Breathing and Core Bracing for Lifting
A good brace makes heavy lifts feel more stable. Here's how to breathe and brace properly, with drills you can practice today.
Core bracing is tightening the muscles around your whole midsection, front, sides and back, after taking a deep breath, so your torso stays stiff and stable while you lift. The basic method: breathe in through your nose into your belly and sides, then tighten your abs as if you're about to be poked in the stomach, hold that tension through the hardest part of the rep, and breathe out at the top or between reps.
A good brace can make squats, deadlifts and presses feel more solid and help you keep good positions under load. It's a skill, so it gets better with practice.
Why bracing matters
When you lift something heavy, your spine needs to stay stable so force transfers from your legs to the bar. Bracing creates that stability in two ways:
- Muscle tension. Your abs, obliques, lower back muscles and deep core all contract together, like a cylinder around your spine.
- Intra-abdominal pressure. A breath held against that tension raises pressure inside your abdomen, which adds stiffness from the inside.
Together they make your torso act more like a solid column than a wobbly stack. That's why bracing is often taught as a key part of lifting technique. For the deeper muscles involved, see our guide to deep core training.
Bracing vs hollowing
You may have heard of "sucking in" your belly button, sometimes called hollowing or drawing in. That's a different skill. It can help with awareness of the deep core, but for heavy lifting, a brace that pushes out against your waist in all directions is what most coaches teach.
| Bracing | Hollowing | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Tighten everything and expand slightly outward | Pull the belly button in toward the spine |
| Breath | Big breath into belly and sides | Often shallow |
| Best for | Heavy compound lifts | Low-load control drills |
| Feels like | A firm, wide waist | A narrow, sucked-in waist |
How to brace: step by step
- Set your ribs. Stand tall with your ribs stacked over your pelvis. Don't flare your ribcage or overarch your back.
- Breathe in through your nose. Aim the breath low, into your belly and the sides and back of your waist, not up into your chest and shoulders. Your shoulders shouldn't rise much.
- Tighten your midsection. Brace as if you're about to take a punch. Your waist should feel firm all the way around.
- Hold the breath and tension as you do the hardest part of the rep, usually the lowering and the first part of the lift.
- Breathe out at the top or between reps, then reset with a new breath and brace.
For lighter, higher-rep sets, you can breathe more continuously, exhaling during the effort, while keeping moderate tension.
Drills to practice bracing
90/90 breathing
Lie on your back with your feet on a wall, knees and hips at 90 degrees. Place one hand on your belly and one on your lower ribs. Breathe in through your nose so both hands rise, and breathe out fully through your mouth until your ribs drop. Do 2 sets of 5 slow breaths. This teaches you to breathe into your belly and sides.
Belt or hand feedback
Wrap your hands around your waist, thumbs at the back, fingers at the front. Breathe in and brace so you feel your waist push out into your hands on all sides. This is the 360-degree feeling you want.
Dead bug
Hold a gentle brace while you extend one arm and the opposite leg, then switch. Keep your lower back steady. 2-3 sets of 6-8 per side. Our guide to the dead bug exercise covers form in detail.
Front plank with breathing
Hold a plank for 20-30 seconds while taking slow breaths without losing your position. It teaches you to keep tension while still breathing. The plank timer helps with timing.
Suitcase carry
Hold a dumbbell in one hand and walk while staying tall. You'll feel your sides brace to keep you upright. 2-3 trips of 20-30 m per side. See suitcase carry for more.
A 10-minute practice routine
Do this before lifting, or on its own a few times a week:
- 90/90 breathing: 2 x 5 breaths
- Dead bug: 2 x 6 per side
- Front plank with breathing: 2 x 20-30 seconds
- Goblet squat with a light weight, bracing each rep: 2 x 5
Focus on quality, not fatigue. You're training a skill.
Common bracing mistakes
- Breathing into the chest. If your shoulders shrug up when you inhale, the breath isn't going low enough.
- Only tightening the front. A brace should feel firm on the sides and back too.
- Overarching the lower back. Flared ribs and an arched spine weaken the brace. Keep ribs stacked over the pelvis.
- Bracing at 100% for everything. Light sets and daily life don't need maximal tension. Match the brace to the load.
- Losing the brace mid-rep. Many people exhale too early at the bottom of a squat. Hold it through the hardest part.
A note on lifting belts
A belt gives your abs something to push against and can help some lifters brace harder on heavy sets. It doesn't replace the skill of bracing. Learn to brace well without one first, then use it for your heaviest work if you want.
Safety: who should be careful
Holding your breath under heavy effort temporarily raises blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, heart conditions, a hernia, eye conditions such as glaucoma, or you're pregnant or postpartum, talk to a doctor before using breath-hold bracing. People with diastasis recti or pelvic floor symptoms should ask a physical therapist for guidance; our article on diastasis recti and ab training has background. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded while lifting, stop.
If you have back pain, see core training and lower back pain and consult a professional.
Where AbShred fits
AbShred, an iPhone app that hasn't launched yet, includes a Deep Core score among the six ab zones it estimates from one photo, and builds a weekly ab plan starting with your weakest zone. It's an AI estimate for motivation, not a medical measurement. Join the waitlist at abshred.com.
FAQ
Should I breathe in or out when lifting?
For heavy sets, take a big breath and brace before the rep, hold it through the hardest part, then breathe out at the top. For lighter sets, exhaling during the effort is usually fine.
Is bracing the same as sucking in your stomach?
No. Bracing tightens your whole midsection and expands slightly outward. Sucking in pulls the belly inward. For lifting, bracing is generally what you want.
Does bracing build abs?
It works your core muscles, but mostly as stabilizers. For bigger, more visible abs, you still need direct ab training and low enough body fat.
Should I brace during everyday life?
Not at full intensity. A light level of tension is natural during daily activities. Save the big brace for heavy lifting.
How long does it take to learn bracing?
Many people get the basic feel in a few sessions, but it takes weeks of practice under load for it to become automatic.