Preparing for static attempt?

[Wannabee]

Please forgive if I posted this on the wrong sub-forum. If already dealt with, just give me the link to the archives.

I would like to try improve on my personal best static (5 min) about 3 weeks from now.
I don't have the time (or the patience) to go through the formal processes of O2 and CO2 tables, so I simly hold my breath whenever I find the opportunity - while watching TV, reading the papers, attending boring meetings, working on my pc, walking around ... I typically do odd things like one slow breath (3 sec) followed by 57 sec apnea (to fill one minute), some 10 times over for 10 minutes. Or half minute breathing followed by one and half minutes apnea (to fill 2 minutes) - over and over. Then perhaps 1 min breath-up and 2 min apnea etc etc. I seldom push the limit, just going to the level of discomfort.
I enjoy holding my breath - it's like a fun thing.

Questions:
Does this kind of random apnea help to improve static best?
Would it be advisable to do more and more of this closer to the date of attempt? The day before?
Is there an optimal amount of apnea training beyond which it becomes counter-productive?

thanx
Wannabee hot like you guys one day when I'm big

 

[Kars]

The warm up techniques tent to vary widely, from and extensive 2 hours of warming up and stretching, different type of breath holds to NO warm up.

In general I find the following very important:

Be rested on the day and the days before, avoid stress and exhaution, be warm eat and drink just enough and sleep a lot.
Before the attempt I like to warm up the big muscle groups, including the ones involved in the contractions, I stretch those mildly to prepare them.
I enter the water, with my suit on and my Official Top (OT) time and lane written on my hand.
When possible I have a coach who knows me. He will drag me through the water, time everything, instruct the safety, in short take away any worries so I can focus on relaxation. In the past I used to do warm-up breath holds. I did 1 exhale apnea until the second contraction, and 1 full inhale to a few contractions more, just to put my body in 'dive-mode',while at the same time avoiding wasting my buffers and reserves. You write you're at the 5 minute level, and that may be the time to start to change your static to one with fewer warm up breath-holds. But don't change this 2-3 weeks before your competition.
As of the final preparation I find just floating for 10 minutes on my back breathing very slowly through my nose very relaxing. about 5 minutes before OT I'll do 1 pack-stretch. 2 minutes before OT I'll put on my nose clip. 1,5 minutes before OT I breath a deeper, 1 minute before OT I try to time my final deep exhale, by breathing out in stages, at 25s before OT I start breathing in fairly slowly, at 15 -10 seconds before OT I'll start packing, and when sufficiently full I lift over my right arm over my left shoulder to roll over to start the breath-hold.

This is my current preparation.

At Nordic deep 2007 there was a spleen study that brought up that most people need 3 breath holds to have the body release it's -extra- spleen blood. The effort level of those preparation breath holds is unknown to me, but I suspect one would have to ride some contractions in order to invoke the spleen contraction.
But than I question that the build up muscle fatique and buffers would also be used a bit, and where is the border of benefit?

To me static appears to be very similar to stretching. Everyday 1 good static is much better than one or two long sessions in a week.

I hope these words are of some use to you,
All the best and a happy exploration!

Kars

 

[Kars]

To answer you questions:

1) Does this kind of random apnea help to improve static best?
2) Would it be advisable to do more and more of this closer to the date of attempt? The day before?
3) Is there an optimal amount of apnea training beyond which it becomes counter-productive?

1) In general you'll become better in what you train, thus not doing (near) maximums does not yield much improvement if it does at all.
2)No, I would rather have 1 quality long (dry) attempt a day than many near no effort holds.
3)The optimum is related to the amount of food, condition, stamina and rest you can get. I hope I don't forget a big factor here. For Tom Sietas it's 1 big breath-hold a day, with the exception of Sunday, his important recovery day.
In my experience you'll get no improvement from 1 big hold in a week. from 2 you might get a very slow improvement, 3 gives you a nice improvement. 4 and up I don't know. What I do know it's better to have 3 spread over 3 days, than having them on a single day.

I think you should also work on your overall condition, flexibility and a bit of strength.
For me finding more discipline to rest more and train more and harder also is important.

Let us know how you go!

Kars

 

[Wannabee]

Thanx a lot for your lengthy answer - appreciated. A lot for me to chew on. Seems I got it all wrong.

You also advise : "I think you should also work on your overall condition, flexibility and a bit of strength."
I go to gym 5 days a week, mostly pressing weights which I enjoy, but also a little running and one day dynamic technique in the pool. General condition not too bad for an old man of 61. I can deadlift 110 kg easily for 12 reps. My weight is 84kg and 6ft high - athletic built. I have a history as mean triathlete until some 15 years ago.

But now this free dive thing motivates me. My serious goal (don't laught!) is to go 100ft (31 m) on constant weight in the next 4 months. I managed 22 m the other day but ran out of air volume for equalising. But that's off topic.
Will keep you posted.
Thanx again

 

[Erik]

Nobody would laugh at a reasonable goal, and 30 metres is within your grasp.... take it a metre at a time over the next few months. Look for equalising tips here.
I do agree with Kars regarding your breathups. Tables suck too... :rcard
5 or 6 days/week, lie down, relax, and do 4 maximum holds in a row. Double your breathup time of the last hold ie: held breath for 2 minutes, breathup for 4, thens tart the next hold. You're now done for the day (takes about 30 minutes).
The 4th one will probably be your max for the day. Rarely the 5th might go a bit longer, but you might be knackered by then anyway.
If you stress the system, you will get a good response... same as in your weight training: if you want to grow muscle tissue, then going to failure produces the greatest response (of course rest and nutrition are part of the process as you know). If you do little breatholds that don't tell the system that it needs to start making changes, it won't. Analyse how you've trained for races and you'll see that the process is similar: slow gains, but always pushing for the extra distance!
Nutrition/rest: just as in your other athletics, you need to address this. I suspect you eat properly and supplement- keep doing that, pay attention to antioxidants. This level of static training creates a pile of free radicals.
Take a day or 2 off per week, and more than that once per month or so. Listen to your body- that sounds obvious, but we runners/freedivers/etc, despite a high degree of awareness, tend to IGNORE that because we're also driven to achieve results.
So get some sleep haha!

 

[Wannabee]

Thanx for that Erik!
You "speak the speak I understand" man!
I drink lots of red wine (maybe too much :t). Will that qualify as antioxidant? The need of which is causes by apnea?

Yes, I eat high protein food several times a day with supplements of vitimins and minerals plenty of. I sleep enough (love it!)
OK, I got homework to to. Got to go now.

Wannabee and willabee a hotshot like you guys.

 

[Erik]

Thanx for that Erik!

I drink lots of red wine (maybe too much :t). Will that qualify as antioxidant? The need of which is causes by apnea?
.

LOL, it's a question of balance I suppose. I generally avoid alcohol if I'm running or diving that day or the next, but cest la vie! :friday

 

[bite ya]

This is all great info so thanks for raising the question and thanks to all for your experience in answers.

When we refer to streching muscles used for contractions? I dont understand. I often see on freedive pictures and videos that divers are pulling in their stomachs, is this streching the muscles inside to losen them up which would cause the contractions to feel less painful?

Can someone explain what this is?

Thanks

 

[KatFish]

I drink lots of red wine (maybe too much :t). Will that qualify as antioxidant? The need of which is causes by apnea?

I like a red wine (limit 2, but preferrably just one) and a steak the night before a big dive - works really well. Remember to drink lots of water too though...

 

[trux]

I like a red wine (limit 2, but preferrably just one) and a steak the night before a big dive - works really well. Remember to drink lots of water too though...

Isn't alcohol listed in the WADA list of prohibited substances that samples are tested for? Well, with a sinle glas the evening before the dive, there is probably no big risk of having the test positive, but you better be careful

 

[picasso]

Diaphragm is the muscle that is used by contractions. I train that so as I exhale and then pull the stomac inside rib cage. From beginning very gently and and forth (last) time to max exhale and max pull inside. I hold it it from 15 to cca 30-40 seconds. It is usefull to get prepared for contractions and it is importand to relax/release other muscle tissues when contractions start. So tells the theory . It is of course difficult and you have to get used to it.

This is all great info so thanks for raising the question and thanks to all for your experience in answers.

When we refer to streching muscles used for contractions? I dont understand. I often see on freedive pictures and videos that divers are pulling in their stomachs, is this streching the muscles inside to losen them up which would cause the contractions to feel less painful?

Can someone explain what this is?

Thanks

 

[bite ya]

Thanks Picasso, now i know. I have started doing this myself now as part of my training and with some dry table work i can definatly feel the difference in my contraction strength.

Thanks