Renee, and all the pros out there, I have a question about an exercise that I like a lot but have no idea if it makes sense or not. I developed it out of box breathing and another exercise. 4 seconds inhale - is constant Hold, exhale, and 2nd hold begin at 4 seconds but increase 1 second each round Example 4, 4, 4, 4 4, 5, 5, 5 4, 6, 6, 6 ... I go all the way up to 4, 20, 20, 20 and then all the way back to 4, 4, 4, 4 The hard part begins for me at about 15 going up and ends at about 10 going down. The reason why I have a constant 4 second inhale is, because the original exercise calls for equally long inhales but those kill my spirit because the slow inhales are extremely hard for me... So what do you think? Hot or not? And why? Looking forward to your answer. Cheers Martin

Let’s have some fun this month and turn up the heat - literally. I’m excited to announce our newest challenge inside the FreedivingX community… 🏆 The Apnea Squats Challenge 🏆 This one’s not just for bragging rights—it’s an AWESOME dry training drill to prepare your legs for constant weight diving and dynamic apnea in the pool. You’ll build CO₂ tolerance, leg endurance, and mental control, all in one powerful breath. And yes—there’s a prize for the winner with the most points by the end of the challenge. 💥 How It Works You’ll perform the Apnea Squat Protocol as shown in the attached video To enter, record your attempt and post your video in this group. 🧘‍♀️ The Steps 1️⃣ Sit down and start with a static apnea breath-hold on a chair (minimum 60 seconds). 2️⃣ After your static, stand up and do as many squats as you can—each must reach at least a 90° angle. 3️⃣ Your breathe-up = tidal breathing + 2 purge breaths + 1 full inhale. No more than that. 4️⃣ You can hold longer than 60 seconds if you want (pro tip: a 2–3 min static can seriously boost your score). ⚡ Scoring System Your points = 🫁 1 point per second of static breath-hold 💪 5 points per squat Example: • 90-second static + 15 squats = 90 + (15×5) = 165 points 🥇 Challenge Badges Earn your FreedivingX color badge by hitting these milestones: 💚 Green Badge – 200 points 💙 Blue Badge – 300 points ❤️ Red Badge – 400 points 💛 Gold Badge – 500 points Post your video + total points in the comments to enter! 💫 Tips If your static is strong, use it! A longer hold means more points. Just remember, no less than 60 seconds static to qualify. You must wear a nose clip for your attempt to count (this keeps it fair and consistent for everyone). Film your attempt clearly—your squats must be 90 degrees and visible. Let’s see who can stay calm under pressure, power through the leg burn, and walk away with the Gold Badge glory (and a mystery prize 👀). Who’s in? Drop a comment below if you’re joining the challenge!

It's the time of the year when nearly everyone runs around with a stuffy nose. If you are still healthy the following can help you: Remember COVID? Keep your distance to other people Don't touch your face Wash your hands frequently How to keep your stuffed nose in a breathing condition for hours: Take a pinch of marjoram between your index finger and thumb Sniff it into one nostril A second pinch into the other nostril keep it there (you'll experience a VERY strong need to sneeze - go over it by pinching your nose) If you manage blow your nose after 3-5 minutes enjoy a cleared nose for hours! And attached are two video tips from YouTube

HW was to be in our ideal relaxed space just as recommended, to check where our Sub-Max breath hold truly stands. This morning I was most at ease from the previous days. Reaching an optimal relaxed state and be in that space, is the most difficult part for me. The clearest indicator of how on point I am on any given day, is the onset of timing when muscle contractions show up. I prepared with warm-up stretching, Uddiyana, then the breath hold. All phases of the breath hold, I give equal importance to: the breath-up, the varied transitions of the hold itself where calm presence & respect to your signals comes to fruition, then I choose a minute of controlled contractions. No packing done since I'm still not doing it well yet, and add tension which knocks off any benefit of it. I felt no contractions in the x3 Warm-ups. x2 Sub-Max I chose to pre-set time on the Apnea App to be an extension of a 1 minute breath hold after I signal my 1st urge to breath [UTB]. I can’t say this result came easily today. Undoubtedly happy of the result, however grounded to take the same Static control into any Dry Dynamic, but mostly Freediving. I’m genuinely grateful for the progress we’ve achieved, @Martin K and Group B together with @Renee Blundon .

Hello y'all, I just finished my last homework - this time to the dot :) right after wake-up, no liquids, no food, just right out of bed. first warm-up then into the session the first 3 rounds I stopped right after the first contraction on round 4 I messed up the timing so I didn't feel so well in the beginning on round 5 everything went perfect, hyper, purge, packing START it felt so easy this time - contraction started at 5 minutes I kept them small and managed for another minute I have the feeling that there is still room for improvement thank you Renee for this homework!