You DON'T wanna relearn something!

I've got a quick little tip for you today...

Remember when you were first learning how to drive?

It took a whole lot of your energy and concentration to make sure you were doing everything correctly. So as not to drive off the road or slam into something, right?!

But as time went on, you had to devote less and less mental concentration to the act of driving. You could drive and think about a personal issue. Drive and change the radio station. Drive and talk on the phone. Drive and eat a sandwich. Drive and... you get the idea!

When your brain creates the neural pathways for a skill, it's true that the skill becomes second nature. You can go on "auto pilot" and let your mind turn to other things - instead of focusing so intently on just one task. More of your mental energy can be placed on things besides that task/skill.


Let's bring that principle over into the exercise world.

You decide to implement weight training into your arsenal of fitness tools. You teach your body how to do common strength training exercises, and in that process, you really have to focus on completing each movement because it's a new sensation and a new physical task. It's the same for any physical skill that you want to learn and master...

And once your new physical skill set becomes second nature - and you start to spend less time concentrating on every little detail - it's very, very difficult to restructure those neural pathways.

To rephrase... once you've formed a habit, it takes a VERY LONG TIME to relearn that habit differently.

Let me say that I am a huge stickler for correct technique and form in all exercises. It is one of the most important aspects of exercise instruction, in my opinion.

Why is proper technique so essential?? Because performing an exercise or movement correctly will a) allow you to get the most out of that exercise by using the correct muscles, and b) prevent possible injury and imbalances.

So, when you are first learning how to perform a movement, it is absolutely essential to concentrate fully on proper form. Because when you convert your training to "auto-pilot", you want to be sure that your body has discovered the safest, most effective way to do that movement.

Believe me... from experience in learning gymnastics skills incorrectly at the get-go... you don't want to have to relearn something! AND you don't want to get injured because you didn't learn to perform a skill correctly.


Point #1: Exercise technique IS very important.

Point #2: Do it right the first time - put in the work to teach yourself the right way - and you'll retain that skill without much thought or effort

Point #3: If you learn a skill right the first time, you can focus on other things... like breathing, forceful muscle contraction, or abdominal activation.


And if you take a break from a skill after learning it properly, it'll come right back to you pretty easily. Like riding a bike! Or driving a car... :)