Cardio training

[minimate15]

Hi all, I have been freediving for about a year now and almost always I am spearfishing. I can spear comfortably at 65ft but I can only stay down on bottom for 30-35 seconds. I am looking for some basic exercises to help me improve my bottom time( not depth, I will gradually work deeper as my bottom time increases). I am wondering if I should start doing Cardio workouts again because after wrestling season ended, I haven't done too much cardio and def none on a weekly basis lately. So if anyone has any suggestions for some basic exercises I could do it would be really appreciated. I have looked through the training section of the forum but most of the conversations seemed over-my-head.. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[alexrom1207]

More cardio training causes you to have a lower resting heart rate = less oxygen used when holding your breath = more time underwater. From what you've said it sounds like cardio would be a good move. Some other subjects you may want to search into are: "The Mammalian Diving Reflex" --> this is a natural reflex of your body where it drastically lowers your heart rate because it recognizes that you are diving. (this obviously translates into longer bottom times) Meditation or Yoga techniques can also be useful because they also lower your heart rate. Anyway...kicking in the mammalian diving reflex, learning some yoga relaxation/meditation techniques, and doing cardio will all lower your heart rate while diving and will therefore all help you increase your bottom times.

[Erik]

I agree about cardio, yoga and relaxation training- all great for lots of reasons. To increase bottom time, I did dry static training to really get to know my limitations. This doesn't mean that a 6' static makes me a 6' spearo mind you, but gives me a better feeling that I know when I'm pushing it.... usually. Bear in mind that now you are entering the most dangerous part of the spearo's life- intermediate, pushing limits, chasing fish etc. I think that a 20 metre dive with 30 seconds bottom time is fairly reasonable and wouldn't push much more than that anyway. If I'm hearing you right: 30 seconds to get down, 30 seconds at the botom, 30 to get up? That's a decent dive in my books.
Cheers.

[Newbie_spearo]

Hi,

I'm also interested in ways to increase my bottom times, still haven't been out for a proper dive yet, but have been doing a bit of pool training. I've managed to swim 70m underwater twice, and can pretty comfortably swim 50m on a single breath. I do virtually no cardio training but I am lucky enough to have a fairly large lung capacity and low RHR, but I am struggling to find the time for cardio training. I still do a bit of resistance training and I think that helps a bit too. Where can I find a copy of Manual of the book Freediving: Underwater on a Single Breath? And I am also trying to find some info on yoga and maybe some dvd's to help with controlling my breathing. I must say that since I have consciously been aware of breathing properly I have noticed increases in my static breath holds.

Thanks

[Erik]

There are some world champions that do no cardio or weight training. Loic Leferme was one. But breath/body awareness and an ability to be patient and relax are paramount I think.

[minimate15]

Thanks for the responses Alex and erik. The 1:30 dive is really close to my average dive profile. I really would like to be doing solid 2:00min dives though. I will start to get on a regular cardio workout starting next week. Also I will look into the mammalian reflex to. I never really thought of Yoga as a way of lowering ones HR my mom has some DVD's i will try, if anything else it can't hurt. thanks again for the help guys.

[alexrom1207]

HAHA....yeah I never thought about Yoga until I started reading up about it on this site. All of a sudden I was looking into Yoga classes at my University and my friends were wondering what was wrong with me (since attendance at the yoga classes is literally 100% female). So your mom may look at you a little cross-eyed when you ask for her dvds, but I'm sure she'll understand...my friends eventually did.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by minimate15

The 1:30 dive is really close to my average dive profile. I really would like to be doing solid 2:00min dives though..

That's not unreasonable, especially if you're in reasonably warm waters. I do some 2:30+ sometimes even in the cold stuff I'm in, but usually I don't push that much and try not to get stuck on numbers! Actually last year my Suunto died and I dove all year with no guages at all.... pretty interesting sometimes.
Come back on here and report your progress amigo!

[SEDATE]

Kalimera Minimate
To inrease your bottom time you must try to inrease your sence mecanizm in your body .. You can dive in shallow around 4m.. an wait there ..and close your eyes..
if you start sense the water(sea water)..following start scaning your body.
i find out oneday the best thing directly concantrate diaphram muscle . i tried many things whatever you think. scan from toe to head or from head toe
you must find out what works for you it is the thing you searching.and it is the thing you need. .and be a very good friend with your diaphram.. Diaphram muscle spends more O2 , cos' it is red/white mixed muscle and after you fill your lung you also streched your muscle , too
i never done cardio exercise.. Because i do not know how to do.. but i do only running 1day/2days a week(i do not know it is cardio).. around 4km or 5km without stoping ..there is a hill side close to my house ..but there here many wild dogs and wild foxs below hill... it is so far from city center.. very clean and pure air.... Running makes my muscle hot(it ready to go!) i start streching around 10 minutes..
last summer my PB best was 7:39 min ..but after i broke my left leg i gave a biggggg break...
last week i tested myself after one week running and streching exercise .. how long i can hold my breath?.. i had great schock ..it was 4:00 min i had lost almost half of it..
i do only max hold after heating my diafram muscle 2 min or 3 min.. not directly going to max hold.. fisrt hold is till the first constarction.. second hold till the constarction+ 1min more... Last(3) max hold...it worked me before.. it will work again oneday.. i am sure
anyway the result was i can tell you that it was to bad ..it my body stoped me at 4:00min. it was not due to my 02/C02 level. .. it was .. i lost my mind control. everthing fly away.. i am afraid.. i thoug i am gonna get black out..i am afraid of when i entered second mode(dark side)
.... anyway my aim was to touch 10+ min.. But..i must re-start the engine botton!
There here many pro freedivers .. i bet you will learn more ..
As erik mentioned below many parameters effect your bottom time.. The real bottom time is the sign your body to return to surface ..
last word: i never forget the home made wines consist resin at KOS. it was so cheap like me who has no money (one of Dodecanese Islands)
Cheers!

Ps: don' t ask me why my english is toooo bad?... I really do not know..

[minimate15]

Hey erik, I dive in sout florida year round so most of my diving is relatively warm water. I did a co2 table and waited about five mintues to try for a pb to set like a base to improve from. i got 3:24min and felt pretty good afterwords. I think if i do a regular warm-up instead of co2 tables I could do better. Alex yoga sounds good for both the breath-hold and meeting many females...... sounds like a great combonation !!!!!!!

[Erik]

LOL, sounds good. I don't have much use for CO2 tables.

[demasoni]

Originally Posted by Erik

There are some world champions that do no cardio or weight training. Loic Leferme was one.

Do you know what were Loic's self-powered depth or distance achievements?

I looked around the net and only found his no-limits numbers.

It makes me wonder if a no-limits specialist like Loic could "get away" with doing no cardio or weight training as so seemingly little muscle is used in that discipline.

All the respect to Loic and may he RIP; I don't have much of an idea though...

[chrismar]

Dave Mullins (correct me if I'm wrong, Dave!) Does little to no cardio outside of Freediving itself and Will Trubridge only exersizes while holding his breath. Both fall into the high-performance, self-powered category.

Spearfishing is a different kettle of fish fitness-wise though. A bit of cardio would be good, though you could get away with none if you have time to dive a lot or spend plenty of time in the pool with big fins on, even on the surface only.