Static Apnea technique questions

[DiverTodd]

Hi gang,

Ok, so I'm almost a PADI Divemaster, but this whole apnea thing is still relatively new to me. I've been faithfully doing static apnea exercises (on my bed) daily, and the best time I've managed so far was 3:19.31 (on June 4). However, since then, my times have backslid, and I'm generally doing holds of just over 2:00 (yesterday was 2:33.45... not bad for someone who's just starting, but still!) Here's the training method I was using:

Relaxed, normal breathing for 5 mins, then, 3 deep breaths, full exhale on the last one, deep final breath, hold. After the hold, 3 full inhales, rest 3 minutes, then repeat the exercise, five times total.

Now, I'm not sure if this is even very effective (I was told this is "purging"). Yesterday, someone posted how to do a simple breathe up (inhale for a count of two, hold for two, exhale for 15). This is the first example of a breathe up I've found. I was trying this today in the pool (getting in full, lower and upper breaths on each inhale), and I found that as I relax into it, it gets easier to do longer and longer exhales, and hold briefly at the bottom. With the breathe up, I managed to do a dynamic of 51 yrds, 3 full lengths of the 17 yrd pool, with mask/fins (and that's as FAR as I'm pushing myself u/w, since I don't have a training partner and DON'T exactly want to risk SWB). Now, I'm wondering if I should just do breathe-ups for my static apnea as well, and forget the first method? I guess, once relaxed, I'd go into the first breathe up. And, if so, how many holds should I do in a session? I'm so confused! Also, in the pool, I'm not sure how long I was doing the breathe-up, but after several minutes, I still wasn't getting any oxygenization symptoms (dizziness, tingling, etc). I KNOW I'm taking full inhales, so it's aggravating. I guess I'm wondering, if anything, what I may be doing wrong, or could be doing better?

Todd

[DeepThought]

Originally Posted by DiverTodd

Now, I'm wondering if I should just do breathe-ups for my static apnea as well, and forget the first method?

There is no definite answer to that, I suggest you try every breathup a few times and see if it works for you.

Originally Posted by DiverTodd

I guess, once relaxed, I'd go into the first breathe up. And, if so, how many holds should I do in a session?

I would say atleast 3 for your level, maybe even more if you feel like every successive breathold is easier. Again, there is no exact rule, some find it exhausting to do more than 3 and other feel like they can keep going forever.
Another tip: try not to hold to your max on each breathold but instead try to raise the level of effort in each successive breathold. For example:
Hold 1 min, rest 2-3 minutes, hold 2 minutes, rest 3 minutes, hold to max.
You can do the same but ending your breatholds by level of difficulty (number of contractions for example).
Run a search on apnea tables, those are good example of a series of breatholds for training.

Originally Posted by DiverTodd

I'm so confused! Also, in the pool, I'm not sure how long I was doing the breathe-up, but after several minutes, I still wasn't getting any oxygenization symptoms (dizziness, tingling, etc). I KNOW I'm taking full inhales, so it's aggravating. I guess I'm wondering, if anything, what I may be doing wrong, or could be doing better?

Actually, nothing is wrong. What you thought of oxygenization symptomes are actually hypocapnic symptomes - symptomes caused by low levels of CO2 that us being lost due to ventilating too much (=hyperventilation). Be warned that not getting those symptomes does not necessarily mean you are not losing too much CO2.

It sounds too me like you are training quite a lot, maybe every day?
Giving your body some rest time is also important.

[Anaerobic Assaf]

Well, I wrote a long answer and then I saw that DeepThought wrote the same thing J

I guess that you use Bill Stromberg method from the ApneaMania web site. I found it too aggressive for me (especially on a daily base). Like in your case, after some time it caused me a regression. Try to use the method that DeepThought mentioned.

Assaf