Headaches during benchpress and deadlift

[DerickVonD]

I've been getting headaches during deadlifts and bench presses. I know I don't have too much weight. On the deadlift I'm not 100% I have the technique right, but on the benchpress I do. I bring the weight to my chest then bring it back up. I don't have headaches during any other exercise, however the benchpress and the deadlift are the two exercises that are the toughest. I was wondering if I wasn't breathing enough(it's not like I hold my breath or anything though) and if anyone had any breathing tips or techniques.

 

[cmc]

So are you saying that you are getting an exertion head ache? Are the head aches very short lived?

 

[DerickVonD]

So are you saying that you are getting an exertion head ache? Are the head aches very short lived?

Well I don't know for sure, but I think I am. They are short lived and go away after the exercise, usually. Sometimes they last the whole night, but the severity of them goes down greatly about 10 minutes after the exercise.

 

[demetre]

are you squeezing your teeth together to hard?

 

[DerickVonD]

are you squeezing your teeth together to hard?

no. on the bench I'll usually breath in wile lowering the weight and breath out while pushing the weight up and I count out loud.

 

[demetre]

is there any other times in your life this has happened?? for example i used to get headaches when i got angry.

 

[DerickVonD]

is there any other times in your life this has happened?? for example i used to get headaches when i got angry.

Yeah, sometimes I get them when I am pissed off.

 

[demetre]

and suddenly there it is.....i had the same problem so your in essence getting angry at the weight to push it

 

[DerickVonD]

and suddenly there it is.....i had the same problem so your in essence getting angry at the weight to push it

Well I'm getting angry at other things (arguing with grandmom) then trying to bench press. Also I think it still happens even when I'm not really angry. Do you know what physically causes these headaches?

 

[demetre]

i believe when we get angry for some reason our muscles in our head put pressure on our brain causing the pain. chemically something could happen i dont know.

 

[BUCKNUTS]

Sounds like an exertion headache caused by? vaso-dialation? changes in blood sugar? if it's bad enough you should talk to your Dr about it to rule out any underlying physical cause.

 

[warsteiner]

Are you holding your breath when doing the exercises? Have a search on Google for 'valsalva maneuver' as it may be that you are subconsciously holding your breath. This happens for me when doing Bench presses some times especially when go for PRs.

 

[DerickVonD]

Are you holding your breath when doing the exercises? Have a search on Google for 'valsalva maneuver' as it may be that you are subconsciously holding your breath. This happens for me when doing Bench presses some times especially when go for PRs.

I did search it, but I can't find a very detailed site about it. I am breathing yet still getting headaches, they are probably stress headaches. I can not be unstressed I argue with my grandmom everyday, so everyday I workout I am stressed.

 

[cmc]

It is very hard to state the cause of a head ache. Even doctors have a hard time doing so. I'm leaning towards it being some form of an exertion headache which usually comes on during activities as such or comes on when coughing, taking a dump, sometimes sneezing, etc. As a side note, make sure that you are staying well hydrated by drinking enough water as most people are dehydrated. Just being an thlete and working out in the gym, your water intake should be very high. If you dont have a good source of "clean" water, buy distilled water ....believe it or not, distilled water is much better than all tap waters and a lot of bottled waters combined.

 

[suncloud]

It is very hard to state the cause of a head ache. Even doctors have a hard time doing so. I'm leaning towards it being some form of an exertion headache

i think you're right. another possibility is its a stress/tension headache. if you're not sleeping well, that's the first area i would tackle. then you need to find out something you like doing, and do it. it could be writing, or reading, or whatever - just find it and do it - you'd be amazed at how stress wreaks havoc on your system.

 

[DerickVonD]

i think you're right. another possibility is its a stress/tension headache. if you're not sleeping well, that's the first area i would tackle. then you need to find out something you like doing, and do it. it could be writing, or reading, or whatever - just find it and do it - you'd be amazed at how stress wreaks havoc on your system.

Oh, I know. I've passed out before.

 

[j3ffbeck]

Heavy lifting will cause a temporary spike in blood pressure during the exertion, so that could have something to do with it. Combine that with stress in other aspects of life and I think it could become more dramatic. Either way it seems like your body is trying to tell you something and you should probably take BUCKNUTS advice and talk to a doctor just to be safe. You don't want to stroke-out in the middle of benching one day a couple years down the road.

 

[DerickVonD]

Heavy lifting will cause a temporary spike in blood pressure during the exertion, so that could have something to do with it. Combine that with stress in other aspects of life and I think it could become more dramatic. Either way it seems like your body is trying to tell you something and you should probably take BUCKNUTS advice and talk to a doctor just to be safe. You don't want to stroke-out in the middle of benching one day a couple years down the road.

Well a couple years down the road, hopeflly I'll be living somewhere else where I'm not stressed all the time.

 

[TravisG]

also try taking in some protein and carbs before you go lift. if you have and empty stomach when you go lift youll get a headache from low blood sugar while youre lifting.

another thing is to breath while youre lifting. exhale at the bottom inhale at the top.

also be sure youre drinking enough water. dehydration headaches come common with lifters in the summer. and anyone for that matter. try to drink a gallon a day. scratch that. DRINK A GALLON A DAY.

hope this can fix the problem

 

[DerickVonD]

also try taking in some protein and carbs before you go lift. if you have and empty stomach when you go lift youll get a headache from low blood sugar while youre lifting.

another thing is to breath while youre lifting. exhale at the bottom inhale at the top.

also be sure youre drinking enough water. dehydration headaches come common with lifters in the summer. and anyone for that matter. try to drink a gallon a day. scratch that. DRINK A GALLON A DAY.

hope this can fix the problem

Well I do drink atleast a gallon a day, not all at once of course. I always have water near by when I workout. There might be something to the low blood sugar thing though. Usually I'll workout about an hour to two hours after I eat. Sometimes though I'll workout before dinner and then eat a ****load.

 

[TravisG]

try taking in about 15-20 grams of protein and a piece of fruit about a half hour before you lift. give that a shot and see if it helps with the headaches and light headedness. it should help your blood sugar stay level throughout your workout.

 

[rdugan95]

Although you may appear to be benching correctly, there are things we all do unconsiously while benching, You might want to try perfecting your breathing techniques, not saying you are holding your breath which you said you weren't, but maybe try taking a nice big breath when you bring the weight down, nice and slowly, and breath out as you slowly bring it back up. If this reduces the amount of reps you are able to do, it shouldn't matter too much because you'll be going slower and with better technique, so you'll end up better off in the long-run and when it becomes second nature to have perfect technique you can pick up the pace. GOOD LUCK BUDDY, GET BIG.

 

[Army Guy]

Dude it seems that you have tried most of these suggestions. You are 21, go get blood work done and talk to a doc. Fix this now before you get any older and you damage something permanently.

 

[DerickVonD]

Dude it seems that you have tried most of these suggestions. You are 21, go get blood work done and talk to a doc. Fix this now before you get any older and you damage something permanently.

I had blood work done recently to check my blood sugar and it came back 91 normal. This test was done after I fasted for 12 hours.

 

[jim623]

I agree with j3ffbeck. From time to time I do get a headache benching, when I do, it's usually when I,ve taken a fairly strong pre-wo stim. When it hits, check your pulse in your neck, I'd bet you can feel it thumping pretty hard. Increased BP.

 

[DerickVonD]

I agree with j3ffbeck. From time to time I do get a headache benching, when I do, it's usually when I,ve taken a fairly strong pre-wo stim. When it hits, check your pulse in your neck, I'd bet you can feel it thumping pretty hard. Increased BP.

I don't take any supps at all but cod liver oil. I really hope it isn't high blood pressure. I don't want to have to take drugs. I keep having a pressure feeling around my neck. I hate talking to my doctor about anything because he doesn't see the need for me to workout...stupid. Oh, I forgot I do take taurine, but only when I have an MSG attack. I don't take it as a workout supplement. However I have had to use it more recently. I think I read somewhere Taurine can lower blood pressure.

 

[l0ck]

Careful..

Careful those head-aches should probably be checked into if they keep happening..

That is exactly what used to happen to me a couple years ago when I would bench press on that pre-work out supplement: Redline. They would get pretty painful and even make me have to stop my workout for the day(nothing ever gets in the way!).. So that was the last time I drank a Redline, and it continued to happen a couple weeks after words.. One day when the head ache occurred I went and took my blood pressure and it was just insanely high. Finally, I went to the doc, he took my blood pressure and it was normal, but I told him about my measurements and he gave me some samples of a high blood pressure medicine.. I took one after I got my next head-ache, and they went away, forever.. And I haven't got them since.. I still have the samples just in case it ever happens again though.

My point is.. other than i'm not a big fan of redline.. Is: If it's painful enough that it is stopping your workouts.. Then you need to go to the doctor. Makes sense to me.

 

[DerickVonD]

I might be getting headaches because I get hot. I have the AC on all the time, but I still get really hot even if the room is at a very comfortable level. I read somewhere ginger can help with exertion headaches. I took some ginger today and it seemed to help alittle bit atleast it helped the headaches go away when I took it right after I bench pressed.