Gym Training for Freediving: 100' Club Dry Workout

Freediving can present as a very graceful and relaxed activity, but the best hunters and certainly competitive divers have immense power and stamina reserves. Student divers often obsess over the breathhold aspect of freediving, failing to realize that if they're more fit for the physical swim aspects of a dive, other key aspects such as breathhold and equalization will also come easier. We can build better power and stamina with consistent long hours in the water, but when that isn't feasible, smart divers supplement with dry resistance training and calisthenics. In this article, I'll share some exercises suitable for newer divers looking to improve their freedive and water fitness, adapted from workouts I've used myself for many years to stay in shape during bad weather windows, work breaks, or to build a really strong base early in the competition season.

And one note of caution--if you're really brand new to weights or resistance training, it would be smart to work with a certified personal trainer in the beginning to make sure your form is correct which will minimize chances of injury and maximize benefit. This article and the accompanying video is not meant to be a step by step guide on how to do these exercises (nowadays youTube does a passable job of that), but rather a presentation of a gym workout for freedivers with a few sport specific notes.

I am a fan of kettlebells and compound plyometric type exercises. I prefer those to heavy, slow isolated movements that a lot of weight lifters use. For a base stamina building workout, I also have found it beneficial to do continuous reps, so pick a weight that allows you to complete the main set all the way through, with good form. Depending on your experience this may just be 10% - 15% of your body weight, especially if you're new. In the photos and video, I am using the same weight kettlebell (30lbs) for all the exercises except the lunges where I'm holding one in each hand. As you get stronger, you can always increase the amount of weight you use, go faster (sprint the sets), and incorporate breath limits or manipulations.

This base workout is divided into three main sets. I usually do my version of all three at every single workout, sometimes up to three times through, varying the weight of kettlebell for each set, and sometimes I'll do all three and then do repeats of just one or two of the sets depending on what I feel like I need to emphasize. If you need to go slowly at first that's okay, but each main set is a long superset, meaning you do all the exercises and repititions without pausing to rest--each main set might end up being 3 - 6 minutes of continuous movement. It's okay to take a break and catch your breath between main sets, though. If your focus is finning, you can de-emphasize the Bodyweight set. If your focus is swimming or No-Fins, you for sure never want to skip the Bodyweight set! I plan to release some video content with more detail and advanced workouts, as well as 'add ons' which are specific for the demands spearfishing, monofin/bi-fin, and no-fins.

I call this a 100' Club workout because a 30M or 100' CWT dive is a common goal number for a lot of my students. In our rougher, athletic waters, that dive can take a good deal more than just relaxation and mental preparation--it's a physical dive. I can't guarantee that anyone who can do this workout will dive to 100' (or beyond!) but in my experience as a California instructor I've definitely had students who had the equalization ability and fundamental breathhold to make the dive, but not quite the stamina, so I designed this workout for them.

100' Club Dry Base Workout

Warm-up

• 10 minutes of steady cardio for warm-up--jogging, ellipictical, bike, etc. Just enough to break a light sweat and get the muscles warm.

Kettlebell Main Set (Kettlebells or dumbbells, and done continuously with no rest breaks)

• 10x Around The Body Pass, to the right

• 10x Around The Body Pass, to the left

• 10x High Pulls

• 10x Double Arm Swing

• 10x Single Arm Row, right arm (brace left elbow on left knee to avoid stress on the back)

• 10x Single Arm Row, left arm (brace right elbow on right knee to avoid stress on the back)

• 10x Goblet Squats

• 10x Clean and Overhead Press, right arm (if new to kettebells, use a dumbbell here)

• 10x Clean and Overhead Press, left arm

• 10x Swing and Snatch, right arm (this is a much more advanced kettlebell movement so you may need to learn it before using it in your workout--in the meantime, substitute with a dumbbell)

• 10x Swing and Snatch, left arm

• 20x. Forward Lunge, alternating right and left leg

• 10x Big Jumps

Bodyweight Main Set (Body weight and simple equipment, continuous with no rest breaks)

• 15x Classic Push-Ups

• 10x Dips

• 10x Chest Flys

• 10x Speed Push-Ups (or as many as you can do)

• 10x Pull-Ups

Yoga Ball MainSet (Yoga ball and simple equipment, continuous with no rest breaks)

• 50x Yoga Ball Sit-Up

• 20x Medicine Ball Twists

• 20x Double Crunch

• 10x Back Extensions

Warm-down

• 5 minutes easy cardio

• 10 minutes of stretching and breathwork

FREEDIVE SPECIFIC NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS....

KETTLEBELL MAIN SET:

Around the Body Pass: This is a little bit of core and grip warm-up I always do before I start swinging a kettlebell all over the place. I try to keep my midsection steady, and flow the bell around my body, just getting a little bit centered before really starting the more difficult movements. Swimming--and by extension freediving--does not require a huge amount of core strength, but it does require a great deal of core STABILITY which is one of the reasons I like kettlebells. This exercise gets me thinking about that. Muscles worked include: Upper Trapezius, Deltoids, Subscapularis, Infraspinatus, Obliques, Abdominals, Biceps, Triceps, Forearms.

High Pull: This is also a little bit of a warm up exercise when it comes to the kettle bell but I'm engaging more muscles in the legs and arms. You may notice that on this exercise and many others my feet are slightly turned out. That turned out stance is common with ballet dancers and kickboxers, two sports which demand a great deal of rotational hip flexibility. In a previous life, I did many years of competive Muay Thai. Incidentally, the no-fins (breast-stroke) kick also really benefits rotational hip flexibility so I'm perfectly happy with my developed turnouts since no-fins is my competitive specialty and where I currently hold official records. I will also sometimes do this exercise with feet very wide (sumo stance), which also works muscles more specific to no-fins. If your focus is bi-fins/monofin, I would do most all these exercises with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward, which will be more specific to those disciplines. High pull emphasizes the following muscles: Deltoids, Trapezius, also Adductors, Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings.

Double Arm Swings: All the compound kettlebell movements in this main set are built around either a hip hinge or squat movement. The swing movements all involve the hip hinge which is fundamental for kicking bi-fins/monofins. A lot of traditional gym lower body exercises neglect this, or--in order to work it--put a lot of stress on the lower back. This main set involves a lot of swing movements since we want good power and stamina in the big muscles that drive the hips. Make sure and do ALL the swinging movements with a straight back--the momentum to swing the bell comes from the hips, not the back! Muscles worked include: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Erector Spinae, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Deltoids, Abdominals.

Single Arm Row: This is a good exercise for freedive instructors/safety divers, boaters, and swimmers! For instructors, it's because a large part of the physical requirements of setting up training rigs includes pulling hundreds of feet of weighted line on the days we teach, boaters because quickly pulling anchors can be a big deal in heavy seas or currents, and for classic swimming we use a lot of these upper body muscles. If you're thinking, 'well, I'm just a freediver, why should I worry about classic swimming muscles?' then I have news for you--a proper, strong duck dive in a thick wetsuit generally requires use of the arms in a very pure and classic swim sense! Many freedivers, especially in California where thick wetsuits are a way of life, struggle a bit with entries. Having more power will help immensely when it comes to executing an efficient, graceful, quiet entry. When doing this exercise I would strongly emphasize doing it with one knee on a bench or--as I'm doing--with your off elbow braced on your knee to take stress off your back. I prefer to do it like this as opposed to with one knee on a bench because this is closer to the way I would be pulling lines and anchors when working on the water. Muscles worked with this exercise include: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Rear Deltoids, also core and biceps (overhand challenges Lats, underhand challenges biceps).

Goblet Squat: Goblet squats are just a good, classic squat exercise that I find to be gentle on the knees and back. Again, you'll notice I'm doing these with a pronounced turn-out of the toes which is natural and comfortable for me, but if you focus is finning, I'd keep the toes pointed more straight ahead. For CNF, mix up the stance and do some all the way out in a sumo stance. Muscles worked here include: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Core and Lower Back (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques,) Biceps, Shoulders.

Clean and Press: This is very much a full body exercise and--when I'm using a challenging amount of weight--where I'm starting to feel a burn and having to maintain strong focus, sort of like the end of a more challenging dive. To avoid injury of the back, wrists and shoulders, the kettlebell should stay close to the body. If you're not sure what I mean by that, research the exercise to make sure you're doing it right. If you're newer to kettlebells, just substitute a dumbbell here. Muscles worked include: Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Biceps, Glutes, Triceps, Deltoids, Rhomboids, Trapezius, and lower back.

Swing and Snatch: This is the class posterior chain and whole body exercise with kettlebell. It also is one of the trickier movements to master with a kettlebell, so until you can do it without cracking the bell against your wrist, just substitute a dumbbell. Muscles worked include: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Deltoids, Rhomboids, Rectus Abdominis, Trapezius, Biceps.

Forward Lunge: Most all the exercises so far have involved hips and legs to some degree, but here we'll focus on them. For no-fins, I like to mix in side lunges as well. The muscles along the backs of the legs provide propulsion during the no-fins kick, and for finning they do work during the back-kick/upkick. Muscles worked include: Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Hip Flexors, Gluteus Maximus, Adductors.

Big Jumps: This is the final burner part of the set. We're working in a little bit of contrast training which targets very specific, hard to train anaerobic muscle fibers by doing slower resistance exercises (weighted lunges) followed immediately by max effort explosive movements targeting the same muscle groups. My more advanced workouts include more of this protocol as limit dives will tend to rely on type 2B muscle fibers which this protocol is designed to train. Muscles worked here include: Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Quadriceps.

BODYWEIGHT MAIN SET:

Push-Ups: Just a classic push-up. Most all these exercises are classic swimming upper body core exercises. Even if you live in bi-fins, the duckdive starts with very classic upper body swimming movement, and from an energy perspective that is the most expensive portion of a dive, so it pays to be well conditioned here. In the video I show a few different hand positions. Generally if you rotate the hands inwards and bring them closer together (diamond fingers) it can feel harder and you're relying more on the triceps--this is engagement at the very end of all swim movements which in swimming we'd call 'the finish'. It's same in all strokes--freestyle, no-fins, butterfly, or backstroke! I notice a lot of students will have a weak finish because no one ever told them to finish strong, and because they haven't ever trained the muscles involved. A push-up also engages the core a good bit which again build core stability. There are lots of push-up variations which target the different muscle areas, but a plain old push-up is a good start. If this is too much, just do it on your knees. Muscles emphasized here include: Triceps, Anterior Deltoids, Pectoralis Major and Minor, Core muscles.

Dips: I'm doing dips on a bench to show a little bit of an easier version but I'd ordinarily be doing them on dip bars, and even with a hanging weight. Chair dips like this though can be done anywhere. They'll get harder if you scoot your feet away and straighten your legs, and easier if you bring your feet closer. This movement mostly works the finish of the upper body swim strokes. Muscles worked include: Triceps, Anterior Deltoids, Pectoralis Major and Minor, Rhomboids.

Chest Flys: Muscles in the chest are essential to all the upper body swim movements and so this one way to target them. Dumbbells on a bench as shown here is a good way to start. More advanced would be to use TRX straps (or rings which you can see tucked away in the background) and ladder bars so that you can get a range of motion which is closer to the actual swim movement, and work more core stability. We are generally doing all these exercises to build strength, but if we work all the way through our full range of motion and even pause in a stretched position, we can also work mobility for the sport. Chest flys are good for that. Muscles targeted here include: Pectoralis Major and Minor, Deltoids, Triceps, Biceps.

Speed Push-Ups: Here's our burner where we're going straight from slower controlled strength movements into more explosive movements to get that quality contrast training. I'm doing clap push-ups in the video but if that's too much, just aim for fast explosive push-ups with good form, even just a few so long as your form is good and they're as fast as you can do them. When doing 'explosive' push-ups, a good rule of thumb is lower your body on 3 counts and come up on 1 count. Triceps, Anterior Deltoids, Pectoralis Major and Minor, Core muscles are all worked.

Pull-Ups: These are another of the classic swimmer exercises. For swimming they should be done with an overhand grip, and should be 'strict'. Meaning you're not swinging your legs to create momentum and make the exercise easier. It's good vary the grip width a little bit, too, since the width of the hands during the arm sweep of a swimming movement changes as well. Shoulder width is a good start, and then on subsequent sets you can widen out a little, and go slightly narrower as well. Lead the pull-up with the chest. Muscles targeted here include: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Biceps, Brachialis, Pectoralis Major, Teres Major, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor.

YOGA BALL MAIN SET:

Yoga Ball Sit-Ups: Strong and stable abdominals, especially lower abdominals are essential for swimming and kicking, and for freedivers this exact movement especially is practice for a smooth, strong duck dive. But this is important--try to keep your back relatively straight, sort of push or lead with your chest (you can see this more clearly on the video). I do the sit-up this way because that's actually the emphasis during the duck dive--you want to hinge at the waist, not curl the upper body. As a rule, anytime I'm in the water with all movements, I'm trying to keep my spine long so I practice that here as well. Muscles worked include: Rectus Abdominis, Int/Ext Obliques, Transverse Abdominis, Hip Flexors (Iliopsoas, Rectus Femoris).

Medicine Ball Twists: I don't twist in the waist very much in the water, but I still work this movement some as it just feels like a good stretch and builds stability. I'm using a 10lbs ball but it can be done with anything--kettlebell, plate, etc. Muscles worked here include: Int/Ext Obliques, Rectus & Transverse Abdominis, Erector Spinae, Back muscles, Quadratus Lumborum, Hip Flexors.

Double Crunch: Lower abdominal strength and stability is very important for posture in the water, especially on a vertical descent. The double crunch is great for building this. If the move is too much for you, do leg lifts or scissor kicks. Muscles worked include: Rectus Abdominis, Int/Ext Obliques, Transverse Abdominis, Hip Flexors (Iliopsoas, Rectus Femoris).

Back Extension: Obviously this is good for dolphin kick, but having strength here will also help to make crisp duck dives. They've fallen out of favor in many gyms because the over eager but under trained can so easily give themselves back injuries but the old school Roman chair is my favorite for this. Done on a yoga ball this way it's quite gentle. Erector Spinae and Lower Back are worked here.