Breathing and the Deadlift

I found this video the other day about breathing during the deadlift and controlling the descent or Eccentric portion of the deadlift.

If you have taken any of my classes I have touched base on this before with focusing on breath and strength all the way through the movement.

First, we start with the descent or eccentric movement. As you watch the video you can see that there is absolute control over the bar with the initial pull as well as the descent. This can be compared to our descent from the top of a pull up to the bottom and full extension or this can also be seen in our descent in squats to the bottom. We want to have total control in both portions of the lift. Now when we get to maximal lifts say for 1 rep max, I personally am ok with you dropping the weight from the top position, but as we build through higher rep sets we want to have control around both portions of the deadlift. So as you do your 5 and 3 rep sets for today's Skill portion focus on your descent back to the ground with control and strength.

So some basic things to think about as you practice this, are you banging the bar back to the ground? do you stay at the bottom for too long? Do you feel weaker going back down to the ground? Are your hamstrings still engaged as you descend?

Second, your breath. You can hear and see in the video that they take a breath in before the initial lift, let the breath out slightly at the top (WHILE STILL BRACING), and then take another breath in quickly before they descent back to the floor. As you do 5 and 3 reps you will hold that breath as you TAP not bang into the floor and release the breath again at the top quickly and repeat the cycle. This is a skill in itself so try it out with some ligh to moderate weights as your warming up. As you focus on this breathing cycle it will become more natural and just become part of your movement.

Good luck and see you in the gym.

TRAINING FRIDAY-SATURDAY

WARMUP

Rotating EMOM x3 rounds

30sec Light American Swings

30sec Light Goblet Squats

30sec Hollow Holds

SKILL

Deadlift 5-3-1, 5-3-1

Every 90sec

wave loading, second set heavier then first set

WOD "YouGo"

Teams of 3:

1min Intervals x6 rounds each

6/9 cal Assault Bike

9 Air Squats

Max rep Pushups in time remaining

Team Score = addition of all Pushup reps over all rounds