Movement Training for Human Performance: A Neuroscientist's Perspective on Athletic Development
Movement is a window into the brain. Every squat, every stride, every stroke reveals patterns of neural control that extend far beyond the gym or playing field.
I recently spoke with Brian McKenzie, a human performance coach and movement specialist, and Erin Cafuro McKenzie, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, about their quality-over-quantity approach to athletic training. Their insights reveal fundamental principles about how the brain learns, adapts, and optimizes human performance.
The Neuroscience of Movement Quality
Brian's career began with a crucial insight: traditional high-volume training often creates more problems than it solves. "I became very adept at movement and understanding movement in relation to injury," he explains. This isn't just coaching philosophy—it's applied neuroscience.
When you move poorly, you're not just risking injury. You're training inefficient motor patterns into your brain. The motor cortex and cerebellum learn whatever you repeat, whether it's optimal or not. Poor movement quality literally becomes hardwired through neuroplasticity.
Here's what happens at the neural level: The primary motor cortex (M1) sends commands to muscles, while the cerebellum fine-tunes these movements based on sensory feedback. The basal ganglia help select which motor programs to execute. When you practice poor movement patterns, these circuits become increasingly efficient at producing... poor movement.
Erin experienced this firsthand as an elite rower dealing with chronic injuries. "I was going implementing hence a lot of my injury history," she notes. The solution wasn't more volume—it was better movement quality with expert feedback.
The Progression Principle: Building Athletic Foundations
Both Brian and Erin emphasize something that contradicts popular fitness culture: elite athletes don't start with elite challenges. They master fundamentals first.
"Very few people want to actually spend time getting good at running 5Ks, which is where most great marathoners spend a lot of time," Brian observes. "They became really, really good runners at the 5K... and they got really fast and then they extended that."
This reflects a fundamental principle of motor learning called "hierarchical skill development." The brain builds complex movement patterns on top of simpler, well-learned foundations. When you skip steps—going from couch to marathon, or sprint triathlon to Ironman—you're asking your nervous system to manage complexity it hasn't prepared for.
The prefrontal cortex, which governs executive function and decision-making under stress, becomes overwhelmed when managing too many variables simultaneously. This leads to movement breakdown, injury risk, and performance plateaus.
Beyond the Box: Environmental Context Matters
Brian's evolution from traditional gym training to outdoor, nature-based movement reflects emerging research on environmental enrichment and neural plasticity. "How often are you actually getting out into nature?" he asks.
Training outdoors isn't just more enjoyable—it's neurologically different. Natural environments provide:
- Variable sensory input: Wind, terrain changes, temperature variations challenge proprioception and balance systems
- Unpredictable demands: Unlike gym machines, natural movement requires constant neural adaptation
- Reduced cognitive fatigue: Nature exposure activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces cortisol
The brain's spatial navigation systems—including the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex—evolved for complex, three-dimensional environments, not linear gym machines. When you train outdoors, you're engaging these systems as they were designed to function.
The Movement Assessment Revolution
One of the most important insights from our conversation was about movement observation and feedback. Erin describes the transformation when Brian began coaching her: "He was like, 'No, that's not a squat, that's not a push-up'... and actually would show me visually what I was doing and how to change it."
This highlights a critical point: internal body awareness (proprioception) is often insufficient for movement correction. The brain's internal model of movement frequently differs from objective reality. This is where expert observation and real-time feedback become crucial.
Modern technology is revolutionizing this process. Video analysis, motion capture, and even neurofeedback can provide objective data about movement patterns. But the key insight remains: you can't improve what you can't accurately perceive.
The Role of Cross-Training in Neural Development
Both guests emphasize the importance of movement variety. Erin's background includes not just rowing, but CrossFit and movement-based training under Kelly Starrett's guidance. Brian's expertise spans running mechanics, physics principles, and aquatic training.
This variety isn't accidental—it's neurologically essential. Different movement patterns activate different neural circuits:
- Strength training: Primarily motor cortex and corticospinal pathways
- Endurance work: Involves brainstem respiratory centers and autonomic regulation
- Skill-based movement: Heavily engages cerebellum and basal ganglia
- Balance challenges: Activate vestibular system and proprioceptive pathways
Training multiple systems creates what neuroscientists call "cross-modal plasticity"—improvements in one area enhance function in others.
Practical Applications: Quality Over Quantity
So how do you apply these principles? Here are the key strategies Brian and Erin advocate:
Start with movement fundamentals: Master basic patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull, carry) before adding complexity or load. This builds strong neural foundations.
Seek expert feedback: Your internal sense of movement is often inaccurate. Video analysis or coaching can reveal patterns you can't feel.
Progress systematically: Build from shorter to longer distances, simpler to more complex movements. Let your nervous system adapt at each level.
Vary your environment: Include outdoor, unstable, and unpredictable training conditions to challenge neural adaptation systems.
Monitor quality over quantity: If movement quality degrades, the session should end. Poor practice literally trains your brain to move poorly.
The Injury Prevention Neuroscience
Erin's injury history as an elite athlete illustrates a crucial point: high-level performance without movement quality awareness often leads to breakdown. "I was a hard subject. I ask a lot of questions," she notes, describing her work with Kelly Starrett to address chronic issues.
From a neuroscience perspective, injuries often result from faulty motor control patterns, not just tissue weakness. The brain develops compensatory strategies around pain or dysfunction, creating new movement patterns that may solve short-term problems but create long-term issues.
This is where movement specialists like Brian become essential. They're essentially "motor control debuggers," identifying and correcting dysfunctional neural patterns before they cause tissue damage.
Future Directions: Technology and Movement
The conversation hints at exciting developments in movement training technology. While Brian emphasizes outdoor, natural training environments, he also recognizes the value of objective measurement and feedback systems.
The future likely involves hybrid approaches: maintaining the neural richness of natural movement while incorporating technology for precise measurement and feedback. This could include:
- Real-time movement analysis via wearable sensors
- Neurofeedback systems that monitor brain states during training
- Virtual reality environments that combine natural variability with controlled progression
- AI-powered movement analysis that provides instant coaching feedback
The Bottom Line
Movement training is brain training. Every rep, every run, every practice session is literally reshaping your neural networks. The question isn't whether you're training your brain—it's whether you're training it well.
Brian and Erin's approach prioritizes movement quality, systematic progression, and environmental variety. These aren't just coaching preferences—they're applications of fundamental neuroscience principles about how the brain learns, adapts, and optimizes performance.
Whether you're an elite athlete or weekend warrior, the message is clear: slow down, move well, progress systematically, and remember that your brain is the ultimate performance organ. Train it accordingly.
The path to peak performance isn't about doing more—it's about doing better. Your nervous system will thank you, and your results will reflect the difference.