How to breathe during workouts

Breathing During Training

When training, focusing on movement quality maximizes the gains you make. Quality of movement means moving with intentional technique, moving at the right speeds, and proper breathing. While the first two can vary from workout to workout, proper breathing can be simplified to fit all movements.

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Here's a simple breathing tip:Inhale during the easier part of the movement.Exhale during the harder part of the movement.

When to Inhale

Inhale during the easier part of the movement. Usually, the "down" part of an exercise is at its easiest. This is called the eccentric contraction, or the negative.

When to Exhale

Inhale during the harder part of a movement. This usually means exhaling on the "up" part. This is called the concentric contraction.

In Practice

Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up when performing squats, for example. Once you have this down, it will feel like normal breathing. This will enable you to focus on other aspects of the movement, like optimizing technique and increasing intensity. Start with focusing on your breath and you will feel more confident trying new movements. 🙏🏾

Bonus: Bracing during heavier loads

For heavier loads that feel like an 8-10 in difficulty, another bracing technique would be to inhale at the top, hold your breath on the way down & at the bottom, then exhaling on the way up.

At the top: Inhale
Down: Brace
At the bottom: Brace
Up: Exhale