I’ve noticed many weightlifters (“olympic weightlifters”)
open their mouths wide right before starting the lift. This made me wonder if there was a true
purpose to this practice or if people were merely mimicking what they saw in a
few experienced lifters. After
researching the interwebs and discussing the topic with a few credible lifting
sources, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a little bit of both.
O-Face with a Purpose
My research shows the wide open mouth just prior to lifting
has a legitimate purpose regarding breathing.
This coincides with what many advanced lifters have told me: that they
open their mouths wide to draw in a large, lung-filling breath. According to Greg Everett of Catalyst
Athletics,
the weightlifter should draw in a large breath just prior to lifting to
maintain “the structural integrity of the torso while under heavy loads”*. Stated as such in his article titled
“Breathing and Breath Control for Olympic Weightlifting”, Everett expands on
the need for a large, deep breath prior to lifting:
“The torso has only a single supporting structure along its height—the spine—on one side, and this structure articulates in all directions, requiring additional support to maintain rigidity. The weak point is the circumference below the ribcage in which there is no rigid structure tying the torso into the pelvis—this creates a compressible area into which the torso can collapse forward and to the sides….by filling the lungs, we increase the rigidity of the thoracic cavity, and we also force the diaphragm down, which compresses the organs of the abdominal cavity somewhat…the athlete will need to draw in as much air as possible, allowing the abdomen to expand and the diaphragm to contract, ensuring the lungs are able to fill completely; filling the lungs partially by only allowing the chest to lift and expand is not adequate.”*
In summary, lifters take a deep breath before lifts to
support their spine and pressurize the abdominal and thoracic cavities. The wide open mouth is done in order to
achieve the deepest, largest breath possible.
Reference the Everett article in the link under footnotes for more
information.
O-Face out of Mimicking
While there are legitimate reasons for making the wide
O-face prior to lifting, a handful of less-experienced lifters offered up
varying (and non-supported) reasons why they open their mouths wide. A few of the highlights include:
-It relaxes the facial muscles, a must-do before lifting
-It relaxes the shoulders before the pull
I’m not saying these reasons aren’t valid, just that I
haven’t found anything ‘scientific’ to confirm this logic in O-facing. More importantly, it makes me wonder about
just how much these less experienced lifters are truly mimicking the
experienced lifters, creating habits for habit’s sake and not understand why
they are doing what they are doing.
The point of this post is to not only educate my fellow
lifters about the O-face and what it’s true purpose is, but also to help
everyone think about why they do what they do with regards to lifting. Don’t be one of those people that just does
it out of mimicking; ask the lifter or a coach you trust about certain habits
before incorporating them into your routine.
A side story for fun: I once heard about a woman who always
cut off the end of her roast before placing the roast in a pan to put in the
oven. The woman’s young daughter noticed
this and one day asked, “Mom, why do you cut off the end of the roast every
time?” The woman told her daughter she
had always seen her mother do it and simply copied this preparation. Curious as to why exactly her mother used to
do it, the woman called her mother and asked why exactly she always cut off the
end of the roast. Her mother replied,
“It was because I never had a pan big enough to fit the entire roast.” Point of the story: don’t just blindly cut
off your roast…know the purpose because maybe your pan is big enough!
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