Inhalation

[josephray]

Coach,

Which is your preferred method of inhalation during lifts: nose or mouth?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I can take a bigger, faster breath through my mouth. Saves time, increases efficiency.

[James]

I have a question that isn't important enough for its own thread:

I don't perform the valsalva maneuver quite the way it's described in the book.

I am guilty of inhaling during the beginning of the "negative" phase of the squat, the bench, and the press (I inhale fully before the deadlift and powerclean). On these lifts, I get all my air in before the bar is a third of the way down, and I don't exhale until it's back up and locked out.

Will I completely lose the benefit of the valsalva maneuver this way? Does this habit need to be broken before my lifts get too heavy? I'm not strong enough to say "obviously my way works for me." But I intend to be.

[Mark Rippetoe]

No, it works that way, just not as efficiently.