Cognitive training, like physical training, thrives on variation. Just as you adjust reps, sets, tempos, and rest periods in the gym to keep your body adapting, cognitive load must be strategically manipulated to drive continuous improvement. Without this dynamic approach, training stagnates, progress plateaus, and the challenge fades.
This document is your guide to cognitive load manipulation. It provides practical options and strategies to keep your athletes’ cognitive training fresh, challenging, and effective.
The Basics
Important Note
It’s essential to consider that performing fewer reps with longer delays between them can present a unique challenge. This approach requires heightened vigilance, as athletes must stay focused and alert while waiting for the next rep. Surprisingly, this can be just as fatiguing as performing higher reps, much like how slow, controlled reps during the negative phase of a lift can be more demanding than faster tempos.
Understanding these nuances will help you refine your cognitive load strategies, ensuring athletes are challenged and engaged at the right level for continuous progress.
Placement
Adjusting the placement of cognitive tasks within a training plan can significantly alter the overall load and impact on your athletes.
Layering
Layering tasks is one of the most efficient and engaging ways to manipulate cognitive load, enabling you to challenge your athletes dynamically while keeping them fully engaged. By adding layers of complexity, you push both cognitive and physical limits, ensuring continuous adaptation and improvement.
As a coach, you know that even the most effective cognitive tasks can lose their edge over time. Slight adjustments to time or intensity only go so far before athletes adapt, and the tasks stop being challenging.
This is where Soma’s training modes come in.
Soma’s modes are designed to seamlessly integrate into any cognitive task, allowing you to increase complexity without reinventing your training program.
When to Use Each Mode
This section offers a quick overview of why you might choose a specific mode for your athlete’s training session.
