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Can't reach PB with normal breath up only while doing O2 table

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Marcela

Member
Aug 13, 2015
7
4
18
HI,

I have a question. I am a beginner freediver and my static PB was 3:10 a while ago. I started recently training with the tables set up to a 3 min pb, and I noticed that when I'm practicing the O2 table I can easily reach my last breath hold to 2:45 min. However, when I tried today to do a static breath hold to see if my PB was still same or better I was only able to get to 2:20 struggling. I did a normal breath up for about 5 to 7 min and the last two only 60% and then one last breath. Is there a reason for this? Should I be practicing my max breath hold after I have done the O2 table or is this dangerous?

Thanks for your help :)
 
I am no expert, and in my humble opinion (IMHO), there are more than enough people on here who will share their deeply held beliefs regarding the best methods/tables/techniques...so, here's my two cents...there are two tables usually used, O2 and CO2...since you haven't described exactly what you are experiencing when you can no longer hold your breath, it's hard to tell which area you need to work on...but CO2 tables are generally ascribed to an increased tolerance for Carbon Dioxide, hence lengthening the time until that "overwhelming" urge to breath hits. O2 tables increase your ability to still function in a hypoxic state...an insufficient of diffused Oxygen in arterial blood. So, there's a bit of a flip flop in order, based on what you have posted. You are working on a Static PB...so you need to increase your tolerance to the build up of CO2. I would actually suggest that you stop mucking around with tables and such and work on a nice, slow, deep breathup and hold...don't worry about the clock, just focus on the "when" certain things happen...your first spasm, the onset of rapid spasms, relaxing your throat and jaw, trying to find that calm center. Get yourself back to a 3:00+ hold time without trying to push with tables...then you can start with a simple CO2 table...and DB just published the first of a number of reviews on Training Apps that will help you out. Insofar as being dangerous...I assume you are NOT alone or in the water...you are laying or sitting comfortably, and you aren't cooking dinner or something...so dangerous? Probably not dangerous...but doing a Static PB directly after doing a table seems really counter-productive. A little like doing a marathon after running sprints up a hill...rest, recovery and assimilation of the new physical boundaries established through training is what you need to do. My PB static came after 12 straight days of training, followed by a three day rest and then I did 2 warm up Statics and then went for the big one..with a safety and a timekeeper. So my 7 minute + hold was after a bit of rest and recovery. Others have different results, but it can't hurt to build in a rest day or two...then see how much you've improved.

Best of luck on your training! Let us know what you find!
 
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^Agreed with John.^
Try a day or two off, max 3 days/week of hard training; just like any other sport, otherwise you'll overtrain and burn out.

My old method, developed before tables and experts came on the scene:
Have a few days off.
Relax, breathe, do first hold to max. Note time and double that number for your breathe up. IE: You held for 1:20 so you breathe for 2:40.
Then max hold number 2, note time, breathe for double that hold; IE held breath 2:10 then breathe up for 4:20.
Repeat until you hit your 4th hold. That's the max for a lot of people. Maybe count contractions on the last one as a reference.

No hyperventilating other than the last few breaths before each hold; just a few full exhales and a full lungs hold. Your body will breathe what it needs during the breathups. Naturally.
Have fun! It's a challenge but it should be fun too.
 
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Reactions: John B Griffith Jr
Awesome thank you guys! Yes I have been training everyday so when I went to try dry statics to see where my PB was I felt weird and air wasn't comfortable staying inside for some reason. I can sort of feel my lungs tired, so you are definitely right I need to rest, I was just getting very excited that the tables were getting easier and easier especially the O2 and holding up to 2:45 felt easy so I thought if my pb was 3:10 I could prob beat that no problem, but I learned my lesson...Take it easy! :) I will try your method Erik and let you know what happens.

Thanks again :)
 
^Agreed with John.^
Try a day or two off, max 3 days/week of hard training; just like any other sport, otherwise you'll overtrain and burn out.

My old method, developed before tables and experts came on the scene:
Have a few days off.
Relax, breathe, do first hold to max. Note time and double that number for your breathe up. IE: You held for 1:20 so you breathe for 2:40.
Then max hold number 2, note time, breathe for double that hold; IE held breath 2:10 then breathe up for 4:20.
Repeat until you hit your 4th hold. That's the max for a lot of people. Maybe count contractions on the last one as a reference.

No hyperventilating other than the last few breaths before each hold; just a few full exhales and a full lungs hold. Your body will breathe what it needs during the breathups. Naturally.
Have fun! It's a challenge but it should be fun too.

Hey,

So I did as you said I relaxed for few days and did static as you said and my first one being of 2:08', rest same time. Second one of 2:10' and rest same time. Third one of 3:03' and rest same time. And last fourth one of 3:40 wohoooo my PB was 3:10 'and for long time I couldn't pass 2:45'

So super stoked about it I pushed myself but i did look at the time and kind of screwed it coz prob could've gone longer.

Thanks heaps for the tips! :)
 
Hey that's great!
Just to be clear, the breathe up after should be double the time of the hold you just did.
So if you held for 2:08, then you should breathe up for double that time so 4:16.
However, I found that, for me, there wasn't benefit in breathing up for more than 4 minutes, ever.

So maybe if you were only holding for half that then you could do even more.
 
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Reactions: John B Griffith Jr
hahaha shoot I totally did I had in my mind but then ended up doing that... gonna try double the time see what happens. Thank you! :)
 
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