How to Learn Skills Faster | Huberman Lab Podcast

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.

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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.

[eloctavomutante]

A guy in a black shirt against a black backdrop talking science non-stop for 90 minutes. Best show ever.

[davidyeoman]

My fourteen year old daughter is extremely active in sports - track, cross country, volleyball, softball, and soccer. I used to give her tips on how to train and practice to improve and she would take it with a grain of salt, “yeah, yeah dad, whatever.” Now I direct her to your podcast and the many protocols you offer and it has helped her tremendously! I can’t thank you enough Doc!

[gavindsilva]

Here are my notes for this episode: ## skills Huberman episode

Physical performance:
1. Skill learning in the above, motor skills, instruments, movements, running
2. mental visualization of the practice [mental rehearsal]






Temperature

1. Cooling palms between sets, periodically
- Improving performance

2. Heating the body is good for the release of growth hormone
- growth hormone release

if( want to run further ){
cooling
} else if(growth hormone) {
warming up the body
}

Coffee:
accustomed to caffeine, can drink coffee before working out
not accustomed to caffeine, diminish performance








Side stitch [not a cramp, not muscular]
- phrenic nerve - branch to the liver
- reference pain
because of the contractions of the diaphragm
relieve it: double inhale, long exhale [engages regular cadence of heart rate variability]







Q1>
Acquisition of new skills:
[Try using these tools]

1. Open-loop
- get immediate feedback - darts
- practicing tennis serve


2. Closed-loop
- continuous
- adjust different steps
- can do more practice per unit time
- swimming, drumming






Three key components to any skill:

1. Sensory perception
- What you are paying attention to.

2. Movements

Q2>
What should I focus my attention on?
How to allocate your attention?
Movements are generated by 3 kinds of sources:
- 1. Central pattern generators
- generate repetitive movement
- when you are good at something, CPGs are controlling a lot of that behavior

- 2. Upper motor neurons
- Deliberate unlearned movements, in the process of learning

- 3. Lower motor neurons


3. Proprioception [kinesthesia] - aware of where the limbs are







Pill for a skill: does not exist

10000 hrs rule:
- learning takes time
- not about hrs, its about repetitions
- vastly accelerate learning with repetitions eg Supermario effect
subjects learn a program through commands, needed to organize a particular way to win
2 groups:
1. Error signals
if wrong command: that did not work, please try again
increased success rate
tried many more times

2. Error signals and punishment
if wrong command: you lost 5 points
lesser success rate
gave up earlier because they didn't want to lose points







Experiment:
Tube test with rats
rats start pushing each other, clear loser and a clear winner
if the winner gets a new competitor, winner has a higher chance to win again
if loser gets a new competitor, the loser typically loses
new evidence, frontal cortex, increased activity in the frontal cortex
regardless of winner or loser, became winner every time
more repetitions per unit time: winners
fewer repetitions per unit time: losers

Winners always perform as many repetitions as you possibly can at least when first trying to learn a skill
Making error reps is also important, might be the most important







Errors:
Why should I repeat doing a task that I'm getting errors in?
1. Error correction opens the door to neuroplasticity
When you make an error, your brain anchors your attention to error correction, the brain says something needs to change
When making an error, if you walk away, you've made the wrong choice

Steps:
1. Continue to engage in a high repetition rate, even if get errors
Do repetitions in a somewhat random manner
Designate a block of time, then do the maximum number of repetitions per unit time

2. More mistakes, more plastic your brain becomes
3. When you get it right, you will receive a dopamine release
4. Sleep, do nothing
- replays of sequences of things done the day before CORRECTLY
- elimination of sequence of things done WRONG

- after getting something right/ putting effort into something, if you can close your eyes for 1 - 5 mins, the brain replays the correct sequences

- Dopamine is a pleasure chemical







Leverage uncertainty
You will perform better in subsequent sessions
Q3> What to cue your attention to in the subsequent sessions?
- It doesn't matter, it should somewhat be related to what you want to train
- try to cue your attention to the same one specific thing throughout your session


Focus purely on the motor execution in closed-loop systems
you can learn to play the piano faster if you practice the sequence of movement of digits, not the feedback







Protocols:
Many errors
Let the brain go, ideally
get sleep

as we get more skilled, attention can migrate from motor sequence to a trial to trial basis
focusing on different sequences







Performing ultra-slow movements
Only Useful After Some Proficiency Is Attained
2 things aren't available to you:
1. Don't get the opportunity to build in the proprioceptive feedback
2. You don't generate errors







How to go from intermediate to advanced:
- Metronoming
- setting the cadence of repetition
- setting a metronome to a slightly faster rate increases learning
- anchoring your movements to an external cue
- something about keeping up with a timer







Where does skill learning occur?

Mini brain [cerebellum]
- input: eyes 1. Pitch 2. Yaw 3. Roll
- has info about limbs
- lot of sequences of timing are handled here
- moving eyes from side to side can increase the range of motion
- doing this before learning something wrt range of motion can immediately increase your flexibility/ range of motion







Visualization or mental rehearsal:

- Visualization is not a total replacement for a physical training
- but it can support it well
- can increase skill acquisition and learning
- will compound the rates of learning







How to support favorable skill learning?
What are the conditions you can create for yourself so that you can create more repetitions over time?

1. Motivation
2. Alpha gpc
- improve cognition in Alzheimer's







Things to optimize for:
1. Repetitions
2. Failures
3. More repetitions
4. More Failures
5. Ideal time followed by sleep 5-10 mins







Ultradian rhythm:
90 - 120 min cycles in the day

- Not as much effective in skill learning wrt physical movement
- A dense repetitive, increased failure session for 10 - 15 mins works best

[aaron.protein]

These podcasts bring me tremendous joy, and they genuinely improve our lives. Thank you!

[robertobenedit]

There´s not enough words in the world to thak you for the time that you take to share this invaluable information to us, that otherwise it would be impossible for us. Im from Argentina and you change my life forever. 27 million of thank you!

[stephanie]

Andrew, I remember vaguely that it was your purpose/mission/goal in life to give the general public quality information on these topics. I want to thank you, I've been listening to your podcast on audible and your talks on youtube and I am learning SO MUCH beyond my mediocre bachelors from years ago. THANK YOU AGAIN!!! I love that you bring references, hard data, and real science into the youtube world wide web.

[akramalshuhary]

Thank you Huberman, I cannot stop watching all of your videos. after I finish watching one episode I immediately download the second one. All the information you are talking about are reflecting all the experiences that we gain from reality. Keep the professional job.

[FernandoMartinez-kujv]

This is literally like attending a university course for free love this podcast

[andrice]

Hey Andrew,

Your last podcast was life changing. The ability to workout feeling refreshed and also not have to deal with soreness that lasts for days is amazing. You are a great human being and thank you very much for giving this information out to the public for free. You have gained a life long fan. Thank you.

[chandana___]

I'm learning so much from the podcast that the very methods and tools mentioned here are helping me focus while i listen to the podcast. Earlier i used to go weeks not completing one episode properly and now i can finally listen to the episode the same week as it is released.The way each episode helps me in various aspects of my life is truely amazing. Thank you Dr. Huberman🌻.

[amanyabouzeid]

The absolute best on YouTube & pretty much all social media. The thoroughness, sophistication as well as simplicity (not simplification) & his temperament are inspirational

[kirklink]

Jesus christ, man. Not only is your speech eye opening, but the short intro with humble music is just spot on! Your tone is soothing, youre talking with just the right speed. Everything is perfectly balanced

[pbapprend]

I love that everything about this podcast is so intentional and designed to maximize our learning. Explaining the "why" behind the various mechanisms really helps me integrate what I am learning and increases the likelihood of sustainable behavior change. I'm sure it's possible to run out of praise for this podcast, but I haven't yet :) Thank you so much for all the time and effort that goes into each episode.

[robspecht]

Watched this on 2x so that I leaned faster about learning faster.

[flybymight]

Guilt-free youtube time, always. Thank you for your generosity. These podcasts are giving me so many new tools and tweaks. I am a musician so knowing what I have been doing correctly intuitively is amazing but knowing how I am getting in my own way is even better. I struggle with mediation. Giving myself a 'learning pause' after a session is perfect- sometimes I go a little longer and two birds with one stone later I am a happier and more skilled human being.

[darringodden]

I need to shout this from the top of Everest!
I started to learn music at 40, I am now 57.
at 46 I realized I was mentally not quite right.
At risk of stigma I reported my symptoms to the Doctor.
A fast track to help.
I was told I ran on Adrenalin.
Through repetitive practice I have become a player at the standard of a novice.
But I seriously thought I had brain damage and considered giving up due to continuous failure.
Thank you Andrew you are a very important person in my life.
Lots of love to you and your colleagues.

[adamduma]

I used to hate mondays and now i love them.

[jcwatters]

Life-changing. Genius. Drop the mic. If this were a book, every word would be highlighted in yellow.

[jennifercgraf]

Love this video. I have Persistent Post Concussive Syndrome and used this to help me get much better. Example - my finger touching connection was off. So I used to sit, and over and over touch the letters on my steering wheel with my fingers. When a learning (repetition) session was over, I’d sit and relish in the experience. Not doing anything else. When my error rate was radically reduced, I did the same thing with my keyboard. I used my finger on my phone to over and over touch characters to get my brain connection stronger (between touching something that I intended to and not.) I also notice when I’m really tired, because that skill gets diminished. Thank you for your podcasts. It’s such a fantastic experience having scientific information accessible and usable. Best to you and your team.

[rosacuore]

I couldn't appreciate more the broader information on this podcast series.I've had watching for about three months now, taking notes while listening and experiencing through practice of various things. Consequently, I have improved English language skills in terms of pronunciation, as well as learning some Spanish language because of the subtitles.
Thank you so much! 🙏