Quick answer: Practice does make perfect — but how you practice matters as much as how much. Both physical therapy and weightlifting coaching are built on motor learning: a lasting change in your capacity to perform a skill through practice. Seven practice schedules — mental, distributed, massed, blocked, variable, random, and serial — each fit different situations: blocked practice suits new lifters, while random and serial practice best improve long-term skill retention.

Everyone has heard the saying “practice makes perfect” many times. I have personally heard it from almost everyone around me: my parents, my friends, my coaches, my teachers and even from the guy at the gym who struggles with a 40kg snatch (well, more like 35kg).

It is very true, practice does make perfect, but what does this really mean?

Let me start off by saying that all physical therapists and weightlifting coaches believe in the same concept –  motor learning. This is “a change in the capacity of a person to perform a skill, the result of practice or experience” (O’Sullivan S, Schmitz T, Physical Rehabilitation. 5th ed, Philadelphia, FA Davis, 2007). In other words, motor learning is the essence of leaning a new skill, be it walking for someone after a brain injury or performing the snatch in weightlifting.

This concept is built upon an understanding of how all constructs of motor leaning are combined and utilized to essentially teach someone how to perform the needed skill. One of these constructs is practice. The concept of practice can be divided into different types of practice (schedule of practice) and each type of practice should be used wisely in accordance with the circumstances at hand.

Here is a short list of these different types of practice and when they should be used in weightlifting, or even in therapy. I’ve also included some practical examples from weightlifting:

Ø  Mental – just like it sounds, repeating the skill in your head rather than physically. This can be a helpful type of practice for someone who is new to performing the skill and can reduce their fear of doing it. Think of a new lifter who hasn’t snatched before. Let them help and understand the constructs of the whole snatch and ask them to describe the movement to you.

Ø  Distributed – practice time is generally shorter than rest periods. This type of practice should be used when the athlete is required to perform at his/her best, for example during a competition. It could also be used with an athlete who has decreased motivation to train but who is still expected to lift properly. For example, a clean and jerk performed only for four sets of one repetition.

Ø  Massed – practice time that almost has no rest periods. This practice is rarely used because it is very demanding on the nervous system and could cause unwanted reactions to movement and eventually injuries.

Ø  Blocked- the type of practice that everyone thinks of, drilling the same movement again and again. Highly effective with new lifters.

Ø  Variable- practicing various skills at one time. This practice is highly effective when you want to increase functional abilities. Think of going from snatch right into clean and jerk, somewhat different movements but it can be very useful for learning the lifts. I personally use it often during warm ups with my athletes.

Ø  Random – practicing several skills but with no known order. This practice is highly effective in improving the retention of the skill. Think of a coach asking one of his athletes to perform a hang clean right after he/she stood up after picking the barbell off the floor.

Ø  Serial – practicing several skills but now in a known order. Just like random practice, this is highly effective in improving the retention of the skill. Think of having to follow a complex set, let’s say, overhead squat with snatch press and snatch balance.

A good coach/therapist will use these types of practices frequently. But overall it is up to the athlete to practice. Too often I see athletes and the general population become so frustrated with weightlifting that they just stop all together and move on to a new sport. The fact is that weightlifting is a sport and it is a skill. Skill is not developed in a day or a week, or even in a year. The best lifters in the world compete after practicing the movements for more than a decade, day after day, sometimes twice a day, sometimes three times a day. Not everyone wants to reach competitive levels in weightlifting, but if you do, you know what you need to do – PRACTICE.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is motor learning?

A change in a person’s capacity to perform a skill as a result of practice or experience. It is the shared foundation of physical therapy and skill coaching — the same principles govern relearning to walk after a brain injury and learning the snatch in weightlifting.

What type of practice is best for beginners?

Blocked practice — drilling the same movement repeatedly — is highly effective for new lifters, and mental practice (rehearsing and describing the movement) helps newcomers understand a skill and reduce fear before physically attempting it.

Which practice methods improve skill retention most?

Random practice (several skills in no set order) and serial practice (several skills in a known order) are highly effective for retention. Variable practice — mixing related skills in one session — is useful for building functional ability and works well in warm-ups.

How long does it take to get good at weightlifting?

Weightlifting is a skill, and skills are not built in days, weeks, or even a year. The best lifters in the world have typically practiced the movements daily — sometimes multiple sessions a day — for over a decade. Consistent, well-structured practice is the only path.