Physical conditioning

[ScubaFeenD]

Just out of curosity, what would you say would be the standard for ow divers and instructors?

I cannot say for sure what would be optimal, because I don't have any data to indicate what can only be done by a person in generally good cardiac health. However, from what I have heard of higher certification dive certification phsyical fitness requirement they would generally fit well for OW. For instance, from what I understand about the DM test you need to have a certain breath hold distance, and the ability to swim a prespecified distance within a reasonable time span. I do not think that only higher certs should require this basal level.

Regarding instructor level fitness requirements, I dont feel that I am qualified to answer that. I am not familiar enough with the job responsibilities nor am I familiar with what it is actually like. I just know that I wish I was held to a higher standard from the get go as an OW diver.

 

[Nemrod]

All's I can say folks is that if you are living a sedentary life and are middle-aged and want to go diving after years of not doing anything except watching TV and munching at night, take you a** to the gym or pool and get your heart and lungs is shape. It could mean the difference between life and your death.

Once upon a time I ran marathons and triathlons. At 5'11" (and shrinking by the day) I weighed as little as 145 pounds, zero % body fat. I ran 25 miles a week, swam 8 miles a week and cycled upwards of 125 miles per week. I threw up all the time, I did not ever feel good, I had strange fevers, I was essentially anorexic. One day really not all that long ago, I quit. I felt great, weight slowly went up hitting a high last fall of 210 pounds.

So, I never completely quit swimming but I cut it way back to a few miles a week or whatever I felt like or not, no running, no cycling, nothing. Now I have gotten back to (barely):

Swim 1 mile X3
Bike 15 miles X2
Run are you kidding but I have an elliptical 30 minutes X2

Now I weigh 179 pounds. In order to drop to below 175 or less it is clear, and I know this from before, I would have to start increasing time and distance in my workouts, been there and done that, a little fat is not a bad thing.

BTW, somebody was talking about fast twitch and slow twitch and triathletes not being fit or something like that?? In the time that I worked out sufficient to be able to compete in age groups and finish up front I used interval training, just because somebody can go long does not mean they cannot go fast.

Thing is that once you hit your oxygen uptake maximum limit, a genetic limit, the only way to go further is to reduce weight which can reduce strength and speed and overall health, JMO or blood dope or drugs.

The kids on the swim team hate it when I show up at the Y for laps.

N

 

[northen diver]

Once upon a time I ran marathons and triathlons. At 5'11" (and shrinking by the day) I weighed as little as 145 pounds, zero % body fat. I ran 25 miles a week, swam 8 miles a week and cycled upwards of 125 miles per week. I threw up all the time, I did not ever feel good, I had strange fevers, I was essentially anorexic. One day really not all that long ago, I quit. I felt great, weight slowly went up hitting a high last fall of 210 pounds.

So, I never completely quit swimming but I cut it way back to a few miles a week or whatever I felt like or not, no running, no cycling, nothing. Now I have gotten back to (barely):

Swim 1 mile X3
Bike 15 miles X2
Run are you kidding but I have an elliptical 30 minutes X2

Now I weigh 179 pounds. In order to drop to below 175 or less it is clear, and I know this from before, I would have to start increasing time and distance in my workouts, been there and done that, a little fat is not a bad thing.

BTW, somebody was talking about fast twitch and slow twitch and triathletes not being fit or something like that?? In the time that I worked out sufficient to be able to compete in age groups and finish up front I used interval training, just because somebody can go long does not mean they cannot go fast.

Thing is that once you hit your oxygen uptake maximum limit, a genetic limit, the only way to go further is to reduce weight which can reduce strength and speed and overall health, JMO or blood dope or drugs.

The kids on the swim team hate it when I show up at the Y for laps.

N

Anorexia is pretty common in long distance runners. Sounds like the excercise was a means to a end. I am glad you put the weight back on that you feel comfortable with.

When you say you did marathons and triathlons, I am assuming that you ran full marathons and triathlons. If so, you were under training quite a bit. Running 25-30 miles a week, biking 125 miles per week are really not that intense of a training regiment. This is why I wonder if you were not anorexia to loose that much weight.

I do mini triathlons (swim 1/2 mile, run 5 K's and bike 22 miles) I do about what you once trained at. I am 48 and hover around 165-170 pounds. I average around a 6.5 minute mile and average a 21 mph on my bike. Not real fast, but I stay in fair shape doing the tris and 10 K races.

VO2 plateaus are guessed to be around 25% to 45% of performance. Once you do reach your plateau in VO2 maximum, it can reach further improvements in performance that are still seen with training. This is because the athlete is able to perform at a higher percentage of their VO2 max for prolonged periods which is pretty important in long distance races. Two major reasons for this are improvements in anerobic thresholds and running economy.

 

[Nemrod]

Northern diver, I agree essentially with your thoughts, I did full marathons and the Bud Light Series "type" or "International" distance triathlons which are/were 1.5K swim, 40K cycle, 10K run. I did do a couple of half iron triathlons and also really loved the sprint distance which were roughly half the international distance, those were full out all the way and great fun.

I am a swimmer/cyclist, I only endured the running for the fun of doing the other two, did the first full marathon as a dare and failed and cracked a tibia in the process, which provoked me into teaching myself a lesson and then prove to myself over and over I could actually do it.

Speedo alert (deal with it), 508, I quit running in 1998 and do not run anymore unless a bear is after me or worse hornets:

Just to see I actually did what I say and as to the intensity of my training, like I said, you might have missed it, I used interval training at shorter distances rather than long, slow grind it out training. In Houston I belonged to a running club and a bunch of us jumped to the triathlons. Those were the two schools of thought at the time, train at the distance or longer and then those who trained at higher intensity but often at no more than half the competition distance. Of course, usually just before beginning a taper, I would go full distance to condition my pain meter. This method reduced the damage to my hips (have had RA since a young adult).

I had just finished a full marathon this morning here and we drove over to the Four Corners where this pic was taken:

It is a great place to run:

http://www.shiprockmarathon.com/



N

 

[northen diver]

Northern diver, I agree essentially with your thoughts, I did full marathons and the Bud Light Series "type" or "International" distance triathlons which are/were 1.5K swim, 40K cycle, 10K run. I did do a couple of half iron triathlons and also really loved the sprint distance which were roughly half the international distance, those were full out all the way and great fun.

I am a swimmer/cyclist, I only endured the running for the fun of doing the other two, did the first full marathon as a dare and failed and cracked a tibia in the process, which provoked me into teaching myself a lesson and then prove to myself over and over I could actually do it.

Speedo alert (deal with it), 508, I quit running in 1998 and do not run anymore unless a bear is after me or worse hornets:

Just to see I actually did what I say and as to the intensity of my training, like I said, you might have missed it, I used interval training at shorter distances rather than long, slow grind it out training. In Houston I belonged to a running club and a bunch of us jumped to the triathlons. Those were the two schools of thought at the time, train at the distance or longer and then those who trained at higher intensity but often at no more than half the competition distance. Of course, usually just before beginning a taper, I would go full distance to condition my pain meter. This method reduced the damage to my hips (have had RA since a young adult).

I had just finished a full marathon this morning here and we drove over to the Four Corners where this pic was taken:

It is a great place to run:

Shiprock Marathon Dot Com



N

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/JRWJR/Me and MC/IMG_0011-1.jpg

I will under no circumstances will wear the speedo's briefs. Just dont have the testicle fortitude to wear them. I prefer the jammers.