Welcome to the Tribal Freediving newsletter. Every week, we explore different topics that can help you improve your freediving performance, by training smarter. From the latest training techniques and nutritional advice to expert tips, our goal is to help you achieve your goals with less than 5 minutes of reading. If you were forwarded this message, you can join the tribe and receive the free weekly email here.
As an athlete, working from a plan is critical in order to progress. Ideally you spend all our energy on training and learning, and avoid perfecting the methods before you even got started. What you need is a solid plan that helps you progress and that you can stick to.
Learnings
Every person starts from different goals and constraints. There is no one size fits all, so the best we can do in this article is to offer a set of principles that can be used to build your own training program, given your situation.
Let’s dive into the different types of workouts we can do, and why we would want to perform them in order to achieve different adaptations.
Breath hold
The primary adaptation we are after as freedivers is for our brain and body to function better under hypoxia (low O2) and hypercapnia (high CO2). Therefore, breath hold training should make up a major part of your training program. The more time you can spend practicing in the water the better. However, performing dry holds (including apnea walks or on a stationary bike), can be an effective way to get that extra workout in. Consistency is more important than creating perfect circumstance.
Depending on your goals and availability, training once a week can be enough. Aim for performing at least 1 long hold/dive per week and front-load it in your workouts before you continue with the rest of your training. Stick to a maximum of 3 breath hold sessions per week to avoid overtraining.
Strength
In the recent years there has been a shift for freedivers to focus on strength training. Any human aiming to live a long healthy life should lift something heavy at least once per week, and anyone who considers themselves an athlete simply cannot go without training for muscle strength at least once per week. Whether you pick up a barbell, kettlebells, or your bodyweight, this is nonnegotiable.
Endurance
Similar to strength training, aerobic and anaerobic training are crucial components to train for at least weekly. Aerobic and VO2 max training enhance your body's ability to utilize oxygen efficiently. Engaging in high-intensity exercises increases your maximum oxygen uptake, making your cardiovascular system more robust and resilient. Anaerobic fitness allows your body to release bursts of energy without oxygen as a primary source of fuel, crucial for the later parts of your dives.
For more details on relevance in freediving, see my earlier post on lactic acid.
Rest
Getting sufficient rest is as important as training. A great starting point would be to take at least 1 day of rest during the majority of your training weeks and increase rest in the weeks leading up to a competition. If you really feel like doing at least something on rest days, opt for a stretching, meditation, visualization, or a light cardio workout.
Technique
Last but not least, you can add a day of specific technique training to perfect your kicks and strokes. Ideally you should be able to perform these exercises safely in a pool without the need for a buddy, to make it easier to fit with your schedule.
Putting this to action
So how do you build the program?
You come up with a weekly plan that can work for you. A fixed plan can help you stay consistent and think less. Sequencing should be such that there is no high intensity training days prior to breath hold days. You can plan low heart rate strength, technique, or rest days before a more challenging breath hold workout.
What remains is to plan the content of the actual workouts. It is important to consider your skills, facilities, and preferences here. Some people may prefer to do squats and deadlifts for their strength training, while for others it may seem daunting or overly complex. Come up with exercises you enjoy, but also challenge you to achieve the desired adaptation. Research 2 or 3 workouts per workout category, and rotate those over a period of weeks before you bring in new ones. Keeping it simple will help build cadence and stay consistent.
Conclusion
Building a solid training program is essential for advancing your performance. By working from a well-structured plan, you can focus your energy on the actual training and progress more effectively towards your goals. Knowing which parts of training are important, and how to sequence them, you can now start putting these learnings together in a way that makes sense for you.
Love the game.