How to Breath During Reps for Mass

Actively controlling your breathing during your weightlifting routine can take your workout to the next level. Breathing is an automatic bodily function prompted by the brain's reading of the concentration of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. However, you can learn to control the rate, depth and pattern of your respiration. Exercising with the goal of adding mass means that you will be lifting heavy weights for short repetitions. When your breath is coordinated with your weightlifting routine, you will be capable of heavier lifts and can avoid injuries that occur when you hold your breath.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold an empty barbell in your hands, palms out, with your arms straight. Inhale and practice controlling the exhalation of your breath by pursing your lips or partially closing your glottis. This type of breathing is common in yoga and is called pranayama in Sanskrit or "Darth Vader breaths."

    • 2

      Lift the barbell slowly as you exhale. Time the length of your exhalation breath to your exertion during the lift. As Arnold Schwarzenegger recommends in "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," "exhale with exertion." You should finish your exhalation with your arms bent and holding the barbell at chest level, palms toward you.

    • 3

      Inhale slowly as you return to your original position. Pay attention to your breath and practice the controlled exhalation as you prepare to repeat the exercise.