EXTREME Headache During Leg Presses

[MonStar1023]

As many of you know I have not trained my legs in around a year and a half or probably longer.. well yesterday I trained them.. I started off with smith-machine squats with only 270 pounds and only could go for around 8 reps. Then I moved onto leg presses with 565 pounds- right when I started like right after my first set I got this incredibly painful headache.

I have never in my life had such a pounding and intense headache. I felt like my head was going to explode. It just kept pounding. After I stopped leg presses my headache quickly went away and it probably lasted around 5 minutes total.. but those were the most painful 5 minutes ever!!

Anyone know what could have caused this or experienced anything similar?

 

[DaCypher]

The only thing I could think of is make sure you're breathing properly. I know this is somewhat of a elementary concept but sometimes when doing new exercises you tend to concentrate on form so much you forget about other things. Other than that, I don't know why that particular exercise would cause such pain...

 

[Blood&Iron]

It's your breathing. You're probably doing the old val salva manuever, i.e. exhaling against a closed epiglottis. Usually this happens if you're grunting, etc. I did this when I first started lifting and would get an intense throbbing, headache. Breath properly and the problem should subside.

 

[MonStar1023]

Alright thanks guys.. I usually always concentrate on my breathing too really making sure I exhale on the postive and inhale on the negative.. thats the right way to breathe isnt it?

 

[DaCypher]

MonStar,
That is correct.

 

[JohnnyHollywood]

Everyone who posted was right That happened with me the first time I hit heavy leg presses and it still happens from time to time when I get too psyched. Just make sure to breath and you'll be cool

 

[px1138]

DUDE, I thought that was only me! Thats why I stopped leg pressing, I got such immense headaches I would feel dizzy, and it would totally fuck up the rest of my workout. I tried controlling my breathing, didnt do anything, but maybe I didn't try hard enough, who knows

 

[the People's Champ]

you did say that you haven't trained your legs in a year or so, so maybe your body took a while to get used to the movement, i.e. blood flowing to the legs reducing bloodflow in the brain? I dunno, just thought I'd throw that out there, be it true or not.