- Bracing creates pressure in your trunk to keep your spine stiff under load.
- Breathe low into your belly and sides, not up into your chest.
- Hold your breath briefly on heavy reps, then breathe between reps.
- With high blood pressure, heart problems or pregnancy, breathe out through the effort and ask your GP.
Why bracing matters
When you squat, deadlift or press a heavy weight, your trunk has to transfer a large force between your legs and the bar. A soft, unbraced trunk lets the spine bend under that load, which wastes force and puts more strain on the back. Bracing stiffens the trunk so the force goes where it should.
The main tool is pressure. When you breathe in and tighten the muscles around your trunk, the abdomen becomes a pressurised cylinder, like a sealed can of fizzy drink that is hard to crush. That pressure, combined with the muscles tightening all the way round, creates a stable base for the lift.
Good bracing is one of the fastest ways to feel stronger. Many beginners are surprised by how much more solid a squat feels once they learn it.
Bracing does not mean being rigid everywhere. Your trunk stiffens, but your hips, knees and shoulders still need to move freely. Think of a strong, stable middle with free-moving limbs.
How to brace, step by step
- Stand tall with your ribs stacked over your hips rather than flared upwards.
- Take a big breath in, aiming low into your belly and sides. Your shoulders should barely rise.
- Imagine your waist expanding in every direction, including into your lower back.
- Tighten your trunk muscles against that breath, as if bracing for a punch to the stomach.
- Hold the pressure as you perform the rep.
A useful check is to put your hands on your sides, just above the hip bones, thumbs pointing back. As you breathe in and brace, you should feel your hands pushed outwards, not just your stomach pushing forwards. Coaches often call this a 360 degree brace.
When to breathe
For heavy lifts, the usual approach is to take your breath and brace at the top, hold it through the lowering and the hardest part of the lift, and breathe out once you are past the sticking point or back at the top. This is a brief form of the Valsalva manoeuvre: holding your breath against a closed airway.
For low rep sets, most people take a fresh breath and re-brace before every rep. For higher rep sets, you might breathe out at the top and take a quick breath in before the next rep. Do not try to hold one breath for a whole set of 10; you will run out of air and your brace will fade.
For lighter work, bodyweight exercises, machines and accessories, a simpler pattern works well: breathe out during the effort and in during the easier phase. That is also the default for conditioning. Our guide to breathing during exercise covers this in more detail.
Belts and bracing
A lifting belt gives your abdominal wall something to push against, which helps you create more pressure on heavy sets. It does not replace bracing. If you cannot brace well without a belt, a belt will not fix it.
Some lifters find a belt works as a helpful cue, because the feeling of pushing into it teaches them what a good brace should feel like. That is fine, as long as you can reproduce the brace without it.
Learn the technique first, then use a belt on heavy sets if you want to. See lifting belts and straps for how to choose and wear one.
Health considerations
Holding your breath under heavy load causes a sharp, temporary rise in blood pressure. For healthy people this is normal and not a problem, but some people should take care:
- People with high blood pressure, heart disease or a history of stroke.
- People with certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma, or recent eye surgery.
- People who are pregnant.
- People with hernias or significant pelvic floor symptoms.
If any of these apply, speak to your GP before lifting heavily, and use a pattern where you breathe out steadily through the effort rather than holding your breath. You can still brace your trunk while exhaling; it simply produces less pressure. If you feel faint, get a sudden severe headache or notice changes in your vision while lifting, stop and seek medical advice.
Bracing, the pelvic floor and leaking
The pelvic floor forms the bottom of the pressurised cylinder, so it has to cope with the pressure you create when you brace. Leaking during heavy lifts, jumps or skipping is common, especially after childbirth and around menopause, but it is a sign that the system needs some attention rather than something to accept.
Changes to breathing, bracing strategy and load, alongside pelvic floor training, often help a great deal. A women's or men's health physio is the best person to assess it. Lycan Strength has on-site physiotherapy covering men's and women's health, with 20% off treatment for members.
Putting it into practice
Rehearse your brace on every warm-up set, so it is automatic by the time the weight is heavy. On the back squat, breathe and brace at the top, hold through the descent and the drive out of the bottom, and breathe out near the top. On the deadlift, breathe and brace before you pull the slack out of the bar, and set yourself again between reps. Expect it to feel awkward for a few weeks; like any skill, bracing becomes natural with repetition.
Conditioning is a different skill, because you need to keep breathing under effort for minutes at a time rather than seconds. For HYROX and similar events, see our guide to breathing for HYROX, where the demands are quite different.
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Questions
Should I hold my breath when lifting?
Briefly, on heavy reps, if you are healthy. Take a breath, brace, perform the rep and breathe at the top. For lighter sets, breathe out through the effort.
Why do I get light-headed when lifting heavy?
Holding your breath for too long raises blood pressure and can cause light-headedness. Breathe between reps, and if it keeps happening or is severe, stop and speak to a GP.
Should I breathe in through my nose or mouth when bracing?
Either works. Focus on breathing low into your belly and sides rather than up into your chest.
Is bracing the same as sucking your stomach in?
No. Bracing means pushing out against tightened muscles all the way round. Sucking in reduces the pressure and makes the trunk less stable.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition, injury or are pregnant, check with a health professional before changing your training or diet.
