How To Make Your Freedive Training Tables Feel EASIER & Be More EFFECTIVE

In this video, I teach you about a recovery strategy that you can use between holds or laps in a table, to make them feel more comfortable while simultaneously increasing the amount of Hypercapnia & Hypoxia (High CO2 / Low O2) that you're accumulating during the table.
In short, this is win-win training. It's potentially more physiologically demanding while feeling easier and more enjoyable to do.

[@melody3190]

nteresting . I started not long ago, intuitively, to count breaths instead of time and I was successful. This video gave me confidence that I am doing something right. Thank you very much Natan for the clip and for the course I am following.

[@rodsmith8558]

I find the techniques you describe very interesting to a non Freediver. After lots of stress in my life recently I started Wim Hof training, worked well for a while but only when was doing the sessions. So started researching about breathing as have had sleep apnoea and wanted to improve my breathing 24/7. I began to read it was all about Co2 and my basic intolerance to it, so started to practise breath holds and this led me to look at your suggestions which fit the model I am trying to develop. I am now 69 years of age and for years have struggled with my breathing especially at night. Since breath hold training my sleep has improved but my day time even more so. I like the gentle approach idea as years of hyperventilating or over breathing is stressful. I have discovered Coherent which has helped a lot as well to keep a regular pace, but its the breath holds which are changing my breathing the most. I would like more ideas and thoughts as unsure about such tables etc as as said not a free diver. I had a practice for 8 breath holds using a count of recovery breaths of 4 then a full inhale and hold, I kept a range between 1m15s and 1m35s so it feels a success. Would you suggest this is workable or do I need to try 3 breaths in between? Does the length of the breath hold matter against the less recovery breaths used? Thank you

[@trainfreediving2772]

Hey Rod, Thanks for reaching out and letting me know how you're applying this stuff differently, but still successfully!! In short, I'm not 100% sure how much difference there theorietically is between applications (performance) Vs (quality of life).. but "typically" There needs to be some degree of progressive overload (training becomes more challenging) as time goes on in order to continue making adaptation (or seeing benefits) from the training. This "overload" can be achieved in different ways (more reps) (longer holds) (shorter recoveries).. From a performance perspective, the best way is to manipulate all 3 in different ways, to provide lots of different stimulus to the body. I would say the only difference for your approach would be extra "conservatism" (your trianig shouldn't feel very challenging). As an example (I'm only "guessing" here).. You've got your standard 8x1:15 with 4x breaths.. You could do also do; 10x1:25 with 5-6x breaths 6x 1:00 with 2-3x breaths In "theory" (like I said I'm guessing) each if these workouts is equivalent (the last hold of each workout feels the SAME but the way you got there is different according to the 3 variables we can manipulate.. As you apply this VARIATION to create more adaptations, then slowly over time you OVERLOAD by increasing the hold times (1:15 becomes 1:25, 1:00 becomes 1:10, 1:25 becomes 1:35 etc...)

[@rodsmith8558]

@@trainfreediving2772 Thanks for your quick response, I will 'work' at what you are showing me and see where it leads. I am amazed how little the 'medical' profession have helped me understand to art of breathing. I was given a machine to help me breathe at nighttime called a CPAP, basically felt like putting the hose of the vacuum cleaner on blow and into the mouth. But no one ever described the way the Free diving Fraternity explain about Co2 intolerance and also of course relaxation, the actual two opposites of what someone with breathing issues has. Stay calm and become tolerant of co2 is a great Mantra. Once again thank you Rod

[@35nacl]

Totally agree with counting recovery breaths. I myself have switched up to either doing a fix number or ascending recovery breaths for tolerance training since last year, unless if it's longer holds, then I'll do a 3min recovery. It is hard and easy at the same time, and it's actually a lot easier to gauge progress. And I also think that it feels psychological easier because the holds are shorter and the training time is also shorter, I don't feel anxious when I do this training compared to my longer holds. And true, short timed recovery does feel rushed and causes anxiety, I used to have this thought if I had done enough recovery breaths in that 15-30 secs recovery. The one thing that bugs me is the extremely strong urge to pee during recovery, especially when doing only 1 or 2 breaths after a few reps :D

[@alexfinn7989]

You do a really great job on your videos and your choice of topics. I will give this a try.

[@trainfreediving2772]

Thanks Alex, I try to think, "what would I have liked to know when I was learning how to train". I'm glad to hear that I'm in the right direction!

[@alexfinn7989]

@@trainfreediving2772 Have you heard about zone 2 training used for triathlons/marathons? Or pyramid intensity training? I am curious about implementing this for a FD training plan and if you have any thoughts on this. Thanks.

[@trainfreediving2772]

Hi Alex, Yes I have heard (actually researched quite intensively) zone training, and this is a concept that I do apply to my training & online coaching, but it's very hard to fit into a single video. My overall method is a mix of training principles borrowed heavily from endurance sports & strength sports. Ive found a very strong connection between the general heart rate % (zone 1,2,3) used in endurance training & the relative intensity (% of PB) in freediving, Interms of how close to our max we should be training & how often to go 'easy medium hard'. This stuff helps with the overall approach to freedive training. But I also like the strength sport principles of rep&set schemes, periodization strategies, and short term cycles (hard weeks & deload weeks) used in sports like Olympic weightlifting. This stuff helps with the management of individual freediving exercises. -- So yes, I think (this is what I do for myself & coaching clients) that implementing these other universal principles is helpful. I do think it's important to research &mix both endurance & strength sport principles though. Freediving is a mix. It's technically a test of endurance (how far we can go with X-amount of O2) but metabolically it's more of an anaerobic / short duration sport like Weightlifiting or 800m run.

[@alexfinn7989]

@@trainfreediving2772 Very interesting. I will continue to do research and experimenting with it in my training. I definitely need to work on the pulling down and balancing the frequency and intensity. I have been freediving for about a year now, so when I go diving it is always working on "going deeper". Even if it is not "physically" exhausting (maybe only do one or two deep dives per session), the mental strain of diving near your PB twice per week every week can get exhausting. Even if I feel that the "intensity" wasn't high (compared to say running near your top speed (PB)), the exhaustion can really sneak up on you and lead to over training (even if on paper it wouldn't seem you are physically over exerting yourself). At least that is what I experienced recently. Thanks for the reply and the work you put into your channel.

[@liloadventures]

👏👏👏

[@jodecaesteker3971]

Neat and creative! How would a dyn co2 table with 25m laps look then for me? I'm Aida 2, but get very early contractions.

[@trainfreediving2772]

I think you'd need to start with a fixed recovery (same number of breaths between all the laps) for probably 4-6x 25m (you could repeat this 4-6x set, for 3 -5 sets with like 5:00 rest between sets). The number of breaths is up to you, but choose something that allows.tpj to complete all the laps / set without any contractions (this can take some experimentation). I suggest starting at 12 breaths and adding / subtracting from there.

[@jodecaesteker3971]

@@trainfreediving2772 thank you so much sir! Wonderful idea/advice!

[@cosimosesti]

Hi! I just came across this great video! My question is if I want to train the equivalent to a table with time recovery how do I approximate the number of breaths? E.g. 1 breath/10sec so 30secs= 3 breaths and 60secs= 6 breaths? What do recommend to start with? Thanks Cosimo

[@trainfreediving2772]

Hey great question, Unfortunately I don't think you can "equate" it, which is actually the reason I started focusing on the (# of breaths method).. In 10s for example, I can take 1 breath or 8-9 breaths if I breathe really fast, so that's up to a 9x difference in starting CO2 (In terms of CO2 out / O2 in): time is almost irrelevant, it's the liters of air breathed per time. That being said if you breathe the same all the time and you know each 00;05 of additional time has a certain effect you can manage your recovery by time (I do to in many cases) but I cannot tell you time = breath..

[@yd8104]

5:34 I'm not sure that statement is true. Isn't it the level of CO2 that dictates the urge to breathe? If you are stressed you will produce more CO2 during a given time and will reach the level causing the urge to breathe more quickly. But i don't think you will have an urge to breathe at a lower CO2 level than usual because of anxiety (everything else being equal). Did i miss something?

[@trainfreediving2772]

I think you're partly correct, in that being stressed from the start will potentially (likely) increase CO2 production. I didn't go into this in the video but there's a way to tell that stress can affect urge to breathe for a given level of CO2 1) during a normal time based CO2 table, or new exercise (something stressful) it's possible to get relatively strong contractions, BUT when you finish the table / dive you recover very very fast (not breathing hard). This mean you had a high urge to breath with low total CO2 in the body. 2) What I've found with mine (and coaching) breath-based tables, is that you might not have any strong urge to breathe during the table, but you can be out of breath / breathing hard for MINUTES after the tables This means relative low urge to breathe, but lots of CO2 in the body which takes minutes to clear.