Switching from mental to physical training

[thin_air]

here is how it goes, i have hit a plateau (again...) for statics, but this time, no level of mental training is helping me get through it

it seems that i have finally reached the "mental" limit (by this i mean, i have pushed my body as far as it will go in its current shape) i am pushing my statics to sambas almost on command, this seems to happen around 5 minutes, the longest i have gone without a samba is 5:10, i have hit 5:15 but had a samba, these statics are all dry, so no worries

anyway, i have been at this 5minute barrier for just over a month, and this has led me to believe that i need to change my physical training to help me achieve longer times (please forgive my competitive nature, but if im not pushing the limit, i feel like im not doing anything)

here is what i am going to start up again with next week (i have taken the last few days off, and i am going to a friends cottage for the weekend, so when i come back it will be a week off)

i will be going to the gym every morning, focusing on 2 different muscle groups per morning, this will also involve 15 minutes of stretching, (pack stretches included) and usually a short (15-20 min) run
i will be doing endurance training on tues, wed, thurs, and usually some longer mountainbike rides on the weekends (2-4 hours), i am doing CO2 tolerance training 3-4 times a week(every other night) this consists of running up and down stairs in apnea, or holding till my first contraction and then doing 35-45 pushups (slowly, with my hands directly below my shoulders)
statics will be every 3 days, and consist of 5-7 holds


im open to any suggestions for modifications on this training, and would like some help getting longer statics

also, i need to stay in shape for mountainbike racing, and my training will be interupted in the week before the july 19th because i will taper down before the ontario summer games (i get to miss summer school ha ha ha :t )

thanks

 

[efattah]

Pin Down the Basics

My first question is: how much iron, B12, folic acid, B6 and vitamin C do you take each day; also how much protein do you get each day, and also how many very-dark green leafy vegetables do you eat each day? All of these are required to improve your blood, and without them you won't improve much.

Also, statics, especially dry statics, are almost completely dependent on your body temperature. You should measure your oral temp each morning, and also right before each set of statics. The best statics will happen at the time of day when your temp is the lowest, usually late at night.

How long do you fast before your statics? Do you drink any type of sports drink just before?




Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[ivan]

hi

hey Eric they are some great tips must try them and thin air you sound fit, I dont do ant training for freediving except for practicing 3 dry statics a day my best is 5:06 but I don't think I push my limit as much as you guys tonight I will try for 5:30 and try late at night as eric says body temp will be lowest, I reckon if I started jogging to get at least a little bit fit I will get to 6min soon using the tips that eric mentioned

cheers

 

[thin_air]

eric, for the vitamins and minerals, i get plenty of iron and vitamin C, but the others, i am unaware of how much i get, as for the dark leafy veggies, i get plenty, i eat at least one big spinach salad a day, plus usually some asparagus (in season, so i get quite alot), and i put quite a bit of salad in my sandwiches (about 2 a day)
other then that my diet is based on a 60/20/20 (carbs/protein/fats) and in the summer im usually eating about 2500 to 2800 calories a day (less if i dont go to the gym)

fasting before statics>? i will have to try this, i was aware of the benifits, but the way i eat, the longest i go in a day without eating is 2 hours (i eat 5-6 small meals a day) so usually i have not eaten for 1.5 hours before my statics

as for sports drinks, they arent really an option other then for MTB training, im already going through a jar of powder every 2 weeks (these things are expensive) gatorade lemon lime if that makes a difference, i take it the sports drinks are for the electrolytes they provide>? are there any other way to get those electrolytes>?

thanks

 

[efattah]

Comments

Eating many small meals a day....common advice from modern nutritionists, but yoga masters would object violently. The body needs time to cleanse, and that means short fasts, even 6 hours without food will allow your body to partially cleanse. If you eat small meals frequently, all the time, you will find that if you don't eat, you'll get grumpy, irritable, agitated, and extremely hungry (and even get headaches). Those are bad signs. You should be able to go for 10 hours without eating, and stay calm, focused, high in energy, not get headaches, upset or irritable. The length of time you can fast, and stay focused & feeling good, is an excellent indication of how 'clean' your body is.

Small frequent meals significantly increase your metabolic rate. This is good if you are body building, or just trying to build a better body in general, for example while in a hard training phase for freediving. But the bottom line is that long static times are not compatible with a hard gym/pool training regimen. You'll need at least a couple of days of total rest from activity, coupled with a reduced calorie intake, fewer meals per day, and so on.

The gatorade/sports drink before statics is for the glucose, not for the electrolytes. However, I recommend against the intake of any simple sugars under 'normal' every day conditions.

I have graphed my static time vs. time without food, and it turns out that after fasting for about 6 hours, your time won't improve much after that. But, after 6 hours of fasting, you are going into ketosis, burning fat as your primary fuel, which is inefficient, which is why you hit yourself with the sports drink right before you start your static set. This is the same pattern that Mandy used for her world record statics, and the same pattern that many divers use.

Do note that if you decide to drink the sports drink before your statics, you will need to hyperventilate more than usual, because burning carbs as your fuel produces more CO2 per molecule of O2 consumed.

So, try the following pattern:
- Continue your hard work-out pattern
- Take the next day off from working out, and on that day, go from 5pm to 11pm without eating
- At 11pm drink a sports drink, and start your static set a few minutes later (hyperventilating more than usual)
- The next day, no working out, go from 5pm to 11pm without eating
- At 11pm drink a sports drink, and start your static set a few minutes later (hyperventilating more than usual)-- this set will have huge times

Remember another trick; if you pack your lungs for dry statics, pack until it's just uncomfortable, then, keeping your mouth closed, 'blow' into your mouth, inflating your cheeks, then close your throat. You have now 'offloaded' some of your lung air into your mouth, for use later in the static. The reduced lung volume will feel more comfortable and result in a lower heart rate. As you resist the 1st contraction, allow the air in your mouth back into your lungs. This will result in a sudden feeling of satisfaction, and it will delay the contractions. Because your lung air has 'shrank' during the static, it will no longer be uncomfortable to put the air back into your lungs.

Remember, long statics are mostly a matter of 'tweaking', and less a matter of 'training.'

Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[basco]

How about sleeping? I get my best statics just when I wake up. After a whole night without eating..

 

[thin_air]

i will try these tips this weekend(cant go to bed later then 2200 on weekdays, summer school and the gym in the morning require a LARGE amout of sleep)

i am interested in this "clean body" concept, what does it entail (physically)>? or is it just a mental state>?

thanks

 

[efattah]

'Clean body'

The 'clean body' is a physical state, reached only with proper rest, and an absence of toxins in the body. Once you have a 'clean body', you end up with a 'clean mind' as well, and you'll suddenly start remembering things that you haven't thought of for years.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[ivan]

hi eric and guys

I have been reading here how you say that you shouldn't eat before statics and Vince you said you eat 6 meals a day. I just wanted to know that is it neccesary to eat so much I myself dont watch what I eat i mean i eat junkfood and all that but I thought just practicing statics would be a better way to train and improve. I dont do any fitness training or anything like that im just a normal person but ive found just by practicing a little bit I get PB's all the time at the moment my PB,s only 5:06 but consiering my body condition and my poor approch to diet and training it's all right, also it is interesting that you shouldn;t eat before statics cos I usually do statics right after dinner, this may explain why my stomach feels like its gonna burst before packing and Eric and Vincent do you guys hyperventilate and when do you get contractions on a good breathhold

cheers