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Brain Training Programs | Brain Fitness Pro | Reviews
Brain Training 101 - Erin Matlock





Brain Training Programs | Brain Fitness Pro | Review
"How I Improved My Productivity, Strengthened My Working Memory And Increased My IQ Score By 12 Points In 19 Days."

Erin Matlock, BrainTraining101

"I committed to 19 days of intense brain training in an attempt to see what Martin G. Walker's program could do for me.

"The short story:

"It was hard work, but the results were well worth it.

"The long story:

"To recap briefly, I took an online IQ "pre test" and scored relatively the same as I did when professionally evaluated as a child. Note: My scores as a child were translated to an adult scale by a licensed clinician.

"I then stopped all other brain improvement activities and for 19 days straight I spent 30-35 minutes a day doing the Brain Fitness Pro™ training sessions.

"Once I completed the 19 days, I took 6 days off to consolidate the gains. (That's a fancy way of saying, “let your brain catch up with all the work you just completed.”)

"The Test:

"I then took 2 online IQ tests. The first one had me hovering near Einstein's IQ, and this is why online IQ tests are not to be used for scientific evaluation.

"The next one I took was GIQTest which was recommended by Shaun and Will, two Mind Sparke users who were nice enough to share their experiences in the comments section of my Mind Sparke post.

"The GIQTest, although not a professional evaluation, was considerably more difficult and thorough. Upon completion of that exam I scored 12 points higher than my official IQ score.

"Based on the level of my original score, I was expecting maybe a 6 or so point increase - so I am extremely happy with the result .

"The improvements I didn't expect:

"Productivity:

"I make daily lists and mark through them as they are completed. As I mentioned in my daily updates, I normally mark a few things off and spend the rest of the day getting distracted and doing things that have nothing to do with my list.

"At around day 5 I started to notice a marked increase in my daily productivity. I was consistently marking off all my tasks as “done” and that was a big deal for me.

"I was suddenly catching myself when I started to zone out or focus on something other than the task at hand. I'd stop, quickly refocus and get back on task.

"Short term memory:

"While Brain Fitness Pro™ is designed to increase fluid intelligence by way of its working memory training, I wasn't sure what practical improvements I would notice.

"I am currently in the process of redesigning the theme for this website and am working with 6 digit color codes. One I use is #01D8F6 which is a nice color of blue.

"I normally view the color code on a color picker software tool that I use and then repeat the sequence over and over in my head until I can type it in the correct spot in my website code.

"I know some of you are wondering why I don't just copy and paste, but the tool has this glitch where it only sometimes allows me to copy the code via the ctrl-c buttons.

"So, I'm left to just repeating it in my head.

"Sometimes I get the code typed in without forgetting it, but most of the time I have to go back to the software tool and look at the code again - sometimes more than once. It's frustrating.

"After training, I could look at the 6 digit code, say it once to myself and hold it in my mind until I found the spot in my website code where it belonged.

"For me that's a clear and direct result of my Brain Fitness Pro™ training. And it would make sense as the training consists of holding audio and visual sequence counts in your head.

"So, what if you don't work with website code? How about remembering phone numbers, directions, names? Training your working memory allows you to take a stronger hold of information you need to remember for the short term - until you can file it away properly for the long term.

"Brain Stamina:

"I don't know the correct medical term, so I'm calling it brain stamina. I've noticed that I can do more work while feeling less exhausted. There isn't a way for me to properly document and quantify that benefit, but I am literally getting more accomplished in a day and not feeling as overwhelmed and run down as I used to.

"The Improvement I was expecting:

"IQ Score Increase:

"As I mentioned above, I gained roughly 12 points.

"A lot of focus has been put on this number, and I really don't think it's all that important considering the practical improvements that result from Brain Fitness Pro™ training. I can see, however, that it would be an important benefit if you were seeking entrance to a high IQ society.

"The Good:

"Results come fast. You should start seeing a difference within the first 10 days. By the end of the 19 days, you should see dramatic improvements.

"Low one time fee. Less than $47.

"Future upgrades are included in the purchase price.

"Product is loaded directly to your computer so you do not need to be online to access it.

"Excellent customer service and a money back guarantee. In fact the company goes one step further and offers an extra guarantee which states: "If you train for 10 days and don't notice a difference in the clarity, speed and power of your thinking, we'll give you a full refund plus $40 toward another brain fitness product of your choice."

"The Bad:

"Not so fun. Mind Sparke Brain Fitness Pro™ is not a brain game. Martin clearly stated this in our interview, and it's the truth. This is an intense workout and you will feel it.

"Can get stale. The interface is strictly based on the Jaeggi study, so it is not designed to be flashy, colorful or entertaining. There aren't any options for variety.

"Requires a solid commitment. My personal recommendation is that you get the 19 days of training done within a month. If you can go straight through - great.

"Most users will have life conflicts that preclude this. The website says it's okay to take a day off here and there, but it is still going to take effort and motivation to get through the initial 19 days.

"Who Is Mind Sparke For?

"Ages 14 and over. (Update 03/30/09 The new Junior version for ages 6-12 is now available.)

"Students looking to perform better in school and/or on standardized/admissions tests like the SAT, GRE, MCAT etc.

"Adults looking to function more highly at work, think more clearly and perform better on tests like the Bar, CPA exam, IQ tests, Civil Service exam, etc.

"Seniors looking to improve memory, focus, thought speed and clarity.

"I'm adding a personal recommendation here.

"Many of you have followed my entire 19 day trial, and even if you haven't I'd like to tell you exactly what I told my mother in a phone conversation I had a few days ago.

"While it's true that you can use the program just once a week to continue and maintain improvement, you must get through the 19 day training first.

"If you are looking for casual brain games to keep your mind stimulated, I honestly don't think you'd be pleased with it.

"You need to be ready to commit to some hard (but rewarding) work on the front end. Brain Fitness Pro™ is like boot camp for the brain.

"You will most likely feel incredibly stupid for the first 3 or 4 days.

"You will want to quit.

"You will probably call the software bad names.

"You may even write Martin or myself (preferably Martin) a nasty email.

"But if you just hold on and get through it, you will be happy you did.

"The results are measurable if you take some sort of pre and post test, but even if you don't, you should see practical improvements like the ones I outlined above."

Brain Training Programs | Brain Fitness Pro
Customer Reviews

"I took a Mensa home test prior to the training and didn't pass. Then I did the IQ increase training course, took the actual Mensa test, and got in!" - Anne, Harvard, MD
"[My] full scale IQ has been verified as 151, an IQ increase of at least 21 points." - Lloyd
"I was better able to concentrate and focus on the task at hand without being distracted." - Mike, Counselor
"Im impressed with this software. I have Inattentive ADD and Im happy with the gains Ive made in a short space of time. The program is helping me to pay sustained attention." - 'Scatterbrain'
"I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your product. I have suffered from OCD over the course of my life and have tried various methods of treatment. Using your program has allowed me to function at my highest level in years. I am extremely grateful for the work you have done." - Michael
"After years of not remembering my bank account number, it simply came to me with certainty when I needed it." - Steve
"I'm still seeing slow continuous improvement in my scores. I have felt and seen the difference that clearer thinking can make in day to day and professional life." - Will
"My [MCAT] score jumped from a 27 to a 34. I was pretty astounded by the results..." - Anson, Grad Student - Test Prep

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