Tables

[Furo]

Hi, I have two questions about O2/CO2 tables, hope someone can help out.

The first one is basically - am I doing it right (as a preliminary to the second question, really). I'm pretty sure about the timing, but maybe not 100% with the procedure. I start by relaxing and breathing slowly (not forced slow, but slower than normal, twice as long breathing out as in), for 5-10 mins, until I feel 'ready'. I take a deep breath (90%) and a full-ish slow exhale (5% maybe, not a full purge). Then a full inhale (but not packing) and hold. For the recovery I normally have a quick out and in breath and then back to relaxed 1:2 breathing; then repeat! Is the breath up/recovery procedure about right for table training?

Second question is that CO2 tables feel much easier than 02 tables, should I go for harder CO2 tables more quickly than making the O2 tables harder or should I advance most at the same rate.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[bite ya]

Hi Furo,
Your breath up seem right to me although maybe a little too long. When i get in the pool i give myself 2min 30secs relaxing first then straight into the tables, i then reduce the breath up by 15secs each time so on my last breath hold i have only been out of the water for 15secs then straight into my last static.

When your ready to take in your last breath before a hold you might want to breath out and empty your lungs competely (squeeze every last bit out) then take in a full three stage breath (diapham, chest and mouth) then go into your static and not the way your explaining it.

For recovery take a quick and delibarate inhale and a slower exhale and repeat 3 times, you should then be recovered.

If your co2 tables feel easy try increasing the hold times, i usually aim for about 70% of my max time everytime i do a hold in co2 tables. Do the same with your o2 tables but remember your tolerance to co2 could be less then your tolerance to o2 deprevation so keep the two separate in terms of progress.

You will find that what works for someone will not work for another so go at yur own pace, try this by all means but it's what works for you.

Be safe.

Chris Holmes

 

[trux]

When doing CO2 tables, making any purges, deep breath-up. or any other kind of hyperventilation is counterproductive and makes no sense. When doing hypercapnic tables, you do want to have high CO2 level. With prolonged or deep breath-up you get your CO2 level below normal, hence eliminating any effect of the training. If you think you need a long or special breath-up for better performance, keep it for your max attempts. It makes no sense for CO2 tables - their purpose is not to break any records, but to get used to high CO2 levels and its effects. You won't achieve it by blowing off the CO2 before your apnea, but rather by breathing just normally (or even shallower than normally).

For the same reason, starting hypercapnic tables with 2:30 breath-up is just losing of time. You better start with the max recovery time of 1:30 (or even less if you are in hurry), reduce by 15s each round, and rather add several rounds with only 15s recovery time at the end of the table. That will bring you much more training effect than wasting the time with long recovery times at the beginning.

You can find several such hypercapnic tables for online dry training, in the Apnea Training Manager.

 

[bite ya]

That's a good point Trux, i do exhale fully and squeeze every last inch out before i do a static whilst doing tables and this would i suppose be slightly counter productive as i'm getting rid of every last bit of co2 which is'nt going to help me build my tolerance up.

You learn every day on this site which is why i love it so much,

Thanks
Chris Holmes

 

[Valce]

Uhm, I don't understand how these tables work really... I read somewhere about doing 8 reps holding your breath 45 seconds each with little recovery time and I tried it today (dry) with a friend holding my nose shut and watching if I was breathing and another one keeping time.

I took a deep breath, did the first 45 seconds, 5 seconds to exhale and inhale,
45 seconds again and so on for 8 times... since the aim of this training (if I got the concept correctly) is to teach your body to tolerate CO2 I didn't exhale during the 45 seconds but always waited for the time to expire and exhaled and immediately inhaled during the 5 seconds of recovery time. Is this good practice? Am I doing it correctly?

 

[Furo]

Thanks Trux, that's interesting and useful! By the same logic should you try to redcude CO2 for the hypoxic tables? I always try to be kind of balanced for them and not hyperventilate/purge etc. If you are trying to focus on hypoxia rather than hypercapnia, should you do these things?

Thanks also Bite Ya, useful info.

Valce, check out the sticky thread in Beginners free diving, there are loads of useful bits of info and I learnt a lot from it. It also discusses tables a bit too. Your timings are not like the ones I have found, there are plenty of treads with good info around. Getting a friend to hold your nose sounds unnecessary, but if you enjoy it, then don't let me hold you back

 

[Valce]

They just wanted to ensure that I wasn't cheating because I said that 8 45 secs reps would be very easy and they didn't think I would make it.
Actually, I found it pretty easy... no contractions at all, no fatigue, just a bit of sweat (what do you mean by contractions exactly? Sometimes I feel like my chest needs to expand a little, is that it?)

 

[Alpi]

Hi Valce!
If 45 sec is to easy for you raise up your time to 1min or 1,15 or even more
That worked best for me

 

[Valce]

I think I can handle a minute (wet, at least... I'm not sure about dry) but 1'15" still seems like a bit too much. I don't know, I only tried to do these tables once... I'll try as soon as I have the chance to go to the pool with a partner.

 

[rogam44]

I think I can handle a minute (wet, at least... I'm not sure about dry) but 1'15" still seems like a bit too much. I don't know, I only tried to do these tables once... I'll try as soon as I have the chance to go to the pool with a partner.

I think there is no need to be in a hurry with this. I started last week at 10x50 seconds and I couldn't handle more. Yesterday I did 10x1:05 without a problem.