I love my deadlifting, i find it has a significant carry over to mountain biking, the problem I have is on the big lifts, to protect my back i hold my breath and often get very close to passing out which is not good.
Anyone else deadlift/squat heavy and what technique regarding breathing do you use.

I breathe in before the lift, then breathe out at the top of the lift. It’s only a couple of seconds between the bottom and the top of the lift, surely?

If you watch Eddie Hall lifting almost half a ton, he appears to breathe the same way.

As I’m sure you know, if you struggle to keep form in any lift, drop the weight down 10% and go from there.

If I haven’t eaten enough before a session, I can’t lift sh!t, and get the light-headedness and the wobbly legs. Possibly a factor for you?

What do you deadlift, brah? I’m 78kg and lifting 100kg on a good day. Can’t seem to lift over that with good form, but it’s psychological. I always plateau on the round numbers 😆

Im not sure i understand the problem. The lift doesn’t take very long …

I hold a deep-ish (but not maximal) breath for the entire duration of the lift (i.e. until I’ve put the weight back down on the ground). Then make sure I exhale properly & take another breath before setting up for the next rep. (As recommended by Rippetoe IIRC). I suppose if I were dropping the weight rather than placing it down I might exhale at the top.

Occasionally feel a bit light-headed after completing the set, wouldn’t say I’ve ever come close to passing out though!

+1 on it being great for mountain biking. Possibly the most useful exercise? Arm pump is a thing of the past!

This is the breathing pattern I find works best for me – it helps to maintain the right levels of tension needed for heavy deadlifting. Just before the lift, big breath in through the nose and into the belly – at the same time bracing the abs with maximum tension and using the lats to pack your shoulders down your back. Initiate the lift – and then exhale slowly but forcefully in a ‘hiss’ throughout the ascent.

Valsalva maneuver? Try taking a couple of test breaths before the main lift. Also, strange questions, but are you wearing clothes that are too restricting?

Just do it and then almost pass out afterwards.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Y4o_BqC0A[/video]

A few months ago but this was 3 @ 150kg on the trap bar. Hit 170kg for 3 last week

[video src="http://scontent-lhr3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/13097400_1007349742664669_493093574_n.mp4" /]

As I understand it, it’s more a blood pressure problem than a breath problem, but holding your breath makes it worse.

So breathing is really important, sounds like it’s time to get some coaching 🙂

Yeah I’m exhaling right at the top of the lift in my video

I thought your legs took a lot of the blood/oxygen and could cause a temporary starvation to the brain if you did a lot of breath holding on a heavy lift?

I tend to breath in at the top, get my gut sorted, then squat and lift. Minimises the time at the bottom faffing and allows you to brace up against a belt if you use one.

FWIW, 93 kg and have a 1RM of 205kg, with 180 or so for three.

+1 on coaching. I was a regular gym-goer for years until I started getting some coaching. We’ve made lots of tweaks to my deadlift technique & breathing pattern – it’s almost doubled my 1RM.

I hold a deep-ish (but not maximal) breath for the entire duration of the lift

This works for me too, including putting the weight down. The internal pressure is needed to help stabilise your core.

1 rep max is 190kg @ 100kg weight with no belt or straps before you ask. Not tested for a couple of months. Might be a tad higher now.

Well, I can’t speak for the OP, but this thread has been useful for me so far, so thanks!

I’ve had a couple of months off due to life getting in the way. I haven’t yet thought about my breathing but maybe I’m already doing something right because I’m used to yoga breathing? 79kg and I’ve got up to 140kg for one rep, reverse grip, no straps, no belt (probably should wear one!)

to protect my back i hold my breath and often get very close to passing out which is not good.

Look up ‘valsalva’.

Plus what zilog said, and uberscott.

Basically, breathe out just very slowly during the whole lift. Just enough that you relieve the blood pressure build up. It’ll still build up, but not enough to black out.

FWIW 230kg best ever 1rm… hit 180kg x 10 @ 85kg not so long ago, no belt no straps just chalk.

Multiple reps, I don’t reset, I just keep moving, breathe in on the way down. I do my best to avoid bouncing it.

I tend to breath in at the top, get my gut sorted, then squat and lift. Minimises the time at the bottom faffing and allows you to brace up against a belt if you use one.

I usually faff at the bottom for ages. Sometimes I roll the bar about to get my grip right. Occasionally I don’t faff at all. C’est la vie.

Excuse my form in this, it’s not my prettiest lifting, and the auto focus went pear shaped, for some reason I didn’t do a second take:

I was 90 or 95kg there, I think.

Never mind what weight we’re lifting, how bad are your hands? 😆

Deadlifts are one of the most effective weight training exercises. They use about 70% of your muscle mass apparently. I was managing to knock out 3 x 8+ at 100kg before I came offshore with work (I don’t fancy trying them on a moving ship so have knocked them on the head for now)
I definitely breath when I’m doing them, but would have to perform a rep to actually see when, as I do it without thinking.
Grip strength has been an issue on DL’s for me, solved by having my hands facing in opposite directions.

Grip strength has been an issue on DL’s for me, solved by having my hands facing in opposite directions.

Yeah as soon as I get over ~120kgs I need to have opposing hands or it just feels like the bar is going to roll out my hands

I find deadlifting to be by far the most efficient form of strength training. It works all your leg muscles and I notice a massive difference in my posture, core strength back and shoulder strength and definition. I since i’ve started deadlifing i’ve toned up a lot and shifted some body fat.

I tend to breathe in before a lift and breath out once im at the top and going back down. No idea why, its just what feels right.

@BoardinBob – I have to keep my calluses trimmed down or I rip em in no time! I’ve found using a callus knife, straight after a shower while the skin is still soft, works a treat.

Wow, thanks for all the tips, i’m not in the big league, not yet anyway. i’m at 130kg for reps, usually 5-6 and a 1rm @ 140kg, bodyweight is 60kg.
All my lifts are without a belt or straps, i did have a bi lateral inguinal hernia op approx 7 mths ago, so i’m still on the mtfu side of cautious.
I’m due in the gym tomorrow so will try some of these techniques.

I do the Rippetoe recommended holding a breath all the way through and breathing out and in again at the bottom with the weight on the floor.

I used to have this problem, but found on the starting strength forum someone recommending not taking too big a breath. I now take a sort of half-volume breath at the bottom and haven’t had any problems since. Also works well if you get a similar problem when overhead pressing. I think i probably fill my lungs to about 40-50% of what I used to.

Calluses are not a problem with me for deadlifts, but I do get my hands ripped up on things like pull ups and any of the more gymnastic bodyweight stuff like toes to bar or muscle ups.

Gloves don’t help grip strength and chalk wears away, so I just end up losing skin and then taping over the top.

I’ve been using these recently..

They seem better than the gloves I tried, which had a seam right on the area I got calluses building up.

i’m not in the big league, not yet anyway. i’m at 130kg for reps, usually 5-6 and a 1rm @ 140kg, bodyweight is 60kg.

Anything over double bodyweight for reps is not to be sniffed at.

They seem better than the gloves I tried

Even better than gloves, or weird half gloves, is no gloves at all.

wish i had a trap bar….. 😥

I like them. Definitely let you lift more than a straight bar. We’re currently working on sumo deadlifts with the straight bar. A nice variation.

Even better than gloves, or weird half gloves, is no gloves at all.

I tried that, but I’m too soft 😀

I do the Rippetoe recommended holding a breath all the way through and breathing out and in again at the bottom with the weight on the floor

I read his book and he mentions thinking about if you were asked to push a car with your shoulder in the door frame that’s broken down. You’d automatically hold your breath and push.

I hold in on the way up and take a new breath at the top before lowering.

DL and Squatting are my favourite exercises, although I can’t squat at the moment due to tendonitis, probably off for a year in all by the time it’s healed…

Like Uberscott I make a weird hissing noise but only when lowering. I guess I don’t have to make that noise, it’s just a nice way of restricting the air release without losing abdominal tension. Hold my breath all the way up, though.

With regard to getting callouses I had issues (bloody painfull, too) until I starting using liquid chalk, a callous blade (like Uberscott suggest) and hand cream before bed – all but eliminated them . Holding the bar with just the fingers is my technique – 140kg. However I would imagine it might get a bit difficult on extremely high loads.

Callous blade…

Get one and some spare blades as they blunt quite quickly.