How To Brace Correctly and Build IAP
How to correctly brace during your lifts and build intra-abdominal pressure
Have you heard the common saying, “I can’t feel my core switching on when I am lifting, maybe I need to do more core work?”. Or have you ever felt like different body parts were taking more of the strain during a lift, i.e., your back during a deadlift? Other than the obvious technique flaws that could be contributing to these symptoms, your bracing could also be a weak link.
Before we talk about how to brace and the mechanics behind a proper brace, let’s outline what intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is and how it is created. Intra-abdominal pressure is the pressure created inside the abdominal cavity to say the least.
How is intra-abdominal pressure created?
It is created through the contractions of the muscles surrounding the abdominal cavity/wall against a closed airway. These muscles include the diaphragm which sits higher up under the lungs, the pelvic floor musculature which is lower around our hip and sacral area, our posterior chain musculature (i.e., latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum etc.) and our anterior chain musculature (i.e., rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, internal and external oblique etc.). When these muscles contract, they increase the pressure inside the generally fixed volume abdominal cavity by decreasing the available space and producing pressure against a closed airway,
The analogy I like to use to demonstrate this effect is the coke can analogy. All rights are reserved to the owner for this photo - thanks for saving me the time!
Coke Can Analogy
Imagine our stomach like a coke can, it is a 3D representation of how the liquid inside is stored (in our case, a 3D representation of how air is stored in our body). When we brace, if we let our air out too early on a lift or don’t brace at all, this is like opening the lid (open airway) on a coke can and then jumping with all our weight onto the can. The liquid would evidently pour out in a fast fashion and damage the structural integrity of the can right? Now, imagine if that can was not open, and we tried to jump on the can, nine out of ten times that can will be able to hold our full force due to the pressure build up in the can from the surrounding structures creating a more structurally sound object. This is just like our abdominal space, if we brace correctly, and build our intra-abdominal pressure against a closed airway, regardless of the weight that we are lifting (relative to your strength levels, of course), we will be able to maintain a safer and more effective torso position and force production (Blazek et al., 2019).
Now the big question is how do we brace like this?
Most commonly, when most lifters try to brace the main focus is on the inhalation (breathing in) rather than the exhalation (breathing out). When we are bracing, it is about building as much pressure under load as possible without letting air out - that can be the basic definition of bracing if you like. When we breathe in, we expand our rib cage and with slight thoracic (upper back) extension, meaning we are increasing the volume in our intra-abdominal space. Now thinking back to before, we are trying to minimize the space whilst contracting the surrounding muscles to create as much pressure and force as possible, so why would we inhale and enlarge the area? Just as you are now following, we focus on the exhalation, but not as you may have thought (Kawabata, Shima, Hamada, Nakamura & Nishizono, 2010).
The aim here is to take a large breath into your diaphragm (belly breathing) and try to breathe out without actually letting any air out (Valsalva Maneuver). I know this sounds a little counter-intuitive, but bracing is an isometric exercise to build force against a closed airway. The demonstration I use to understand what it is meant to feel like, is to imagine that just before you are about to cough, you take a breath in and try to build pressure before performing a cough. Now do the same, but don’t cough and hold that pressure! What this achieves is a slight thoracic flexion to minimize the total volume in the intra-abdominal cavity.
How to brace for your main lifts
When it comes to squatting and deadlifting, there are a few ways to brace depending on what you find most comfortable. This may be bracing in between each repetition or holding your breath for multiple repetitions. This depends if you can adjust to the pressure being built not just in your abdominal cavity but also in the cranium (head). I teach bench press bracing slightly differently due to the principles outlined with the coke can analogy. We are at a significantly more disadvantageous anatomical position when benching versus deadlifting or squatting (upright position which is more beneficial for functional residual capacity (FRC) i.e. the volume of air left in our lungs at the end of a normal exhalation). Due to this reason, I like to hold my breath for as long as possible (and as long as it is safe) to keep building that pressure inside the coke can. Each repetition I can hold my breath is like jumping harder and harder on the coke can to build more pressure → thus more pressure → more strength and stability. This is not for everyone, and you may find it more optimal to brace in between repetitions or only brace for 2-3 repetitions at a time, find what works for you!
When we brace as described in this blog, it will naturally raise our blood pressure due to the contraction of muscles and their impact on blood vessels. This is a nice segway into some precautions/contraindications to bracing as described. I wouldn’t recommend a maximal brace to anyone that is pregnant, has uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled intracranial pressure, previous stroke/s or any medical condition that isn’t controlled or advised to by your doctor.
Keep an eye out for exertional headaches post training and also consistent epistaxis (blood nose) throughout the week, or even during/post your set (Pinto, Tadi & Adeyinka, 2022).
I hope you have enjoyed this chat on how to brace properly and if you have any questions, feel free to link up through my socials!
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Physio,
Andrew
References:
Blazek, D., Stastny, P., Maszczyk, A., Krawczyk, M., Matykiewicz, P., & Petr, M. (2019). Systematic review of intra-abdominal and intrathoracicpressures initiated by the Valsalva manoeuvre duringhigh-intensity resistance exercises. Biology Of Sport, 36(4), 373-386. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2019.88759
Kawabata, M., Shima, N., Hamada, H., Nakamura, I., & Nishizono, H. (2010). Changes in intra-abdominal pressure and spontaneous breath volume by magnitude of lifting effort: highly trained athletes versus healthy men. European Journal Of Applied Physiology, 109(2), 279-286. doi: 10.1007/s00421-009-1344-7
Pinto, V., Tadi, P., & Adeyinka, A. (2022). Increased Intracranial Pressure. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482119
