Squatting and Getting Out of Breath

[Metal_Fingers]

I am currently in Week #6 of Bill Starr's 5x5 and today's workout looked like:

140x5
175x5
210x5
250x5
285x5
(all ATG)

However, for the first time, I was so out of breath during the set of 285 that I had to stop, catch my breath and then finish the last two reps. Usually when I am finished with an exercise, I am exhausted, but never before have I had to stop. Is this something that is usual or does this mean I need to hit the treadmill abit more?

When I see other people squat they aren't a sweaty mess like I am (not overweight/fat)

[soloskater1]

it means you're doing it right...

[ChrisW16]

Try increasing you rest periods and/or breathing correct.

[Metal_Fingers]

Try increasing you rest periods and/or breathing correct.

I have been breathing all the way down and exhaling all the way up.

[cjdelaney]

I am currently in Week #6 of Bill Starr's 5x5 and today's workout looked like:

140x5
175x5
210x5
250x5
285x5
(all ATG)

However, for the first time, I was so out of breath during the set of 285 that I had to stop, catch my breath and then finish the last two reps. Usually when I am finished with an exercise, I am exhausted, but never before have I had to stop. Is this something that is usual or does this mean I need to hit the treadmill abit more?

When I see other people squat they aren't a sweaty mess like I am (not overweight/fat)

I wouldnt worry about it too much. nobody ever said you have to knock out every rep in rapid succession. Squatting should leave you pretty smoked. the reason you see other people not sweating when they squat is because they are doing 1/4 squats with 135 pounds.

[sickonstorm]

I am currently in Week #6 of Bill Starr's 5x5 and today's workout looked like:

140x5
175x5
210x5
250x5
285x5
(all ATG)

However, for the first time, I was so out of breath during the set of 285 that I had to stop, catch my breath and then finish the last two reps. Usually when I am finished with an exercise, I am exhausted, but never before have I had to stop. Is this something that is usual or does this mean I need to hit the treadmill abit more?

When I see other people squat they aren't a sweaty mess like I am (not overweight/fat)

wow your 6'7??/ thats awesome son. el oh l.
whats your 1rm squat?

[BiggerTommorow]

I have been breathing all the way down and exhaling all the way up.

personally i find taking in a big breathe to my stomache and holding it until i finish the rep, then exhale and take some breaths then repeat. When doing maximal effort 5 reps.

[Metal_Fingers]

I wouldnt worry about it too much. nobody ever said you have to knock out every rep in rapid succession. Squatting should leave you pretty smoked. the reason you see other people not sweating when they squat is because they are doing 1/4 squats with 135 pounds.

Well, I dont really compare myself to those types of people. I was just basing my observations off of people that are squatting 225 at my gym. They are done, you can tell, but they are sucking on air like they just sprinted a mile.

wow your 6'7??/ thats awesome son. el oh l.
whats your 1rm squat?

I dont do 1rm. I started Bill Starr's 5x5 during spring break (March) and have just kept up the progression till today. Before starting the 5x5 I was pushing 225 with terrible form, using back, not going 90 degrees, ect. In march I started from scratch, found out ATG is easier on the back, stuck out the chest and drove with the legs. Today was a personal best in terms of reps. Last week I did 285x3 (friday) today was 285x5. My goal (since I started squatting) is 315, and I am on pace to hit that when I finish the program.


No doubt squating is hard if your tall, but I really haven't had any problems yet. I saw this video a while ago with kobe hitting 405 with chains for reps (not sure if dummy weight or not), but I think it proves tall people can get it.

[Norse1308]

Well, I dont really compare myself to those types of people. I was just basing my observations off of people that are squatting 225 at my gym. They are done, you can tell, but they are sucking on air like they just sprinted a mile.



I dont do 1rm. I started Bill Starr's 5x5 during spring break (March) and have just kept up the progression till today. Before starting the 5x5 I was pushing 225 with terrible form, using back, not going 90 degrees, ect. In march I started from scratch, found out ATG is easier on the back, stuck out the chest and drove with the legs. Today was a personal best in terms of reps. Last week I did 285x3 (friday) today was 285x5. My goal (since I started squatting) is 315, and I am on pace to hit that when I finish the program.


No doubt squating is hard if your tall, but I really haven't had any problems yet. I saw this video a while ago with kobe hitting 405 with chains for reps (not sure if dummy weight or not), but I think it proves tall people can get it.

Kobe can't sink 405 with chains haha... look at the highbar placement, and notice they only show the ascent . If they wanted to make him look badass they woulda shown him Sinking a heavy squat.

[BayPride]

I don't think a little more cardio (for cardiovascular fitness, not for calorie burn) ever hurt anyone. Being winded is sort of normal but not necessary. I would think you should be able to hammer out 5 reps without having to pause to take breaths. I've heard these refered to as breathing squats before.

[Metal_Fingers]

Kobe can't sink 405 with chains haha... look at the highbar placement, and notice they only show the ascent . If they wanted to make him look badass they woulda shown him Sinking a heavy squat.

I dont know, that was enough of a rep for me to believe it. And not to mention the dude has a 40 inch vertical so it isn't like his legs are weak.

Irreguardless, 405 would be an amazing goal and feat to accomplish.

[pHEnomIC]

Its normal i did 5x5 for about 3 months and i started to get killed on the intense squat sets, definitely ball breakers. Cardio can help some here, thats for sure. If you get caught up and cant progress anymore, time to start periodizing.

I don't doubt kobe being able to squat 405. Its not an insane number and strength is very inportant especially at the top levels of basketball, he is afterall one of the best players in the nba. That might be a fake rep in that vid but it isn't unbelieveable.

[ChrisW16]

personally i find taking in a big breathe to my stomache and holding it until i finish the rep, then exhale and take some breaths then repeat. When doing maximal effort 5 reps.

I breathe and hold until about halfway up, then exhale; take a few breaths and then repeat. I'm never winded (on a 5x5 program) at all using this way of breathing.

[tinyman5000]

i got out of breath walking it out

i dont feel bad for u op

[Mitsuomi]

i got out of breath walking it out

i dont feel bad for u op

LOL

[Hods]

you are doing it alright. you even figured it alright. running out of breath is not a sign to worry, it is a sign to hit treadmill more often, because you are lacking in stamina to keep up with those reps.

[wolfmagic7]

while in this case, you guys might be right. in some cases, you might not be. all too often, i find too many muscleheads and knucklehead forums giving dangerous advise without key disclaimers with every new post.

on another forum, the OP was saying what this OP is describing, said he was 'gasping' for air, gassed-out, needing fresh air stat, worried he may passout. he knows nothing about it is normal, yet is too embarrassed to talk about it, to hint at 'wimping out'. i can relate.

'gasping', and other related sensations, may not be the same as the 'deep breathing' related to 'pushing it' athletics and cardio. they're often not the same category at all.

giving a person on the verge of keeling over and getting sent to the ER, the same advise you give healthy folk is not just poor advise, its point blank shallow irresponsible and could be borderline liable.

people/athletes who know their bodies know if they 'suddenly' from one season/year to the next started gasping for air or feeling extreme muscle fatigue/burnout in 5-15min of easy warmups or on 3 flights of stairs they do everyday. they may have acquired a "condition" aka are ill at the cellular level and dont yet know what it is, losing time that might matter on intervention.

it could be mitochondrial dysfunction and more due to whatever myriad of reasons and most blood tests aren't likely to pinpoint it. if i do yoga pilates bike or squats in a class with 10 lb on a bar i repeatedly gass-out with legs trembling after 5-15min warmup, i take a break, do another 5-10min, then after total 25min i'm done 'gasping for air' pulse racing, jello legs trembling, quad burn. then my quads 'can barely stand/walk without grimacing pain' for 6-7 days (not typical 2-3 day soreness after serious exertion ex. 10k run). for me, none of that is normal and it ain't age. i am ex-infantry and high level soccer, played until 50 with age 30s, outdoor and indoor, when these hurdles and aches and injuries started getting excessive forcing me into gym/rehab/weights.

note: after my last 24 hr fetal position 'sciatica attack' in 2006 a yoga/pilates therapist GF saw L glute atrophy and L knee muscles not firing, and ever since L toes/ankle went off/on semi-numb and L calf twitching constantly. mid 2017 with a round of excruciating urgent care pain (erroneously labeled 'gout') overnight, my L toe box permanently went half crippled aka stiff toes with half the range of motion, making lunges and plank/jogging/yoga/sport impossible, i lost the motor control nerve-connection needed to contract/flex the L toes properly so started physio who theorized my tighter L ham might be culprit, then saw a pinch as possible contributor.

my L glute is 33% weaker than my R glute. the twitching weakness is spreading from L leg to both legs and arms. been seeing doctors for years, trying to convince something is up, but they are baffled as i pass all tests from stress test EKGs to neurological as 'normal'. spine/brain MRI is all that is pending.

it came on like tides, very gradually in ways, suddenly in others. that's how i landed here. i know something neurological is going on (as does my rehab physio as of 1/25/19 who will talk to my doctor), causing me measurable muscle fatigue/weakness and limbs/body to tremble (some days more than others) to a point i can't lift much at all, doors to enter stores are getting heavier and harder to open, feel winded on the stairs, etc.

gene SNPs could play a big role (if you dont know your SNPs, i'd look into it for various health/fitness reasons) where symptoms could be dormant/manageable for 25-35-45 years then toxins (air, food, water, media, people) are too much for metabolism/microbiome so you start to notice it more. when i think back, my fitness demise began 1 year after bootcamp 1987, by age 20 i knew something was up with PT in the reserves, by age 21 college coaches dropped me from offensive role to full back. its as if it was a reaction to military vaccines or from a head injury in 82. it could be any of these things aka today's 'gasping/trembling et al' might have little to do with today's workout or nutrition.

typical 'no pain/gain' advise to push through it or guilt-trip readers as is predictably advised in all weightlifter forums could kill a member aka no more deadlifts ever for the poor bastard who heeds such 'lift till you drop' advise.

if you're feeling wiped out/gasping/breathless with excess muscle fatigue/soreness or sweating too easily (compared to your norm), like me, you're likely to get the same symptoms doing squats with no weight on the bar. in fact, i would suggest trying that or half the weight just to test/isolate.

anyone who can't see a difference between A (robust health) and B (suboptimal) should not be allowed to give potentially deadly advise and sites that allow it should have a policy that prevents it or includes huge disclaimers when the gasping sucker who believes such advise pushes until they drop dead in a gym or 'mysteriously' outside it.

much of the good advise on these sites largely applies to 'healthy' people who do not 'gasp' for air as if suffocating with multiple symptoms at simple squats. just saying. not all heavy breathing is the same.

[Neion]

This post is like 11 years old! I hope they have figured it out by now