During my gym session this morning, I was thinking about why I feel a natural impulse to screw up my facial features during particularly heavy lifts.
If I consciously decided not to let my features distort I can more or less left heavy with relatively calm features but why is the natural inclination to ball up our face like a baby with wind? Does it actually provide any kind of benefit?
In: 97
To lift heavy weights it’s helpful to use the Valsalva Maneuver; which involves breathing in and holding your breath to create internal pressure. This helps to create rigidity in your torso which protects your spine somewhat, and helps with the efficient transmission of force to the bar.
It’s normal to distort your face a bit when you’re holding your breath.
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