Learning Motor Skills - Faster
Are you giving up too soon?
This post is a brief summary of a podcast episode by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. A Neuroscience professor at Stanford and host of the Huberman Podcast. You can access the podcast here, I highly recommend that you give it a listen when you have the time.
According to the effects of environment on motor skills, motor skills can be divided into open and closed skills (Knapp, 1967). Open skills are performed in a dynamic and changing environment, while closed skills take place in a predictable and static environment (Galligan, 2000). It is said that including both open and closed skill acquisition has a beneficial effect on cognitive function.
Movement of any kind is generated from 1, 2 or 3 sources (or a combination of the 3) from within the nervous system.
Upper Motor Neurons found in the neo cortex needed to learn a new skill especially when you apply focus.
Lower Motor Neurons found in the spinal cord that causes firing in the muscles to perform movements (these neurons are always involved).
Central Pattern Generators (CPG’s) found in the spinal cord and generate repetitive movements without involvement of the upper motor neurons (when you are doing something that you have already mastered, like walking).
Repetitions lead to failure, failure lead to focus
To learn a new motor skill we need to engage the upper motor neurons. The most effective way to do that is by focussing. The question is, focussing on what exactly?
Interestingly the neuroscience literature supports that focussing on your errors, known as error recognition, activates the frontal cortex areas that INCREASE FOCUS and lead to heightened activation of upper motor neurons. This activation generates a more powerful line of communication between all three sources mentioned above.
I am sorry to say that when it comes to learning something new, you don’t get more by doing less. That is a myth and when it comes to acquiring a new skill the number one thing necessary for improvement is REPETITIONS.
IMPORTANT: A lot of people start learning a new skill with enthusiasm until they start encountering the agitation and frustration that accompanies errors, and they decide to stop, for the session, the day or even forever. Research studies show that this moment of frustration is exactly the moment you should be aiming for because it is at this point of the skill learning process that the upper motor neurons will start their engagement at full throttle. Instead of giving up and stopping your session, keep going. Things are happening within the nervous system that will translate over into your next training/learning session.
We have all been there, at the end of our threshold when it comes to mental frustration trying to learn something new or improve our current skill level, and gave up! Now we know better…
I am not advocating over exertion, this is not the same thing. Always remain composed and in control of you physical & psychological self. The moment composure is lost there is no point in continuing as you can potentially do more harm than good. Can you see the level of awareness required to really be present, focussed all while remaining composed while pushing yourself to new limits. This is the stuff of mastery.
When you make errors areas of the brain that anchors attention is activated which makes “making mistakes” essential. Errors cue the frontal cortex (top down) processing. The more mistakes you make the more plastic your brain becomes so to speak so that when you get it right its easier to stick!
Repetitions > Errors > Focus > Plasticity > Improvement
The last and very important part of the sequence has to do with what you do directly after your session. Do you immediately start browsing social media, lie in front of the TV or just get back to work. This could all be affecting the speed at which you are making progress. Studies have shown that taking just 5-10 minutes after a practise session to close your eyes and do nothing, enables the brain to replay the practise that has taken place…BACKWARDS. In turn when you go to sleep that night the brain will once again replay the events, but this time in the correct order. Mind blowing stuff!
TO SUMMARISE
Select a time frame and aim for as many repetitions as possible within the given time.
Focussed attention on errors (error recognition) they count towards the repetition total.
Take 5-10 minutes after your practise session to close your eyes and do nothing. Just give your brain the opportunity to process everything that has taken place without thinking any intentional thoughts.
For those interested in published papers here is the in depth research that is referenced in the podcast.
