Other workouts

[kevtron]

Just curious what types of workouts you all do, other than swimming, to help get in shape for diving.

I'm thinking about starting the p90x soon, though for reasons other than diving primarily.

So, for example: Are there a lot of runners out there? Maybe a lot of weight lifting? Yoga seems obvious of course. Anything else?

 

[bobdonny]

I train martial arts for about 6 hours a week over 3 nights?
but then I just eat more to compensate for lost calories

 

[Lil Dragonfly]

Mostly bike riding and the excercise bike

 

[shrek]

i swim and mountain bike for cardio and dive twice a week for breathold this gives me good alround fitness, i am currently looking into yoga instructors in my local area as i have some improvment to make in this area

 

[Siku]

Running, yoga, tai chi, hooping.

Not sure how long I'll keep the running up for - signed up for a marathon in April and not feeling very confident. Once that's out of the way I maight switch to cycling as it's a lot lower impact.

 

[tim_a]

I swim 3-4 times a week and ride my bike every day (25km). Also once a week I do some fitness and other dry exercises...

 

[KatFish]

You'd do better in competitive freediving if you give up cardio and just hold your breath. Preparation could be technique work, CO2 tables, dry statics, stretching/yoga, etc.

 

[shrek]

whats p90x

 

[kevtron]

whats p90x

Here you go.

 

[Siku]

Katfish, Give up cardio!?

I would have assumed that cardio increased heart and lung efficiency/capacity and therefore your bodies ability to deliver the oxygen in the lungs to the body.

Its great to have an enormous lung capacity but surely you need to utilise that O2 efficiently too?

Just my assumption.

 

[Erik]

I run barefoot, mostly. 4 to 6 times per week, interval training 1/week, hills other days, fartlekks, and a long run on the weekend ie: 20 or 30 km.
I also lift a few days/week ie: full body weighted dips and weighted chinups. A short ab routine on those days too.
I meditate mutiple times daily.
I spearfish when I can and dont train specifically for breath-holds or competitions any more, but I can still pull off a 6 minute hold if you give me 25 minutes to get ready.

Cheers,
Erik

 

[Mullins]

I would have assumed that cardio increased heart and lung efficiency/capacity and therefore your bodies ability to deliver the oxygen in the lungs to the body

O2 delivery to the body (excluding brain) is exactly what you don't want in freediving. Not that cardio is the devil, exactly; it just doesn't seem to help and in the short term many find it reduces performance. If it was a necessary component of freedive training then all the top divers would pretty much be forced to include it - but by and large they don't, so it probably isn't.

 

[Siku]

I was thinking of the brain as part of the body! (and that cardio training would help to wring as much O2 as possible out of the air in the lungs). Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong? your comment suggests to me that maybe cardio trains the body to prioritise the muscles and resist directing O2 away from them.

Perhaps the marathon is off!

What about doing weights? I wonder if increased muscle mass = increased O2 burn rate = shorter dive times?

 

[Killa]

maybe you should try the lean version of p90x - I just downloaded all of their stuff and I'm gonna get ripped now :lol:

 

[The_frogger]

This is interesting stuff. I would have thought that a fit (which in my mind means cardio fit) and healthy body would be better for freediving regardless? It would be interesting if someone could shed any light on at what point cardio starts becoming a hindrance.

How about lactic tolerance training? Does that help?

Mullins, any chance you could give us some insight into how you train? Doesn't have to be all your secrets, just some general stuff for us normal blokes.

 

[kevtron]

Well as Erik posted above he does quite a bit of cardio (running), yet it doesn't seem to hinder his breath holds. Perhaps cardio doesn't really hinder, nor benifit freediving specifically. Though this certainly is an interesting thread now to consider how it affections O2 consumption.

 

[Killa]

I'm not experienced in freediving training techniques nor freediving, but I'll put my 2 cents in from a medical standpoint.

Large muscle mass in theory should hinder your preformance, as it will use more O2. But I still think a very lean low fat figure (meaning a well trained cardio athlete - like long distance runners) is good for freediving. If nothing else, your bouyancy is at the minimum and everything that you have to propell from the bottom of your dive to the surface is muscle, that you use and not fat, that you just have to carry around....

 

[Mullins]

Why would buoyancy make any difference??

 

[Vas]

Well, I am confused now! I have just done my training plan that included cardio... Would be very helpful, if somebody of experienced freedivers show their point of view. It seems like they hide something from us)

 

[Mullins]

Yeah, where the hell are they anyway?