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
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”
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.
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.