How to Brace for a Lift

Almost 10 years ago, I was the lead singer for a fairly successful metal band. Not quite successful enough to quit our day jobs, but enough to be signed to an indie label and have the benefit of drinking for free at most places we went. At the time, singing was a serious passion of mine. I took voice classes, rehearsed with the band 3-4 times a week, and practiced singing almost daily. For those who don’t know, one of the first things you learn as a singer is how to control your diaphragm. The diaphragm is a thin muscle that is positioned at the base of your chest that contracts as you breathe in and out. Breath control is a critical skill for singers, so regulating your diaphragm is the first thing you learn as a singer. Little did I know then, that I was also learning how to lift heavy weights.

When I started lifting, bracing came easily to me—since diaphragmic breathing was already second-nature to me. But not everyone comes into lifting with a background in metal singing. So, here is a quick guide to breathing and bracing during a lift.

Perhaps you’ve heard someone say "squats/deadlifts are bad for your back.” So many people hurt themselves doing those lifts, it must be bad, right? But, for a normal, healthy person, the risk of injury is negligible. The reason for so many back injuries during certain exercises is that people simply do squats and deadlifts wrong. What's the alternative? That ibuprofen companies, masseuses, and the back-brace industry designed deadlifts and squats to create a backache epidemic?

Maybe -  but if you learn how to properly brace, then we can bankrupt those companies one rep at a time!

Bracing your core involves much more than flexing your abs. In fact, ab strength has very little to do with core strength or stability. Core strength and stability is achieved when the muscles of your abdominals, back, pelvic girdle, and diaphragm all work together to protect the spine. Achieving this is a matter of learning how to correctly breathe.

Here's an easy way to learn how to brace.

Level 1:  diaphragmatic breathing

1. lie on your back

2. place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly button.

3. breath in with your nose. The hand on your belly should rise, but not the chest.

4. breath out by making a hissing sound. You should feel a slight pressure in your belly like the air is being pushed down.

Level 2: bracing

1. lie on your back

2. place your hands above your hips, with your fingers pointed towards each other.

3. inhale as much air as you can while making sure your belly is expanding and pushing your hands away from each other.

4. breath out by making the same hissing sound. Only now you won't let the breath come out. This should intensify the pressure in your belly.

5. finally, contract your abs as if you were bracing for a punch. you should feel the lower back flatten against the floor, and a bit like your head might explode.*

*This method of bracing is safe for most healthy people, but be careful if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.

Level 3: bracing during a lift

1. stand up

2. brace your core using steps 3-5 in level 2.

3. squeeze your glutes and pull  your shoulder blades back and down. Your lower back should not be very arched.

4. Perform the above steps before lifting anything.

When to breathe

When talking about breathing during weight lifting, a common question is "when should I breathe?" The answer all depends on what you're doing. Think of breathing as a spectrum. One end of the spectrum is respiration, and the opposite end is stability. If you’re jogging or performing high rep work, the knob is set towards respiration. If you’re attempting your 1 rep maximum or doing heavy triples, the knob is going to be set more towards stability. When bracing for stability, I generally recommend bracing before the lift, and exhaling at the completion of the lift. This isn’t a definitive rule, so do whatever is most comfortable and makes you the strongest.