Breath Before Load

Bracing is a skill, not a reflex. Most lifters learn to hold their breath and call it tension. Real intra-abdominal pressure is a 360-degree expansion followed by a controlled seal.

Practice it unloaded: lie supine, exhale fully, inhale into the lower ribs and back, then hold and press outward against your own hands. That sensation is the brace.

Carry it into the lift only when you can reproduce it three times in a row without a chest rise. Load rewards precision, not effort.

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