Exercising for diving?

[Triton]

I started working out because of diving. Sad to say, when I got into diving I was very out of shape and a heavy smoker to top it off :nono:. So I would go through air like there was no tomorrow.

My routine now consists of weight lifting, cardio at least 3 times a week and on the weekends that I am not diving I‘ll be mountain biking.

I think it has helped, my breathing got a lot better and the weight lifting made it a lot easier to manage all that equipment.

I’m still trying to improve on my diet however. I am soooo weak when it comes to food….. and it all taste so good. MMMMMMMMMM.. Is it lunch time yet???? :lunch:

 

[SubMariner]

Mtn Biking is a great way to get in some good cardio AND build up some good leg strength. It's also a pretty decent upper body workout too!

We try to bike every day... at least 10 miles. Do the more challenging stuff as often as we can (usually twice a week) but if that's not possible, still bike some of the less technical trails just to get some of that strength training in there.

Of course carrying the bike over streams or stuff that is too technical is workout in itself.

~SubMariner~

 

[BigDiver]

Cardio is very important to scuba because by building a stronger heart and lungs makes them more effecient. With both of them effecient you acheive what ever diver strives for MORE BOTTOM TIME.

Do any thing that gets you heart rate up.

 

[wb416]

While I routinely do leg squats targeted toward horsing doubles around and pushups for general upper body & pulling said tanks up a boat ladder, the most improvement that I've seen in my personal diving came as a result of cardio, either jogging or swimming. There were marked measureable results in breathing rates and bottom times as a result.

IMHO, if you are starting your way down the fitness path for diving, begin your cardio program first. It will aid your air consumption and also build a base for your other targeted fitness goals.

wb

 

[flash]

I agree that any kind of cardio workout would benefit your diving experience. Better cardio fitness = less air consumption = more bottom time. More specifically you might want to try swimming laps. It's a cardio workout and it also helps you learn to control your breathing.

I'm a firefighter and occasionally have to wear an SCBA (SCUBA without the U--a compressed air tank with mask) into a fire building. The hardest thing to get used to the first few times you do it is that you are going into a high stress, high exertion situation and you HAVE to control your breathing. I found when I first started that swimming really helped me better control my breathing, really got me used to breathing more slowly, deeply and efficiently.

At the same time, strength training goes hand in hand with cardio training because the stronger you are, the less you have to exert yourself.

 

[Stone]

Strength training for the hands is an oft overlooked aspect of Rescue Diver Training.

(Ever try picking up a limp 220 lb guy in a wet rubber suit?)

 

[flash]

Originally posted by Stone

(Ever try picking up a limp 220 lb guy in a wet rubber suit?)

Sounds dirty...

 

[Stone]

At least I didn't say:

Ever try picking up a limp 220 lb guy in a bar?

 

[flash]

True...and let me be the first to thank you...

 

[Damsel Fish]

I do a form of aeobic exercise at least 2 days a week and weight training 3 days a week. If nothing else, it helps me to be able to continue to wear my wetsuits comfortably. They shrink, ya know.

The last limp 220 lb man I saw, someone was doing CPR on. Not a good thing.