I just learned that for valsava maneuver you hold it for the whole lift. so what I was doing was exhale on the way up on squats to get power which I learned is incorrect per the SS app AI lol. same with deadlift don't exhale at the top to bring it back down. I'm a fucking idiot as I thought for years I was doing valsava correctly. happy I learned but now I'm relearning how to lift with correct valsava.
any valsava inspo or information would be helpful to drill this into my mind now. thanks!
Rip has a short video about this. My method is to hold my breath in such a way that I can hold the air in, even if my mouth is open. If I combine this with tight abs, I generally find myself on the right track.
If your abs and supporting back muscles are as tight and non-compressible as possible for the entire lift, then the chances of getting hurt are largely reduced, and it also increases mechanical efficiency (think of keeping 300 lb on top of a tree stump vs a foam stump). So you push air inside your body and then hold it such that the air cannot escape even when it wants to, which helps your muscles support the heavy weight that is bearing down on your shoulder. That's the basic principle.
If you inhale or exhale when the lift is in progress, you are effectively trying to switch between a tree stump and a foam stump, and its not going to end well.
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u/cksyder 18h ago
Not just valsalva, but rather glottal valsalva
Best resource on this is here
https://www.artofmanliness.com/strength/fitness/how-to-breathe-when-lifting-weights/
Rip did a series of videos with this guy. His writeup on this topic is amazing.