Warm-up for dynamic max-attempt

[kounavi]

Hello to everyone, my name is Bill.
I am going to participate in a freediving competition.

In static I believe that I found the ''right'' way to reach my best.
Unfortunately, I don't know a specific warm-up for dynamic max-attempts.

Just, I do 1x50m dyn, 3-4' rest, 1x60 dyn, 4' rest and then I try the max.

This moment my PB is almost 80m.
I am sure that I do sth wrong and with a proper warm-up I will do better.

How do you prepare for max-attempts??

 

[B-J]

If you use the searchfunction on the forum you`ll find alot of info on the subject.
But generally speaking... doing 75% of max perf in warm up is too much. If you try no warm up, no breathe up, and manage to relax during the entire swim, you`ll be past 100m instantly. But usually people need some time to get used to this.
Good luck!
Bjarte

 

[kounavi]

If you use the searchfunction on the forum you`ll find alot of info on the subject.
But generally speaking... doing 75% of max perf in warm up is too much. If you try no warm up, no breathe up, and manage to relax during the entire swim, you`ll be past 100m instantly. But usually people need some time to get used to this.
Good luck!
Bjarte

Thanks!!

I try a couple of times to do max attempt without warm-up.
The result was that after 60m the lactic acid in my legs increased rapidly and i couldn't swim properly. So my best distance with this technique was 70m and less... . Also contractions was very hard and the feel of discomfort high.

On Monday I'll try to do max attempt without warm up but with less speed in order to avoid the increase of lactic acid.

 

[amro]

Hello Bill,

I think you better look very close to the below link... the dynamic training with video gives you very good idea what to do and how to do it.

Apnea mania

i hope you get the benefit from it.

regards
Amro

 

[Kars]

Hi kounavi,

Bjarte's approach is very much suited for people who have already a year or a few years of experience.

But you have apparently just started and thus have different challenges and needs.

If you're close to a competition, there is not much of reprogramming you can do, so you have to style some warm-up for the time being.

I agree with Bjarte that doing long apneas' as a warm up is NOT advisable because you use up those deep buffers you want to have for the max.
So what do you need?

1) I think you first need relaxation and focus.
2) Second you need warmed up muscles.
3) Getting prepaired for some high CO2 and contractions

In your preparation you can combine 1 and 2 and do that in the water by doing some slow freestroke swimming on the surface (warm up), than some short apnea's 25m + turn, where you focus on technique and relaxation.
Now for 3 there are more options. One is doing some dry breathholds on land or in water (CO2 schedule (Tabel A - if I recall right) ) or you can do the 25m laps and do something like 4 x 25m with just 3 breaths in between. This will give your body enough O2, but the CO2 will rise resulting in some contractions and you getting used to high CO2.

When you're ready with your warm up, get out, drink water, warm up, have everything ready, set a timer and try to take a quick nap until -10 min before your 'Official Top'. Get up SLOWLY and do everything slowly as you move and go to your start. Breath slow, and not deep. Try not to hyperventilate too much before your final breath and know that CO2 is your friend that helps to save O2 Swim relaxed, and just feel the water flowing. Stay with your mind in the 'now', don't judge or guess how far you'll get. If things feel 'bad' you can say to yourself "ok, it can be better, let's see where we stil can get." and return to feeling the water.

If you can test your warmup before you do the competition, take note how long it is so you can plan your competition better. - I know it looks like compeditors are doing nothing arround the pool, but everybody got his own preparation and timing.

The advantage of announcing low figures is that you have more time to observe the others

Have fun, and I love to hear back what works for you!

 

[kounavi]

Hi kounavi,

Bjarte's approach is very much suited for people who have already a year or a few years of experience.

But you have apparently just started and thus have different challenges and needs.

If you're close to a competition, there is not much of reprogramming you can do, so you have to style some warm-up for the time being.

I agree with Bjarte that doing long apneas' as a warm up is NOT advisable because you use up those deep buffers you want to have for the max.
So what do you need?

1) I think you first need relaxation and focus.
2) Second you need warmed up muscles.
3) Getting prepaired for some high CO2 and contractions

In your preparation you can combine 1 and 2 and do that in the water by doing some slow freestroke swimming on the surface (warm up), than some short apnea's 25m + turn, where you focus on technique and relaxation.
Now for 3 there are more options. One is doing some dry breathholds on land or in water (CO2 schedule (Tabel A - if I recall right) ) or you can do the 25m laps and do something like 4 x 25m with just 3 breaths in between. This will give your body enough O2, but the CO2 will rise resulting in some contractions and you getting used to high CO2.

When you're ready with your warm up, get out, drink water, warm up, have everything ready, set a timer and try to take a quick nap until -10 min before your 'Official Top'. Get up SLOWLY and do everything slowly as you move and go to your start. Breath slow, and not deep. Try not to hyperventilate too much before your final breath and know that CO2 is your friend that helps to save O2 Swim relaxed, and just feel the water flowing. Stay with your mind in the 'now', don't judge or guess how far you'll get. If things feel 'bad' you can say to yourself "ok, it can be better, let's see where we stil can get." and return to feeling the water.

If you can test your warmup before you do the competition, take note how long it is so you can plan your competition better. - I know it looks like compeditors are doing nothing arround the pool, but everybody got his own preparation and timing.

The advantage of announcing low figures is that you have more time to observe the others

Have fun, and I love to hear back what works for you!

Thank you a lot for the advice!!
When you say to drink water and do warm up, should I do an extra warm up after the pool?? Such as stretching or whatever??

Thanks again!!

 

[Kars]

Like all swimmers do, take care of being hydrated, that's all.
After your in the pool warm up, dry off, lay down, 'sleep' under a warm blanket, to keep the body and muscles warm and flexible.

 

[kounavi]

Like all swimmers do, take care of being hydrated, that's all.
After your in the pool warm up, dry off, lay down, 'sleep' under a warm blanket, to keep the body and muscles warm and flexible.

Thank you very much again!!

Your advice (and from everyone) is very vital for me. I am a beginner at competitive freediving.
The race is on Sunday 17th of April. :martial

 

[kounavi]

Hi to everyone!!!

Last Sunday I took part at the AIDA Hellas freediving competition. It was my first time and it was great!! I met old friends I made new

In static apnea I did 5:06 but I took red card :rcard because I forgot to remove my googles :head

I was cool and I tried to do the protocol fast in order to show that I am OK... huge mistake!!!

In dynamic apnea with fins I did 80m very very easy, I stopped my attempt because I wanted to do a correct surface protocol.

Your advice was vital!! Everything you recommended me was right and very helpful!!
And a special thanks to Kars because without his help, I couldn't make a correct warm-up in dynamic, thank you!!

From now at every practice, after an attempt I will do the protocol in order to get used to it and don't do again the same mistake.

 

[Kars]

Great Kounavi!

Very good static time too!, wow over 5 on the first competition!

Nice to read your warm-up was very successful and did help you much reaching that very nice 80m with ease. Tell me how it all felt during the preparation, during the breath-up, during the dive itself?

Thanks for your feedback, I'm really appreciate it! - maybe you go some suggestions for me?

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[kounavi]

Great Kounavi!

Very good static time too!, wow over 5 on the first competition!

Nice to read your warm-up was very successful and did help you much reaching that very nice 80m with ease. Tell me how it all felt during the preparation, during the breath-up, during the dive itself?

Thanks for your feedback, I'm really appreciate it! - maybe you go some suggestions for me?

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

Thank you !!

Well, 2 days before the competition I was very anxious, without a serious reason I couldn't sleep well at nights. I thought if it worths the 2 day off I took and the travel I had to do.
The last night before the comp I slept very well and calm. I woke up with positive energy and a good feeling of rest.

I did the warm-up for static as I planned and 3 sec after OT I started. I hadn't a buddy and I did the mistake to set only 3 min as an attempt. The "checks" started at 2 min , the second at 2:30, at 3:00, at 3:15 and so...

After 4 min I lost my mind and I answered the checks without calculate in which time I was. So, I stopped my attempt and I tried to do the protocol fast, to show that I was very ok...:head and I forgot to remove the googles..
Then I heard that I did 5+ minutes

At first I took it easy, but in a while I felt very angry with my self and I couldn't relax at all!! Then I said to my self that sit happen and the race didn't finish yet and I have the dynamic apnea. I had 3h and 20m for the dynamic. So I dry off, I wore clothes, ate some dry fruits and water and take a nap.

50m before the official top I started the warm up.
I did, 200m freestyle without fins, rest a min, 200m freestyle with small fins, 3-4 min rest, 4x25m dynamic ap. with big bi-fins (1x25m rest 25'', 1x25 20'', 1x25m 15'' rest, 1x25m 10'' rest), 4' rest, 1x50m 5' rest 1x50m.
I got out from the pool I stood in a chair for 10min, and 5' before OT I took position.

I said to my self to be serious and I stopped thinking anything, I turned the 50m very easy, I closed my eyes for a while I opened again I turned again the 75m easy without feeling lactic acid in my legs and no serious discomfort. I stopped at 80m in order to do a correct protocol.

I gained experience for future competitions and from now on every time I do an apnea attempt (static, dynamic) I'll do the surface protocol.

 

[Kars]

Great to hear you're story Kounavi, I'm sure other beginners will also benefit!

About the static:

I think it's very good to lose track of the time. This will greatly help to keep your attention into the 'now'. Just going through the routine of relaxing the tense muscles, and letting the contractions wave through you is all you want to have your mind on. When the checks come in that frequently you'll be a very rich man soon... euhm.. I mean replying wil be easy and almost automatic. Though I agree it can be a distraction.

Sleeping is good, they don't call it a 'power nap' for nothing! For me it helps much to clear the mind.

Dynamic.
I think your preparation is a bit long, though that helps into relaxing and feeling sure you can do what you want to do.
Try in training the following, 100m freestyle, 100m freestyle small fins, 5x 25m with 3 breaths as recovery. 25m slow freestyle back (active recovery) and if turns are good and easy, just 1 50m + turn. (confidence dive). Than stay warm and relax for 5 - 15 min. Than dive.

As you may have noticed the more experience divers have shorter warm-ups. But I suggest you take your time, take note of your needs and follow your mind bodies progress gradually.

Doing the Surface Protocol in training is very good. It's a good idea to have a cultivated routine you can rely on. Such as: " 3 hook breaths, while holding last hook breath: mask and sign, Then "I'm Ok", hook breath, slow release. "

From your reply I get your body was able to do the big 100, with ease, so congratulations!

Anyway plenty to practice and learn, grow, explore and celebrate!

Cheers!

 

[MikkoP]

Thanks!!

I try a couple of times to do max attempt without warm-up.
The result was that after 60m the lactic acid in my legs increased rapidly and i couldn't swim properly. So my best distance with this technique was 70m and less... . Also contractions was very hard and the feel of discomfort high.

On Monday I'll try to do max attempt without warm up but with less speed in order to avoid the increase of lactic acid.

For the best performance it is actually desirable to have as much lactic acids in the muscles as possible during the dive. Lactics just mean that your muscles are working anaerobically and not consuming much oxygen, which is a good thing. If you don't get any lactics, it's a sign that your muscles are working aerobically, i.e. using oxygen, which is the last thing you want when doing dynamic apnea. If the problem is that you can't stand the lactics, you could do some strength training and anaerobic interval training to get used to it.

As Kars and Bjarte already pointed out, for newcomers it might be better to learn to do some warm-ups first, as they make the dive feel a bit more comfortable. But you must realize that when your limiting factor starts to be hypoxia, not discomfort, it's much better not to do any warm-ups. And it's not really any kind of a rule that new divers need to do warm-ups for some time before they can move to no warm-ups. We have a couple of divers here who have been training only for a few months, yet they are still doing quite impressive dives without any warm-ups. Actually, they have even made it to the Finnish national team already.

I'm not trying to be a messiah of first try maximums or anything like that, it's just that I myself can do around 100m less in dynamic if I do heavy warm-ups compared to total no warm-ups. So I think there is something to this.

But anyway, great results from your first competition, keep it up!