What Are The Stages Of Learning?

The three main stages of learning are cognitive, associative, and autonomous. These stages describe the progression of acquiring new skills or knowledge, moving from initial understanding to automatic performance.

When it comes to training, technique is just as crucial as physical exertion, which is why a skilled personal trainer utilises the Stages of Learning to plan sessions for their clients.

As our bodies adapt to training, becoming fitter, faster, and stronger, we reach a point where we need to apply a higher stimulus or overload to progress (see our blog on What is Supercompensation training?). This requires autonomous movement, which is developed by working through the stages of learning.

What are the stages of learning?

The three stages of learning were defined by PM Fitts and IM Posner back in 1967. They are cognitive, associative and autonomous.

Taking these in turn:

Cognitive: This stage involves learning and performing unfamiliar exercises. To start with, the client’s movements will be slow, inefficient and primarily consciously directed. Personal trainers should ensure that movements are performed in a controlled manner with clear instructions to help clients make corrections and improve their technique.

Associative: in this intermediate stage, movements will become more fluid and reliable. The brain will have learned how to carry out the movements, and parts of the exercise will have become subconscious. This is when the personal trainer can start to challenge the client while continuing to give clear feedback to reinforce movement memory.

Autonomous: once an exercise has been carried out repeatedly, actions will become automatic. The client will be moving with accuracy, efficiency, and consistency, and the personal trainer can challenge their motor control with uncontrolled exercises, such as reaching to catch a ball. These skills will help the client widen their range of motion and increase their speed.

Who are the stages of learning for?

They can be applied to individuals training at any level. If a personal trainer has a new client who has not trained before, they will need to work through these stages as each new exercise is introduced.

They are also relevant for intermediate and experienced clients as they advance in their training and set new goals. Professional sportspeople and athletes can improve their technique by working through the stages and honing their movements until they become instinctive.

How do the stages of learning help us reach our fitness goals?

The stages of learning help us progress towards our training goals by understanding the process by which we learn an exercise and by helping us improve how we carry it out.

What are the risks of ignoring the stages of learning?

Failing to follow the three stages of learning can result in poor technique, which can, in turn, lead to sub-max performance and an increased risk of injury.

These stages also help us with the functional movements we carry out every day. If you work through the stages of learning to improve your speed, balance, flexibility and strength, you will find it easier to run for a bus and keep yourself upright if you trip or catch something you’ve dropped without injuring yourself.

What is movement memory?

Working through the three stages of learning during fitness training allows you to develop movement memory. During this phase, your body familiarises itself with a frequently repeated movement, which it retains even after a prolonged break.

Conclusion

A personal trainer can utilise the three stages of learning to devise periodising programmes that help a client progress with their fitness training and develop movement memory—powerful instincts that protect you when you need to call on fast, subconscious reactions during training, competition, or in everyday life.