Going Under

Breathing while exercising can be frustrating. Beginners hold their breath, intermediate trainees know to breathe but aren’t sure exactly when. For a coach, it’s a tricky situation. Here we are trying to teach you to squat, already having given you too many things to think about, adding breathing (and don’t forget counting) into the mix and it can become overwhelming. 

Breathing is important during strength training for a reason you might not suspect. Your breath creates pressure inside your body, which results more stability.  More pressure = more stability = more strength. 

This technique should be used for heavy sets of squatting and deadlifting. With lighter loads or bodyweight movements, our breathing can be more fluid throughout the lift. Heavy weights however, we want to be cautious of when we breath. Both to increase performance and safety. 

Imagine you’re heavy goblet squatting. It was challenging just getting the kettlebell up to your chest. At the top, you take a couple big breaths in. Simultaneously, you’re going to squeeze your abs and maintain outward pressure in your trunk. When you start the squat, imagine you’re going underwater. 

Since we can’t breathe underwater you're going to hold your breath to maintain pressure and stability. Once my head cracks above the surface when rising, you can exhale. After finishing the rep, standing tall and squeezing your glutes, big inhale and start the process over again.  

Justin Miner

@justinminergain