Over the last 4 years, I’ve had many different instructors and coaches. I prefer this over having one single “guru”. I appreciate the variety in teaching styles, perspectives, experiences, and approaches. I’m convinced there is no single “best” way, and that learning can happen in many different forms.
In December ’25, I decided to join Florian Dagoury, a.k.a. Mr 10 Minutes. Not just for a week or two, but for a six-month journey. Expectations are set.
Main goals of this coaching program for me: improve my breath-hold and learn how to structure training in a better way. For myself but also to help future students.
In this blog, I’ll give irregular updates on the process
14th May 2026
I was right, the breakthrough was around the corner. The nervous system needed a bit of rest and then was ready for a new peak. 6:41 it is! I can now listen to the whole “Hotel California” by Eagles (6:31) while holding my breath🤘
After the new PB, I did more hypoxia work and managed to get to a new low ppO2 of 63% measured on my finger with a pulse oximeter.
I’ve increased my dynamic training for the competition in Eindhoven. Some longer-distance swims and more apnea walking. Can’t say I was in super good shape, but I still managed 104 in DYNB and 108 in DYN. Now all my pool disciplines are 100m or more. Happy with this!
Yesterday, I did my first wet STA training in a very long time. A few holds until the first contraction, and then a soft 3:39 to finish the session. The sensations were waaaaaay better than expected. More of this for the coming weeks in preparation for a comp at the end of June.
26th April 2026
Small update…
I went outdoors for the first time this year! Surface temperature was 13°C, and at the bottom (32m) only 8°C. To my surprise, I was comfortable with the cold, dark setting of our typical Dutch lake.
Shifted my focus to dynamic. It’s been a while, but looking back at some GoPro recordings, my technique is decent. For the next 2 weeks, I’ll focus on longer dives, getting closer and closer to my PB. Really enjoying my carbon fins, and the lower amplitude is becoming ingrained in my system.
Bumped into a plateau in static. Yes, this is normal, but you never really know when these come. It’s a bummer, but I’m sure a breakthrough is around the corner. Just giving it a month or two.
Still loving the grind!
14th April 2026
After the flu in March, my body came back stronger than before. The past two weeks though, have been more of a mental challenge. Poor sleep, frustration, and not hitting my personal goals during #peakweek took their toll. Writing this is mainly a way to regain some perspective.
Judging by the spirometer I’ve improved my packing technique taking my VC to 6.9 liters. The next focus is flexibility, to make everything feel more comfortable. Bumped my EL PB to 2:48 leading up to #peakweek. Tried some fasting (24h water, 2 days 22:2) which was a good experience and got more apnea volume in.
No new PB this time, but looking back I managed to do 5+ minutes breath-holds 3 days in a row in a very tired state. That’s promising…
31st March 2026
While writing my last update (15th March), I started to get sick. It turned into a horrible flu and took a good 5–6 days out of my training. Of course, I had to restart slowly and definitely felt the drop in strength and energy. But mindset is key! These things happen, and I’ll consider this flu a thorough detox. Forward we go!
I went back to empty lung (EL) training and hit a new PB: 2:21. I have a DYN competition in 5 weeks, so it’s also time to slowly shift from STA to DYN. The timing is a bit tricky though, because I’ll also be switching to DEPTH in about 4 weeks. It’s my first time really thinking in phases, so I’m very curious how this transition will go.
First task at hand: resting the nervous system while preparing for a new #peakweek.
Numbers: No big jumps, but progress nonetheless. Most of all, just happy to be healthy again 🙂
15th March 2026
Another #peakweek done and again a new PB: 6:16! Super happy with the jumps I’m making. This time I lowered the volume a bit during the peak phase to be able to increase the intensity. The plan was also to be strict with my diet and even fast for 1–2 days to lower the metabolism. However, being on holiday, I didn’t want to miss out on drinks and food, so I decided to leave that experiment for next time.
During the preparation weeks, the empty-lung holds were getting more and more comfortable. I’m sure that 2:00 is within reach soon. There is still more work needed on CO₂ tolerance, and I was confronted with the fact that my packing technique needs fine-tuning and will also need more flexibility for fuller lungs.
Numbers
In my freediving career I’ve now done:
- 2 holds > 6 minutes
- 10 holds > 5 minutes
- 54 holds > 4 minutes
Volume and smart training are key. Then the numbers will follow.
25th February 2026
After #peakweek, I was exhausted. Instead of pushing through, I decided that slowing down was the wiser choice. With a variety of exercises and a gentle approach, the system got time to recover while still improving awareness and flexibility.
For example: I never do my breath-holds seated. I always lie down. So sure, let’s change it up. Holding in a seated position costs more energy. The sensations are completely different. Muscles that are normally relaxed now suddenly hold tension. It became an exploration (and a bit of a struggle). Learning to soften in new positions and increasing awareness of muscles I usually don’t pay attention to.
Lessons:
– I need more flexibility in my back. Normally I have support from the couch, but now the muscles over there had to stretch.
– The importance of celebrating small wins also became important. Consistent training. Better sensations. More flexibility. Exploring new exercises that quietly prepare the body for the next breakthrough.
Performance: VO2 is dropping unfortunately, but got a new PB with empty-lungs: 1’43”
On to the next phase!
8th February 2026
Just finished #peakweek. Tried different warm-up approaches and checked where we stand now and what the limitations are. As predicted by Florian, CO₂ tolerance is my problem. I also discovered that my relaxation in the blissful phase can be improved. Overall, sensations during the holds are better and contractions come later and are more gentle. At the end of the week, fatigue kicked in and performance went down. For next phase: less peaking sessions would be better!
Week 4 in numbers:
6 training sessions (5x static + 1x dynamic)
8 holds > 4 minutes
5 holds > 5 minutes
1 new PB: 6’01”
20th January 2026
One week in now. It’s clear that we’ve left my comfort zone. Immediately, I was confronted with exercises that I unconsciously avoid: medium-long, medium-intensity training sessions. We set baselines, got acquainted with the logging system, and got to know the other students. This will be a marathon, not a sprint.
I went a bit too fast in the first week, so it’s time to take a small step back in week two.
Lessons: Volume and consistency are super important. Get the diaphragm flexible to soften contractions and pack more. Get the nervous system to adapt without shocking it too much.
Performance: Was pleasantly surprised by a 4:24 no-warm-up breath-hold (NWU from now on)! Some CO₂ adaptation, flexibility and some new exercises in the pool. All in all a good start.
28th January 2026
In the middle of week 3 now. Week 2 was intense, and the focus shifted more towards nutrition, different stretching exercises, and cardio. Preparing for week 4: #peakweek.
Florian made it clear that my CO₂ tolerance is not yet where it needs to be to push past the 6-minute mark. I need more cardio and CO₂ training.
My office workload is quite heavy (mentally) at the moment, so I’m making sure to take a bit more rest. Let’s see what week 4 will bring 🙂
Oh, and I bought a yoga ball to help with stretching — loving it so far!
Lessons: Learned the dynamic tortuga and a new FL stretch routine.
Performance: VO₂ max is slowly rising, and I feel my flexibility improving. Time-wise, no new performance yet. Putting in the effort while staying patient.