Most people do indeed find dry statics unbearably uncomfortable. The absence of water, the position, being too warm etc. So that is one explanation for sure.
Another is that if you're doing hard fitness workouts while training apnea, you will most likely be still in recovery from your last workout when doing your statics. That will certainly affect your breath hold. First of all, your body is consuming more oxygen than normal, but also producing co2 and you might still have metabolites hanging around that make apnea very uncomfortable, at least if the workout was very hard.
It's not a big problem with light aerobic exercise, but if you do tough training, where you take your HR near max, such as fast jogging, intervals, etc, you will most certainly feel it.
And last, but not least, I'm guessing that you might be using some recovery drinks and such if you're on a fittness period. Consuming large amounts of proteins and fast carbs (which is essentially what those drinks are all about), is disasterous to static apnea. So if you are using them, try being without one for a few days and try again.
So try this:
-Make sure you have at least 1 full resting day in between your last fittness training and static training. And at least as much from the last dose of whey protein
-On the big day, eat lightly. Avoid huge chunks of meat, pastrys, candy, coffee...You know the stuff you should eat in moderation anyway
-Make sure you have at least 3 hours between your last snack and static training. And the last snack being very light (a fruit etc)
-Make sure you're not wearing too much clothing. Raising co2 levels will bring a overwhelming sensation of "getting hot" and it will get unbearable if you're wearing a woolen shirt or something. Preferrably just a t-shirt and hopefully se light pants as well.
-Lay on your back, eyes closed, concentrate on your breathing and feeling good. Only start your apnea once you feel fully relaxed and concentrated.
I'd be surprised if you get stuck at 2:00 minutes if you do this properly.
It's not uncommon to go backwards a bit now and then, but it's not a crisis either. It is usually a great chance to learn something new and progress even further. It's a cliche, but sometimes we need to take a step back to go forward...It is so very very true for apnea.
