static training frequency

[BlueIcarus]

How often do you train static tables?
I've felt that my best personal frequency
is just once a week!! If I do it more often
I just stuck at the gains (i.e: no gains or even
some decreasing performance).
I was wondering it this is just normal, because
if have seen some recommendations about doing O2 table a day and then CO2 table the next... so they are suggesting to train static nearly every day!!

Thanks dudes!

 

[ivan]

hi

Mate I also only do statics about once a week sometimes only once every 2 weeks.

I tried doing them every day but also found that my performance would slowly decrease.

cheers

 

[Jon]

I went from not at all to 4-5 days a week.

I am not sure yet which works best for me. All I know is that I am stuck at 4:51 and I want five minutes! :head

Part of the problem with training every day is time. Doing negatives, instead of full breath statics, has really cut down the amount of time that it takes.

I am open for any suggestions on a training time-table to be most efficent with my time. I also make it to the gym to swim everyday and wouldn't want to give that up just to train static tables- unless it makes a BIG difference.

Jon

 

[efattah]

I reached my pb after daily training for 3 weeks. Andy LeSauce also used to say that he needed about 3 weeks of hard statics to reach a pb.

However, daily statics require that you eat tons of antioxidants and get tons of rest. Otherwise, you'll get worse.

Martin Stepanek used to train for a max attempt every other day.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[Bill]

After a good review of the log and three PB's in two weeks, I can tell you what it takes for a fat old geezer. The week before trials for the Pacific Cup, I was very sick and lost my peak. It took over a year to improve my static times. The sessions alternate between O2 and CO2, and last 45 minutes to 1 hour+. About half the time, I do a seven at the end, most of them would not pass the judges even when I don't sit up. 99% of the static training is dry.
I did one session per week last fall, 1 1/4 per week in winter and spring and two per week this summer. During this period we also did short ocean sessions 1 1/2 times per week (mostly target diving) and add a dozen pool sessions (no static) this summer. For aerobic training, I ride a bike four to five hours per week at 70% of max, with a few hills.
Depending on how this Nov. event plays out, I may go for a peak with an every other day static routine followed by an easy aerobic workout. For anyone that hasn't been doing statics regularly for a year or more I would advise two O2 tables to one CO2 table and a regular schedule that you can maintain for a long time. One of the best teachers in France said something about doing it every week for five years.

 

[ivan]

hi

Bill and Eric is it necessary to do these static tables or whatever they are. I have never done a table in my life but my pb was steadily increasing until the lsat 6months where Im stuck at 6:30. Is the table going to make an increase of 30sec :hmm

cheers

 

[Bill]

Andrew
I guess it depends on what you're doing now. There's really only one way to find out.
Aloha
Bill

 

[Alun]

in my experience, i found that i hit my best times after a few weeks of almost daily training - just as Eric said earlier.
i used to use the static tables when i first started, and rarely did max efforts. they're fine, to a point. eventually i found that i just didn't progress further, and i was stuck around 5'30". then i decided to stop using the tables and simply developed my own personal warm-ups (almost by trial and error) before doing max statics almost daily... result: my times shot up!

the tables were actually holding me back! i would only recommend tables to people who are starting off with static.
now i never do statics, because i eventually came to realise what a stupid and pointless activity it really is!.... controversial maybe, but that's what i think...

 

[ivan]

hi

Alun like you I have developed my own method for statics which has worked till now, If the tables didnt get you past 5:30 then I wont bother looking at it. I dont have time to do statics properly anymore anyway

cheers

 

[AltSaint]

now i never do statics, because i eventually came to realise what a stupid and pointless activity it really is!....

Alun - can you expand a bit more on that? This is a common thought outside the freediving community, but I think less so within it. I'm interested to know your opinion more about the 'stupid' side ( pointless is a bit more subjective ). I'm assuming you don't mean stupid from the point of view of say, doing wet statics without supervision.

I suppose what concerns me, is what unknown damage might be happening for repeated blackouts. Opinions are significant ( to me ) because I'm not aware of any solid scientific research that has been done into this.

I've wandered off-topic with this line of questioning, so apologies for that.

My personal best ( after training for about 9 months ) was doing a dry static one lunchtime. No particular lead-up to it, but my weekly training pattern is about 3-4 apnea walks per week, with one wet and one dry static in the same week. The dry I normally do as a C02 table. Apart from the 'freak' PB, I don't seem to be improving much though. I've noticed that I do better times earlier in the day. I think Eric makes a significant point about rest and antioxidants, and is something I intend to experiment with.

Alun - your comments will be appreciated. TIA.

Mark

 

[Alun]

spending a few hours a week pushing myself to the point of losing consciousness just to get a new static PB is not my idea of fun. i can think of better things to do with my time - like diving!
i did static when i started freediving because everyone else did, and i assumed that it helped my freediving. now i'm absolutely certain that it did nothing to improve my diving. i think training static just makes you good at static - that's all. i only hold my breath in water, when diving.

 

[ivan]

hi

Alun totally agree with you in that Statics do nothing for depth. My spearfishing depth hasnt changed from when I could do a 4min static to 6:30.

However I like the excitment of new pbs but tg=hey become very rare as you get better and eventually so rare that it is not worth doing it much anymore.

cheers

 

[AltSaint]

Yes, it's a fair point, albeit a personal one. I don't suppose anyone actually enjoys the last part of a pushed static. Personally, I enjoy the peacefulness of the early stages of a static.

Also, for anyone doing competitive freediving, then there's a lot more significance to doing static training.

I can see there might not be so much attraction to static training if you are 'soul' diving or spearfishing.

 

[JimGlynn]

I am too busy getting my chest crushed with FRC diving to practice any statics
Jim

 

[Jon]

How has that affected your statics? Are you doing htem instead of statics? Are you doing them in a pool or a lake?

I will do a few of them at the end of my pool work out to stretch things out. I also do a few of them when I first start my day of diving. It is amazing how fast everything kicks in when you do them.

Jon

 

[JimGlynn]

I do not practice statics at all, so I cannot say if they are affected. All my dives are done in a quarry with a line and a buddy so they are safe and gradual in depth increases.
Jim

 

[Jersey Jim]

Jon, I've been doing statics off and on for 3 seasons now, and much to my surprise, realised last week while diving, that the week or two of apnea walking made a significant impact on the bottom time. Most of the dives were 2:00 and 2:30. (2:30's with the scooter). It's just hard to time a practice session at night because it needs to be a couple of hours or more after eating dinner. I still manage to get in 3 or 4 twenty minute static sessions a week, but the apnea walking seemed to really make the difference. Now if I can just stick to it over the winter, without the motivation of the weekend dives.

Jim

 

[AltSaint]

I do 'commuting apnea walks' each day on the way to work. I get into the last underground train carriage of my final leg of the journey, and go into an apnea walk when the train stops at my station. This gives me a set distance each day.

Only concerns are the free radicals I take in from the pollution down there, and getting arrested by the London Transport police if a fellow commuter misinterprets what I'm doing when I start packing.....

 

[unirdna]

My vote was for 'never', although I do take a shot at em once in a while .

I never even thought to attempt such a thing until I bumped into the topic on this forum.

Last year my pb was 3 min. I dove for a few months....tried again - 4 min. Dove for a few months....tried again - 5 min. Dove for a few months....tried again - 5:30. Got 6 last night.

I've never followed any training programs, just discovered tricks to relax/breathup/endure. I admire those of you who train so often, because I find doing statics painfully boring . I've tried reading a book while I do em, but I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Ted

 

[The111]

Originally posted by unirdna
I admire those of you who train so often, because I find doing statics painfully boring . I've tried reading a book while I do em, but I can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Read my post in the beginner forum about doing statics while playing video games. Cures boredom perfectly!