Do you exhale when exerting force during strength training?

For ordinary fitness enthusiasts’ regular strength training, exhaling when exerting force is a more reliable and universal choice, but this is not an iron rule that must be adhered to. It must be flexibly adjusted according to your training goals and load size.

A while ago, I took a friend who had just started to practice seated shoulder presses. He always held in his breath at the beginning to exert force. After each set of presses, his face felt like a ripe tomato, and he was still dizzy and unsteady. Later, I asked him to exhale in small mouths when pushing up, even if it was slower, don’t hold it in. After two sets, he said he felt much better and he never felt dizzy again. This regular set of light and medium weights, exhaling during the concentric exertion phase and inhaling during the eccentric recovery phase, can not only maintain basic stability of the core, but also prevent the intrathoracic pressure from soaring in a short period of time. For ordinary people without special training needs, there is basically no mistake in following the exercises.

But if you go to the gym often, you must have seen big guys holding heavy weights while holding their breath during the whole process. This is not against the general rules, but a special need in extreme weight-bearing scenarios. Last week I was in the gym watching a master of sumo deadlifts compete for a personal PR of 220kg. He took a big breath in advance and stretched his core like an inflated truck tire. Even the tight powerlifting belt was stretched so hard that he didn't even take a breath during the whole pull-up process. He didn't take a big breath until he slammed the barbell back onto the mat firmly. At this time, if you exhale forcefully according to the normal mode, the core rigidity will collapse instantly, and the lumbar spine will be particularly vulnerable to injury without support. This method of breathing is indeed safer than exhaling forcefully when pushing the 1-3RM limit weight.

If you are practicing with moderate to heavy weights, such as 8-10RM squats and bench presses, you don’t need to push the limit but the weights are not too light. In fact, you don’t have to choose between “spit all out” and “hold in all”. When I practice this intensity myself, I usually exhale in small mouths while standing up to exert force, so as not to exhale all the air in the lungs. This will not cause a headache after the exercise because of holding it in too hard, and it can also maintain the pressure on the core without shaking. If you are practicing small-weight muscle endurance groups, such as lateral raises and rope presses above 15RM, you don't even need to deliberately block your breathing rhythm, just breathe naturally. If you force yourself to exhale, it will disrupt the rhythm of the movement, which is not worth the gain.

Actually, you don’t need to take breathing principles too seriously. As long as you don’t feel dizzy or flustered, your core doesn’t collapse, and your movements don’t deform when you practice, just do whatever is comfortable for you. After all, most people exercise for health, and they don’t compete in professional competitions. There is no need to adhere to strict rules.