Inside of this article:
- How Training Affects Your Brain: Exercise impacts brain structure and function, emphasizing the need for meaningful and challenging training.
- Importance of Correcting Form: Proper form is essential for optimizing neural adaptation, with intrinsic correction enhancing movement smoothness and stability.
- Building Better Movement Models: Developing stable movement patterns through nervous system training leads to more efficient strength development and enhanced performance.
Exploring the Role of the Nervous System in Training
When it comes to training you probably think about gaining muscle and increasing strength. Normally, we don’t think of the nervous system as something you train. Believe it or not, the brain adapts just like muscles adapt to training! Our brains have different areas that represent different parts of our body, and the more we use those body parts, the area will grow. While this is true, there are certain conditions that need to be met.
The Importance of Specific and Meaningful Training
As mentioned in the video, training needs to be specific and variable, as well as meaningful. In order for our nervous system to adapt, training needs to be challenging and repetitive, but also needs to be done for a purpose. You cannot do 1,000 poor reps and expect a change. Training needs to be meaningful, or salient. When we are training, we have to see its importance to trigger the release of dopamine to cause adaptation.
Effective Form Correction for Skill Improvement
The mode of correcting our form is essential as well. When we are new to a skill, having a PT or a trainer to give cues can be helpful to get a good basis for the skill. As we progress, it is important that we are able to make corrections on our own. In our brains, we have internal models for movements that are basically outlines for movement patterns that we develop from experience. When we intrinsically correct our mistakes, we are utilizing our cerebellum to update these internal models so we can make a more smooth movement for the next time.
Creating Better Movement Models for Strength Development
When we train our nervous system in this way, we create a better model for the next time we move. When applying this to weight training, it allows us to develop a more stable movement. When we have a smooth and stable movement, it allows us to develop strength much more efficiently. The bottom line is…Move a lot and move with a purpose!
Article Written By: Jacob Culberston, Physical Therapy Student
