What are some Techniques to get used to Contractions?

[Josue Garcia]

I just want to get used to contractions and get comfortable to them just want some tips on how you do it or something like that?

 

[go-hard]

My contractions usually kick in about 3:00 during a static and build from there - getting pretty solid/unpleasnt as time goes on. I haven't done many STAs but my usual approach is to HTFU and just push on with the STA.

Last week one of the guys took us through a static night focused on relaxation rather than pushing Personal Best STA. 5 statics with 2 minute breath-up in between with the first three statics only going to the point where contractions start properly / things get uncomfortable. And then the 4th pushing a bit past this point and the 5th going further still. The idea being that your buddy / safety would NOT tell you the dive time at all and only actually record the time for the last two statics and then tell you afterwards.

The focus was on the relaxing part of the STA before contractions set in. I found that by the time I got to the 5th STA I was enjoying it more and when contractions came I could calm them down a lot. Afterwards I discovered that the "proper" onset of contractions was close at the 4 minute mark for my last couple of statics - compared to roughly the 3 minute mark in the past. I have no idea whether it would extend my PB at all but it was a lot more pleasant!

 

[Josue Garcia]

My contractions usually kick in about 3:00 during a static and build from there - getting pretty solid/unpleasnt as time goes on. I haven't done many STAs but my usual approach is to HTFU and just push on with the STA.

Last week one of the guys took us through a static night focused on relaxation rather than pushing Personal Best STA. 5 statics with 2 minute breath-up in between with the first three statics only going to the point where contractions start properly / things get uncomfortable. And then the 4th pushing a bit past this point and the 5th going further still. The idea being that your buddy / safety would NOT tell you the dive time at all and only actually record the time for the last two statics and then tell you afterwards.

The focus was on the relaxing part of the STA before contractions set in. I found that by the time I got to the 5th STA I was enjoying it more and when contractions came I could calm them down a lot. Afterwards I discovered that the "proper" onset of contractions was close at the 4 minute mark for my last couple of statics - compared to roughly the 3 minute mark in the past. I have no idea whether it would extend my PB at all but it was a lot more pleasant!

Thanks, My underwater breath hold is really bad but I'm getting better compared to the first time. I can probably go longer the thing is I'm just not used to contractions haha cheers mate!

 

[onefasteuro]

Contractions are one of the mark that your mammalian diving reflex is kicking in, hence why your next statics feel easier.
@Josue Garcia get used to them And if you can, get yourself into a freediving course. Your instructor will dwelve further on everything that you feel/experience during a breath hold and how it relates to oxygen and co2 etc...

Cheers,


Oliver

 

[Josue Garcia]

Contractions are one of the mark that your mammalian diving reflex is kicking in, hence why your next statics feel easier.
@Josue Garcia get used to them And if you can, get yourself into a freediving course. Your instructor will dwelve further on everything that you feel/experience during a breath hold and how it relates to oxygen and co2 etc...

Cheers,


Oliver

Thanks man! I tried different breath up techniques today and noticed a big difference either that or I'm getting better! Cheers

 

[Josue Garcia]

My contractions usually kick in about 3:00 during a static and build from there - getting pretty solid/unpleasnt as time goes on. I haven't done many STAs but my usual approach is to HTFU and just push on with the STA.

Last week one of the guys took us through a static night focused on relaxation rather than pushing Personal Best STA. 5 statics with 2 minute breath-up in between with the first three statics only going to the point where contractions start properly / things get uncomfortable. And then the 4th pushing a bit past this point and the 5th going further still. The idea being that your buddy / safety would NOT tell you the dive time at all and only actually record the time for the last two statics and then tell you afterwards.

The focus was on the relaxing part of the STA before contractions set in. I found that by the time I got to the 5th STA I was enjoying it more and when contractions came I could calm them down a lot. Afterwards I discovered that the "proper" onset of contractions was close at the 4 minute mark for my last couple of statics - compared to roughly the 3 minute mark in the past. I have no idea whether it would extend my PB at all but it was a lot more pleasant!

Yea i tried different Breath up techniques and they helped a lot! I could get down to 60ft ( I just started free-diving a month & a 1/2 ago) and i feel comfortable and don't have the contraction. cheers mate

 

[HydroApprentice]

Be careful to not hyperventilate. Hyperventilation postpones the onset of contractions. The problem is that the dive reflex will not be triggered, and if you push too much you might just black out without warning... Read a bit up on hyperventilation, it's pretty nasty. Contractions are not a bad thing by itself, we just have to learn how to live with them to make the most of our diving ☺

 

[Josue Garcia]

Be careful to not hyperventilate. Hyperventilation postpones the onset of contractions. The problem is that the dive reflex will not be triggered, and if you push too much you might just black out without warning... Read a bit up on hyperventilation, it's pretty nasty. Contractions are not a bad thing by itself, we just have to learn how to live with them to make the most of our diving ☺

Yea thats a bad thing, haha. I do a breath up were you breath in a hiss out like a 3 second breath in and breath out 6 seconds. Is that bad?

 

[Jo_duiker]

Yep, don't hyperventilate!

I asked the question about dealing with contractions specifically for dynamic apnea as I'm really having trouble with them in DYN. I give up almost immediately when they come and they come around 35-40 m, getting very harsh very fast. This makes my max. record 50 m and it's been like that for 2 years now... I never do even one cm more.
I just can't seem to stand contractions in dynamic once they start.

I got no answer on my question, so I guess it's obvious: keep training and get used to them. In other words: htfu. Harden the f*ck up.
Right?
:-/

 

[HydroApprentice]

I got no answer on my question, so I guess it's obvious: keep training and get used to them. In other words: htfu. Harden the f*ck up.
Right?
:-/

On the contrary [emoji6] I think there's a lot to be gained in refining technique and weighing. A clean technique can get you very far, as you'll extend your range by using your oxygen more effectively. What I often like to do is also trying to swim a bit slower, and focussing on relaxation, technique and streamlining while swimming.

Yes, you will still need to get used to contractions, but I'd like to take the position to work with them rather than against them. A good exercise is the start the dynamic with a short static, just something like 30-60 s, so that you focus on relaxation until the dive reflex can kick in. Then you go for a relaxed DYN, focus on staying relaxed when the contractions start, and then explore your comfort zone. Then little by little, you can go out of the comfort zone and work with the contractions. This helped me a lot to make DYN more enjoyable [emoji1]

 

[Jo_duiker]

On the contrary [emoji6] I think there's a lot to be gained in refining technique and weighing. A clean technique can get you very far, as you'll extend your range by using your oxygen more effectively. What I often like to do is also trying to swim a bit slower, and focussing on relaxation, technique and streamlining while swimming.

Yes, you will still need to get used to contractions, but I'd like to take the position to work with them rather than against them. A good exercise is the start the dynamic with a short static, just something like 30-60 s, so that you focus on relaxation until the dive reflex can kick in. Then you go for a relaxed DYN, focus on staying relaxed when the contractions start, and then explore your comfort zone. Then little by little, you can go out of the comfort zone and work with the contractions. This helped me a lot to make DYN more enjoyable [emoji1]

Wow, thanks for the tip! I'll try that. Starting slow with a short static (closer to 30 s than to one min!). Cheers!

 

[go-hard]

We do "delayed starts" at times (I.e. Static then swim). They are a good way to get you relaxed. E.g. For a while I had a mental barrier at a certain distance so we had one session doing a 20 second delayed start and then swimming. (Gradually increasing the distance of the swim). And also added in a 10 second static at the end. This really taught me to relax and not treat the distance as the goal but to watch how I was feeling.

Of course we made sure we had good safety diver practices in place for this.

The net result of the above was that the next week I broke through the distance where I had the mental barrier and added 25m more.


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