Getting dizzy on my first press rep.

[Nick Rodgers]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been able to find some posts from the past regarding similar issues with The Press causing dizziness or even fainting, though I haven’t really seen any fixes for it. I don’t have any issues on my warm up sets with this, but in my working sets the very first rep tends to make me dizzy and I will almost drop the bar, then get a crappy setup for the second rep due to being dizzy but the rest of the set won’t cause it. I have noticed that if I take too many deep breaths this makes it worse but I get a bit dizzy regardless.

For anyone who may have had this issue or known anyone who has, does this issue work itself out over time as the body adapts or has it been necessary to do something to minimize this? Wondering if I may need to take my press to 5x5 instead of 5x3 so that the weight can be reduced and make it less of an issue, or if I should stay the course and see if it just goes away. I also want to make sure it doesn’t get worse and end with me feinting if I’m not careful since I train alone in my garage gym and don’t want a barbell dropping on my skull.

This issue manifested for the first time when I hit 135 lbs and since I’ve also started to feel this as low as 125.

Thanks,
Nick

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're doing something wrong as you take the bar out of the rack. A good video would help.

[Nick Rodgers]

Appreciate the feedback. Did a full press workout yesterday but went out to the garage gym in my regular clothes and took this video with 3 singles each unracked separately at 95 lbs to at least get an idea for the form. Sorry for the view of my gut on this one.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

[KeithI]

There was a period of time when I was waking up at 4:30, taking a leak, drinking some water, and then going out to my shed and pressing within ten or fifteen minutes of waking up. I had a similar issue come up, plus greying vision, although it was usually on the last couple reps of a set. I don’t recall it being an issue with heavy singles. I started eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich before bed and it hasn’t been a problem.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Appreciate the feedback. Did a full press workout yesterday but went out to the garage gym in my regular clothes and took this video with 3 singles each unracked separately at 95 lbs to at least get an idea for the form. Sorry for the view of my gut on this one.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

When are you taking the breath before the rep?

[Nick Rodgers]

I’m taking a big breath and holding it and then pulling myself under the bar already braced. Then I only breathe at lockout between reps, but it’s only the first rep that gives me an issue.

[BareSteel]

Probably not the culprit for your dizziness issue, but don't forget to fix your gaze in one spot on the wall ahead. It seems like you're looking toward the ceiling at first, then ending up with a downward gaze at lockout.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I’m taking a big breath and holding it and then pulling myself under the bar already braced. Then I only breathe at lockout between reps, but it’s only the first rep that gives me an issue.

Your breathing pattern is not obvious from the video. We teach the breath taken before the unrack, bigger than the one you appear to be taking, and then a quick breath before each rep at the bottom.

[Nick Rodgers]

I’m taking as deep a breath as I can. I was actually wondering if maybe I’m taking too big a breath before bracing. I’m somewhere in the 30-35% body fat range last I checked so that doesn’t help with gauging the breath I would think. I’ll try taking another breath at the bottom to see if that helps next workout.

Yeah, I took a few months off and came back and caught myself doing that in the video afterward also. I should probably refresh my lifts by rewatching the videos for them.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you're taking a breath through your nose, you're not taking a big breath. And the size of the breath must match the load -- don't take the biggest breath on a warmup weight.