Diving Fitness

[matt215]

What do you do to stay I shape for diving? More cardio or lots of weights too? I'm really trying to increase my bottom time, but also need to prepare for some stout current.

[nolatom]

I think cardio is the main thing. Lower resting and exertion heart rate should help your bottom time. For finning, I'd build up those muscles by finning--either in the pool with mini-fins, or with no fins and a kickboard.

Core muscle strength only to the extent you need it for lifting/wearing tanks on shore. Arms we don't really use that much, but neck muscles we do, at least in the water.

So I'm thinking cardio, a little core, legs for finning, neck muscles. Others may have other opinions, or want to charge you money for a fitness program, but that's my curbstone thinking.

[RTee]

I do mostly cardio...running, elleptical trainor, inline skating 45 - 60 mins session once to twice a day, five day a week.

[Guba]

Not specifically for diving (but it can't hurt), I run, bike, kayak, swim, and lift weights (well, a "Chuck Norriss" machine, that is). I find that the running and biking satisfy my needs for endurance and cardio, but the swimming is important. I discovered that I tend to have cramps in my calves unless I spend some time swimming with fins. The weights help with upper body conditioning, which is important for getting back on the boat where I dive (can be a tad rough, sometimes). Generally, a simple but well rounded program has been successful for my needs.

[TMHeimer]

20 mins. a day on exercise bike. Arm stretches using "rubber bands"--5 mins. Some light calesthentics (sp!). Usually rock shovelling to clear our beach-10+ mins. Try to dive weekly or bi-weekly in cold season. Wish I had access to a pool close by.

[LostWithNoWater]

I personally focus on swimming any where between a half mile to full mile every day...that's my cardio workouts. Three times per week I focus on strength training. I've been doing that for years, and I am pleased with the results.

[NWGratefulDiver]

I split my gym workouts pretty evenly between weight training and cardio. I also do workouts at home using kettlebells. For the investment in both time and money, kettlebells are a better investment ... about $50 per bell and you don't need a gym for a great workout. But, being a creature of habit, I still like to hit the gym and work out with my friends there too.

There's a fellow ScubaBoarder named Coach Izzy who has a book (http://www.amazon.com/Kettlebells-Fit-Diver-Israel-Sanchez/dp/0983566100)and website (http://kettlebells-for-a-fit-diver.com/)on kettlebell workouts designed specifically for divers ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Laurie S.]

I joined a gym and started working with a personal trainer for 30 minutes, three times a week. It helps that he's also a scuba diver, as is the manager of the gym. It's definitely paying off in strength and fitness improvement. I also try to walk my border collie 1.5 miles a day, but not in the summer. It's just too darn hot.

[vladimir]

To stay fit for diving I follow the same regimen I use to stay fit for life, fit into my clothes, etc. I do one hour of strenuous cardio at least 6 days a week—usually 7—and I lift weights 3 times a week. The weight workout is as hard as I can make it with 50-lb dumbbells or less. That's all my rickety shoulders can manage without significant trauma, and those are the heaviest my gym owns anyway. (They are about half the bodyweight of our typical gym user.;)) All followed by 20-minutes of ice (frozen peas, actually) on the knees and shoulders.

Lately I am also trying to break up long sitting spells at work with walking or even just standing—whatever I can manage.

[Steve50]

Beer in the large cans

[gcbryan]

I'm with Vladimir...whatever you do for life and to fit into your clothes works for scuba as well. For me it is cardio and climbing.

[PatW]

If you are expecting to decrease your air consumption by getting physically fit, I don't know if it will work. Unless you are a complete couch potato, I don't believe that getting fit will make much difference. Being good on air consumption means being comfortable in the water, having good skills, being properly weighted and having good buoyancy skills. My wife is really good on air consumption. She usually comes up from a dive with at least half a tank left. We talked to a dive master recently who was really good but he admitted not being great at using air. He said that he knew a guy who was amazing who was unfit and smokes like a chimney.

I think the secret weapon to air consumption is relaxing while you dive. I think that going into a near trance is probably the best thing you can do.

As for fitness, the important thing is to do a combination of weights that hit all the major muscle groups. You do not need to do them that much or work for mass. Just challenge the muscles. On aerobic fitness, you want something that works the major muscle groups like fast walking, cycling etc. The secret to exercise is to do it. The best exercise in the world will not help you a bit if you don't do it. If you stick with a less than perfect exercise schedule, that will do you far more good. So pick something that you will actually do instead of something you loathe doing. If you hate it, you will find excuses not to do it.

[Scuba_Noob]

Like PatW mentioned, being physically fit might not improve your air consumption significantly. The most important and immediate things you can do are relax and work minimally underwater (e.g., by improving buoyancy and finning). Some aspects are genetic too, with lung size affecting SAC rate.

However, it's great to keep fit and it might help! I run a couple times a week, and stop by the gym 4-5 days/week to lift weights. Aerobic training would probably be the most relevant to SAC rate.

[RTee]

If you are expecting to decrease your air consumption by getting physically fit, I don't know if it will work. Unless you are a complete couch potato, I don't believe that getting fit will make much difference. Being good on air consumption means being comfortable in the water, having good skills, being properly weighted and having good buoyancy skills. My wife is really good on air consumption. She usually comes up from a dive with at least half a tank left. We talked to a dive master recently who was really good but he admitted not being great at using air. He said that he knew a guy who was amazing who was unfit and smokes like a chimney.

I think the secret weapon to air consumption is relaxing while you dive. I think that going into a near trance is probably the best thing you can do.

As for fitness, the important thing is to do a combination of weights that hit all the major muscle groups. You do not need to do them that much or work for mass. Just challenge the muscles. On aerobic fitness, you want something that works the major muscle groups like fast walking, cycling etc. The secret to exercise is to do it. The best exercise in the world will not help you a bit if you don't do it. If you stick with a less than perfect exercise schedule, that will do you far more good. So pick something that you will actually do instead of something you loathe doing. If you hate it, you will find excuses not to do it.

May not do much to lower your gas consumption at rest but may do wonders for your gas consumption when you need to work under water (like fin against the current, etc) also about how you generally feel and last but not least how you look in your wetsuit...lol

[danvolker]

Cycling, with a sprint day, an interval day, and an aerobic-duration day....and a race simulation day

You have 3 energy systems in your body, and a diver can need all three..... the ATP system, which is 10 to 15 second emergency sprint power......A cyclist uses this at the end of a race to win, or to try a break away or to catch someone that just exploded by......a diver might use this to get to someone having a life threatening emergency and needed air instantly....or to go up current a short distance to reach a boat or anchor line, in a big current......many situations can occur that are just a very fast burst....

There is the anaerobic energy system....a cyclist does 1 minutes at the fasted pace they can hang on to for a minute, then they completely fail, and rest for 4 minutes, then do it again....or, they do 2 minutes on, and 8 minutes off....simulates climbing a hill, sustaining a getaway or a chase, also increases overall long duration power---time trialers use 2 minute intervals to decrease the amount of time it takes to complete a 40K ( 25 mile) time trial....this increase heart and muscle power for bigger outputs. For divers, this is what gives you the bigger power..this will give you a bigger kick with a longer glide, with less effort. If you ever have to cover a long span of more than a minute, at very high speed, this is the energy system that needs the training, for this to be best optimized for.

The aerobic system is normally trained by long steady distance, or just riding at a zone 2 heart rate--about 65% to 73% of your maximum attainable heart rate, for more than 40 minutes at a time...60 is a better number, and after 2 hours you get diminishing returns. Maximal attainable heart rate is NOT 220 minus your age...this is nonsense by trainers with poor educations...the only way an individual can determine max heart rate, is to perform a time trial, and in the last mile gradually build to the point that you are seeing spots and tunnel vision, and reach absolute failure...for me when I was racing in the 90's, this was a 203 heart rate.... I could ride at 192 bpm for an hour in a time trial ( anaerobic threshold) , and at the last 500 yards would pick up the pace till the finish line, typically hitting around 203 or 204...actually finishing in around 58 minutes for 25 miles. Pretty sure I can still do 40K in 60 minutes or 59.50.
Current research indicates to much steady state or long steady distance training at race pace is very bad for your heart...marathon runners are actually the worst offenders for this. Research point to us being better by interval type training, and not doing to much high heart rate at a steady pace. I am pretty sure it is fine to run at 73% of max HR for an hour, but doing lots of 40K time trials is certainly NOT healthy.

[j yaeger]

i just live and enjoy it!!
work is demanding enough,and play just multiplies it
just got my commercial physical-...i'm ok to run over you!!!!!!!!!
don't eat crappy stuff,dive with heavy stuff,carry friends stuff,-i'm not seeing the need if you fly this way!!!!!!
have fun
yaeg

[50Fathom]

I just started Crossfit. It's kicking my butt. I was in top shape when I was in the Army, and while I've only been out three years, and I still am a good height/weight (5'11"/180lbs), with generally OK fitness, it's showed me that I am grossly out of shape.

I'd try it. Good stuff.

[SnorkelLA]

Just do "whatever floats your boat" :)

[Zieg]

I do Cross Fit too. Stepson is an Instructor, incrediable condition. Keeps me on my heels. Oh...CROSSFIT IS NOT A CULT. There.

[JamesK]

I hate the gym because I hate being inside. I run and bike. My runs average about six miles. sometimes I just get Ina quick three, other times I take it to ten. usually five to six though. I also bike ride. when I bike I do between ten to fifteen miles at an easy pace, or I hit the mountain bike trais and try to kill myself.

[50Fathom]

I do Cross Fit too. Stepson is an Instructor, incrediable condition. Keeps me on my heels. Oh...CROSSFIT IS NOT A CULT. There.

I love it, and I agree, it's not a cult, but gets a bad rap from eager participants' enthusiasm toward non-practioners.

Sorta like DIR/GUE

But it also shows stunning results and is highly effective as a method and philosophy.

Sorta like DIR/GUE

Wait...

Oh crap...wrong thread...:D ;);)