The Breath Hold Pop Up Protocol is very much a body and mind melding practice. You will be challenging your mind to relax as it screams at you to take a breathe. It is practicing to reduce that fear in a controlled environment to better prepare you and make you comfortable in the ocean and adverse surf conditions.
1 - 5 below describe ONE grouping of the Pop Up Protocol you are going to complete 3.
I suggest starting with a 2-3-2 rep count in each set and progress from there. A good progression strategy is to add reps to the middle set in the second grouping first.
Example: Group 1 = 2-3-2, Group 2 = 2-4-2, Group 3 = 2-3-2
Prioritize maintaining breathe control (Breathe hold during reps, 1 breathe between sets) over higher rep counts of pop ups.
1. Start with 2 minutes of nasal / diaphragmatic breathe
Start on all fours. You are looking to pre-load your body with oxygen, focus the mind, and feel prepared for the pop up protocol.
2. Get into the start of your pop up form
2. Take 1 more deep inhale and HOLD THE BREATHE
You will hold the breathe throughout the repetitions of the set
- Complete the repetitions in the set
- Go back into the start of your pop up
- Slowly but FULLY exhale
- Take ONE more full nasal inhalation and again hold breathe throughout the next set
3. Complete Second Set
- Go back into the start of your pop up
- Slowly but FULLY exhale
- Take ONE more full nasal inhalation and again hold breathe throughout the next set
4. Complete Third Set
- Go back into the start of your pop up
- Slowly but FULLY exhale
- Take ONE more full nasal inhalation and again hold breathe throughout the next set
5. Complete TWO Minutes Recovery of deep nasal diaphragmatic breathe
That is one grouping. You will complete 3