How To Breathing For A Heavy Bench Press

Learning how to breath properly will make your bench press much stronger and also much safer.

Keep in mind these breathing techniques are more for bench press strength for about 5 reps or less. This breathing technique is not designed for 12+ reps. That is a different thing all together.

If your goal is to bench press heavy weights with 1-5 reps this is how I recommend it.

Make sure that you are taking air into your chest and diaphragm not into your belly. Some people do belly breath when benching, this is not wrong, but I prefer chest breathing.

==> TIP: If the bar is moving you are not breathing <==

There are advanced breathing techniques for when to breath out but that is another article and topic.

There are 3 ways to breath during a bench press.

1. Take big air into your chest from a big mouth breath.

2. Take big air into your chest through a nose breath

3. Take big air into your mouth, then do a “top off” breath with your nose.

Taking big air into your chest will have numerous benefits.

It will increase pressure.

It will increase stability.

It will increase strength.

READ 3 Safety Tips If You Bench Press Alone

Note: It’s important to know that breathing this way will cause an increase in pressure and blood pressure. So please be aware that this is not for everyone, but if you want a stronger and safer bench press this works very well.

When you learn to breath properly you can get much stronger almost immediately.

Learn to get big air, create tension, and hold that tension and you will be much stronger.

Give it a try and let me know how you find it.

Coach Rob

Photo of Michelle Harwood, courtesy of Mallory Doyle Photography