I get really winded after i do squat or deadlifts. When i squat down, straighten up or lift, lower the weight, i hold my breath. I generally do 10 reps. I breath in and out a couple of times inbetween each rep. Should i do more cardio?
Sprints may help. Dragging a sled, flipping big tires, etc would help more though. Not breathing during your reps doesn’t help at all. It’s not illegal to pause at the top of the rep and catch some air, just remember to brace your abs before you descend into the squat again.
Thanks, i have read that i should hold my breath, deep, during the lift. To support back, is this right?
That’s why you’re getting winded.
Try inhaling on the way down and exhaling on the way up.
To support your back, crunch your abs like you are about to receive a punch. Extend this crunch all the way around your lower back to protect it. Imagine that your spine is a steel bar and your abs, obliques and spinal erectors are concrete. Once the concrete is set, the bar will not bend.
There are two theories in which to follow to help support yourself and protect your back. One, you can hold your abs tight, like you are about to get punched in the stomach. Or, you can take a deep breath and expand your stomach out, drawing air from your belly, not lungs.
For powerlifting I’ll hold my breath for all of my reps for squat and DL once I’m wearing a belt, it’s practice for competition when I’ll need to have my abs TIGHT against my belt.
It is NOT unsual at all for me or the other PL I workout with to be winded, squats and deadlifts are HARD.
Granted, we don’t do cardio and it would probably help, but that’s just a decesion you’ll have to make.
I’ll try breating then, and supporting the spine with abs and those back muscles.
Personally I think cardio carries over very, very little, if at all, to this type of exercise. The only way to deal with it is to progressively condition yourself for more serious work.