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Joe:
Breathing correctly is very important. However it’s very common for beginners and experienced lifters to become confused as to when to take a breath and when to let it out during a lift.

Many people get so caught up in working hard that the last thing they pay attention to is their breathing patterns. In my experiences most people either breathe out in the middle of the lift when their body needs the oxygen the most or they hold their breath too long causing them to become dizzy. I once saw someone pass out on the gym floor because they forgot to breathe while finishing a lift. Believe me it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Regardless of which mistake you tend to make the bottom line is that breathing incorrectly can cause a number of problems including loss of strength, fatigue, dizziness, elevated blood pressure or severe head aches. So if you want to reach your potential you will have to fix this problem before it catches up with you.

Think about it. Any sport that requires strength or explosion will also need plenty of oxygen to fuel the muscles. Have you ever heard the way an NFL lineman grunts as he explodes into his opponent? What about a tennis player yell as he or she drives the ball over the net. The reason for this is because they are expelling air in the form of noise as their muscles explode through a movement. How effective do you think they would be if they had no air in their lungs when needed it the most? The same concept can be applied to lifting weights.

When you are getting read to make a lift be sure to take a deep breathe before you start. As you lift the weight hold your breath during the least difficult part of the lift and exhale during the most difficult part.  For example if you are getting ready to bench press get a deep breathe and hold it as you lower the weight to your chest. As you push the weight toward the top of the press you can begin to breathe out. Try to time it so that as you are finishing the lift you are expelling the air that was deep in your lungs. If you are completing several repetitions get another breath before you lower the weight and start the process all over again. Be sure to establish a rhythm as you continue to lift. You may find this difficult at first but it will become second nature with a little practice.

By filling your lungs with air you are helping to keep your body stable as well as feeding your brain and your muscles with much needed oxygen. Failure to do so could result in a variety of problems.