{"id":6312,"date":"2025-03-28T17:25:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T16:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neu.freediving-el-hierro.com\/no-contraction-freediving-how-comfort-leads-to-depth\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T10:36:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T08:36:17","slug":"no-contraction-freediving-how-comfort-leads-to-depth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freediving-el-hierro.com\/en\/no-contraction-freediving-how-comfort-leads-to-depth\/","title":{"rendered":"No Contraction Freediving – How comfort leads to depth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interview with Karsten Mohr in the AIDA Germany podcast (28.3.2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

How can you achieve top performance in freediving – without any contractions? For Karsten Mohr, freediving athlete, AIDA instructor trainer and co-founder of Magma Coaching<\/em> on El Hierro, the answer is clear: through comfort, inner peace and a rethink in training. In a recent podcast episode from AIDA Germany, Karsten shares his philosophy of “No Contraction Freediving” – and why doing without struggle and pressure underwater not only feels good, but also leads to measurable progress. <\/p>\n\n

\n

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Default<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p>

Unblock content<\/a> Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div> More Information<\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n
\n\n

Contractions: An unnecessary evil?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Contractions – involuntary breathing reflexes when holding your breath – are often seen as a necessary part of training. Karsten sees it differently. For him, they are an alarm signal from the body, often triggered by stress, mental restlessness or physical discomfort – and not exclusively by a high CO\u2082 value. <\/p>\n\n

\n

“Contractions are not progress, but a sign of stress in the nervous system.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

That’s why Karsten’s motto is: as soon as you feel unwell – whether due to pressure, mental restlessness, jet lag or physical exhaustion – you turn around. The training should feel good, allow the body to adapt, not overtax it. For him, this is precisely the key to real depth. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

The three phases of holding your breath<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

Karsten distinguishes between three phases in the dive:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Happy-Happy-Zone<\/strong> – maximum relaxation, clarity, joy of being.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Mental activation<\/strong> – first breathing impulses, thoughts about breathing begin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Physical reaction<\/strong> – first involuntary movements, swallowing stimulus, contractions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    The focus of his training is clearly on extending the first phase. Karsten calls the feeling of diving in this zone “beautiful diving”<\/em> – without alarms, without struggle.<\/p>\n\n

    \n\n

    Train without suffering: The path to depth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

    Karsten recommends completing 80% of training in the comfort zone<\/strong> – with a feeling that there is still room for improvement. Only in planned training cycles, e.g. in preparation for a competition, do you dive into the limit range.<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    “If you feel uncomfortable – then turn around. You can work on that. But not in the moment.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

    Instead of classic CO\u2082 tables, Karsten relies on targeted hang exercises at depth, mental preparation, nervous system-friendly training and realistic dive planning. The goal: contraction-free dives to 70 meters – or even beyond. <\/p>\n\n

    \n\n

    What Karsten offers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

    On the volcanic island of El Hierro, Karsten:<\/p>\n\n