Stretching For Freediving: A 4-Week Beginner’s Training Plan to Increase Flexibility, Dive Deeper & Hold Your Breath Longer

54 Pages·2020·13.915 MB·English

by  Leroy, Gert

COVER
STRETCHING FOR
FREEDIVING
A 4-Week Beginner’s Training Plan to Increase
Flexibility, Dive Deeper & Hold Your Breath Longer.
By Gert Leroy
Copyright © 2020 Gert Leroy
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written
permission of the publisher.
CONTENTS
Cover
Copyright
INTRODUCTION
WHY STRETCH?
WHAT TO STRETCH?
WHEN TO STRETCH?
HOW TO STRETCH?
MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE
WARM-UP
0.1. Shoulder rolls
0.2. Arm swings
0.3. Neck side bends
0.4. Hip circles
WEEK 1
1.1. Side bends arms down (dynamic)
1.2. Shoulder stretch horizontal
1.3. Standing spinal twists (dynamic)
1.4. Knee hugs
1.5. Hanging (optional)
1.6. Backbends on gymball (hands on chest)
1.7. Seated uddiyana bandha
WEEK 2
2.1. Side bends 1 arm up (dynamic)
2.2. Shoulder stretch arms behind back
2.3. Seated spinal twist
2.4. Child's pose
2.5. Hanging + twist (optional)
2.6. Backbends on gymball (arms sideways)
2.7. Standing uddiyana bandha
WEEK 3
3.1. Side bends 1 arm up diagonal (dynamic)
3.2. Shoulder stretch arms up, hands together
3.3. Lying spinal twist
3.4. Cat/cow pose (dynamic)
3.5. Hanging + feet backwards (optional)
3.6. Backbends on gymball (arms extended)
3.7. Lying uddiyana bandha
WEEK 4
4.1. Side bends 1 arm up diagonal + push hip (dynamic)
4.2. Shoulder stretch arms up, hands together + lift shoulders
4.3. Lying spinal twist press knee down
4.4. Cobra pose
4.5. Hanging 1 arm (optional)
4.6. Backbends on gymball (arms extended, legs extended)
4.7. Lying uddiyana bandha arms extended
CONCLUSION
About The Author
Gert’s Freediving Gear Guide
Let’s Get Connected!
INTRODUCTION
W hat’s up guys? Great to see you have decided to commit to this 4-week
training plan!
For those who don't know me, my name is Gert Leroy. I help you master
freediving.
This document is a training plan to stretch the muscles that are responsible
for our breathing. The more flexible they become, the better you’ll be able to
control your breathing, hold your breath longer, and dive deeper.
This training plan is the result of my own experience as a freediving
instructor working with students. It puts emphasys on simple but effective
stretches that will make you considerably more flexible in a matter of only a
couple of weeks.
Just follow the program outlined and go through each week as described
below and the results are yours. Good luck and enjoy!
WHY STRETCH?
O k, so why should you stretch for freediving? Well, first of all, stretching
for general purposes is always a good thing. Stretching increases
flexibility, increases range of motion, increases blood flow to the muscles
& helps to heal and prevent back pain. It’s also a great stress reliever and a
perfect way to start your day.
So what are the specific benefits of stretching for freediving? When your
respiratory muscles become more flexible, you’ll be able to:
✓ control your breathing better

✓ take a bigger breath

✓ equalize better (yes that’s right!)

✓ cope better with the pressure as you dive deeper

Sounds good right?
WHAT TO STRETCH?
O k, so now you get the idea. So which are the respiratory muscles that
have to be stretched?
First of all you want to make sure you stretch the body for general health,
overall flexibility, and good functioning. That includes stretching of the back
(spine), the hips, legs, shoulders and arms.
Here are the body parts we want to specifically stretch for freediving:
✓ Diaphragm: controls the volume of air we take into our lungs:

When you breathe in, the diaphragm lowers to make space for the
lungs to expand. When the diaphragm goes back up, we exhale air out
of the lungs. The more flexible the diaphragm, the more range of
motion, and the more air we can take into the lungs.
✓ Ribcage / intercostal muscles (thoracic stretching): The ribcage is

a container for the lungs. The more it can expand, the more the lungs
can expand, and the more air they can contain. A more flexible
ribcage will allow you to take a bigger breath. In order for the ribcage
to be flexible, we want to stretch the intercostal muscles, which are
the muscles in between the ribs.
✓ Spine / lower back: A healthy and flexible spine is the core of a

healthy body. In modern life, we are constantly bent forward, looking
at our screens, or sitting at a desk. A healthy spine will result in good
posture and prevent injury. Spine twists will stretch your ribcage, and
open up your chest and shoulders.
✓ Shoulders: In disciplines like constant weight with monofin or

bifins, and even in the no fins discipline, freedivers hold the arms
extended above the head. This requires good shoulder flexibility. If
you have rigid shoulders, you’ll have a hard time keeping your arms
extended, in one line with the body. The more flexible the shoulders,
the more streamlined your position.
✓ Head / neck: As equalization of the ears requires total relaxation of
the body, and especially of the muscles in the neck area (where are
the eustachian tubes responsible for equalization), you want to gently
stretch those muscles as well.
WHEN TO STRETCH?
So now that you’ve got that figured out, you want to know when is the best
moment to stretch. Well, i recommend you doing this first thing in the
morning (on empty stomach) or before going to bed (also on empty
stomach).
The duration of a session is about 10 minutes, so it’s a small investment into
your daily schedule. Please stick to your routine on every day of the week,
except on sundays you can take a break from stretching.
If you have a dive session scheduled, you can stretch before so your muscles
are already warmed up when you go into the water.
A good point to remember is that flexibility is a result of consistent daily
stretching, and a single stretch session right before a dive session isn’t gonna
make the difference.