How to Learn Skills Faster

This episode I discuss the science and practice of learning physical skills: what it involves at a biological level, and what to focus on during skill learning at each stage to maximize learning speed and depth. I also describe what to do immediately after a training session (note: this is different than the optimal protocol for cognitive skill training) and as you progress to more advanced levels of performance. I also cover the science of skill-based visualization which does have benefits, but only if done correctly and at the correct times. I discuss auto-replay of skill learning in the brain during sleep and the value of adding in post-training ‘deliberately idle’ sessions. I cover how to immediately improve limb-range-of-motion by leveraging cerebellum function, error generation, optimal repetition numbers for learning and more. As always, scientific mechanism, peer-reviewed studies and science-based protocols are discussed. Thank you to our sponsors InsideTracker - https://insidetracker.com/huberman Athletic Greens - https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne: http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website: https://hubermanlab.com Join the Neural Network: https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:28 Skill Acquisition: Mental & Physical 00:08:40 Clarification About Cold, Heat & Caffeine 00:12:45 Tool: How To Quickly Eliminate the Side-Stitch ‘Cramp’ & Boost HRV Entrainment 00:16:08 Physical Skills: Open-Loop Versus Closed-Loop 00:18:50 Three Key Components To Any Skill 00:21:00 Sources of Control for Movement: 1) CPGs Govern Rhythmic Learned Behavior 00:23:30 Upper Motor Neurons for Deliberate Movement & Learning 00:25:00 Lower Motor Neurons Control Action Execution 00:25:26 What To Focus On While Learning 00:27:10 The Reality of Skill Learning & the 10,000 Hours Myth 00:28:30 Repetitions & The Super Mario Effect: Error Signals vs. Error Signals + Punishment 00:34:00 Learning To Win, Every Time 00:39:26 Errors Solve the Problem of What Focus On While Trying to Learn Skills 00:43:00 Why Increasing Baseline Levels of Dopamine Prior To Learning Is Bad 00:44:40 The Framing Effect (& Protocol Defined) 00:46:10 A Note & Warning To Coaches 00:48:30 What To Do Immediately After Your Physical Skill Learning Practice 00:53:48 Leveraging Uncertainty 00:56:59 What to Pay Attention To While Striving To Improve 01:04:45 Protocol Synthesis Part One 01:07:10 Super-Slow-Motion Learning Training: Only Useful After Some Proficiency Is Attained 01:11:06 How To Move From Intermediate To Advanced Skill Execution faster: Metronomes 01:16:44 Increasing Speed Even If It Means More Errors: Training Central Pattern Generators 01:19:12 Integrated Learning: Leveraging Your Cerebellum (“Mini-Brain”) 01:22:02 Protocol For Increasing Limb Range of Motion, Immediately 01:28:30 Visualization/ Mental Rehearsal: How To Do It Correctly 01:33:50 Results From 15 Minutes Per Day, 5 Days Per Week Visualization (vs. Actual Training) 01:35:34 Imagining Something Is Very Different Than Actually Experiencing It 01:37:58 Cadence Training & Learning “Carryover” 01:39:00 Ingestible Compounds That Support Skill Learning: Motivation, Repetitions, Alpha-GPC 01:43:39 Summary & Sequencing Tools: Reps, Fails, Idle Time, Sleep, Metronome, Visualization 01:46:20 Density Training: Comparing Ultradian- & Non-Ultradian Training Sessions 01:49:24 Cost-Free Ways to Support Us, Sponsors & Alternate Channels, Closing Remarks Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed. Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

Andrew Hubermanhost

May 17, 20211h 52mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 17, 2021
Duration: 1h 52m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

This episode I discuss the science and practice of learning physical skills: what it involves at a biological level, and what to focus on during skill learning at each stage to maximize learning speed and depth. I also describe what to do immediately after a training session (note: this is different than the optimal protocol for cognitive skill training) and as you progress to more advanced levels of performance. I also cover the science of skill-based visualization which does have benefits, but only if done correctly and at the correct times. I discuss auto-replay of skill learning in the brain during sleep and the value of adding in post-training ‘deliberately idle’ sessions. I cover how to immediately improve limb-range-of-motion by leveraging cerebellum function, error generation, optimal repetition numbers for learning and more. As always, scientific mechanism, peer-reviewed studies and science-based protocols are discussed. Thank you to our sponsors InsideTracker - https://insidetracker.com/huberman Athletic Greens - https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne: http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab Website: https://hubermanlab.com Join the Neural Network: https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:28 Skill Acquisition: Mental & Physical 00:08:40 Clarification About Cold, Heat & Caffeine 00:12:45 Tool: How To Quickly Eliminate the Side-Stitch ‘Cramp’ & Boost HRV Entrainment 00:16:08 Physical Skills: Open-Loop Versus Closed-Loop 00:18:50 Three Key Components To Any Skill 00:21:00 Sources of Control for Movement: 1) CPGs Govern Rhythmic Learned Behavior 00:23:30 Upper Motor Neurons for Deliberate Movement & Learning 00:25:00 Lower Motor Neurons Control Action Execution 00:25:26 What To Focus On While Learning 00:27:10 The Reality of Skill Learning & the 10,000 Hours Myth 00:28:30 Repetitions & The Super Mario Effect: Error Signals vs. Error Signals + Punishment 00:34:00 Learning To Win, Every Time 00:39:26 Errors Solve the Problem of What Focus On While Trying to Learn Skills 00:43:00 Why Increasing Baseline Levels of Dopamine Prior To Learning Is Bad 00:44:40 The Framing Effect (& Protocol Defined) 00:46:10 A Note & Warning To Coaches 00:48:30 What To Do Immediately After Your Physical Skill Learning Practice 00:53:48 Leveraging Uncertainty 00:56:59 What to Pay Attention To While Striving To Improve 01:04:45 Protocol Synthesis Part One 01:07:10 Super-Slow-Motion Learning Training: Only Useful After Some Proficiency Is Attained 01:11:06 How To Move From Intermediate To Advanced Skill Execution faster: Metronomes 01:16:44 Increasing Speed Even If It Means More Errors: Training Central Pattern Generators 01:19:12 Integrated Learning: Leveraging Your Cerebellum (“Mini-Brain”) 01:22:02 Protocol For Increasing Limb Range of Motion, Immediately 01:28:30 Visualization/ Mental Rehearsal: How To Do It Correctly 01:33:50 Results From 15 Minutes Per Day, 5 Days Per Week Visualization (vs. Actual Training) 01:35:34 Imagining Something Is Very Different Than Actually Experiencing It 01:37:58 Cadence Training & Learning “Carryover” 01:39:00 Ingestible Compounds That Support Skill Learning: Motivation, Repetitions, Alpha-GPC 01:43:39 Summary & Sequencing Tools: Reps, Fails, Idle Time, Sleep, Metronome, Visualization 01:46:20 Density Training: Comparing Ultradian- & Non-Ultradian Training Sessions 01:49:24 Cost-Free Ways to Support Us, Sponsors & Alternate Channels, Closing Remarks Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed. Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman, How to Learn Skills Faster explores science-backed methods to accelerate motor skill learning and performance Andrew Huberman explains how motor skills are learned in the brain and body, emphasizing that rapid progress comes from many focused repetitions, frequent errors, and properly timed rest, not mythical shortcuts or fixed hour counts. He distinguishes open- vs closed-loop skills, outlines key neural circuits (upper/lower motor neurons, central pattern generators, cerebellum), and shows how errors open the “plasticity window” for faster learning. Huberman describes practical protocols: dense practice blocks, brief post-training quiet rest, quality sleep, metronome-based repetition, and later use of ultra-slow reps and visualization. He also covers tools for performance and comfort (palm cooling, breathing for side stitches, eye-movement-based flexibility, caffeine/Alpha-GPC) and clarifies why mental rehearsal is powerful but never a full substitute for real physical practice.

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