I used to get lightheaded if I just jumped straight into it, now I work up from the empty bar quickly to my working weight and I don't get lightheaded anymore.
1. Bend your wrists back as far as possible, breath in, and walk the bar back 2. Let all the air out and lean back as far as possible 3. Hold your breath until the set is complete or until you have expired under the weight
Yep, this is gold. Used this same tip from the old video and got my OHP from 185-225 over 10 months during quarantine. Still went sleepy time a couple times but that was usually when I had low blood sugar from not eating soon enough before the workout.
I remember a video a couple of years ago where Brian claimed he couldn't grow a beard. Now he comes out with this and Mountain-mans the fuck out of all of us.
I’ve been studying a lot of your videos for training an man I gotta say big ass help so thank you! You even motivated me to train for strong man an I have my first comp on march so thank you for blessing us with all these Gems keep killing it an stay blessed!
I watched your video about 4 weeks ago when I started lifting and have been doing this breathing technique ever since and it always felt really good, I felt strong and solid breathing this way during reps. I always felt the darkness creeping in when trying to push that first lockout, but I thought that was just because I was weak and eventually once I got stronger it would stop. I almost passed out today from overhead pressing in my local gym, it was only 85lbs and I am a 175lb 5'10 beginner lifter, so it was not like I was pushing a ton of weight. I couldn't find much info elsewhere on it or how to try to avoid it, so thank you for including it in your video for even the 0.01% of us that it affects! I will try your tips to avoid passing out in a few days when I overhead press again and I'll let you know how it goes!
Flex your butt harder on the overhead press, and on the front squat. Even at lightweights, you can cut off your carotid artery, but flexing your butt fires or posterior chain. Hard enough that it takes the pressure off. You are welcome my friend.
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial At the end of my workout today I did some OHP testing and flexing my glutes worked perfectly! Previously I was unracking and taking a wide stance, locking out through my knees and not engaging my butt at all. I'm sure this was putting a ton of pressure on my carotid like you said. It took a few sets to learn how to keep my glutes flexed throughout the whole rack/unrack process but once I was flexing my glutes properly I no longer felt the darkness creeping in when pushing that first lockout! I also felt a lot stronger since I wasn't shaking like an animal fighting the darkness to get the bar up that first rep. Thank you so much for your help with this as I didn't want to have to stop overhead pressing but I couldn't find a solution anywhere else but here! I'll make sure to watch your other videos since you clearly have some solid info to share!
I'll be doing this next time I do OHP, thank you for the excellent information. My press has been slowly improving, but I think this has been one of my sticking points.
Hey Brian, I have not watched your channel for a couple of years, you look and sound healthier than you did some years ago. That is really cool and this video gave some good practical advice.
Hey Brian, just wanted to say I’ve been using the minimalist program for the past 4 weeks and I can’t thank you enough for it. I’m about to start swearing by it because the gains are felt and most definitely measurable. As an example, my 1rm for bench was 185 on week 2, I’m now pushing 2 reps at 205. The simplicity of it all makes all the difference for me. Thanks again, keep up the good stuff 🤙
Heavy farmers and rack dead’s as well as weighted carries. I’ve Heard some good things about the iron neck, but I haven’t spent enough time with it to have a real opinion
Ive been out on my feet a couple times. Luckily had the spotter arms set high and didn't fall back but forward where the bar/rack held me up until I came back
At WSM 2021 Bobby and Max passed out on log lift... It was intense. I would add streching lats before pressing, it helped me to increse max stric press by 5kg in 1 week and it helped a lot with lockout. Greatings from Poland💪😁
I’m a resident of sleepytown lol. I haven’t gone near the standing barbell overhead press for a while, might try again while being more aware of breathing
I’m currently on Wendler’s BBB, so most my volume comes from 5x10 OHP @ 60% 1RM after a heavyish AMRAP. I’ve found doing two reps per breath the be the best for moderate reps, and 3 reps per breath for higher rep stuff. In a set of 10, I normally do 4 doubles, then 2 singles. That said, I’ve found planning my breathes before each set to be king. Like, thinking through when you’re going to inhale really helps structure my sets.
I tell people to try a full ROM pin press. If you can do the same weight for a pin press as your regular ohp, or more then that shows you have serious problems with breathing, and bracing under load. Pin presses should be harder, not easier. However they allow you to breathe unloaded and reset to a strong position before each rep from the bottom. So if thats where the problem is then it will show you.
I prefer Press 1.0 just because of your straight forward tips on it, yes I lift less weight when comparing it with Press 2.0 , but I sure feel that my delts, triceps and traps are working more!
they are the techniques in the stronglifts 5x5 program afaik, press 2.0 uses hip drive while press 1.0 doesn't use it. edit: starting strength, not stronglifts 5x5
Damn, when you got that screen closing It brought memories lmao. Only time i almost passed out was in a deadlift day, for some reason i thought It would be ok to train my ORPM when I was 5 or so hours without eating
@2:38 it took me a moment to realize the green gymnastic ring was just hanging there and not highlighting the split squats going on in the background. 😂 Anyway, thanks for the great content!
I couldn’t believe the difference when I properly learned breathing and bracing from you. Before that I think I was just tensing my abs, results were not good.
Hey brian, love your work. I have a question. I have a medical problem and the doctor advised against breathing and bracing because of the abdominal pressure but i wasnt able to find any other guide for a good breathing technique. Do you happen to have any tips for this? Even if its not as good as breathing and bracing. Hope you see this messege (this time) and waiting forward to the next vid
I am sorry Darren but I do not. If you can’t create internal pressure outward with your ab wall, then I am not sure how you would get your core stable enough for brutally heavy weights. I am sure someone in the industry knows, but sadly I have never heard of another way to create inter abdominal pressure without the breathing technique
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial thank you for your comment, i really appreciate it. Anyway i wanted to say you are a true inspiration and source of motivation. Lots of respect!
Im a big advocate of breath-and-brace, but how to convince pilates-trained people who say steady and continuous breathing is the best base to generate force?
Do you have to breathe only with your mouth? Or with the nose first and then with the mouth? I saw a video of you talking about it. Thanks for attenttion Brian.
Isn't waiting at lock-out cheating the training? I was told you can't wait at lock-out, you must return immediately and when you're down you must press immediately. No pauses. (I'm a beginner at fitness, had only 7 sessions so far). Edit: also, I'm using the electric machine (EGYM), which decides the tempo for you, and it won't allow you to wait at the lock-out. It expect you to press a little faster and descend a little slower in a wave pattern.
There seems to be a lot of contradictory stuff online about the breathing. I've stuck with holding my breath for the whole set. I find it very hard to take a breath at either the top or bottom somehow.
What if you don't hold the breath and keep breathing ? I know you can mess up the lower back or herniate some disc, but some people do fine only by tightening the glutes even with decent weight for the OHP like 50kg, 25kg each dumbell. I also think that they should hold the breath to stabilze the core and avoid disc injury... I breathe when I am lowering the weights toward my shoulder? Is that wrong... I am worried that if I do wrong form can hurt back
Breathing while lowering the weight to your shoulders is literally the worst thing you could do if you want to stay safe. Think of how an inflatable balloon holds weight. The less inflated it is, the less stable it becomes and the less weight it can hold. You want your torso as full as possible so that you can literally get a rebound out of the bottom because of how much air is stored there. And just pay attention to how you pick up anything heavy in real life. You get a big breath, can you hold it as you pick the item up. You never exhale and then try to lift something Of any reasonable weight. It just doesn’t happen because your body is always going to protect his spine and that is how it does so
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial thanks for the answer. Is there some other alternative other than valsava maneuver to protect the spine during the standing dumbell shoulder press ? Referring to weights of 50kg total so 25 per dumbell not higher amounts.
Do you recommend a program or a weekly split to increase it? It's my weakest lift and I've given up on the exercise because I've never been able to do more then 150.
I have an entire video about how to program the overhead press in the playlist that I mentioned during the video, brother. Definitely check it out and it will give you some ideas
Yes and yes. Also elbow, wrist and shoulder flexibility. But I have tons of info out about this. Just search my name and front squat and you will get some really good ideas of how to fix it
I am definitely a nose breather 99% of the time of life. But I really don’t know anything about James Nestor so I would have to read before I could give you an opinion
In the front squat or an overhead press involving lead drive, the bar should be supported by your shoulders, not in your hands like a strict press. If the bars in your hands, you’re going to have a very poor results compared to having the bar in a true from rack
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial saw ur deadlift sometimes… much respect.. 2 weeks again I’ve broken ribs…damn I missed training…finding a way to train with injury…
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Perfect timing for this video, OHP today. Let’s hope I don’t go sleepy time!
Don’t go sleepy time! I hope this helps!
Same
Same
I used to get lightheaded if I just jumped straight into it, now I work up from the empty bar quickly to my working weight and I don't get lightheaded anymore.
1. Bend your wrists back as far as possible, breath in, and walk the bar back
2. Let all the air out and lean back as far as possible
3. Hold your breath until the set is complete or until you have expired under the weight
Haha success!!
You’re trying to kill someone 😂
You forget, walk the bar back a mile from the rack 🤣
Yep, this is gold. Used this same tip from the old video and got my OHP from 185-225 over 10 months during quarantine.
Still went sleepy time a couple times but that was usually when I had low blood sugar from not eating soon enough before the workout.
I remember a video a couple of years ago where Brian claimed he couldn't grow a beard. Now he comes out with this and Mountain-mans the fuck out of all of us.
Brian you are a legend. Nobody else touches on the topic of bracing and breathing and the tips you have given me have changed my training thank you
I’ve been studying a lot of your videos for training an man I gotta say big ass help so thank you! You even motivated me to train for strong man an I have my first comp on march so thank you for blessing us with all these Gems keep killing it an stay blessed!
Thank you. You've been a huge inspiration during my current recovery from herniated disks in the lower back. Appreciate all the information!
Bearded Alsruhe is looking beast
Thank you my friend!
100%
I watched your video about 4 weeks ago when I started lifting and have been doing this breathing technique ever since and it always felt really good, I felt strong and solid breathing this way during reps. I always felt the darkness creeping in when trying to push that first lockout, but I thought that was just because I was weak and eventually once I got stronger it would stop. I almost passed out today from overhead pressing in my local gym, it was only 85lbs and I am a 175lb 5'10 beginner lifter, so it was not like I was pushing a ton of weight. I couldn't find much info elsewhere on it or how to try to avoid it, so thank you for including it in your video for even the 0.01% of us that it affects!
I will try your tips to avoid passing out in a few days when I overhead press again and I'll let you know how it goes!
Flex your butt harder on the overhead press, and on the front squat. Even at lightweights, you can cut off your carotid artery, but flexing your butt fires or posterior chain. Hard enough that it takes the pressure off. You are welcome my friend.
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial At the end of my workout today I did some OHP testing and flexing my glutes worked perfectly! Previously I was unracking and taking a wide stance, locking out through my knees and not engaging my butt at all. I'm sure this was putting a ton of pressure on my carotid like you said.
It took a few sets to learn how to keep my glutes flexed throughout the whole rack/unrack process but once I was flexing my glutes properly I no longer felt the darkness creeping in when pushing that first lockout! I also felt a lot stronger since I wasn't shaking like an animal fighting the darkness to get the bar up that first rep.
Thank you so much for your help with this as I didn't want to have to stop overhead pressing but I couldn't find a solution anywhere else but here! I'll make sure to watch your other videos since you clearly have some solid info to share!
That’s what I’m here for brother, I’m so glad that it helped!
Thanks for the content Brian. Positivity exactly when I needed it and I've got an overhead day tomorrow. Perfection
I'll be doing this next time I do OHP, thank you for the excellent information. My press has been slowly improving, but I think this has been one of my sticking points.
Great video as always Brian! Thanks for your help as always! Thanks mate
Thanks my friend!
Perfect timing. I'm on my way to OHP now.
I hope it helps!!!
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial definitely helped! I strict pressed 175 for three reps! Which is a rep PR for me.
Great video. Most videos on any lift don't discuss breathing. Gratitude.
Hey Brian, I have not watched your channel for a couple of years, you look and sound healthier than you did some years ago. That is really cool and this video gave some good practical advice.
Back to the channel. Been gone and needed to hear this reminder. Great advice.
This advice sounds amazing I'm definitely going to implement it.
Hey Brian, just wanted to say I’ve been using the minimalist program for the past 4 weeks and I can’t thank you enough for it. I’m about to start swearing by it because the gains are felt and most definitely measurable. As an example, my 1rm for bench was 185 on week 2, I’m now pushing 2 reps at 205. The simplicity of it all makes all the difference for me. Thanks again, keep up the good stuff 🤙
That is so great! I’m so glad it is helping!
Hope all is well. Glad to see a new video!
Glad there are videos still coming out. Thank you good sir for your time and knowledge.
What's up Brian? Good to see a knowledge drop from you.
Doing well brother! And thanks for checking it out!
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial any suggestions for neck strength? I've started spending more time on bjj and it is obvious my neck strength needs help.
Heavy farmers and rack dead’s as well as weighted carries. I’ve Heard some good things about the iron neck, but I haven’t spent enough time with it to have a real opinion
This was amazing. Thanks for sharing
Thank you, I hope it helps!
Ive been out on my feet a couple times. Luckily had the spotter arms set high and didn't fall back but forward where the bar/rack held me up until I came back
At WSM 2021 Bobby and Max passed out on log lift... It was intense. I would add streching lats before pressing, it helped me to increse max stric press by 5kg in 1 week and it helped a lot with lockout. Greatings from Poland💪😁
That will absolutely help! I mention it in some of my other ohp videos
Thank you bro I been using your tips with the axel bar aiming behind my head the Breathe and brace is the insane difference
Hi, hope you're doing well. Glad to see new videos and I'm currently going through your free mass program, thanks for what you do.
I’m a resident of sleepytown lol. I haven’t gone near the standing barbell overhead press for a while, might try again while being more aware of breathing
Great video as always!
I’ve passed out twice on one rep max ohps. Both times I was able to fling the bar forward prior to going out. Scary to wake up from that.
Great video and tips as always. Best wishes from East Texas! Too bad you dont have the footage from going to sleepy time in the past.
Man, I have a terrific story about going out on a 500lb front squat
Perfect topic , much needed and much appreciated , like how you lift , love how you fall 🤣🤣🤣
the blacking out fade from the edge was spot on lol
Is how you breathe really that important? Yes. Yes, it is. This video is excellent advice.
Nice video!
Thanks Edward!
Brother from the UK Brian thank you mate
I’m currently on Wendler’s BBB, so most my volume comes from 5x10 OHP @ 60% 1RM after a heavyish AMRAP.
I’ve found doing two reps per breath the be the best for moderate reps, and 3 reps per breath for higher rep stuff. In a set of 10, I normally do 4 doubles, then 2 singles.
That said, I’ve found planning my breathes before each set to be king. Like, thinking through when you’re going to inhale really helps structure my sets.
Thumbs up for 531. For all the hate it gets, it's brutally effective.
I tell people to try a full ROM pin press. If you can do the same weight for a pin press as your regular ohp, or more then that shows you have serious problems with breathing, and bracing under load.
Pin presses should be harder, not easier. However they allow you to breathe unloaded and reset to a strong position before each rep from the bottom. So if thats where the problem is then it will show you.
I prefer Press 1.0 just because of your straight forward tips on it, yes I lift less weight when comparing it with Press 2.0 , but I sure feel that my delts, triceps and traps are working more!
I have no idea what you’re talking about with 1.0 and 2.0 brother
they are the techniques in the stronglifts 5x5 program afaik, press 2.0 uses hip drive while press 1.0 doesn't use it.
edit: starting strength, not stronglifts 5x5
Finally thank you! I was having palpitations becuz i couldnt breath while OVHing 😅
Oh man, I’m glad it helped!
Damn, when you got that screen closing It brought memories lmao. Only time i almost passed out was in a deadlift day, for some reason i thought It would be ok to train my ORPM when I was 5 or so hours without eating
When will you make another wood cabin video??
Thank you very much i have gone from 15kg to 30kg using these
@2:38 it took me a moment to realize the green gymnastic ring was just hanging there and not highlighting the split squats going on in the background. 😂 Anyway, thanks for the great content!
I couldn’t believe the difference when I properly learned breathing and bracing from you. Before that I think I was just tensing my abs, results were not good.
The breath reset at the bottom of the bench press cracked me up 😂
My hero
Great vid!!
this video literally added 10 lbs to my OHP instantly
Give this man an oscar!
Thank you, sir! I would like to thank the academy
Hey brian, love your work. I have a question. I have a medical problem and the doctor advised against breathing and bracing because of the abdominal pressure but i wasnt able to find any other guide for a good breathing technique. Do you happen to have any tips for this? Even if its not as good as breathing and bracing.
Hope you see this messege (this time) and waiting forward to the next vid
I am sorry Darren but I do not. If you can’t create internal pressure outward with your ab wall, then I am not sure how you would get your core stable enough for brutally heavy weights.
I am sure someone in the industry knows, but sadly I have never heard of another way to create inter abdominal pressure without the breathing technique
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial thank you for your comment, i really appreciate it. Anyway i wanted to say you are a true inspiration and source of motivation. Lots of respect!
I really appreciate that brother and I hope you find an answer to your question soon!
How do you rebreathe when you are doing the OHP for reps? I see that you are exhaling two times and then inhaling? What's the reasoning behind this?
Digging the beard brotha
Im a big advocate of breath-and-brace, but how to convince pilates-trained people who say steady and continuous breathing is the best base to generate force?
Do you have to breathe only with your mouth? Or with the nose first and then with the mouth? I saw a video of you talking about it. Thanks for attenttion Brian.
This video got me to sub.
Great video, and barbarian lookin' barbell.😉😉😉💪💪💪
Very good tip, never though about it, but what about inhaling air on the way down? this is what usualy i was doing on push press or strict press 🤔
That’s a bad move brother. Keep them separate.
Is there any way to get rid of the darkness/tunnel vision?
Sleepy time PR!
Beard looking good 🥸
Is that the Home Depot axle bar?
The shaking and passing out😂😂
Isn't waiting at lock-out cheating the training? I was told you can't wait at lock-out, you must return immediately and when you're down you must press immediately. No pauses.
(I'm a beginner at fitness, had only 7 sessions so far).
Edit: also, I'm using the electric machine (EGYM), which decides the tempo for you, and it won't allow you to wait at the lock-out. It expect you to press a little faster and descend a little slower in a wave pattern.
There seems to be a lot of contradictory stuff online about the breathing. I've stuck with holding my breath for the whole set. I find it very hard to take a breath at either the top or bottom somehow.
Is that some scaffolding pipe for a bar ?
It’s called an axle. We use them often in strongman
Bearded Brian is next level
Happened to me the first...and so far ...the only time I pressed overhead...it's been 57 yrs...but the passing out demonstration is Hilarious...
I’m scared to OHP since when I’m pushing myself to the limit I strain my neck. Was out for over a month the last time 😢
What if you don't hold the breath and keep breathing ? I know you can mess up the lower back or herniate some disc, but some people do fine only by tightening the glutes even with decent weight for the OHP like 50kg, 25kg each dumbell. I also think that they should hold the breath to stabilze the core and avoid disc injury...
I breathe when I am lowering the weights toward my shoulder? Is that wrong... I am worried that if I do wrong form can hurt back
Breathing while lowering the weight to your shoulders is literally the worst thing you could do if you want to stay safe. Think of how an inflatable balloon holds weight. The less inflated it is, the less stable it becomes and the less weight it can hold. You want your torso as full as possible so that you can literally get a rebound out of the bottom because of how much air is stored there.
And just pay attention to how you pick up anything heavy in real life. You get a big breath, can you hold it as you pick the item up. You never exhale and then try to lift something Of any reasonable weight. It just doesn’t happen because your body is always going to protect his spine and that is how it does so
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial thanks for the answer. Is there some other alternative other than valsava maneuver to protect the spine during the standing dumbell shoulder press ? Referring to weights of 50kg total so 25 per dumbell not higher amounts.
Do you recommend a program or a weekly split to increase it? It's my weakest lift and I've given up on the exercise because I've never been able to do more then 150.
I have an entire video about how to program the overhead press in the playlist that I mentioned during the video, brother. Definitely check it out and it will give you some ideas
If you pass out and fall while over head pressing and no one is around, does it make a sound?
My front rack position in both OHP and front squats, sucks big doongs, what may be the cause ? Weak upper back ? Weak core ?
Yes and yes. Also elbow, wrist and shoulder flexibility. But I have tons of info out about this. Just search my name and front squat and you will get some really good ideas of how to fix it
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial omw to do that, but i dont ahve any flexiblity issues.
2:15 Great acting lol
Haha thanks Steve!
anything helps when i'm going for a PR goal of 135, thanks.
Beard looking great big brother Brian!
I wonder what he thinks about breathing only thru your nose. James Nestor has a book on it.
I am definitely a nose breather 99% of the time of life. But I really don’t know anything about James Nestor so I would have to read before I could give you an opinion
You did the booty O on purpose, didn't you? Good vid man.
why your bar so thick?
Front squats but you hold the bar just like you were about to OHP. What yall think ?
In the front squat or an overhead press involving lead drive, the bar should be supported by your shoulders, not in your hands like a strict press. If the bars in your hands, you’re going to have a very poor results compared to having the bar in a true from rack
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial Sir, you mean i gain nothing from that uncommon position and would benefit way more doing classic front squats ?
i missed u :(
It was only a week away brother. But I missed you too
My dumbass thought he highlighted the person in the background with a green circle for a second
If only that deleted footage still existed……
Brian is lookin like a mountain man.
W 💪
4:30 did you mean 'I'm' vs "you?" Lol
Yea…didn’t think too many people would even hear that haha
4:11... Have no idea what you were saying there. Please repeat.
"... Whether you're going for a one rep maximum, or multiple reps..."
I guess "i can say for sure" is the part you had a hard time with. And then what the other guy wrote
These guys are fluent in the Alsruhe mumble
That is creepy 🤣 I just did ohp today
1st
Sleepy time... rofl
who cares about blood and oxygen we're fre
(sorry passed out)
Haha
You lost weight buddy
Yea, heavy training isn’t a priority for me at this time in my life my man. Deadly diseases have a way of changing your body and priorities
@@BrianAlsruheOfficial saw ur deadlift sometimes… much respect.. 2 weeks again I’ve broken ribs…damn I missed training…finding a way to train with injury…
That pass-out was funnier than expected 🤣