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Static apnea encouraging progress!

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Merlin

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Feb 28, 2005
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I'm proud to say that I reached my new static PB of 3 minutes :) after only 2 static sessions (I could have gone for about 20 more seconds with ease). Many thanks to Greg (commonerg) for the trainning tips. However I still have not experienced contractions :hmm But my progress has been very encouraging.

(Oh yeah before this the longest breath hold was a mere 1.5 minutes.)
 
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Way to go Irian! I'm sure this great progress will continue. Don't worry about those contractions too much, they will come with training and you will forget how you ever lived without them ;).
 
Great stuff, I Think around the same amount of time I did 3 min-ish

But now I'm pretty much stuck at the 3:00-3:10 mark :vangry
Hard part is, I feel I'm doing really well only to keep getting in that range.
Feels great feeling nothing for like 2 minutes, then things go
down hill once I feel the need for air, which happens really quicky.
But I've got alot more to learn.
In saying that, I'm looking forward to seeing what a can
do in my next competition.
 
Just one suggestion if I may. I feel that the hardest part of static training is to find motivation to keep training once you get stuck. To get around that you must change things around to keep things interesting. If you train and train, but are stuck at the same time for weeks, then it's time to try something else. Continuosly experiment and try to find what works and what doesn't. Don't get stuck on doing some tables for months just because some told you it worked for them. Try them for a while, and then switch to something else once the benefit from that training method has been depleted.

For example, if your "pleasant phase" is always 2 minutes and it's not getting any better, then try this:
Don't time the pleasant phase. Start your timer when you start to feel uncomfortable. Try to maximize the time you can bear the "nasty" part. Don't time your total static, just the last part and try to increase the duration of that. Do this for say, a couple of weeks, then try normal way again.

With all the tips and tricks in the world you might get some progress, but in my (and others') experience there's no substitute for simply doing tons of max statics as a training tool.

Also, from my experience, if you think that as times get longer, your statics get easier, you're wrong. In the beginning, yes, the "pleasant phase" get's a bit longer, but that's mostly due to finding the right warmup and preparation. Eventually, real progress is made in the nasty phase. So you must be prepared to deal with a increasing amount of discomfort. The good news is that training helps in doing so, but it does not make the last minutes any more pleasant.

And of course, always remember. NEVER alone in the water.
 
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Im knew to this, so if i practice holding my breath as long as I can, over time like running my body will adapt and increase its co2 tollerance?
What do you mean warm-up? Also what are some good drills? Thankyou for your time I appreaciate it. tsg444@dropzone.com
 
ty galloway said:
Im knew to this, so if i practice holding my breath as long as I can, over time like running my body will adapt and increase its co2 tollerance?
What do you mean warm-up? Also what are some good drills? Thankyou for your time I appreaciate it. tsg444@dropzone.com
Hi galloway,

I am new to this too, you can do a search on here for something like apnea trainning and you will find a lot of information.

But here are some ideas to get you started. I used to (and still do) leg workouts such as squats with lower weights but higher and fast repetitions (10-12) and 4 sets with only 30 seconds of rest between sets. You can also do static bicycle which I started doing and do small apnea intervals (where you feel comfortable). I ride for 20 minutes and I do a 10-15 second hold every minute. Last but not least there is a program call apnoetrainer made by Ricochet http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=52854&highlight=apnoetrainer that you can use to practice dry statics.
 
By warmups I mean doing a series of increasing apneas. Usually you first hold isn't your best.

For example, if your personal best is 3:00 you might try something like this:
1:30 static
3 minutes rest
2:00 static
4 minutes rest
2:30 static
4 minutes rest
Then max static.

If you're like most people, you will find that where as in the first you felt bad at 1:30, on the last one you can propably go well past 2:00 before even feeling uncomfortable...

This series is just off the top of my head. Each person is highly individual in this repsect, so you must experiment and find the best warmup for you...
 
Jome: I took your advice and proceeded with 5 static dry warm-ups
1) 1:17
2) 1:37
3) 2:06
4) 3:03
5) 3:10

What a difference warm-ups make thankyou for the insight, I also tried your bike workout holding for 15-20sec each min. It becomes pretty intense on the hills.

Is there any studies regarding increased cardiac/pulmonary output do to statics. is there any health benefits? you know like running increases your oxygen/co2 exchange and delivery. If you didnt work out, did nothing but statics would this increase your aerobic levels? Im sure it would, doing intense statics are like doing a set of squats at least aerobiclly.
Thankyou, Galloway rofl
 
jome said:
By warmups I mean doing a series of increasing apneas. Usually you first hold isn't your best.

For example, if your personal best is 3:00 you might try something like this:
1:30 static
3 minutes rest
2:00 static
4 minutes rest
2:30 static
4 minutes rest
Then max static.
Cheers Jome
I must give this a go..
My dry statics are crap.....but I must admit I don't practice much at all :hmm
My best is 2min 30secs but my pool distances don't reflect that....they are much better. I seem to relax more when I 'm swimming, and short of playing trance music I'm at a loss as to how I should try and relax during dry statics.
 
I know almost nothing about static apnea (I'm into scuba diving and swimming) but you guys mentionned some exercices I'm familiar with as a former long distance runner. What you call "oxygen/co2 exchange" is called VO2 max indeed: Maximum absorbtion capacity of oxygen per liter of blood. It tells you exactly what your potential is for endurance sports (running, cycling, skiing, swimming). Anything above 65 is really good and above 80 you beat WR. Sounds frustating but this figure is a given fact of you body. It's a potential you reach by your training not really improve.
The training you mention (I run, I slow down, I run again... several times) is called "fractionned training" and proven to be the best training for VO2.
You have 2 sorts of training : Aeroby (you run as fast as you can, as long as you can and stop quickly), and Anaeroby (Repetated limited effort) where you train your body/muscles for longer efforts mid-long distance running for instance)
So choice is yours: do your train to go fast and strong or to maximise the duration of your effort ?

Same with weight lifting: do you want to lift the max weight or do you want to lift a good weight 100 times ?
Frank
Frank
 
Hi Ty
It's fun to see someone get excited about statics. Let me answer a question and then add my 2 cents worth.

"If you didnt work out, did nothing but statics would this increase your aerobic levels?"

Don't think so, the book says that you have to increase your heart rate to some where over 120, at your age, to get any benefit. Good aerobic condition is important for static. I'm not sure why, maybe just a matter of more red blood cells.
You posted the times of your breath holds but didn't mention what you did in between. Trying for max may not be the best way to improve. By juggling the times spent breathing and holding, you can train the body to adapt to low O2 and high CO2 seperately. When you establish a routine, the body will relax quicker and deeper. Rest days are very important.
Aloha
Bill
 
Bill: this is what I did inbetween maxes: 1) a series of say 10 deep stretching breaths holding for 10 sec and exhaling nice and slow.
2) followed by quick hyperventalating breaths, say 5.
3) followed by relaxing slow shallow Im falling asleeeeep breaths.
4) then when my heart rate is down and Im totally relaxed, big breath-Max.

what do ya think?
 
That will work nicely for an O2 workout. Even better if you shorten #4 and 5 hold and add 6,7 and 8. Adjust the steps, if necessary, so that 8 is not shorter than 7. Don't know why but most instructors have settled on 8 holds per session.
For a CO2 workout, try your series of 10 deep breaths, skip the other breathing and go directly to a 1:15 hold. Then with no rest do 9 breaths and another 1:15 hold, 8 breaths, 1:15 ........ down to 3 breaths and 1:15.
Do one O2 or CO2 per day max and increase the holds slowly.
Every two weeks is more than enough to check how you're doing by trying for a long one.
Aloha
Bill
 
Dude no way! thats awesome! now did you use my warm-up or what did you do? And what number set was that 1st 2nd 3rd attempt, just curious. :p
 
gallo, you will not believe this but after the session of 7 holds, I was feeling pretty good and I gave it one last shot and held an extra 30 secs, but I had to hyperventilated quite a bit on the last one. My hands and legs felt pretty numb and heavy at the beginning of the hold (which actually felt good).

Here is how I set up my session:
cycle 1: 2 mins
cycle 2: 2.33 mins
cycle 3: 2.66 mins
cycle 4: 3 mins
cycle 5: 3.33 mins (goal)
cycle 6: 3.66 mins (new best)
cycle 7: 4 mins (new best)

I think my improvements have been a combinations of a lot of factors.
1) I have learned to pack A LOT more, and relax more.
2) Doing apnea in pretty much anything I do, static bike, pushups, walking, walking upstairs, and negatives while doing situps

I am expecting to hit a wall pretty soon though, this progress cannot go on forever. Will just gotta keep working at it, I guess.
 
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ty galloway said:
Dude no way! thats awesome! now did you use my warm-up or what did you do? And what number set was that 1st 2nd 3rd attempt, just curious. :p
The way I am doing it is I just warm up by starting with only 2 minutes and increasing the breathhold slowly and evenly up to what my target for the day is.
 
Well it appears I have officially hit my static "wall" at 4min,30sec. I tried breaking my PB today and could only muster 4mins,15sec. It seems it will be a tough climb from here on. :head
 
yeah...one day hopefully ill be up there. From what the dates are sayin you've gone from 3 to 4:30 in like two weeks!! thats amazing. I feel so out of shape hearing about everyone's times.
 
hello friends
i started statics 15 feb 2005 .my statics was 2:30 at that time.now 4:04 but I AM NOT HAPPY.Because my ears(i feel full everyday).i mean i am like deff.i feel every minute and every second a little pain in my ears and i hear not clear(still goes) and also in my heart i got some pain after study but it has gone after following the day . i worked around 23:00 or 00:00 i find out my heart beat was getting slow that time.
is it normal or i am going to live with this pain till i die?
before i get a deep breath i made it forcely and close my mouth and following i hold it then relax and hold then relax and hold what table says i done it.all happens to you or only happens to me?
 
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