Bracing And Breathing Under Load

Bracing is the skill that separates lifters who progress from lifters who get sore. The idea is simple: create pressure inside your abdomen so the trunk becomes a rigid column that transfers force between hips and shoulders.

Take a breath into the belly rather than the chest. Feel it expand at the front, sides and back. Then tighten your abdominal wall as though you are about to be prodded in the stomach. Keep the ribs pulled down rather than flared.

Hold that pressure for the whole repetition. On heavy singles you breathe at the top between reps. On sets of eight or more, take a short top up breath at the lockout while keeping some tension.

A belt does not replace bracing; it gives your abdominal wall something to push against. Learn to brace without one first, then add the belt for your heaviest work.