Do you want to remember CSCS material FAST?
Are you reading through the “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” textbook and getting to the end of the page and forgetting what you just read?
Do you want to boost your memory so that you are prepared for the real CSCS exam?
Well, it’s possible. You just weren’t shown how to do it. It’s not your fault. In fact, you’ve been lied to.
You’ve been told a lie that your memory is fixed or somehow limited by your age, biology, education or IQ – And it’s not true.
I learned from Jim Kwik who is the best in the world in all things brain power that there’s actually no such thing as a good or bad memory and that there’s just a trained and untrained memory.
Just like we all know how training in the gym can improve fitness and performance, the same applies to your memory.
So here are Jim’s 4 secrets to learning and remembering material FAST and my take on how to apply it to studying for the CSCS exam.
Forget
There are 3 things you need to forget.
1)Forget what you already know about exercise and nutrition.
You’ve spent so much time reading and training in the gym that you may feel like you know everything, but this will prevent you from learning anything new.
So when you’re studying for the CSCS exam, set aside what you already know so that you can learn new things. Since passing the CSCS exam is your goal, we only care about what the NSCA has to say in their textbook for the time being.
2) Forget situational things.
Forget about things that are going on right now in your life.
Get locked in when you read the Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning textbook and don’t think about anything else.
Give 100%.
There was a Harvard study done called Seven, Plus or Minus Two. Saying you can only focus on 7, plus or minus 2 bits of pieces of information.
So people often have trouble learning something new because their attention is divided into different things.
So be present and don’t think about anything else.
3) Forget about your limiting beliefs.
Stop all the negative self talk.
If you tell yourself that the CSCS exam is too difficult and that you won’t pass, then you are downloading into your brain that you won’t pass and you won’t.
So empty your mind and be ready to receive information from what you read in the textbook.
Active
This means to participate. Learning is not a spectator sport. Active learners ask questions.
So when you’re reading the textbook, ask questions. How am I going to use this when I am at the gym?
How am I going to train others? How am I going to apply this to what I already know?
It’s just like going to the gym because what you put in is what you get out. Your brain is a mental muscle.
Take notes. Did you know that there is a forgetting curve? Within 48 hours of learning something, 80% of that could be completely gone. Just by taking notes, you can boost your retention up by 50%.
State
State is the present state of your mind and body. All learning is state dependent.
Before you start studying for the CSCS exam, do a check on your current state.
Where is the state of your mind and body because the emotion that you attach the information to is what makes it a long term memory.
If you learn something in a boring dull state, that’s the state the information gets encoded into your brain and that will also be the state and energy that you have in applying it.
So you want to learn things in a curious, exciting and fascinating state.
So how do you control your state?
You can do it by changing your mindset.
What are some simple things you can do to change your mind? Ask questions. How do I find this exciting?
How does this relate to what I already know? How do I make this interesting to myself. How am I going to use this? Questions control your focus.
Manage your state.
Teach
If you were told that you had to learn the Krebs Cycle (in chap 2 in Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning) and had to teach it to someone else the next day would you pay attention differently?
You bet you would.
So if you want to learn the CSCS material deeply, try to learn it as if you are going to teach it.
So think about how it’s going to help you and how it’s going to help someone else. When you teach something you get to learn it twice.
Conclusion
So the next time you study, don’t just rush into it. Get yourself prepared and apply FAST.
You will find that you learn and retain information much more effectively!
