Wouldn’t it make more sense to get as much oxygen to the brain as you could?
In: Biology
It’s called the [Valsalva maneuver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver).
It creates pressure in your abdomen which otherwise would be loose and flexible.
Like the difference between an unopened can and an empty can, the unopened can has far more structural stability, but is inflexible.
When you lift something heavy you lose much, much less energy through a taught, inflexible core, allowing you to generate more power. Also it is much safer for your spine to remain in a neutral position under load, rather than flexing and twisting under load.
A significant part of weight lifting is learning to optimize this ability.
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