This article explains how to create, structure, and adapt a cognitive training plan using Soma.
Each step builds on the last, from identifying what to train to tracking how your athletes adapt over time.
1. Focus on Cognitive Demands
Every effective plan starts with understanding what the brain needs to improve.
You’re not choosing random tasks — you’re choosing what mental demand to train.
Common Cognitive Demands:
Attention: Staying focused and resisting distraction
Memory: Holding and using information consciously
Response Inhibition: Ignoring impulses or irrelevant actions
Decision-Making: Choosing the best option quickly under pressure
With Soma, you don’t need to find the “perfect task.”
You can adjust intensity using training modes to match the desired cognitive load.
Soma allows you to filter tasks by cognitive demand, making the process faster and more efficient. Most athletes will benefit from training all demands, but you should prioritize the ones most dominant in their sport, the areas where split-second focus, control, or decision-making matter most.
2. Run a Baseline Test
Start with a baseline to see where each athlete stands.
This gives you measurable data on strengths, weaknesses, and capacity.
Recommended Setup:
→ Duration: Around 30 minutes
→ Tasks: 3–6 tasks (around 4 is ideal to avoid overload)
Example Baseline:
→ PVT-B – 3 mins
→ Posner – 10 mins (80%)
→ Attention Switching – 10 mins (80%)
→ Task Switching – 10 mins (80%)
→ PVT-B – 3 mins
Tip: If an athlete performs well in decision-making but struggles in inhibition, prioritize inhibition-focused tasks in their next phase.
Universities often run pilot baselines several times to refine their task selection. The more you plan, the smoother this process becomes. Your baseline isn’t just for assessment — it’s also your reference point to confirm whether the athlete adapted to the training stimulus at the end. We recommend including some of the same tasks in both the baseline and the training plan for accurate comparison.
3. Decide How to Integrate
Once the baseline is complete and you begin building the plan, decide where Soma will fit within your athlete’s training routine. Cognitive training can be integrated before, during, or after physical sessions — or combined across multiple stages for a more complete adaptation.
Method | Purpose | How It Works | Recommended Time |
Pre-Training | Increase perceived intensity by pre-fatiguing the brain before workouts | Perform tasks before physical work | 20 mins total (4×5 min or 2×10 min) |
Intermittent (Intermixed) | Keep athletes mentally engaged during rest periods and increase overall training load | Add tasks between physical sets | 20 mins total, 3-min blocks |
Concurrent | Combine cognitive and physical load to make training more time-efficient | Perform tasks while maintaining a set heart rate zone | 20 mins total (4×5 min or 2×10 min) |
Post-Training | Build mental resilience and adaptation under fatigue | Perform tasks after workouts | 20 mins total (4×5 min or 2×10 min) |
All integration methods work and are backed by peer-reviewed research. We recommend starting with pre-training or post-training sessions. As your athletes get used to the routine, you can introduce intermixed sessions if they fit better with their workflow. Pre and post setups are simple, effective, and scientifically validated starting points.
4. Building the Plan
Now it’s time to build the plan. Start by filtering each session by cognitive demand — this makes the process faster and more focused. Use your baseline results as your guide. You already know which areas were strong and which need more work.
Once you know what to target, select 3–6 tasks per session.
Focus on the demand, not the task name.
Key point:
The task isn’t the stimulus — the load is.
Any of Soma’s 80+ tasks can be effective if the load is right.
If you think a task looks too easy:
Increase the intensity
Extend the duration
Add a training mode (such as time pressure, dual task, or distraction)
5. Periodization
Once you’ve selected all the tasks for each session, the next step is to adjust the load each week to periodize the plan.
We’ll walk you through two ways to periodize your athletes’ cognitive training and show different ways to manipulate load, with example graphs below.
Progressive Overload
This approach gradually increases demand each week to promote consistent adaptation.
How to apply it:
Gradually increase task intensity each week
Add about 5 minutes per week until sessions reach 45 minutes
Start with 3 sessions per week and increase gradually over time
This method creates steady progression while keeping training balanced and effective.
Task Intensity
Session Duration
Session Frequency
Undulating Periodization
If you prefer more variety, undulating periodization alternates the load rather than increasing it linearly. This keeps the brain adapting by introducing constant variation.
How to apply it:
Intensity: Vary daily or weekly by alternating between high- and low-intensity tasks
Session Frequency: Adjust how many sessions you schedule each week
Session Duration: Change how long sessions last week to week
This method prevents stagnation and promotes ongoing adaptability by keeping the brain challenged in new ways.
Task Intensity
Session Frequency
Session Duration
Building an effective cognitive training plan with Soma is simple when you follow the right steps.
Start by running a baseline to identify the athlete’s strengths and weaknesses.
Then focus on the cognitive demand you want to train, filter and select tasks that match it, and apply modes to increase the overall load. From there, build the plan, periodize the load, and let it run for four weeks.
The first week often feels messy. That is normal. By week three, adaptation usually starts, and by week four, the athlete has fully adjusted.
After the cycle, analyze the data, make adjustments based on the results, and repeat the process.
This simple loop (baseline → build → periodize → analyze → repeat) keeps training adaptive, effective, and aligned with your athlete’s evolving performance.
Let the plan do its job. You do not need to constantly change it. You need at least nine sessions to see a clear trend. The more you repeat the process, the easier it becomes. For added confidence, include a PVT-B before and after the session and track lapse count. This is the best indicator of whether the cognitive load is right.
If you have set the load correctly, post-session data will show slower reaction times, lower accuracy, higher variation, and increased lapse count. This means the brain has been pushed enough to adapt.