Muscle memory
Definition for Wisegeek.com,
"A type of movement that one becomes familiar with over time."
Muscle memory as explained in the science/psychology section is a movement that after a while one learns that movement so well because it is stored in the brain indefinitely. For example, a professional basketball player doesn't need to learn how to dribble each time he picks up a basketball because it is already preserved in his muscle memory. Could you imagine having to learn how to dance, write, jump, run, etc., every time you were asked to do it? No, it just comes naturally. Another famous example is riding a bike because the movements of pedaling are ones that are instilled in our muscle memory and won't be forgotten, which is why getting back onto a bike after a few years isn't difficult. Muscle memory is also extremely beneficial to people who want to "buff" up because the first time might take them a year, but when they want to get back into shape it will be easier for them because the muscles know where they "have to be" again. This explains why getting into shape once is extremely hard, but after a week of no practice getting "re-back into shape" is much similar.
"A type of movement that one becomes familiar with over time."
Muscle memory as explained in the science/psychology section is a movement that after a while one learns that movement so well because it is stored in the brain indefinitely. For example, a professional basketball player doesn't need to learn how to dribble each time he picks up a basketball because it is already preserved in his muscle memory. Could you imagine having to learn how to dance, write, jump, run, etc., every time you were asked to do it? No, it just comes naturally. Another famous example is riding a bike because the movements of pedaling are ones that are instilled in our muscle memory and won't be forgotten, which is why getting back onto a bike after a few years isn't difficult. Muscle memory is also extremely beneficial to people who want to "buff" up because the first time might take them a year, but when they want to get back into shape it will be easier for them because the muscles know where they "have to be" again. This explains why getting into shape once is extremely hard, but after a week of no practice getting "re-back into shape" is much similar.
USA Memory Championships
Secrets of a Mind-Gamer - Joshua Foer, New York Times
The USA Memory Championship is an Olympiad of 'thinking' games. Set up as a sporting event for Mental Athletes, the tournament consists of memory challenging tournament-style competitive events including memorization of: 99 names and faces, a shuffled deck of cards, an unpublished poem, speed numbers, and a list of 500 words. Mental Athletes compete for gold, silver and bronze awards in individual competitions as well as for the entire event.Josh Foer, a free lance journalist, won the USA Memory Championship "speed cards" event. In this event, one is to memorize a deck of cards in random order and repeat them as fast as possible. In a record breaking feat of 52 cards in 1 minute and 40 seconds, Josh Foer set a record in 2006. Since then, his path as a Mental Athlete and journalist has brought him great success. Although he is just like one of us, forgetting where he leaves his keys, where he parked, his ability to memorize to such great heights is the result of using special techniques such as Memory Palace and Visual Imagery. Basically, Foer states in memorizing the deck of card all it takes is putting a picture behind the card, number, etc. Each card represented a picture in his mind which helped him rearrange them faster. Click here to see our interview with Joshua Foer
The USA Memory Championship is an Olympiad of 'thinking' games. Set up as a sporting event for Mental Athletes, the tournament consists of memory challenging tournament-style competitive events including memorization of: 99 names and faces, a shuffled deck of cards, an unpublished poem, speed numbers, and a list of 500 words. Mental Athletes compete for gold, silver and bronze awards in individual competitions as well as for the entire event.Josh Foer, a free lance journalist, won the USA Memory Championship "speed cards" event. In this event, one is to memorize a deck of cards in random order and repeat them as fast as possible. In a record breaking feat of 52 cards in 1 minute and 40 seconds, Josh Foer set a record in 2006. Since then, his path as a Mental Athlete and journalist has brought him great success. Although he is just like one of us, forgetting where he leaves his keys, where he parked, his ability to memorize to such great heights is the result of using special techniques such as Memory Palace and Visual Imagery. Basically, Foer states in memorizing the deck of card all it takes is putting a picture behind the card, number, etc. Each card represented a picture in his mind which helped him rearrange them faster. Click here to see our interview with Joshua Foer
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/20/magazine/mind-secrets.html
http://www.usamemorychampionship.com/
