Questions about motor learning

[Jayson Ball]

This is slightly off topic, but I, being a college student who works full time, some times am fried out and no matter what I do, cannot grasp a concept fully. I have found that instead of further pushing to try to get that concept down at that time, to put that topic down, move to another more easier one, and then come back to the original topic the next day after sleeping, feeling refreshed and typically pick it up.

This is most definitely on topic. If though learning new concepts and new motions may not be identical pathways in the brain, the learning process may be analogous.

[Jayson Ball]

You are certainly right that once you can see someone start to become fried the best thing for them to do is to sleep on it. What you are needing their brain to do is to form the neural connections that link / map the pieces of information to various other cues, items, memories, etc. in the brain to help maps and links form. Sleep is when the maps and connections take place and solidify. Here is an article that talks about a 20% increase in motor speed after a nigh of sleep following a new skill being learned (a finger tapping drill).

http://walkerlab.berkeley.edu/reprin...euron_2002.pdf

Long story short: sleep = smarts.

Amazing!

Check out this experiment- you can see the areas of rats' brains responsible for motor learning recreate mazes in their sleep: http://youtu.be/nn6gnhg71hE?t=6m25s

OP: Your interests seem to lie at the intersection of cognitive science and neurophysiology. If you are only casually interested in this stuff, I suggest checking out some cog sci textbooks. If you think you want to pursue this professionally, you might want to learn some molecular biology first.

Haha, studying chemistry and biology with the goal of being a cognitive scientist (and a more knowledgeable strength coach) is precisely how I spend my time when I'm not running the gym. My question really stems from gym-related issues though; a search for a more detailed understanding of why having people do high rep high intensity lifting for time tends to be such a bad idea. Another CrossFit gym recently opened up in town. They have no 'on-ramp' class, post a lot of celebrated novice-effect fallacies, and other annoying shit people end up asking me about. I try to be nice about it, and figure having a response that is more guided by science is better than just talkin' shit.

[rmscott_75077]

Not exactly what you are looking for, but I was taught the 4 phases in coaching a new skill some time ago
1). Unconscious incompetence
2). Conscious incompetence
3). Conscious competence
4). Unconscious competence

So basically before I read starting strength I was a 1. I had no idea how to lift correctly and didn't even know it.
After I read the book and went over the lifts many time, I came to phase 2
After working at it and video, hopefully I'm a solid 3
I'm sure many experienced lifters, do the majority of these as 4 now, but review what they are supposed to do or mentally tell themselves before each lift.

I propose motor learning comes after brain work and training. If you keep doing something correct, eventually you will get to 4. Some might take a coach to get to 3 or 4 correctly. I think if you practice, practice and practice with correct form and cues, the motor unit be eventually become automatic. The motor learning will be ingrained.

I have experience in teaching basketball shooting and soccer shooting. The guys that concentrate on form and practice it usually end up the best in the end. I find in the sports I coach, it is much easier to train someones form who hasn't done anything, than train someone who has been doing it the wrong way. It takes a while to reverse the motor unit.

[ColoWayno]

I once almost punched my wife while dozing in the cuddle chair with her. It seems my brain wanted to rehearse locking out a snatch just then.

Brains are weird.

[Greg C]

Brains are weird.

But tasty, right?

[osv2]

My question really stems from gym-related issues though; a search for a more detailed understanding of why having people do high rep high intensity lifting for time tends to be such a bad idea.

Because it severely violates the first and especially the third rule of strength training?

1. Lift heavy
2. Repeat
3. Stay fresh

[jdjohnson50]

If we were to plot number of reps on one axis and standing vertical jump on the other, what might we see?

Useless information?