Squats and Deadlifts Leave me Gasping

[Priam]

Hey folks,
I noticed that when I squat and deadlift, during the set I feel ok breathing and near the last 2 or 3 reps I pause for an extra second to bang out the reps.

Now, when I finished the set and put the bar back, I notice I am Completely gasping for air and feel slightly light headed. I wait till I feel good again which is after about 1min30, to 2 mins, then do another set and the same problem arises.

Can anyone help me figure wtf is wrong with me? its only on these 2 excercises. I am making sure I breathe, but maybe it because they are just massive excercises....I dunno...


any tips would be great.

[Blaster]

Hey folks,
I noticed that when I squat and deadlift, during the set I feel ok breathing and near the last 2 or 3 reps I pause for an extra second to bang out the reps.

Now, when I finished the set and put the bar back, I notice I am Completely gasping for air and feel slightly light headed. I wait till I feel good again which is after about 1min30, to 2 mins, then do another set and the same problem arises.

Can anyone help me figure wtf is wrong with me? its only on these 2 excercises. I am making sure I breathe, but maybe it because they are just massive excercisesany tips would be great.

That's strange this also happens to me.

[HDJoe]

Hey folks,
I noticed that when I squat and deadlift, during the set I feel ok breathing and near the last 2 or 3 reps I pause for an extra second to bang out the reps.

Now, when I finished the set and put the bar back, I notice I am Completely gasping for air and feel slightly light headed. I wait till I feel good again which is after about 1min30, to 2 mins, then do another set and the same problem arises.

Can anyone help me figure wtf is wrong with me? its only on these 2 excercises. I am making sure I breathe, but maybe it because they are just massive excercises....I dunno...


any tips would be great.

I think it is somewhat normal, deads and squats are very taxing. Quit a few times I am light headed after a set

[Priam]

really, I just don't wanna end up looking like a knob fainting in the gym lol. half the time I end by the window tryna get some fresh air, and when I come back I have to tell someone sorry mate, I was using that....

[Blaster]

really, I just don't wanna end up looking like a knob fainting in the gym lol. half the time I end by the window tryna get some fresh air, and when I come back I have to tell someone sorry mate, I was using that....

Not to worry about looking like a noob. I would say the noobs are the ones that look nice and fresh after deadlifting and squatting. As long as you're pushing yourself with correct form you will be ok. Make sure you're using the safety bars and or have a spotter when going for that extra rep.

[Aurik]

If you're not either panting for breath, sweating like a pig, ready to throw up, or a combination of the 3 after a work set of deadlifts or squats you're not working hard enough. Deadlifts and squats are exercises that will definitely show you what you're made of.

[Gunner82]

Here is what I have noticed, When i was cutting and was in good cardiovascular shape, i ran like three to four miles a day. When I did squats everything was fine. Since I have been bulking big time for six months I have cut out all cadio except for warmup I have noticed when I do squats now that after my sets I am out breath and gasping with chest pains from lack of oxegen. I must also mention that the amount of weight being used is also now significantly higher since on bulk. I don't know how much cardio you do but this is just what I have noticed.

[monty1104]

Squats and deads should take it out of you. If youre not gasping for breath, youre not trying hard enough

[jaskarn]

If you anit dying, then your not trying

i jk

this never happened to me before, only time i felt like throwing up was after a chest, shoulder workout

[Squatter]

I agree with Gunner and would have to say perhaps your cardiovascular fitness is not up to par. I'm always breathing hard after squats and deads but I'm never out of breath or dizzy and I recover quickly - and yet i work as hard as anyone when I lift.

[Spartigus]

I do the squat, come back up, breathe out and in, then repeat.

For deads, you breathe in, lift then I tend to grunt, then put weights down and breathe out and repeat.

But it is normal to feel light headed, especially when your young. Your veins and arteries and softer then someone older, when you lift, the blood pressure increase, but the veins ect are softer and expend, which makes you light headed. As you got older it tends to get less and less noticeable. When I was about 18 or 19, I always got light headed after deadlifts, a few years later, im lifting more and am not light headed. I just tend to be a bit out of breath.

EDIT:
As Squatter said, you might need to work on cardio. More cardio means your better at transfering blood and oxygen through your body, which will make you less light headed and less gassed.

[Tatooed Lifter]

Have you slowly progressed into the weights you are dealing with? Trying to max out? I can see getting a little lite headed from squats, I have experienced it my self, Deadlifts....I just don;t see it..?

T L

[Spartigus]

Have you slowly progressed into the weights you are dealing with? Trying to max out? I can see getting a little lite headed from squats, I have experienced it my self, Deadlifts....I just don;t see it..?

T L

That too!

Also if you dont breathe between reps you will get light headed.

[TBtaylor52]

Eh.. Im always out of breath/heart rate is huge after squats or deads. Except with deads Im always lightheaded after and can say my cardio is pretty good.

[Spartigus]

In my opinion you didnt go hard enough if your heart isnt racing after ANY lift lol

[TBtaylor52]

In my opinion you didnt go hard enough if your heart isnt racing after ANY lift lol

My heart doesnt race too much after curls..

[Spartigus]

My heart doesnt race too much after curls..

Yeah I guess, but I'm on rippetoes 3x5, so my smallest lift is overhead press so its different

[findhan]

I think what Spartigus said is the most appropriate. There are two different things here -lightheadedness and gasping for breath (i.e, exhausted!)Although the exercises are massively taxing, (i.e. you should be pretty much exhausted after them) the lightheadedness is coming from your breathing technique.

when your doing a number of reps greater than say 3, you want to be exhaling when you're lifting the weight. If you dont, it wont take long at all until your seeing stars! If you're going for a max effort and are pretty healty, follow Riptoes advice and hold your breath while going for the lift.
I find every now and then my technique fades a bit and I really have to concentrate on proper exhaling when doing deadlifts, so Im guessing this is the problem. Breathing technique can actually get pretty crappy if you dont focus on it. So I absolutely guarantee, if you focus on proper breathing the next time, you wont have this problem, or it will be significantly reduced.

The other key possibility is, if you're still having this problem after breathing, its likely to be down to low-blood sugar levels. Are you working out early in the morning after a small breakfast / inadequate time for breakfast to digest? This is much more unlikely and breathing technique will have a much greater effect imo.

[Priam]

I think what Spartigus said is the most appropriate. There are two different things here -lightheadedness and gasping for breath (i.e, exhausted!)Although the exercises are massively taxing, (i.e. you should be pretty much exhausted after them) the lightheadedness is coming from your breathing technique.

when your doing a number of reps greater than say 3, you want to be exhaling when you're lifting the weight. If you dont, it wont take long at all until your seeing stars! If you're going for a max effort and are pretty healty, follow Riptoes advice and hold your breath while going for the lift.
I find every now and then my technique fades a bit and I really have to concentrate on proper exhaling when doing deadlifts, so Im guessing this is the problem. Breathing technique can actually get pretty crappy if you dont focus on it. So I absolutely guarantee, if you focus on proper breathing the next time, you wont have this problem, or it will be significantly reduced.

The other key possibility is, if you're still having this problem after breathing, its likely to be down to low-blood sugar levels. Are you working out early in the morning after a small breakfast / inadequate time for breakfast to digest? This is much more unlikely and breathing technique will have a much greater effect imo.

wow, great replies guys!
ok there are to many people I was gonna qoute, so to summarise what I was gonna say

cardio: I starting cutting 3 weeks ago. I have been doing cardio atleast 4 times a week, 25 mins a day. My heart is averaging 160. I should be in the 130 zone, but I don't feel comfortable going so slowly!!
So yeah maybe my cardio still needs work.

My rep range is 10-6 for deadlifts and squats
My breathing technique; Recently I have been focusing on breathing technique.

deadlifts; Exhale on the way up, inhale when the bar is down. Also when im at the top of the movement i sneak in a few quick breaths.

Squats; Exhale on the way up, inhale on the top. However there are times when I try force it up by breathing in on the way up. I do that on shoulder press aswell and shrugs LOL, gotta stop doing that.

As for low blood sugar; Well I train 1hr 15mins after breakfast. My breakfast is 2wholemeal toast with a can of baked beans, and 2 boiled egg whites.
Baked beans are quite sugary, so I doubt that is the problem. In general, I don't tend to eat sugary foods, but I do have dextrose and whey post workout.

[Priam]

Have you slowly progressed into the weights you are dealing with? Trying to max out? I can see getting a little lite headed from squats, I have experienced it my self, Deadlifts....I just don;t see it..?

T L

Yeh I do slowly progress, well I add weights on that make my reps drop from 12, 10, 8, 6.

Usually the first set I never make 12 and I hit 10, because Im trying to save myself for the next sets because I know they will be harder lol.

[Priam]

I do the squat, come back up, breathe out and in, then repeat.

For deads, you breathe in, lift then I tend to grunt, then put weights down and breathe out and repeat.

But it is normal to feel light headed, especially when your young. Your veins and arteries and softer then someone older, when you lift, the blood pressure increase, but the veins ect are softer and expend, which makes you light headed. As you got older it tends to get less and less noticeable. When I was about 18 or 19, I always got light headed after deadlifts, a few years later, im lifting more and am not light headed. I just tend to be a bit out of breath.

EDIT:
As Squatter said, you might need to work on cardio. More cardio means your better at transfering blood and oxygen through your body, which will make you less light headed and less gassed.

Sh*t, I should start using the multiqoute thing...
Im 20, I have been training on and off for 3 years, but I have 6 months solid into it now, but I only started deadlifting and squatting with the bar for 5 or 6 weeks.

interesting, never know that veins and arteries were softer.

[Cuckoo]

It's normal, it's the result of deep breathing and heavy exertion. Happens to me all the time. (especially after a bicep busting curl session in the squat rack.)

[findhan]

As for low blood sugar; Well I train 1hr 15mins after breakfast. My breakfast is 2wholemeal toast with a can of baked beans, and 2 boiled egg whites.
Baked beans are quite sugary, so I doubt that is the problem. In general, I don't tend to eat sugary foods, but I do have dextrose and whey post workout.

The breakfast seems dead on, with a good mix of simple and complex carbs which you would think should get you through the deadlifts! So must be the breathing, let us know what works anyway

[wolfmagic]

while in some cases, you guys might be right. in this case, you might not be. all too often, i find too many muscleheads and knucklehead forums giving dangerous advise without key disclaimers with every new post.

on another forum, the OP was saying what this OP is half-describing, he was 'gasping' for air, gassed-out, needing fresh air stat, worried he may passout. he knows nothing about it is normal, yet is too embarrassed to talk about it, to hint at 'wimping out'. i can relate.

'gasping', and other related sensations, may not be the same as the 'deep breathing' related to 'pushing it' athletics and cardio. they're often not the same category at all.

giving a person on the verge of keeling over and getting sent to the ER, the same advise you give healthy folk is not just poor advise, its point blank shallow irresponsible and could be borderline liable.

people/athletes who know their bodies know if they 'suddenly' from one season/year to the next started gasping for air in 5-15min of easy warmups or on 3 flights of stairs they do everyday, or feeling extreme muscle fatigue/burnout. they may have acquired a "condition" aka suboptimized at the cellular level and won't know what it is for another 15-20 years.

it could be mitochondrial dysfunction and more due to whatever myriad of reasons and most blood/cardio tests aren't likely to pinpoint it. if i do yoga pilates bike or squats with 10 lb on a bar i repeatedly gass-out with legs trembling after 5-15min warmup, i take a break, go back do another 5-10min, then after total 25min i'm done 'gasping for air' pulse racing, jello legs trembling, quad burn. then, my quads 'can barely stand/walk without grimacing pain' for 6-7 days (not typical 2-3 day soreness after serious exertion ex. 10k run). for me, none of that is normal and it ain't age. i am ex-infantry and high level soccer until college, played in my 30s 40s until age 50, outdoor and indoor, when these hurdles and a few more, started getting excessive forcing me into gym/rehab/weights.

note: after my last 24 hr fetal position 'sciatica attack' in 2006 a yoga/pilates therapist GF saw L glute atrophy and L knee muscles not firing, and ever since L toes/ankle went off/on semi-numb and L calf twitching constantly. mid 2017, overnight, one day to next, with a round of excruciating pain (labeled 'gout'), my L toe box permanently-to-date went stiff, lost half their range of motion, making lunges and plank/jogging/yoga/sport impossible. physio said tighter L ham might be culprit, but months of rehab hasn't won any range yet, so it looks more like i lost half the motor control nerve-connection needed to contract/flex the L toes properly, which may also be causing the tighter L ham, the quad burnout, and all the rest.

my L glute is 33% weaker than my R glute. the twitching weakness is spreading from L leg to both legs and arms. been seeing doctors for years, knowing something is up, but they are baffled as i can ace/pass any test from stress test EKGs to neurological as 'normal'. spine/brain MRI is all that is pending, so put that in motion after posting my original comment.

it came on like tides, very gradually in ways, suddenly in others. i know something neurological is going on, causing me measurable muscle fatigue/weakness and limbs/body to tremble (some days more than others) to a point i can't lift much at all, doors to enter stores are getting heavier and harder to open, feel winded on the stairs, etc.

gene SNPs could play a big role (if you dont know your SNPs, i'd look into it for various health/fitness reasons) where symptoms could be dormant/manageable for 25-35-45 years then toxins (air, food, water, media, people) are too much for metabolism/microbiome so you start to notice it more. when i think back, my fitness demise began 1 year after bootcamp 1987, by age 20 i knew something was up with PT in the reserves, by age 21 college coaches dropped me from offensive role to full back. its as if it was a reaction to military vaccines or from a head injury in 82. it could be any of these things aka today's 'gasping/trembling et al' might have little to do with today's workout or nutrition.

typical 'no pain/gain' advise to push through it or guilt-trip readers as is predictably advised in all weightlifter forums could kill a member aka no more deadlifts for the poor bastard who heeds 'lift till you drop' advise.

if you're feeling wiped out/gasping/breathless with excess muscle fatigue/soreness or sweating too easily (compared to your norm), like me, you're likely to get the same symptoms doing squats with no weight on the bar. i would suggest trying that or half the weight just to isolate.

anyone who can't see a difference between A (robust health/genes) and B (suboptimal) should not be allowed to give potentially deadly advise, sites that allow it should have a policy that includes huge disclaimers to avoid suckers push-on until they drop dead in a gym or 'mysteriously' outside it.

much of the good advise on these sites largely applies to 'healthy' people who do not 'suffocate/gasp' doing what to them seems very simple. not all heavy breathing is equal.

[wolfmagic]

how do i delete this entry #25? we should have ability to delete our own posts, at least for a week or until someone comments on them.