I just got back from a cold water, ocean dive trip and have realized that I need to get in better shape. I am a former overweight smoker who now is tobacco free, an appropriate weight, and I exercise 5-7 days a week. The problem is that my exercise routine is almost exclusively road biking or using an exercise bike because these are convenient and I enjoy them. So I am aerobically fit, and I have strong thighs. However my upper body, core, and to some degree my calves and feet are weak. I need to readjust my fitness routine to target the muscle groups used when diving.
I need help identifying the specific exercises that will translate to diving. If at all possible, I would like to be able to see videos of the exercises being performed appropriately. I have seen a few "dive exercise routines" posted online, but they rarely have pictures and often use names for their exercises that don't match up to what I can search for online.
Here are the specific things that I felt were overly difficult for me.
Any ideas?
I need help identifying the specific exercises that will translate to diving. If at all possible, I would like to be able to see videos of the exercises being performed appropriately. I have seen a few "dive exercise routines" posted online, but they rarely have pictures and often use names for their exercises that don't match up to what I can search for online.
Here are the specific things that I felt were overly difficult for me.
- Wearing my BCD with tank and walking long distances to the water while fully weighted for cold water diving. This killed my shoulders. I wanted to stop walking and lean forward to take the weight off my shoulders.
- Long surface swims from the shore through kelp against the surge. My legs were on fire and I felt winded before the dive started. My strong biking leg says didn't help at all, since the muscle groups were completely different.
- Lugging and loading tanks and gear bags loaded with weights. I am a man that is slight of build. Lifting HP100s and dive bags full of gear and weights, in and out of vehicles to get around to the dive sites, drained me quick.
Any ideas?