Training volumes to maintain existing skills

[TooScared23]

My biggest, worst fear is the possibility that someone specific I care about could unknowingly surpass my breath-holding ability, despite them being untrained. I’ve been diagnosed with severe OCD and have compulsively held my breath at least twice every single day for the last year and a half… Despite undergoing medication and cognitive therapy, I still can’t stop. If I just want to maintain my current ability without further improvement, do I really have to do a “max-ish” static every single day twice? Would reducing it have adverse effects on me?

 

[J Campbell]

Nope. You do not have to do statics everyday to maintain your skills.

 

[TooScared23]

Nope. You do not have to do statics everyday to maintain your skills.

Thank you. Are you sure about it? Even if I only do normal statics (and not CO2/O2 tables)? By how much do you think I can reduce it?

 

[J Campbell]

Thank you. Are you sure about it? Even if I only do normal statics (and not CO2/O2 tables)? By how much do you think I can reduce it?

Yes I am sure. You will be better by NOT training everyday - and I think most divers would agree. I train breath hold off and on - sometimes going for months without doing anything. And when I start up again, I'm right back in stride in just one or two sessions. It's like riding a bicycle, you never really forget. Breath hold abilities also vary from day to day. There are some times when everything just clicks, you don't really know why, but you have a really good session. Other days you feel off - on those days I have learned to just stop and not push it. Even when I'm into a phase where practice a lot, I only do it once every few days.

 

[J Campbell]

@TooScared23 you said "My biggest, worst fear is the possibility that someone specific I care about could unknowingly surpass my breath-holding ability, despite them being untrained." That's the thing with breath hold - for a select few it will be super easy. I met a guy this past summer who is very "can-do" in his approach to life. He was a former competitive swimmer and had done breath holding for fun in the past but never had studied or trained in it as a skill. He started to train and practice and got a little over 8 minutes in just 3 months. But this is world class competition level. I don't know what your breath hold personal best is, but if it's 5 minutes or less , then there is a chance "someone specific you care about" might easily beat that.