Deadlift and breathing

[SBM]

It seems that something as simple as breathing can be difficult. I recently started to run into trouble with my breathing in deadlift.

I used to do "touch and go" deadlift where the weights would slightly touch the ground between reps. But this caused issues with form and eventually I injured my lower back when lowering the bar. I think this was caused by lack of support due to fatigue at the end of my set.

Now I have started to do deadlift one rep at the time where I reset my form after each rep end breath in and lift. Like described in the stronglifts deadlift guide https://stronglifts.com/deadlift/#Breathing

The issue is that when I breathe only at the bottom of the lift I start to ran out of breathe after 6..8reps.
I'm using higher rep range for now to make sure that I get my form right and avoid further injury.

• I wonder if breathing at the bottom of the lift is the only way to keep the support though the lift?
  Some people seem to breathe slightly out on the way up but I think this causes loss of support on the way down.

I'm thinking about splitting the reps in my working sets in half to avoid running out of breath.
So instead of doing for example 1x12reps I would do 2x6reps with the same weight using short break between the 2 sets.

I don't plan to go heavy with the deadlift in the near future so this is just keep the back strong enough to avoid injury in daily life and other exercises for example lifting heavy dumbbells off the floor when doing DB press.

[BigPecsPeter]

Don't breathe. Just lift

[lylemcdonald]

Originally Posted by BigPecsPeter

Don't breathe. Just lift

So, err, hold his breath for 8 reps?
Or don't breathe at all

This is not only nonsensical but appalling advice

To the OP,

1. Don't do sets of 8
2. If you exhale on the way up, you can either inhale on the way down or get a breath before you start the next rep after you touch

So lower as you exhale/finishing exhaling, touch, big breath, go

[ssg10587]

Originally Posted by lylemcdonald

1. Don't do sets of 8

Any recommendations for set and rep range for deadlift? I know you've mentioned keeping it lower due to the high CNS taxing nature of deadlift.

I searched the GBR thread for a bit as well as read this https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/tr...echnique.html/

but didn't find anything.

EDIT: And assuming non bounce reps so all the way down, small rest, back up.

[Hectic]

You take a massive breath just before you drop your hips and pull

You need to develop a rhythm/ routine for each rep

For example:

Right hand
Left hand
tighten straps
Set feet
Straighten legs
Massive breath
Unstraighten legs/ drop hips
Take the slack from the bar
Pull
Lower while breathing out
Relax, start breathing again
Right hand, left hand
Feet
Stretch
Deep Breath
Drop hips, take up slack
Pull
Repeat

You can do sets of 10 if you want doing this, more commonly though deads are done at lower reps, I wouldn't bother going higher than 10 ever. Most of the time I see people doing 10 reps it's for a bench mark or for bragging, or done sort of AMRAP set.

And you might end up with 5 or 10 sec in between each rep

[Hectic]

Just noticed something else

Dont 'lower the bar' and don't do touch and go reps

You drop it once you clear your knees unless you want to injure yourself

That's part of the reason you need to reset each rep.

If your gym doesn't like you dropping the bar it's not a real gym.

(By dropping I don't mean let go of the bar, obviously if your strapped in you don't want to restrap every rep, I mean just let the weight fall, and your hands come down with it)

[BEATMEOUTTAME]

Originally Posted by Hectic

You take a massive breath just before you drop your hips and pull

You need to develop a rhythm/ routine for each rep

For example:

Right hand
Left hand
tighten straps
Set feet
Straighten legs
Massive breath
Unstraighten legs/ drop hips
Take the slack from the bar
Pull
Lower while breathing out
Relax, start breathing again
Right hand, left hand
Feet
Stretch
Deep Breath
Drop hips, take up slack
Pull
Repeat

You can do sets of 10 if you want doing this, more commonly though deads are done at lower reps, I wouldn't bother going higher than 10 ever. Most of the time I see people doing 10 reps it's for a bench mark or for bragging, or done sort of AMRAP set.

And you might end up with 5 or 10 sec in between each rep

I feel like writing "drop hips" is a really bad way to phrase this.. most people need a cue to remember not to drop their hips... most people just learning to deadlift mistakenly drop their hips way too far

[ssg10587]

Originally Posted by ssg10587

Any recommendations for set and rep range for deadlift? I know you've mentioned keeping it lower due to the high CNS taxing nature of deadlift.

I searched the GBR thread for a bit as well as read this https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/tr...echnique.html/

but didn't find anything.

EDIT: And assuming non bounce reps so all the way down, small rest, back up.

Anyone have any comment on this? Currently doing 3x3 with full stop at the bottom reps. Anyone have any knowledge about the ideal set and rep range for deadlift? Know that is somewhat vague and wide ranging question but would like to better understand to progress, since deadlift seems to not follow standard schemes with how CNS taxing it is.

[Hectic]

I like to use 5 reps

I think deadlifts are a fairly strength dominated excercise and if you do really low reps you might not be generating much other than neural strength adaptation

Also a bit safer with slightly higher reps assuming reps are higher because your using s lower % of 1rm