beginner with a few questions about apnea

[underwater72]

I just recently got interested in apnea. I went to a pool with my cousin and for fun we tested how long we could hold our breaths underwater. I was shocked to find out i could do 4 minutes and 5 seconds after only a few tries. Obviously, this is not much compared to what some of the pros can do. Still, I feel I am off to a good start, but i have no idea how to safely go about training. I know that pushing the limits underwater is very dangerous. But what about on land. Can i hurt myself by holding my breath so long that i pass out? What kind of a time frame should i expect to see significant improvement in? Are there certain techniques i should know about (diet, breathing techniques, etc.) I would greatly appriciate anyone willing to give me advice on this topic. Feel free to post on this message board or send me an email directly to my account. Thank you for your time.
adam
my email address is okcomputer17@yahoo.com

thanks again

 

[TNdiver]

You're right about pushing your limits underwater being very dangerous. As far as on land, if you pass out and fall over you could hurt your self, but if you are laying down you dont have alot to worry about. Usually its almost impossible for a beginer to hold their breath long enough to pass out at first, because your bodys trigger to breath is high co2 levels, not low oxygen (which is what makes you pass out). Because of that, at first most people cant hold long enough to pass out because they dont have a high enough tollerance to co2. use the search feature on the site to look up "tables". That should give you a good place to start. Good luck and have fun.