The Essential Muscles for Freediving – What Powers Each Discipline?

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What you’re about to read is a doorway—a glimpse into the ocean of thoughts, lessons, and wild experiences that make up The Depth Collector series.

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This isn’t a polished pitch or a neatly packaged summary. It’s straight from the pages of The Depth Collector Book Two, raw and real—just like freediving. Here’s a glimpse into pages 25 to 33.

So, grab your noseclip, take a deep breath, and let’s dive into The Essential Muscles for Freediving – What Powers Each Discipline?

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The Depth Collector Book Two

Page 25 to 33

Freediving is also about physical strength and power.

The Hidden Power of Skeletal Muscle

About 40% of our body weight comes from our muscles. With a staggering count of 656 different muscles, we're equipped to handle many activities, ranging from simple tasks like walking or sipping coffee to more extraordinary feats like swimming across the Atlantic or conducting repairs on the International Space Station. Naturally, the level of effort required for these tasks varies significantly.

Muscles are highly adaptable through training. The more targeted and specific the training, the more proficient we become in various activities. While everyday actions like drinking coffee might require little training (though many might claim expertise in this area!), undertaking challenges like swimming the Atlantic demands an entirely different level of muscular preparation. 

Understanding the principle of specificity in training is crucial. It's why an ultra-trail runner's physique vastly differs from that of a 100m sprinter. Each type of athlete trains in a way that optimizes their muscles for their specific sport, resulting in very different physical adaptations. This specificity is critical to achieving peak performance in any physical discipline. Every athletic movement starts with muscle contraction. In freediving, the key to improving your skills or performance is knowing which muscles—called prime movers—are doing the work. Once you understand which muscles are responsible for each action, it's easier to create a workout routine that helps you get stronger in all the right places. By focusing on the muscles that matter most, you'll see better results in the water and improve faster. 

CNF Prime Movers

Key muscles involved in no-fins freediving disciplines

Chest

The pectoralis major and minor are vital in Constant Weight No Fins (CNF). These muscles pull the arms together in front of the body.

Back

The latissimus dorsi, commonly known as the 'lats,' assist in extending the arms and driving them back toward the hips.

Abdominals

The abdominal muscles stabilize the body.

Arms

The biceps, triceps, and forearms are crucial for pushing the water behind the diver, providing stability and control during the stroke. 

Legs

The hips, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles drive the legs, which is fundamental for propulsion and power.

CWTB Prime Movers

Key muscles involved in bifins freediving disciplines

Hip Flexors 

The kick in Dynamic with Bifins (DYNB) and Constant Weight Bifins (CWTB) begins with a contraction of the hip flexors. This contraction during the downbeat phase provides essential propulsion.

Thighs

As you extend your knee, you engage the quadriceps. 

Glutes and Hamstrings

The buttock (gluteal) and hamstring muscles contract during the upbeat kick. This contraction extends the hips, contributing to the upward motion of the kick.

Gastrocnemius and Soleus

Throughout the stroke, the swimmer uses their gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, located in the calf, to keep the ankles extended and toes pointed. 

Abdominals

The abdominal muscles stabilize the body and help minimize drag.

FIM Prime Movers

Key muscles involved in Free Immersion

Hands and Forearm:

While gripping the line, it might feel like it's all in your fingers, but the muscles in your forearms do most of the work in Free Immersion (FIM). These muscles are fully engaged throughout the dive to maintain that firm grip.

Upper Arms

The muscles in your upper arms are crucial for effectively managing the descent and ascent along the rope. The biceps brachii, located at the front of your upper arm, plays a significant role. Additionally, the brachialis muscle, situated beneath the biceps, and the brachioradialis in the upper forearm provide substantial force to the elbow joint, aiding in the pull.

Abdominals

The abdominal muscles stabilize the body.

Back and Shoulders

The primary muscle at work when pulling your body along the line is the latissimus dorsi, or 'lats.' These muscles are essential for shoulder extension. However, other upper body muscles also contribute to this effort. The lower trapezius muscles stabilize the shoulders, while the serratus anterior keeps the scapula flush against the rib cage. 

Specific Exercises per Muscle Group for Each Freediving Discipline (Non-exhaustive List)

Here, you'll find a detailed list of workout exercises that target the prime movers muscles used in CNF, CWTB, and FIM.

Discipline	Muscles group	Exercises
CNF	Pectoralis major	Bench press
CNF	Pectoralis minor	Dumbbell fly on bench
CNF + FIM	Latissimus dorsi	Pull-ups, rows
CNF + FIM	Biceps	All variations of curls
CNF	Triceps	Dips, weighted dips, push-ups
CNF + FIM	Trapezius	Face pull, farmer's walk
CNF + FIM	Serratus anterior	Scapular push-ups, dumbbell pullover
FIM	Forearms (grip)	Pull ups, farmer's walk
CNF + CWTB + FIM	Abdominal muscles	Countless exercises available
CNF + CWTB	Hip flexors	Kettlebell swings
CNF + CWTB	Quadriceps	Barbell squats
CNF + CWTB	Hamstrings	Kettlebell swings, romanian deadlifts
CNF + CWTB	Glutes	Hip thrusts, squats, deadlifts
CNF + CWTB	Calves	Weighted calf raises

As illustrated, each freediving discipline engages distinct muscle groups. CWTB primarily relies on the lower body muscles, while FIM focuses more on the upper body. Even when two disciplines, like FIM and CNF, both involve the upper body, they utilize these muscles in different ways due to variations in movement. It's the same muscle groups, but the movements are unique—'same, same but different.'

Yes, the foundation of strength remains the same, and as you can see from the list, you can use the same exercise to target muscles across different freediving disciplines (for example, pull-ups to engage the lats in both CNF and FIM). However, building strength alone isn't enough; there's a crucial second step. It's about executing movements with precise control and maintaining power throughout the full range of motion specific to each discipline. The movement in CNF is clearly different from that of the one in FIM, and each requires a tailored approach to maximize efficiency and power.

There's no doubt that while muscle strength is the foundation, we must build on that strength by focusing on the specific movements required in our diving disciplines. The reverse is also true: Perfect technique means little without the proper power. They are two sides of the same coin. Many students with excellent no-fin technique struggle in the water due to a lack of targeted strength. The key word here is 'targeted.' They've mastered the technique, but without the necessary power throughout the full range of motion, they can't propel themselves efficiently.

This realization shifts the training focus from simply building muscle strength to adopting a more holistic approach. 

First, we focus on developing general maximum strength, or 'raw force.' This foundational strength represents the power your muscles can produce without being tailored to specific freediving movements. Once this phase is complete, we then refine each movement, spending ample time in the water to transfer that general strength into specific strength and endurance. This process channels the newly acquired power into meeting the precise demands of freediving.

Understanding the mechanics of each movement and focusing on strengthening the muscles throughout the full range of motion creates the perfect balance of power and grace, allowing you to 'slice' through the water with maximum efficiency.

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To be continued…

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If what you’ve just read sparked your curiosity, know this—it’s just a ripple on the surface. The Depth Collector series plunges deep into this pillar, uncovering layers of insights, lessons, and practical tools to refine your freediving journey.

And it doesn’t stop here. The series explores all eight foundational pillars, packed with everything from mental hacks to sport nutrition, breathing techniques, training plans, and more.

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