Variability training is a relatively new concept to me but something that has been around in different forms for baseball and other sports. Variability training is a broad concept where parameters of an exercise or movement is altered to create variability in an attempt to improve the movement. I think there is a fundamental error in thinking when it comes to high level movement in that we often think that a movement is perfectly or near-perfectly reproduced and executed by high level athletes and thus that should be what we strive for.
The best example here comes from the pitching motion. As a young baseball player and not-so-young clinician, I thought the goal was to perfectly recreate the motion every time. However, motor learning and motor control shows that this is not the case. Our bodies don't perfectly replicate motion like a robot might. Instead, the body constantly evaluates the environment and adjusts accordingly. Variability training seeks to utilize this to improve performance.
One fundamental theory of motor learning is Schmidt's Schema theory. There are plenty of arguments and limitations to the theory that may be better suited for it's own blog post. However, I think that schema theory may explain the benefit of variability training.
First, let's explore schema theory. A schema is a plan or a framework. In motor learning, the theory is that the brain stores different plans or schemas for specific movements. There may be a schema for running and a schema for sitting and a schema for shooting a basketball etc. The schema constantly adapts to input to essentially update the plan. When the brain recognizes a motion or movement, it recalls the schema and executes the movement. That is a very very basic overview of schema theory and I would encourage further exploration if that interests you.
In relation to variability training, I believe that schema theory helps to explain it's effectiveness in performance enhancement. With that being said, these are my own thoughts though I am sure others have had similar ideas. I have not researched or backed this up so please read this with some contempt.
I believe that as we develop our schema's for specific motions, they get altered due to pain, fatigue, internal coaching cues (see my other post) etc. I think that adding variability to the motion causes the brain to default back to a similar schema that is less effected by the above factors. By recalling the similar schemas, I believe that "better" movement pattern can emerge once the variability is removed.
Let's take a look at an example. With throwing, I think that we have a schema that is specific to the throwing motion. I think that as we develop, our schema for throwing get's altered. When I was in high school, I had a long arm action that was shortened by my coach standing behind me while I played catch (nice external cue!). This altered my throwing schema which I believe was slightly out of wack from previous injuries, fatigue, cues etc.
If we can assume that my throwing motion was altered from the "best" or "most efficient" schema to the one I currently have, then I believe variability training may help. By adjusting the weight of a baseball, I think there is enough alteration to the motion that my brain must recall a schema that hasn't been adjusted and thus better resembles my "natural" throwing motion. Utilizing that schema may carry over to my current throwing motion to better align the two motions into their desired "natural" motion.
Now, you should have a lot of questions and contradictions to this theory. For one, we are assuming schema theory is correct, we are assuming there is an inherent natural way for every motion, and we are assuming exercising a slightly different schema can effect a similar schema. The other thing to consider is the amount of variability. There is a clear difference between throwing a baseball and a bowling ball...two completely different schemas. But...how do we know what is too much when it comes to variability?
I think there is something to variability training and this is the theory that I go off of. Perhaps further reading and research will allow me to better explain or most likely find someone else who has better explained it.
That's all for now...from the training room
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