ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013 - (Page 38)

Last Watch Muscle memory Elvis Hoffpauir Advertiser Index I ’m not thinking about nostalgia for Road Runners or GTOs, but rather an activity repeated so often that “muscle memory” is created – a sort of harmony between mind and body that allows the activity to be performed efficiently without really thinking about it. I became interested in the concept through my wife’s experience in martial arts. More than 20 years ago, a friend (a black belt who co-incidentally looks a lot like Chuck Norris) talked us into taking a Taekwon-Do class with him. Today my wife is a sixth degree black belt who teaches the art and I’m…not (although I am a proud fan). In Taekwon-Do, along with many if not all other martial arts, the student must practice a series of prearranged movements commonly known as a “form” or, in the case of Taekwon-Do, a pattern. This enables the student to practice by themselves once the form is properly memorized, because through years of repetition it ingrains the movements into the muscles, thus allowing a martial arts practitioner to react without thinking. This is known as reflex. It’s akin to instinct, but self-taught instead of being pre-programmed by the Great OEM. Muscle memory plays a role in all of our lives, including our work and hobbies. Using a keyboard, turning a wrench, swinging a golf With practice, ‘seeingclub, playing a piano, solving puzzles like a Rubik’s Cube, taking out the bad guys on thinking-doing’ becomes your Xbox – all of these bring muscle memory ‘seeing-doing’ into play. One company, CSE Software Inc. which markets simulator training for a number of industries observes, “sometimes employees just need to practice the actual movements that allow them to execute tasks. That’s the thinking behind what’s referred to as muscle memory… Interestingly, muscle memory is more a phenomena of the brain rather than actual muscles, which is one reason why workplace simulation can be used so effectively.” Another company, Simlog, offers personal simulators for a wide variety of heavy equipment operators. Simlog’s website notes, “In the world of heavy equipment, part of that learning means memorizing how to use levers, joysticks, and even pedals in a coordinated way to control the attachment at the end of the boom…But after a while, the ‘seeing-thinking-doing’ gradually becomes ‘seeing-doing’ because your muscles seem to ‘know’ and ‘remember’ just what to do. What you’re learning now is speed, i.e. how to perform the task carefully and quickly.” There can be a downside to muscle memory. Just as practice can make perfect, repeating a task or activity many times the wrong way can engender bad habits or disappointing results and have to be un-learned. But when everyone in your business makes it a habit to do the right thing in the right way, both company safety and efficiency can benefit from muscle memory. ❆ Elvis Hoffpauir, Editor -in-Chief You can reach Elvis at elvis@macsw.org 38 ACTION • September/October 2013 1-800-Radiator & A/C................................2 AGS Company ........................................37 Air Parts, Inc. ..........................................26 Arizona Mobile Air ....................................8 Austin Baker Industries, Inc..................19 Behr-Hella ...............................................11 Delphi ......................................................31 DENSO ...................................................39 Depo/Maxzone .......................................17 Ford Motor Company .............................13 Four Seasons .........................................40 Geniune Parts/NAPA ..............................15 Johnson Manufacturing Company .......33 Kysor/Bergstrom, Inc ............................35 MACS Worldwide .............................23, 27 MEI Corporation .......................................9 Neutronics ..........................center spread Omega .......................................................5 RTI ...........................................................25 Schrader..................................................23 T/CCI/Que ................................................36 Trans/Air Mfg. .........................................32 TSI Inc./SuperCool ...................................3 TYC/Genera.............................................29 Universal Air Conditioner ........................7 To request information from our advertisers, visit www.macsw.org and click on the ACTION Reader Reply button. Connect with MACS and the digital edition of ACTION™. http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS http://www.macsw.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013
Contents
Outlook
Freeze Frame
Virtual View
Leonard’s Law
Cooling Corner
Member Profile
News & Updates
Special Update on R-1234YF
Technician’s Operating Procedure
Emergency Business Plans
Association News
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - September/October 2013