Everything we do is a learned behavior. Your body needs to learn a certain movement pattern for it to reciprocate into movements. Motor control is an extremely important facet of athletic performance, and it’s a rather involved topic that utilizes pieces of neurology, neuroscience, psychology, and exercise. Since every movement is a SKILL, the most important aspect of motor learning is engagement in the process, yet this is possibly the most frustrating part for many athletes. Moving better requires a different thought process that you need to adopt by respecting the skill and learning the fundamentals of the technique.
To start this process you NEED to be mentally engaged. This means put the cell phone away, turn off your distractions and really stay mentally focused on what you are doing. Movement starts in the mind and that’s where intention brings action into your skill. If you really want to see and make changes you need to be mentally focused on the task, going though a though process and perform the skill.
When learning a new skill there are two processes you go through:
- Extrinsic learning is more or less conscious. It involves understanding instruction, technique, and other intellectual insights into what we’re practicing.
- Intrinsic learning, on the other hand, is the experiential data gathered through our somatosensory system.
While it’s important to use both learning processes, the one that is relied on the most is the extrinsic learning factor. This happens when you are always looking at your coach for technique tips rather than feeling the movement yourself. Your coach can only cue you to move but you need to understand where the movement is coming from to be present and engaged.
Another big setback that many athletes face is not enough time with reps. Everyone wants to LIFT BIG and have huge PR’s but in order to get there the foundation for the movement must also be there for the athlete. The more time you have working in the 80-90% of your 1 RM will teach your body the movement patterns necessary for a bigger lift in the future.
Here are tips on how to improve your motor control:
- Acknowledge and respect that every movement is a skill.
- Be present and purposeful in your movements. Don’t be distracted.
- Try not to overly rely on external coaching. Spend more time listening to your body.
- Prioritize skill practice and acquisition over the pursuit of numbers. Master the skills that drive the process and the results will follow.
- Utilize muscle activation drills to teach yourself what muscle activation feels like. Practice using that new feeling while performing more complex movements.
Your body has a way to find natural movement in skills. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of you listening to what you already know how to do and just follow the right movement pattern to get there !
References
http://www.functionalmovement.com/files/articles/121a_primitive%20patterns.pdf
http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/motor-control-and-movement-patterns-a-must-read-for-athletes
http://www.prescriptivefitness.ca/movement-patterns-for-athletes-how-its-really-done#.VeCdV_lViko