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CO2 table help/consequences

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Snifter

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Feb 27, 2017
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Hey all
I have been reading up on dry static apnea, have read several tables and have not found certain information I am after regarding consequences of doing co2 tables every day, exceeding 50% of pb and seeing my pb is a low 1minute 30sec would it be safe to instead of having a 2min breathe up and finishing with 15sec rest and having 45sec holds, if I were to have 22sec Breathe up and finishing with 15sec rest with 50sec holds?
And I forget am I suposed to only fill my lungs to around 80% or fill them right up?
Could someone educate me?
Cheers.
 
There aren't really any consequences. The worst case scenario would be a blackout, but blackouts by themselves inflict no harm to the body. They only pose a risk when you're in the water, but since you're on dry land you don't have to worry about it. Also it's very unlikely to blackout during a Co2 table anyway because of the high Co2 buildup. Not just unlikely, it'd be downright impressive!!

So with that in mind you can just crank up the numbers to whatever you can manage. Every time you do a table just make the hold period a little longer, until you can't finish it anymore. I think that the perfect table is the one that you can ALMOST finish ;) Try to do it with 1 minute holds next time, and if that's still easy then just keep increasing it until it gets hard. No need to change the breathe-up times, just start with 2 minutes and lower it with 15 seconds every round.

Furthermore you might want to consider getting some coaching. It's incredible how much progress you can make in just a few hours under the supervision of a professional. This is because simply understanding the physiological and mental processes during a breath-hold will allow you to make a large jump towards your real potential. A 1-day static course is likely to double your current PB.
 
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There aren't really any consequences. The worst case scenario would be a blackout, but blackouts by themselves inflict no harm to the body. They only pose a risk when you're in the water, but since you're on dry land you don't have to worry about it. Also it's very unlikely to blackout during a Co2 table anyway because of the high Co2 buildup. Not just unlikely, it'd be downright impressive!!

So with that in mind you can just crank up the numbers to whatever you can
My favourite kind of CO2 tables involve taking only one breath between breath holds. The holds will be quite short and quite uncomfortable. This means that you really keep a high level of CO2 for each hold. I think they are much more effective and will push you more in a shorter space of time, check this article about them:
https://wefreedive.com/resources/training/2-the-evolution-of-co2-training-tables
Cheers for that, The one breath between holds seems like something I want to try.
Is that a long slow exhale and slow inhale?
Like 10sec worth?
Also are you completely exhaling and then inhailing as much as you can?
Cheers
 
I agree that those tables with only 1 breath between holds are indeed very effective. Even more so if the breath-hold is after the exhale rather than the inhale.

However, I think it's important to consider the level of ability. This type of CO2 training is considerably more difficult/uncomfortable and can be quite demoralizing if done by someone that is not ready for it. That is why I always recommend my students to start with regular CO2 tables and later experiment with more demanding training methods such as this.

But to answer your question: just experiment. In general it's easier to in and exhale slowly, you only get 1 breath so stretching it out gives you a bit of a break from the exercise, but just see for yourself what works best for you. The exhale should indeed be full but passive (don't force out any air, just naturally exhale until it stops by itself). And for the inhale you can just choose for yourself how deep, it doesn't really matter that much in my opinion. Keep in mind that the whole point is that it's supposed to be hard, so thinking too much about how to make it easier seems a bit counterproductive.
 
I agree that those tables with only 1 breath between holds are indeed very effective. Even more so if the breath-hold is after the exhale rather than the inhale.

However, I think it's important to consider the level of ability. This type of CO2 training is considerably more difficult/uncomfortable and can be quite demoralizing if done by someone that is not ready for it. That is why I always recommend my students to start with regular CO2 tables and later experiment with more demanding training methods such as this.

But to answer your question: just experiment. In general it's easier to in and exhale slowly, you only get 1 breath so stretching it out gives you a bit of a break from the exercise, but just see for yourself what works best for you. The exhale should indeed be full but passive (don't force out any air, just naturally exhale until it stops by itself). And for the inhale you can just choose for yourself how deep, it doesn't really matter that much in my opinion. Keep in mind that the whole point is that it's supposed to be hard, so thinking too much about how to make it easier seems a bit counterproductive.
Thanks for that, You have been a great help.
Much appreciated.
Regarding breath hold after exhaling (just curious here) would not having much oxygen make you pass out? Or would that case be very unlikey and highly impressive?
Also after an exhale would'nt one have ridded their lungs of most of the CO2 there?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just very interested and have not found answers to these on the net. I tried holding after exhale about 2 weeks ago and only managed 30sec compared to 1min 30sec after inhale.
Cheers Thanks again.
 
Regarding breath hold after exhaling (just curious here) would not having much oxygen make you pass out?

Theoretically you would indeed pass out earlier than with full lungs, but the hold will also be significantly shorter so this is not a problem. Basically you reach the same level of difficulty in less time, making it a more time-efficient alternative. Also keep in mind that a large amount of oxygen is already in your blood when you start the hold and you could see the air in your lungs like more of a "backup reserve". Especially with shorter holds.

Also after an exhale would'nt one have ridded their lungs of most of the CO2 there?

It wouldn't make much of a difference for CO2. You have to exhale anyway, it would just be after the inhale instead of before it.

Exhales can be a powerful training tool, both dry and in the water. But as I mentioned before I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point, but rather as something new to try when you get tired of doing regular tables. I would also strongly advice against using exhales in the water without first getting proper instruction about it.
 
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