Passing out

[RagingRandy]

Lately when doing squats on my last couple at high weight my vision is getting foggy and I feel like I may pass out. I have always had the typical red face and red bugging out eyes but this is new. I am breathing as I should or at least I think I am. I am not sure if this is an oxygen or blood issue. If I rest for about 10 seconds at the top for the last couple it seems to help. My max reps is 5. I think my body could push more weight but would like to work this out first. I do not take stims for my workouts except for the occasional espresso before hand. Also, BP is good and there is no head pain associated with the vision loss.

Any ideas?

[JacktheThriller]

breath more and dont squeeze the bar at the top it hinders circulation

[rickerred]

If you have not eaten in a long time period, you may feel lightheaded after exercise due to low blood sugar or intense exercise can cause your blood pressure to drop, which can make you feel lightheaded.

[cog]

If you have to pause for ten seconds at the top for the last few during a five rep set surely you are going too heavy.

[RagingRandy]

If you have to pause for ten seconds at the top for the last few during a five rep set surely you are going too heavy.
I have to wait for my head to clear not to rest.


If you have not eaten in a long time period, you may feel lightheaded after exercise due to low blood sugar or intense exercise can cause your blood pressure to drop, which can make you feel lightheaded.
Eating is not an issue. Squats are always done first so I am the most rested and fueled.

[razorsedge]

Ouch...if you go real heavy on leg press are you getting same feeling or even a bit light headed ....you didn't say you were so prob not meaning just when squatting..have you changed your technique or taken a jump in weight you are lifting or even your own body weight...and you said lately it has been happening...how long is That?

[RagingRandy]

Ouch...if you go real heavy on leg press are you getting same feeling or even a bit light headed ....you didn't say you were so prob not meaning just when squatting..have you changed your technique or taken a jump in weight you are lifting or even your own body weight...and you said lately it has been happening...how long is That?

I do not do leg presses often. I will give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion. My squat weight has jumped a lot. My body weight is about the same. I squat about double my body weight. I am trying to see if I can get my weights respectful enough to powerlift in the "old fat guy" division. This has been happening for about the last 3 weeks.

If it matters I lift raw, no belt, no wraps.

[razorsedge]

I don't know much about you or your wts but the fact that you made a substantial jump in your squat wt may be the cause of the dizziness but you should be very cautious as you may have a medical issue and thats a whole other game.

Sometimes when we squat we want to go for it all the time and your body just doesn't respond strength / size wise or like in your case....it doesn't want to go where you're taking it and you are on the verge of passing out.

I'm going to make a suggestion to you and its only that...a suggestion...as I have never encountered anyone who hasn't responded positively to this both strength wise and like in your case...achieved a comfort zone in squatting as a result of training your body this way....it allows you to train your body to know what to expect on those days and you may have pushed yours too quick...maybe...figure out your 1RM on squats and if you don't really know or want to go there...estimate conservatively and apply this formula squatting 2 times a week...


Workout 1: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 2 x 6 sets
Workout 2: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 3 x 6 sets
Workout 3: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 2 x 6 sets
Workout 4: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 4 x 6 sets
Workout 5: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 2 x 6 sets
Workout 6: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 5 x 6 sets
Workout 7: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 2 x 6 sets
Workout 8: 60% x 3, 70% x 2, 80% x 6 x 6 sets

Every second day you just get your sets of 2 in and every other day you are advancing by a rep a week for 6 sets...rest time on double day keep about 60-90 secs and of course more as you increase reps...your discomfort levels may subside as you are gradually shocking your body but the loads are still good...I will bet you $100.00 if we're allowed to do that here that after 6 weeks of this, everything about your squats will be better...including your max if you are working in the right zone and it may help you with the dizziness....if you decide not to, its a great off season workout for anyone to get their squats kick started if plateaued.

[Thorgrim]

I do powerlifting and a double bodyweight squat is respectable for an old fat guy with no belt. (especially if you are not using anabolics?) So you are getting to the level where you would be competitive.

If it is happening a lot I might back off a bit. Maybe time for a little more volume, give your body a break from the heavy weight for a few weeks. It is not uncommon to feel near passing out on heavy lifts though. Some of the guys I train with have mentioned feeling like they would pass out when doing max squats.

i have actually passed out while doing a log press.

I was messing with a log after my normal powerlifting training and had done 185 clean and press which was bw. I felt unstable breathing after the clean so I decided to hold my breath for the entire next rep which was 190. So I shoulder that one and then press and I am sort of getting stuck so I grid it until about an inch from lockout and I feel all my strength start to leave my body and my vision starts to fade. Luckily I had enough sense to start lowering the log cause the next thing I remember I wake up on the floor and everyone is wondering WTF happened. I am just lucky the log didn't land on my head.

So now I take a breath or two when doing heavy OH pressing.

I think that BP might get so high while holding a breath that the heart can't pump enough fresh blood to the brain.

[TT Eric]

Make a lot of sense!^

I never passed out, but came close often. My face and lips became purple when I was doing Arthur Jone's special HIT training for legs, a one leg press set of 10-12 rep but with10 sec positive, 5 sec negative (one set of 2.5 to 3 min) even though I was breathing normally (IIRC) meaning not enough blood to the head . Had often foggy and reduced vision (just seeing what was directly in front on me) when I was doing normal HIT technique, but I must say I was focusing on digging into real hidden deep strength like the strength one can have in extreme stress situation, doing this one more 'totally impossible' rep and doing it in a mental situation like if my life was depending on it. I have no doubt if you train like reaching 100% you feel like passing out. And as Thor said it's possible that not a lot of blood goes through the brain while giving 100%.

Eric

[RagingRandy]

Thanks for all the help. I just picked up a nasty flu\cold\bug. I will ease into this next week.

[tex]

i have this prob on occasion.....spotted/blurred vision, dizziness and sometimes ill get a lil blood goin out my nose.....i wouldnt be too worried as long as your bp is within range....this is a common issue when powerlifting as we hold our breath and push thru the belly.....

[TT Eric]

Hey Randy, are you feeling better ?

I'm bumping this thread cause I experienced the same thing, almost passing out on Squats, DL, Leg press... could happens maybe 15 times in a workout and it was not because I was pushing 100% each of those time. Really annoying, kinda blackout each time. I talked about it to my chiro and he found the cause right away : it was a rib that had moved and was squeezing some nerves, he was 100% positive it was the cause and he was right on, because after he replaced it (about 1 min to do), everything went back to normal, like a on/off switch! That was about a month ago.

Thought I could share if it can help.

Eric

[Skailes]

Hey Randy, are you feeling better ?

I'm bumping this thread cause I experienced the same thing, almost passing out on Squats, DL, Leg press... could happens maybe 15 times in a workout and it was not because I was pushing 100% each of those time. Really annoying, kinda blackout each time. I talked about it to my chiro and he found the cause right away : it was a rib that had moved and was squeezing some nerves, he was 100% positive it was the cause and he was right on, because after he replaced it (about 1 min to do), everything went back to normal, like a on/off switch! That was about a month ago.

Thought I could share if it can help.

EricIt's generally a good idea to go see your chiro once a month to keep everything in place so to speak, and this is also a problem I have had in the past and was fixed by a trip to the chiro.

[TT Eric]

I totally agree, I go see him each week because of a few compressed disks, but now I ask him to check the ribs also once in a while.

Eric

[RagingRandy]

As an update. because I am an "old fat guy" I decided that stressing myself that much was not worth the potential risks. So I am now doing a higher volume and lower weight now. I still do max lifts about once a month. They still make me dizzy. I am not progressing like I was but I guess I have to realize I am not 18 anymore.

I will book with a chiro as I have never done that in th past. Anyone know a decent one in the Barrie area?

[ubcpower]

How high is the bar on your traps?

[Wildo]

just throwing this out there but how is your diet.
specifically your carb intake.. i use to experience light headed, dizzyness after squats.. now its not so bad.. i believe its because my nutrition has improved.

[Skailes]

As you're starting to figure out you can't go extremely heavy all the time. So for sports like PLing it's good to periodize your training and then work back up to heavy singles and once you've accomplished your strength goal for that program you return to lighter weights for a while. PLing is extremely hard on the CNS and going extremely heavy and doing single/doubles etc all the time will have a negative effect on your body and strength....