Be a gym genius

Science proves it! As a human being, you are intelligent in more ways than one! It’s time to find out how to use that genius in the gym.

You may not be a rocket scientist but you’re a devil with the guitar. And unlike your neighbors’, your yard isn’t exactly the Garden of Eden, but how they love your afternoon tea parties. Your sister was captain of the cheerleading team in high school; you were editor-in-chief of school paper. This is not surprising. Each of us uses our mind in a distinct and personal way. Each of us is uniquely intelligent.

Says Ronald Gross in the book Peak Learning, “If our faces differed as much as the way our minds work, some of us would have eyes like magnifying glasses, others would have noses like an elephant’s trunk, and still others might have ears like radar dishes!”

In 1983, psychologist Howard Gardner released his pioneering work Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligence. He proposed that “there exists a multitude of intelligences, quite independent of each other.” Each type of intelligence has its own strengths and constraints. He challenged the idea that intelligence is a single entity that can be measured via an IQ test.

Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner initially formulated his list with seven intelligences, but in 1997, added Naturalistic Intelligence. Most of us have a pretty good idea in which of these categories we would place ourselves.

You like to tell stories and people listen to them. You easily remember nice turns of phrase or memorable quotes and use them deftly in conversation. You note other people’s errors in using words or grammar. You have strong linguistic intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Since you use language as a means to remember information, go to FitFactory.com’s Exercise Gallery. Read and print out your workout and you won’t feel at lost in the gym. Chat with our Online Trainers any time of the day.

You can sing on key. You enjoy music and have favorite performers. You sometimes enjoy different sounds in your environment. This involves skills in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. You are musically intelligent.

GYM GENIUS: So bring your iPod with you. Put on your favorite upbeat tunes. Let out your inner rhythm and chops in a round of Capoeira. Take advantage of FitFactory.com’s Workouts on Audio Download. Whistle while on the treadmill. Break out into full song when you hit 7.0 mph.

You organize things in your kitchen, bathroom, and at your desk according to categories and in patterns. You are fascinated by scientific and philosophical questions like "When did time begin?" You have the capacity to analyze problems and carry out mathematical operations. You have logical-mathematical intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Work equals Force times Distance. As you add more weight, calculate exactly how much you’re working your muscle. The mathematical formula is: more pounds on the machine = more work for your arms and legs x reps in a set= bigger, stronger you.

You like to draw. You can find your way around a new area or neighborhood very quickly. You can remember in detail the layout and landmarks of places you’ve visited on vacations. You display spatial intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Try the traveling squat. Move around the gym. How far are the cable machines from the dumbbells to the treadmills? Try an exercise in each area of the gym. Play basketball and shoot three-pointers from various spots on the court.

You are regarded as quite graceful and rarely feel awkward in your movements. You often can figure out how something works or how to fix something that’s broken, without asking for help or consulting a manual. You dance well or are good at sports. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements and use your body to solve problems. You possess bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Join a hip hop class, or Pilates. Challenge your balance with Tai-chi. Ditch the gym and head to the badminton court or the skating rink. Show off your moves.

You sense quickly when a friend is troubled. You can readily imagine how other people play their roles in their work or families. When you meet new people, you often make connections between their characteristics and those of others. You are capable of understanding intentions, motivations and desires of other people. You have interpersonal intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Bring your gym buddy with you. Turn your couch-potato roommate into a gym addict. Once a week, play football instead of just watching NFL on TV.

You can imaginatively see yourself in other people’s roles in their work or relationship responsibilities. You feel you have a keen sense of what you can and can’t do. You have the capacity to understand yourself, to appreciate your feelings, fears and motivations. You are intra-personally intelligent.

GYM GENIUS: Yoga is as much about knowing yourself, as much as it is about strengthening abs, arms, and legs. Imagine how it would feel to have big arms and chests, like that friendly and confident fitness coach who inhabits the gym. Pick up some dumbbells as you transform into the new you.

You enjoy being outdoors when you learn. Pollution makes you angry. You can recognize and name different types of birds, trees and plants, and like or keep pets. You are endowed with naturalistic intelligence.

GYM GENIUS: Don’t feel trapped inside the gym. Jog outdoors. Enjoy the sunshine. Soar with the birds. Throw a Frisbee and outrun your golden retriever.

Geeks, rejoice! You don’t have to be just a prodigy at physics. You can use that sharp brain of yours to define your arms and chisel your chest. You can use your lofty IQ to devise an intelligent workout. This also means you have no excuse. Working out is not just the realm of the jocks.

By using your strongest intelligence, you can make your workout more rewarding and fun. Do what comes naturally for you as you encourage some weaker areas. A strong mind in a strong body is the prototype we all aim for.