Unlock more power with intra-thoracic pressure.
Last updated on July 22nd, 2025
In mid-July 2025, French champion powerlifter Panagiotis Tarinidis addressed a too-often overlooked aspect of bench pressing: breathing mechanics. Improper breathing can significantly limit upper body strength and technical efficiency.
Breathing while lifting involves adequate oxygen intake and generating better positioning for more power. Tarinidis asserted that proper breathing is a game-changer.
If you’re properly using this technique, I’m sure you’ll feel a night and day difference on your bench press.
—Panagiotis Tarinidis
Mechanics Behind Proper Breathing
The foundation of effective bench press breathing technique is thoracic expansion (i.e., lifting the chest). When the rib cage is lifted in a high and open position, it achieves two critical things:
- Reduces Bar Travel
- Increases Chest Engagement
This enables heavier loading, increases mechanical tension — a driver of size and strength — and enhances the pec stretch. (1) Creating intrathoracic pressure creates a natural back arch by pressing the shoulders down into the bench, providing stability through sticking points at the weakest part of the lift. (2)
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Technique Execution
- Stand and Practice First: Imagine your chest is a balloon and fill it with as much air as possible.
- Unrack, Stabilize, Then Breathe: Before the descent, inhale deeply through the nose and hold it as the bar travels down, mimicking the Valsalva maneuver, which “involves forceful exhalation against a closed glottis…to increase intrathoracic pressure.” (3)
For those new to this technique, practice the lift one rep at a time to maintain form and breath control. Adding more steps to your bench may seem exhausting, but minor adjustments can pay dividends.
Adjusting your breathing might be the missing link to improving your bench press. Breathing is a strength tool that can unlock gains when applied with intention.
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References
- Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.
- Blazek D, Stastny P, Maszczyk A, Krawczyk M, Matykiewicz P, Petr M. Systematic review of intra-abdominal and intrathoracic pressures initiated by the Valsalva manoeuvre during high-intensity resistance exercises. Biol Sport. 2019 Dec;36(4):373-386. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2019.88759. Epub 2019 Oct 17. PMID: 31938009; PMCID: PMC6945051.
- Srivastav S, Jamil RT, Dua A, et al. Valsalva Maneuver. [Updated 2025 May 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537248/
Featured image: @thepanash on Instagram
