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Is It Actually Bad to Hold Your Breath When You Lift?

Lifehacker·Beth Skwarecki·6 months ago
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Beth Skwarecki

Beth Skwarecki Senior Health Editor

Experience

Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, and holds certifications as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. She has been writing about health for over 10 years.

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April 21, 2026

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Table of Contents

You can go through most of your life without worrying about whether and how you’re breathing, but as soon as somebody mentions that you’re supposed to breathe a certain way in the gym, it’s easy to get tripped up. Out when? In when? Oops, I held my breath instead—is that bad?

As with anything else in the exercise world, there are different recommendations for different people doing different things . If you’ve heard conflicting advice, don’t worry, we’ll sort it out.…

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