Bench and Breathing Techniques

[CHSDOG55]

Anyone have any good advice on this? I've been using a very good breathing tech. I take 5 very deep breaths and let them out slowly through my nost and then 2 short quick breaths and explode and come down with the weight and exhale on the way up. Its works really good for me. Seems to give me more explosion on my max lifts. Anyone have any other tech's please inform me. Tyler

[Warrior]

I take one of those Epinephrine Pins and give myself a good shot in the leg... Then I stand up and holler at my spotter... he then continues to give me a two count combo to my face - he hits pretty hard too.

J/K

[FLASH242]

JUST MAKE SURE TO HAVE YOUR CHEST FULL OF AIR WHEN YOU BRING THE BAR DOWN. THIS SHORTENS THE DISTANCE TO LOCKOUT. BREATHE OUT WHEN YOU HIT A STICKING POINT.

GOOD LIFTING............FLASH

[JMcQuaid]

Well, what i have learned is to take a deep breath and hold all you air through-out the lift. It works for me.

[Warrior]

Originally posted by JMcQuaid
Well, what i have learned is to take a deep breath and hold all you air through-out the lift. It works for me.

Got Hernia?

[JMcQuaid]

no, I have never had a hernia, nor have any onf the 20+ lifters in my gym that hold their breaths through-out the lift. I am talking about a 1-rep max when u say this.

[Warrior]

Originally posted by JMcQuaid
no, I have never had a hernia, nor have any onf the 20+ lifters in my gym that hold their breaths through-out the lift. I am talking about a 1-rep max when u say this.

Holding your breath through out an exrecise is a common mistake. You can build up a lot of pressure that will eventually lead to a Hernia... you are still young...

Normal breathing pattern is to breath in on the way down and breath out on the way up.

For a one rep max I would still breath the same as I would for 10 reps. But I am not in the gym to Powerlift or impress anyone with big weights either. Sometimes I forget to breath - especially when going heavy with low reps on strength days... but usually my spotter reminds me.

I am pretty sure that breathing out in the positive range has been shown to make the lift easier and allow more muscle fiber recruitment - but don't quote me on that.

[Warrior]

Also, just because everyone is doing it does not me it is correct. Especially in public gyms. Also, everyone in a gym has different goals.

[TestTubeBaby]

you can also get hemorroids by holding your breath on heavy lifts, where is the air gonna go when it needs to if every hole is closed off? haha, sad but true.

[FLASH242]

DUDE....ONCE AGAIN........THE SUGGESTION FOR HOLDING ONE'S BREATH COMES FROM JESSE KELLUM( WHO, I'M SURE BENCHES MORE THAN ALL OF US) IT ALSO HELPS RAISE YOUR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WHICH HELPS YOU LIFT MORE. THIS CAME FROM AN ARTICLE IN POWERLIFTING USA. GOOD LIFTING...........

[Warrior]

Originally posted by FLASH242
DUDE....ONCE AGAIN........THE SUGGESTION FOR HOLDING ONE'S BREATH COMES FROM JESSE KELLUM( WHO, I'M SURE BENCHES MORE THAN ALL OF US) IT ALSO HELPS RAISE YOUR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WHICH HELPS YOU LIFT MORE. THIS CAME FROM AN ARTICLE IN POWERLIFTING USA. GOOD LIFTING...........

That being said I am not a Powerlifter. Nor an ego trainer. Many people are surprised at the weight I sacrifice just to get good form and technique. I train more for size and could care less about strength. But does also come with the training anyway...

But this is one reason Powerlifting interest me very little... too many unsafe techniques to lift big weight.

[jaymac]

You really seem to have something against being strong. Powerlifters, generally speaking, come away with very few serious injuries. They do happen, as in any sport when you take it to the max. Holding yoru breathe will not give you a hernia, or hemohroids -- but sitting too much on your ass will. I have seen some very competitive bodybuilders hurt themselves oding a 315lb dl, wtf? I would rather be strong and not look it, than to have a woman be able to outlift me. You shoudl try training with an experiences powerlifter -- you will see. I see you are also very young -- most young guys are only into weights to look good. To this day, I cannot understand why bodybuilding is considered a sport, that's not to say it is easy. But where I come from a sport is won on the battlefield, not by someone sitting at a table with a pencil and paper.

[Ocnorb36]

But this is one reason Powerlifting interest me very little... too many unsafe techniques to lift big weight.

Warrior----you are a good bro with lots of solid advice to offer but if you do not favor powerlifting then do not offer advice. You could not be more wrong with your last statement. When you are lifting at more serious weight levels your form and technique must be extremely clean or you will get hurt. I am a perfect case in point. I had benched inproperly for several month trying to increase my 1RM. As a result I injured my shoulder. When I began healing I changed to a stricter technique with tons of research (it is amazing how many little things are involved in getting that bar from the air to your chest and back) and my bench has climbed to a respectible 450lb injury free.

Any research at all will tell you that form is everything in powerlifting. Those that compromise that get hurt. In fact even the workout routines themselves work to strengthen all weak spots to make sure that form does not get compromised. When you talk about a man like Ryan Kennelly benching 800lbs you cannot do it improperly unless you want to lose a body part.

As far as the breathing I do hold until the lift is complete but keep in mind that I only do that when I am working on ME days. On DE days I typically do not utilize that technique. I am 37 years old and have never had a hernia from that type of breathing. All lifters are different and what works for one may not work for another.

Oc

[GRIMM]

Warrior , if you don't powerlift and are not interested in it then why are you on this board giving shitty advice. How in the hell can breathing out help recriut more musclefibers. When doing reps yes you need to breath but were not talking about reps here. Breathing out will make you less tight and thus providning a softer base to press against. Hernias, hemroids, never heard of that pertaining to the bench. Squat and deads maybe but you are much more likely to get a hernia or injury by exhailing on a max lift than keeping a tight base.

[BigBad]

Seems like today is rip on Warrior day...but, I'm gonna have to agree w/everyone else on this one. Why is someone who isn't interested in powerlifting speaking about powerlifting issues on a "powerlifting forum?"
-BB

[Warrior]

Sorry gents - had no idea I was in the Powerlifting Forum. I usually just click the link on the homepage to "View New Posts". Guess I will watch to see what area of the 'hood I venture into next time

But I saw this posts and have seen many people develop Hernia's. When asking about their breathing technique they normally always hold their breath. So this is from reading and real world. And that was just the point I was trying to make - you should always breath. I went to the Midwest to share Turkey day with mi familia but I will be beck at my pad in a few and try and fing some info on breathing techniques as related to muscle fiber recruitment - I do remember reading that a few times.

As far as Powerlifting, maybe not. You are right I have not ventured to far into it ither than a few chapter or articles here and there. So my advice does not come from a Powerlifting stand point - far more generalized. But I am very familiar with strength training, bodybulding, coaching, and nutrition...

As far as Bodybuilding vs Powerlifting, those are too competely different goals. Bodybulders are hypertophy and symetry orientated while Powerlifters are goaled toward increasing their limit strength and overall strength to size. But BOTH SPORTS require each to venture into the other's quite often. Much like a Football athlete would benefit from some Track and Field events. Many Powerlifters move on to be great Bodybuilders and the other way around.

Personally, my workouts are intense - and that is the way for hypertrophy and size. I don't have anything against being strong I just believe more in limiting rest intervals, using super sets and other advanced technique that don't really allow you to use the heaviest weight possible simply due to a build up in fatique from not allowing full recovery... to totally empty out the muscle and recruit every fiber it has - for maximum growth. Trust me, just because I do not consider my self a Powerlifter does not mean I or any other Bodybuilder works less than a Powerlifter... nor are we simply recreational by any means.

So anyway... many people think it is just about strength. The most common question I get is - How much can you lift? or I can lift this or that... Nobody ever asks about intensity techniques - just the frickin' numbers! And I frequently tell people, "Don't worry about how much you lift... worry more about how well you lift it." Ever seen that guy in the corner who turns a Standing Barbell Curl into a Lower Back movement?

Nearing 25 years old I have had my pit falls. I was at my worst when my shoulders became so bad that reaching to turn off the light at night was extremely painfull. My elbow pain also peaked at that point. But I cleared both of those up since and now it is my right knee - the thing keeps clciking and burning when I walk up stairs... What I am gettin' at is these are heavy weights, and whether proper form is used or not once you really go heavy.. it catches up to you. And having to have an opertation because of simply not breathing... I'll take breathing.

And instead of saying shit like "on this board giving shitty advice" - I will debate with anyone, but I won't be patronized... 'nuff said.

BTW - since I seem to have gotten some attention from the Powerlifters here , any advice on this knee pain? It stings and clicks when I walk up stairs. Do you wrap your knees? I hear mixed answers on this. I really noticed it when I started doing drop sets on heavy leg presses... seeing how many plates I could strip before I hit the wall. I also use a close toe postion on them. I do not do wide stance Squats but again close toe using a Smith Rack. Perhaps the close toe postion is causing something to rub wrong and I should go back to at least a shoulder width stance for now? I grew up on heavy Squats but now I try and target the Quads more by using close toed stances.

[GRIMM]

There is a big difference between breathing for hypertrophy lifting and breathing (or not) for maximal efforts, i will agree. Didn't mean to "patronize" ya, just caught me on a bad day , sorry.
Some advice for your knees might be to point your toes outwards a little. Not exagerated but instead of straight ahead a few degrees out. Widening yoiur stance as you said can can also help. I am a wid e squatter but have found pointing slightly outward feels better.
Good luck.