Blackout

[rivo]

(It was suggested that I post this here rather than in the logs.)

I guess I was a bit stupid. I power cleaned 81.5kg (180lbs) during a regular workout session. At this weight, I usually get a bit dizzy after letting the bar down but it usually goes away quickly. After the last rep, however, I thought I'd keep the bar in the rack position and hook it back into the squat stand. Long story short, I never made it to the squat stand. All I remember is waking up on the floor with a few people trying to stop my temple from bleeding. Apparently, I had simply collapsed with the bar on my shoulders. Only my choice of plates (the large ones) kept worse things from happening. Still spent the rest of the day at the hospital. Nothing very serious except for that cut close to my left eye.

I had never fainted in my life before so I simply overestimated what I could still do in that state right before blackout. I know this topic has been discussed a lot before but I thought I'd share this anyway. My advice would be to finish up whatever rep you're doing when you're getting dizzy, then take a short break.

If you have any advice on how to avoid this - if it can be avoided at all (I understand it's a side effect of the Valsava maneuver) - I'd like to know, of course.

[RussB]

(It was suggested that I post this here rather than in the logs.)

I guess I was a bit stupid. I power cleaned 81.5kg (180lbs) during a regular workout session. At this weight, I usually get a bit dizzy after letting the bar down but it usually goes away quickly. After the last rep, however, I thought I'd keep the bar in the rack position and hook it back into the squat stand. Long story short, I never made it to the squat stand. All I remember is waking up on the floor with a few people trying to stop my temple from bleeding. Apparently, I had simply collapsed with the bar on my shoulders. Only my choice of plates (the large ones) kept worse things from happening. Still spent the rest of the day at the hospital. Nothing very serious except for that cut close to my left eye.

I had never fainted in my life before so I simply overestimated what I could still do in that state right before blackout. I know this topic has been discussed a lot before but I thought I'd share this anyway. My advice would be to finish up whatever rep you're doing when you're getting dizzy, then take a short break.

If you have any advice on how to avoid this - if it can be avoided at all (I understand it's a side effect of the Valsava maneuver) - I'd like to know, of course.

I've never had this happen but I know Rip says it's usually a result of the bar against the neck. It's called vasovagal syncope I believe. And it seems like it's common. Did you see this thread?

I've definitely felt light headed from standing up quickly after a power clean set.

I do not have any advice on how to avoid it.

[Corrie]

I get it occasionally from deadlifts and at the rack on a PC and the only thing that helps is paying very close attention to my breathing. As soon as you feel your vision starting to go and the dizziness coming you need to exhale all your breath and take a nice deep breath in.

I have anxiety and one thing I do without noticing is hold my breath. I've gotten good at noticing when the pre-syncope symptoms start to come and I immediately get a nice deep breath in, breathe all my CO2 out and then another deep breath. Remember to breathe deep. If you breathe too shallow you will not expel all the CO2 in your lungs and it will ont be nearly as helpful.

[ecj]

I've found that the best way to prevent this is to take a knee. Something about getting your head lower maybe? If I'm dizzy after DLs, I just drop to one knee and breath normally, and it goes away in seconds.

[Tamara Reynolds]

The key is just what you said. NEVER fight it. As soon as you feel it, dump the bar.

In terms of preventing it, I have never figured that out. I'll go weeks without it happening and then it will happen all of a sudden.

[Charlie Davies]

Got the dizzies today a few times power cleaning, always on the first rep of a set of 3.
Like ecj & TBone said, setting the bar down (lowering my head) quickly cures it.

I have a cold today, I wonder if that's why it's worse than usual?

Since its always the first rep, I bet there's some warmup I could do that would prevent it.
I.e. a couple bodyweight squats before grabbing the bar.
I'll try that next time.

[Sal Webber]

(It was suggested that I post this here rather than in the logs.)

I guess I was a bit stupid. I power cleaned 81.5kg (180lbs) during a regular workout session. At this weight, I usually get a bit dizzy after letting the bar down but it usually goes away quickly. After the last rep, however, I thought I'd keep the bar in the rack position and hook it back into the squat stand. Long story short, I never made it to the squat stand. All I remember is waking up on the floor with a few people trying to stop my temple from bleeding. Apparently, I had simply collapsed with the bar on my shoulders. Only my choice of plates (the large ones) kept worse things from happening. Still spent the rest of the day at the hospital. Nothing very serious except for that cut close to my left eye.

I had never fainted in my life before so I simply overestimated what I could still do in that state right before blackout. I know this topic has been discussed a lot before but I thought I'd share this anyway. My advice would be to finish up whatever rep you're doing when you're getting dizzy, then take a short break.

If you have any advice on how to avoid this - if it can be avoided at all (I understand it's a side effect of the Valsava maneuver) - I'd like to know, of course.

I have a lot of experience with G-LOC and I always tolerated high G better when I was completely hydrated. So, hydration would be the first place to start. I know it's different but I think the feeling is similar. I have never passed out completely in the air or in the gym but I have had the same feeling as an impending G-LOC during a lifting session. It happened after a big (for me) C&J. I relaxed everything as I was dropping the weight and was undoing my belt before the weight hit the ground. The familiar gray edges started to close in and not long after that it was like I was looking through a straw. I took a knee before I passed out. I was dizzy and it immediately reminded me of flying high G aerobatic maneuvers. The key to staying awake in the air was timing your breathing with the maneuver...as in don't breathe out until the maneuver is over.

So now, I just make sure to count to two after I unload a big weight before I relax my stomach and back, and start taking the belt off. I haven't seen any more problems since I added this little step.

[rivo]

This seems to make sense. I'll try that.

I thought about the bar-against-the-neck thing, too, but I don't think it was the problem here. I didn't have the bar pressed against my neck much. Also, I do front squats at about the same weight and while they seem "dangerously" close to my neck, I've never even gotten close to fainting. It does make me think, though. If fainting is common with front squats as Rip says, that can be quite dangerous. I'd say at least make sure you're always using the largest plates.

[Manimal]

I dont have a problem with any lift but pressing. As soon as I unrack the weight i start getting fuzzy, and it will continue to do so until i breathe. I have to sit and breathe for about 10 seconds while everything goes back to normal. Then I can valsalva and complete the set like normal. The 1 time i did pass out I got lucky and caught it soon enough to where I was able to rerack the weight. Somehow I passed out holding onto the bar in the rack and never let go, so I had no injuries.