Coaching Cues: Understanding, Types, and Effective Use

What Does Coaching Cues Mean?

Coaching cues are concise, actionable instructions or prompts provided by a trainer or coach to guide an individual in understanding, executing, or refining a movement pattern or exercise. They serve as a critical tool for enhancing motor learning, improving technique, optimizing performance, and mitigating injury risk.

Understanding Coaching Cues

In the realm of exercise science and strength and conditioning, a "coaching cue" is more than just a simple instruction; it's a strategically crafted verbal, visual, or tactile prompt designed to elicit a specific movement response. The primary goal of a well-delivered cue is to help an individual develop a more efficient, powerful, and safe movement pattern by directing their attention to key aspects of the exercise.

Coaching cues bridge the gap between theoretical understanding of a movement and its practical execution. They are essential for:

• Facilitating Motor Learning: Helping individuals acquire new movement skills or refine existing ones.
• Improving Technique: Correcting common errors and promoting optimal biomechanics.
• Enhancing Performance: Maximizing force production, speed, or endurance by optimizing movement efficiency.
• Preventing Injury: Guiding individuals away from risky positions or compensatory movements.

Types of Coaching Cues

Coaching cues can be categorized in various ways, but the most significant distinction, particularly from a motor learning perspective, is between internal and external focus cues.

Internal vs. External Focus Cues

• Internal Focus Cues: These cues direct an individual's attention to their own body parts and their actions. They focus on what the muscles or joints are doing.

  • Examples: "Squeeze your glutes," "Brace your core," "Push through your heels," "Keep your elbows tucked."
  • Application: While intuitive, research often suggests that excessive reliance on internal cues can sometimes hinder performance and learning, as they may disrupt the body's natural, automatic motor control processes. They can be useful for initial awareness or very specific muscle activation.

• External Focus Cues: These cues direct an individual's attention to the effect of their movement on an external object or the environment, or to the outcome of the movement. They shift focus away from internal body mechanics.

  • Examples: "Push the floor away," "Imagine pushing the bar to the ceiling," "Rip the ground apart with your feet," "Reach for the wall."
  • Application: Extensive research in motor learning consistently demonstrates that external focus cues are generally superior for improving movement efficiency, power output, balance, and overall skill acquisition across various tasks and populations. They promote a more automatic, less consciously controlled movement, allowing the body's motor system to self-organize more effectively.

Other Categorizations

While internal/external is paramount, cues can also be classified by their delivery method or intent:

• Verbal Cues: The most common form, using spoken words.
• Visual Cues: Demonstrating the movement, pointing to a target, or using visual aids.
• Tactile/Kinesthetic Cues: Physically touching the individual to guide their movement or indicate muscle activation (e.g., tapping a muscle to remind them to engage it).
• Descriptive Cues: Describing what a good movement looks like or feels like.
• Prescriptive Cues: Telling the individual exactly what to do.

The Science Behind Effective Cues

The effectiveness of coaching cues is rooted in principles of motor learning and attentional focus.

• Attentional Focus Theory: This theory posits that the way an individual directs their attention during a movement significantly impacts their performance and learning. External focus cues are thought to promote a more "automatic" mode of control, where the motor system can utilize unconscious processes for efficient coordination. Conversely, internal focus can lead to "choking" or overthinking, disrupting natural movement flow.
• Motor Skill Acquisition: Effective cues help the brain form new neural pathways and refine existing ones, making movements more fluid and efficient over time. By providing clear guidance, cues reduce cognitive load and allow the learner to focus on the task at hand.
• Constraints-Led Approach: In some coaching philosophies, cues act as "constraints" that subtly guide the learner towards a desired movement solution without explicitly dictating every joint action, allowing for more natural discovery and adaptation.

Crafting Effective Coaching Cues

Developing proficiency in cueing requires practice and an understanding of key principles:

• Be Concise: Shorter cues are easier to process and remember. Aim for 1-3 words where possible.
• Be Clear and Unambiguous: Avoid jargon or vague language. The cue should leave no room for misinterpretation.
• Be Actionable: The cue should tell the individual what to do, not just what not to do.
• Be Specific: Target a single, critical aspect of the movement at a time. Avoid overwhelming the client with too many instructions.
• Be Timely: Deliver the cue just before or during the phase of the movement it addresses.
• Prioritize External Focus: Whenever possible, frame cues in an external focus manner to optimize learning and performance.
• Use Analogies and Imagery: Relate the movement to something familiar or create a vivid mental picture (e.g., "push the ground away like you're trying to stand up from a chair").
• Positive Framing: Frame cues positively (e.g., "push up strongly" instead of "don't be weak").

Examples for Common Exercises:

• Squat:
  • Internal (less optimal): "Knees out," "Chest up."
  • External (more optimal): "Spread the floor," "Sit into the chair behind you," "Push the ground away."
• Deadlift:
  • Internal (less optimal): "Squeeze your lats," "Brace your core."
  • External (more optimal): "Push the floor away," "Pull the bar into your body," "Stand tall."
• Push-up:
  • Internal (less optimal): "Elbows tucked," "Shoulder blades back."
  • External (more optimal): "Push the floor away from you," "Imagine pushing your hands through the floor."

When and How to Use Cues

Effective cueing is not just about what you say, but when and how you say it.

• Initial Instruction: Use a combination of visual demonstration, brief explanation, and 1-2 key external cues to introduce a new movement.
• During Execution: Provide timely, specific cues to correct errors or reinforce good technique. Avoid over-cueing; allow the individual to process one cue before introducing another.
• Feedback Loop: Cues are part of an ongoing feedback loop. Observe the movement, provide a cue, observe the response, and adjust or provide further cues as needed.
• Individualization: Different individuals respond to different types of cues. Some may be more visually oriented, others respond better to verbal or tactile cues. Adapt your approach based on the learner's needs and progress.
• Progression: As a skill improves, gradually reduce the frequency of cues, encouraging the learner to develop an internal sense of the movement. The ultimate goal is for the individual to perform the movement correctly without constant external guidance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced coaches can fall into common cueing traps:

• Over-cueing: Providing too many cues at once, overwhelming the learner and hindering their ability to process information.
• Vague or Ambiguous Cues: Using terms that are not clearly understood or can be interpreted in multiple ways.
• Negative Cues: Focusing on what not to do rather than what to do (e.g., "Don't round your back" vs. "Keep your spine long").
• Internal Focus Over-reliance: While internal cues have their place, relying on them exclusively can limit long-term motor learning and performance gains.
• Lack of Observation: Cueing without thoroughly observing the movement can lead to irrelevant or even detrimental advice.

Conclusion

Coaching cues are a cornerstone of effective exercise instruction and motor skill development. By understanding the distinction between internal and external focus, prioritizing clear and concise language, and applying cues strategically, fitness professionals can significantly enhance their clients' learning experience, improve their performance, and contribute to safer, more efficient movement patterns. Mastering the art and science of cueing is an ongoing process of observation, application, and refinement, ultimately empowering individuals to move better and achieve their fitness goals.