The Myth of Muscle Memory
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
For decades, coaches have embraced that same mindset as legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi. That premise has been used to support the idea of utilizing blocked repetitions to perfect form and solidify muscle memory. However, muscle memory – as many have come to accept it – may not be what you think it is … which means how we coach it may have to change.
THE FOUNDATION OF MUSCLE MEMORY – WHAT IS IT?
Merriam-Webster defines muscle memory as “the ability to repeat a specific muscular movement with improved efficiency and accuracy that is acquired through practice and repetition.” (1)
Lombardi’s idea of “perfect practice” stems from the goal of committing an action to memory so you can perform that task when needed without having to think about how to do it.
In the sporting world, this has been interpreted to mean “do more blocked reps.” The theory is that blocked reps will help solidify the “muscle memory” needed to perform that task in a game. For example, shooting 20 layups with “proper” form will help players make more layups in games.
HOW MUSCLES WORK
Muscle memory, as many coaches use the term, is actually referring to motor memory. When learning a new skill, the brain is having to coordinate the movements of many different moving parts within the body. The cerebellum and motor cortices – which are two of the main parts of the brain involved in coordinating movement – are triggered to move the necessary muscles. (2)
Motor neurons are “cells in the brain and spinal cord that allow us to move, speak, swallow and breathe by sending commands from the brain to the muscles that carry out these functions.” (3)
To perform a movement, a message is sent from the upper neurons in the brain to the lower motor neurons along the spinal cord. These lower motor neurons then transmit the signal to the muscle to trigger movement. (3)
[Here’s a simple video that illustrates how it all works.]
“GREASING THE GROOVE”
This initial pathway is not smooth. It’s like blazing a trail through the woods. The first time you set out on the hike, there’s no trail. You’re hacking away at all the undergrowth that doesn’t need to be there. After a while, as you keep walking the same route, it smooths out and a path starts to form. Stick with it long enough and the trail becomes compact and smooth.
Belarusian fitness guru Pavel Tsatsouline describes this as “greasing the groove.” Performing the same movement repeatedly results in a more efficient neuromuscular motor pattern forming. This is a process called myelination. Myelination is the process of a sheath forming around the axon of nerve cells allowing the nerve impulse to move more efficiently and quickly. The more you practice the more you “grease the groove” of the neuromuscular pathway. (4)
HABITS vs SKILLS
At this point, some coaches are probably arguing, “Wait a minute. Doesn’t that mean we want to perform blocked reps? Isn’t increasing efficiency by performing the same movement over and over a good thing? Don’t I want to grease the groove?”
Sure. If you’re learning to walk or ride a bike or write your name.
Those motor patterns are developing habits (closed skills). In the sport world, our athletes need to be able to perform open skills.
What’s the difference?
A habit (closed skill) is the ability to repeatedly perform the same task in a static, unchanging environment. An open skill is the ability to perform a move or technique while interacting with a dynamic, changing environment. (5) To solely practice blocked reps with the aim of developing motor memory neglects the most important aspect of sport performance: the environment around the athlete.
Let’s use free throw shooting in basketball as an example. On the surface, it appears like a closed skill. The hoop is always 10’ high and 15’ away. The shooter is seemingly performing the same biomechanical movement every time in their shot. BUT the environment is different every time. What’s the crowd noise like? What’s the score? How fatigued is the shooter?
IMPLICATIONS ON COACHING
While there may be a time and place for blocked reps in moderation, the ultimate goal should be repetitions without repetitions, providing an environment in which players are completing tasks in ever-changing environments.
The tendency is for skill to be regarded solely as action. In reality, skill is the culmination of perception – decision – action.
Let’s revisit practicing layups. Blocked reps of layups with “proper” form may grease the groove of that technique. Speaking from experience, this doesn’t always transfer to more made layups in games. Practicing one “correct” way of shooting a layup gets me more efficient at shooting that one way, but it doesn’t make me better at finishing overall. Just like shooting free throws, every layup in a game is different – even wide open layups in transition.
As coaches, a more productive method to grease the groove is through the utilization of the ecological dynamics approach. Placing players in a variety of scenarios (repetition without repetition) affords them multiple solutions. We thus develop “muscle memory” – efficient movement patterns – capable of operating in the dynamic environment of sport.
Let’s try to succinctly summarize it. The end goal is to create athletes who are comfortable and confident performing in a variety of environments and situations. Training one movement pattern to create “muscle memory” only builds the habit of that particular movement pattern. The beauty of sport is that it is played in a dynamic environment. Thus, players need to practice in dynamic environments.
Check out Jamie Smith’s “Unlocking Athletic Development” series for practical application ideas.
REFERENCES:
1 Merriam-Webster: Muscle Memory
2 Muscle Memory: Do Your Muscles Really Remember a Skill
3 Physio-Pedia: Motor Neurons
4 Greasing the Groove
5 The Myth of Muscle Memory – Alex Sarama, Basketball Immersion
