Where Do We Breathe During Lifting?
For lifting, we breathe into the lower ribs. This causes the ribcage to expand in all directions — anterior, posterior, and lateral — creating the greatest possible spinal support.
The easiest way to learn this is to tie a band or belt to the lower ribcage somewhere and breathe into it, trying to expand it in all directions.
Most untrained people breathe by lifting the chest and shoulders — a shallow pattern that does very little to support the spine. A small number expand only the belly forward, which helps somewhat but leaves the sides and back of the ribcage slack. Neither pattern creates the full 360-degree pressure needed to stabilise the trunk under heavy load, which is why the band drill is worth spending real time on before ever adding weight to a lift.
When lifting, we need to ask: how do we breathe? There are 2 primary methods:
For heavy weights — take a big inhale, hold air as you descend, exhale a little with pursed lips as you come up. Repeat. This is ideal for heavier weights as the more pressure maintained, the safer the spine.
Farmer Carries — teaching breathing behind the "shield"
Should I Use a Weightlifting Belt?
There is nothing wrong with using a belt, but it is not something you need to worry about until you are lifting moderately heavy loads. If you do not wear a belt in real life, why practise lifting weights you cannot lift without one? The only benefit is lifting more weight than your core can naturally support — which is only relevant for competitive powerlifters and advanced trainees.
A common mistake: a client buys an expensive lifting belt after watching online videos, then relies on it to create the pressure their own core should be generating. Worn this way, the belt becomes a crutch that masks a weak brace rather than a tool that supports an already-strong one. The correct order is always the same — teach the brace first, add the belt only once the brace is reliable and the loads have become genuinely heavy.
What about lifting straps?
Lifting straps compensate for grip limitations in heavy pulling movements. As clients grow stronger, grip becomes the first limiter in heavy deadlifts and rows. Straps are a reasonable tool for experienced trainees on their heaviest working sets, but should not replace dedicated grip strength development.
Here we will go over many of the most popular and effective exercises. A few things to keep in mind before we begin:
- Function of Tendons: strong tissue that attaches muscles to bones.
- Function of Ligaments: strong fibrous tissue that attaches bone to bone.
- Tendons and ligaments adapt significantly more slowly than muscles. Progress loads conservatively to protect these structures.
Techniques are the same as we practised previously, so instructions will be focused on the key cues. Research has consistently shown that External Cues have ALWAYS performed better than internal ones.