[wes]

Last winter when I was training lots of static tables my epiglotis would "tire out" toward the end of the tables and I would have to hold the air with my lips in my mouth. My epiglotis muscle got stronger after a while and I could do whole hold just with that. My advice would be to keep practicing holds and your epiglotis will get stronger (just like any muscle). Also if you swallow during the static it can tend to "reactivate" a tired epiglotis muscle to hold more (though swallowing burns oxygen so try not to swallow at all if you are going for PB).

Cheers Wes