a breath, unrack the bar, take another breath, hold, lower bar, and explode the bar up, once the bar starts moving from my chest, (an inch or two up) i blow air out hard.
1 rep for me takes 1 - 1.5 seconds. and id only really go up to 6 reps in a set.

To be honest, I don't know how long it takes me offhand, I don't do it overly slow or anything.

I see your approach is slightly different, might try that way too. ( take a breath, unrack the bar, take another breath )

Alf Veedersane

Unless you're waiting too long between breathing, unracking and then lowering the bar, the breath after unracking might not make much of a difference.

Squatman

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Unless you're waiting too long between breathing, unracking and then lowering the bar, the breath after unracking might not make much of a difference.

Not really, but for powerlifting, and in competitions, this is the approach i would take.

Alf Veedersane

Squatman wrote: »

Not really, but for powerlifting, and in competitions, this is the approach i would take.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning its validity. Did it this morning, as it happens.

Just that it's unlikely to be the difference between getting a killer headache and not.

Squatman

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning its validity. Did it this morning, as it happens.

Just that it's unlikely to be the difference between getting a killer headache and not.

No, you're right, this "killer headache" more than likely came from dehydration imo