Best gym workouts for dive fitness

[Meggie66]

Hi

I don't get to the gym as often as I should, but when I go I mostly do cardio. Wondering whether I should focus more on building core strength to help with controlling the way I move through the water while diving, or whether there's another area I should focus on which would be particularly beneficial while diving (apart from diving itself, that is!). Does anyone have an exercise regime they follow which is focussed on fitness for diving? (Lest you get the impression I'm a complete fitness nut, the exercise I'm doing right now is the elbow bend, which I'm using to lift a glass of wine to my lips).

 

[vladimir]

Here's a useful recent thread on the subject:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...-diving/328483-type-exercise.html#post5132718

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Meggie ... there's a very good book available that you may find useful ... I have.

FWIW - I work out at the gym about four to five times a week on average. My typical workout consists of about 30 minutes of weight training followed by another 30 minutes of cardio ... typically the latter being on the elliptical machine. Swimming is also a very good way to get your cardio exercise done, if you have regular access to a pool.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Scott L]

Meggie ... there's a very good book available that you may find useful ... I have.

FWIW - I work out at the gym about four to five times a week on average. My typical workout consists of about 30 minutes of weight training followed by another 30 minutes of cardio ... typically the latter being on the elliptical machine. Swimming is also a very good way to get your cardio exercise done, if you have regular access to a pool.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Great book...

 

[Blackwood]

Legs, cardio, legs, cardio, shoulders, lower back, legs and cardio,

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

As a relatively new diver myself I had these same questions. What I came up with was:

1. Core strength
2. Flexability
3. Cardio fitness

those were the three things that seemed to me based on reading lots of similar posts and talking to a lot of divers were the key. One of the things I did early on was core strength yoga, which works on the strength and flexibility while also adding in a little relaxation which I think is a big help as well.

 

[SeaHound]

These exercises will improve the basic frog kick :-

Leg extensions
Leg curls
Dumbell Lunges

Personally, I am an advocate of full body weight training.

I have seen one case where a diver injured her back, not while diving but while trying to walk with a Steel tank on her back BEFORE the dive. On another dive boat an older diver experienced bicep/shoulder strain while trying to climb back on the boat after the dive. He was holding on to the climbing ladder with one hand and taking off his fins when he got strained.

FULL BODY WEIGHT LIFTING + CARDIO (preferably swimming) = happy diving

 

[Kingpatzer]

Scuba diving is not particularly physically demanding. General fitness is all that is required.

That means:

appropriately developed muscular strength and flexibility.
appropriately developed cardiac fitness.

Unless someone is competing in a sport with very specific physical demands, there is almost never a need for activity specific fitness. For average people it can actually be detrimental -- unevenly developed muscular strength can actually pull your skeleton slightly out of alignment for example.

Where most people fall short is understanding what 'appropriate' means.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Scuba diving is not particularly physically demanding. General fitness is all that is required.

Depends on where you dive and what type of diving you do. I go to the gym because at 58 years old I need to be in better than average condition for the type of diving I want to do ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[vladimir]

Depends on where you dive and what type of diving you do. I go to the gym because at 58 years old I need to be in better than average condition for the type of diving I want to do ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

And because "average condition" is such a low bar these days, anybody who would like to safely run up two flights of stairs should aim a little higher.