Squats Upping Your Testosterone?

Im sure i read about holding your breath during rep and pushing with stomach muscles from bottom of rep on westside site written by lou simmons.

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
Professor X wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.

Why do I get headaches?

You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.

I think you’re supposed to hold your breath during squats.

You thought wrong. Controlled breathing will prevent you from passing out. How is that a negative?

You can breathe at the top between reps. Anyone who thought I meant that you’re supposed to hold your breath throughout the entire set deliberately misread my post.

I know you think I’m wrong all the damn time. But I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who takes in his air before descending into the squat, and holds that breath until the rep is complete or exhale slowly on the way up. [/quote]

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.

[quote]shizen wrote:

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.
[/quote]

Just as long as you aren’t inhaling on the way down and exhaling on the way up.

[quote]shizen wrote:

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.
[/quote]

You should expect to feel a little lightheaded after a working set of squats regardless of the rep range.

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
shizen wrote:

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.

Just as long as you aren’t inhaling on the way down and exhaling on the way up. [/quote]

I just don’t see how that will work, you will build up pressure in your head from not breathing during the lift especially if your grinding it out. So your saying you can hold your breath for the entire squat for like a 20 rep squat session using your 10rm?

I know power lifters do the whole holding your breath in stomach, because it gives you a very tight feeling and can give you a better lift. Yet for a high rep squat not breathing controlled will just lead to huge vains in your face, and chance to blackout.

Your supposed to inhale at the top yes, but when your going up you supposed to slowly let all the air out not just at the top. You do it by pursing your lips and letting it out slowly not all at once during the lift or at the end.

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
shizen wrote:

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.

You should expect to feel a little lightheaded after a working set of squats regardless of the rep range. [/quote]

Yeah of course there is a big difference though from lightheaded, and nearly blacking out. I’ve seen people black out DURING a squat session because they were holding their breath, luckily squat cage saved them.

[quote]Airtruth wrote:
I love T-Nation I get to learn analogies and shit[/quote]

Glad it’s helping you, it certainly didn’t for me when the SATs rolled around.

[quote]shizen wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
shizen wrote:

Maybe for a maximum attempt, but doing this for high sets-like a bodybuilder- will lead to severe lightheadedness.

You should expect to feel a little lightheaded after a working set of squats regardless of the rep range.

Yeah of course there is a big difference though from lightheaded, and nearly blacking out. I’ve seen people black out DURING a squat session because they were holding their breath, luckily squat cage saved them. [/quote]

Can we agree that regardless of the reps, it looks like a good idea to hold your air from when you begin your descent to when you’ve gotten your ass above your knees? It looks like that’s what Platz is doing in this set and it’s also the point in the lift whenever Elite Powerlifters who make a good lift let out their air.

EDIT: I think the usual sound advice is to let out your air when you need to push through your sticking point.

I basically agree with this^^^, it works for me so far anyways. As I’m coming up, I find it best to start letting a little air out my mouth, then the rest once I complete the rep.

[quote]Dedicated wrote:
As others have said be careful as your increased squat work is the equivalent of 1 gram of test per week. You definitely need something to offset this high test. Try curls in the squat rack to counteract it.

D[/quote]

lol,

I typically cycle 12 weeks of squats with 4-8 weeks off…usually tricep kickback specialization or Pilates. Of course, if I know there’s no testing coming up, I’ll usually do a stack of squats AND deads. I lock myself in a padded room at night during this time though…don’t want to kill anyone.

Don’t hold your breath during squats unless you’re holding it for at least 20 reps. Otherwise you waste the intra-abdominal pressure.