Quote:
Originally Posted by Saurus
Two questions:
(For the purpose of building muscle mass while squatting, rather than strength, during a 8-10 rep set.)
1. While doing squats, what is the best way to breathe between reps?
i.e. should one actually stop and breathe deeply before the next rep to allow heavier weights, or is this pause disadvantageous?
2. With regards to resting times between sets during squats. I cannot physically stick to the prescribed resting periods between sets while squatting. I need a full recovery (or I nearly collapse on the next set).
Is it better to drop the weights slightly to allow shorter resting periods, or is it better to remain heavier with longer rest periods?
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Hi Mark...
Breathe anyway that you personally feel comfortable doing....but..
Normally, it is taught that you should never hold your breath during an exercise. However, there is a very good reason for doing so in the squat (you should not hold your breath through the whole rep just briefly at a certain point in the squat)
Here's why: your abdominal core is much more stable when you hold your breath. You need as much stability as you can get at the bottom of a heavy squat. If you are inhaling or exhaling at this point, you compromise your core stability. Much of the stress that was being supported by the intra-abdominal pressure of your contracted core muscles is then transferred to the lower back.
By holding your breath just before you get to the bottom, during the direction change and as you start to come back up, you will have far greater core stability than if you breathe during that phase. This will result in greater power out of the bottom, allowing you to use more weight safely.
Be sure that you do not hold your breath too long!! This period of breath-holding shouldn't last more than a few seconds, blood pressure can also increase with breath holding....
Resting between sets can be as long as you feel you are ready to perform another set...1,2, or 3 minutes, as long as your not off chatting to mates, or reading the local paper...lol, for heavy squatting I normally advocate once the breathing has got back to normal, thats the time for another set....