Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #6:
Optimal Motor Learning

While there are many different theories on motor learning (how do you learn to do a new task such as a deadlift, catch a ball, fly at kite, etc), it can be split up roughly into 3 stages based on the number of reps

The 3 Stages are

1 )Cognitive (1-1,000 reps)

2) Associative (1,000 to 100,000 reps)

3) Autonomous (100,0000 to 300,000 reps)

(editor’s note, I updated the reps on autonous after more research and talking with Dr. Cobb, the numbers are very hard to nail down exactly in research and are our best guess)

When you first learn a brand new task you are in the cognitive stage since you have to think very hard about it.

After about 1,000 reps you are starting to get a handle on the movement, but it still requires some thought.

After about 100,000 reps, you are getting into the autonomous stage (think automatic) where you have very little to none conscious thought.

For Tiger Woods to hit a golf ball is in the autonomous realm.  Walking is an autonomous motion for everyone other than very young kids. You are a professional walker and you don’t have to think “ok, here I go, right foot in front, point the foot……” You just walk without much thought!

The goal initially is to get to the autonomous stage based on GOOD patterns.

“When you practice something ‘wrong’ you get really really good at the ‘wrong’ thing.

The longer you practice failure, the harder it becomes to recognize success.

Be careful what you practice, you may get really good at the wrong thing!”

–Tony Blauer

(Thanks to Frankie for sending that one to me)

Summary

Make sure you are doing perfect practice and get your reps in (practice).

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Tiger Fans!

Photo by aka-nolimit “Volleyball Defense”

All the Body All the Time

It is Monday and we are back again with the Monday Mobility corner.

The behind the curtain of the Z Health Athletic Performance System rolls on.

If you missed any of the previous concepts, check them out below

• Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #4: The 3 Rs of R Phase Why is it called R-Phase?

• Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #3: Why focus on the nervous system?

• Z Health Athletic Performance System Review: Concept #2 The SAID Principle

Key Z Health R Phase Review Concept #5:  “All the body all the time”

This is one of Dr. Cobb’s favorite quotes. The body is all connected via the nervous system, so you MUST take this into account. Less than optimal joint mobility in ANY joint will result in a less than optimal performance. This is the reason for joint mobility work for every joint in the Z-Health R Phase manual.

Think of it as having any one of your car tires go flat.  Your performance will be less than optimal, so you need to get mobility in all of the joints.

See the posts below for more details

Z Health Case Study: Car Accident and Basketball Performance

Z Health Feedback and Jaw Mobility?

Z Health Joint Mobility and Olympic Marathon Running

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

Just got back Sunday night from the second weekend of Z-Health R-Phase here in Minneapolis, MN.   Great times and awesome to see everyone there again.

I will have a full update on my powerlifting meet very soon!  If you follow me on twitter, you can find the results

follow Mike T Nelson on twitter by clicking here

It is Mobility Monday and time for Z Health concept and common question:

If you missed the past reviews, please see the links below

Z Health R-Phase Review : Why Focus on the Nervous System

Z Health Athletic Performance System Review: The SAID Principle

Z Health Athletic Performance System: Behind the Curtains Part 1

Key Z Health R Phase Concept #4: The 3 Rs of R Phase Whys is it called R-Phase?

1)Re-education
2)Injury Rehabilitation
3)Movement Restoration

Re-education

It is called RE-education since most HAD good movement, but have LOST it. When I demonstrate a Z Health wrist circle, most look at it and go “Oh, that is easy! but then they try to do it with PRECISION and it is quite hard on the first few reps. Your brain at some level knows that you knew it, but lost it. The purpose of Z-Health is to RE-educate your body via dynamic mobility training.

Injury Rehabilitation

While the goal is not to diagnosis anything, the goal is to get them to perform at a higher level, despite their injuries. I know for myself, that I have managed to do all sorts of “not so good things to my body” such as

• pulled groin on both sides and hip flexors (very poor lifting technique)
• midline scar (open heart surgery in 1978 for a heart defect)
• scoliosis
• formally had no 3D vision (currently some suppression of my right eye, used to be complete)
• multiple sprains to ankles and fingers (basketball)
• sprained/partially torn right ankle (snowboaring crash, wearing a walking cast in the winter sucks!)
• multiple car accidents
• torticollis (aka wry neck)
• ripped out right shoulder completely to about the middle of my chest (broomball game)
• separated left shoulder (mountain biking accident)

the list goes on….

I can honestly say that now I am moving,  feeling and lifting better at 35 years old than at any other point in my life. Now it has taken awhile to get to good movement, but Z Health has been the only thing that I have tried that began to make a difference right away.

Getting through your injuries is huge for performance increases and if you target the nervous system with precise work, this is EXPECTED.

Movement Restoration

Many times by getting athletes to move better results in dramatic decreases in pain. While my goal is not to explicitly treat pain, my goal is to get them to move better and most of the time that result of moving better is dramatic decreasing in pain. Since we are targeting the nervous system, many changes can take place in seconds! I can give you multiple examples of times when this is true. Some examples from Z-Health work that I have done

• Female powerlifter missed 281 pounds on her second attempt at a meet. Some Z Health drills and in a few minutes goes on to pull 281 pounds.
• Athlete twisted his ankle at a fun house and pain is 7/8 on a scale of 1-10 (1=little to no pain, 10= loss of a limb). After some Z-Health drills 40 minutes later his pain was less than a 2.
• Olympic marathon competitor had big toe pain of about 7/8 (out of 10) and left hip pain of about 6/7. After about 45 minutes of Z-Health she was able to roll up on her big toe without pain for the first time in 1.5 years and left hip pain was less than a 2 also.

…and there are many more. See the link below here

Z Health/Mike T Nelson testimonials

Now it is not always that easy, but many times it can be with the right applied knowledge. I am currently batting at about 90% of athletes seeing a huge increase in movement quality (and pain reduction) in one session. Again, this is not going to be true for everyone, but for most it truly is. This does not mean that all of their issues are gone and they still need to work on their movement homework drills for about 10 minutes a day for 3-4 weeks to get the changes to hold.  They will also have other things to work on to increase their performance, as the pursuit of excellence is a life long journey, but getting a huge jump start is a great way to start out!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

If you are in the Minnesota/ St Paul area and are interested in a Z-Health mobility session, drop me an email at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com