What is the proper way to breathe while strength training?

What is the proper way to breathe while strength training?

John Spencer Ellis (Author, TV Show Host, Trainer and CEO, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) gives expert video advice on: How do I design a strength training program?; How often each should I train each muscle group?; How much weight should I use when I train? and more...

Breathing is so important for resistance or weight training, and often overlooked, or really misunderstood. And again, there are always exceptions. However, here are some generalizations. Whenever a muscle is shortening, for an example,doing the curl in your arm, when you're coming up out of a squat, when you're pushing away from you. Anytime that muscle is shortening, anytime you're lifting the weight or your body against gravity, that's when you exhale. When the muscle is elongating, when the weight is lowering, and when you're working with gravity coming back down in a squat for example, that's when you inhale. And, you synchronize it to where when the movement changes direction, so does your breath. There'll be a few exceptions, but for the most part this holds true for everything you do in weight training.