Just read an interesting blurb about muscle memeory in the Pop Quiz section of my Outside magazine. Thought I'd share it:
Muscles are just flex. Muscle memory is a sporty phrase for a process that takes place entirely in the noggin. When you first try an Eskimo roll or the "Freebird" guitar solo, the sequence is worked out in your prefrontal cortex. Extensive repetition downloads the motions to the motor cortex, basal ganglia, or cerebellum, the brains regions that control unconscious and automatic actions, enabling you to pull a triple salchow at the drop of a hat years after your last Ice Capade. Still, as University of Virginia psychology professor Daniel T. Willingham points out, "Advanced motor skills require more than knowing how to direct your muscles." Perception, decision making, and other of-the-moment cognitive processes are also crucial. The key is practicing until the moves feel automatic-which can take longer than you think: A study of Cuban cigar rollers found that, even after three million stogies, they were still improving.
Muscles are just flex. Muscle memory is a sporty phrase for a process that takes place entirely in the noggin. When you first try an Eskimo roll or the "Freebird" guitar solo, the sequence is worked out in your prefrontal cortex. Extensive repetition downloads the motions to the motor cortex, basal ganglia, or cerebellum, the brains regions that control unconscious and automatic actions, enabling you to pull a triple salchow at the drop of a hat years after your last Ice Capade. Still, as University of Virginia psychology professor Daniel T. Willingham points out, "Advanced motor skills require more than knowing how to direct your muscles." Perception, decision making, and other of-the-moment cognitive processes are also crucial. The key is practicing until the moves feel automatic-which can take longer than you think: A study of Cuban cigar rollers found that, even after three million stogies, they were still improving.