Exercise Your Brain in 15 Minutes Flat

A few short months ago, a very nice fellow by the name of Alex Doman introduced himself to me. He is the CEO of Advanced Brain Technolgies – a neurotechnology company that develops some very interesting brain training products.

One in particular caught my eye – Brain Builder ®: A scientifically designed brain fitness program that can exercise your brain in as little as 15 minutes a day.

Alex was kind enough to offer me a copy, and when it arrived at my doorstep I could not have been happier.

The team at Advanced Brain are all about the details: From the unique packaging to the big box full of stuff, you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s What You Get:

• Brain Builder software on CD-ROM
• An Introductory DVD
• Brain Health and Nutritional Guidebook
• Brain Diary
• 2 Sound Health® Premium Music CDs – Peak Performance and Maximum Focus

Since first opening the box quite some time ago, I have used the Sound Health CDs regularly. They are high definition recordings of musical pieces created to motivate your mind, increase endurance and intensify awareness.

They are meant to be listened to while working or studying – as background music. I pop in Maximum Focus whenever I’m doing long stretches of writing or coding, and I can feel my thinking sharpen and my concentration strengthen within the first ten minutes.

After a late night and a much too early morning, I’m listening to it now. Next to my coffee, it’s the easiest pick-me-up I know.

Peak Performance gives me less noticeable results, but tends to improve my mood on days when I need to get a good deal of work done but don’t seem to have the motivation to keep going.

BrainBuilder installs right to your computer, so you don’t need to be connected to the internet to do your training. You can even run the program up to 14 times before you actually have to register it. This is a nice touch so you don’t have to worry about problems with your activation code.

What Does It Do?

“Brain Builder – The Brain Fitness program designed to improve your Memory, Attention and BrainSpeed.”

BrainSpeed, now there’s a concept. Who wouldn’t want a faster brain?

The program starts out with an introduction and gives you the option of reading it yourself or having an audio play along with the text. Alex and the team at Advanced Brain Technologies are experts at understanding and addressing learning styles, and this is another example of their attention to detail.

Here’s the philosophy:

“Just like a good physical exercise program is important for a strong, healthy body, so is targeted mental exercise for a strong, healthy brain.” – Advanced Brain Technologies

I’m a firm believer in this, and if you’ve been reading along with me, you know I treat my brain training like bootcamp workouts at the gym. (OK, I hate the gym – I’m more of an outdoor-exercise type of girl. Hiking, skiing, biking – but I digress.)

Regular brain training with Brain Builder is designed to help you:

• Improve memory, attention and concentration
• Listen and communicate more effectively
• Increase your ability to multi-task and problem solve
• Think quickly and clearly
• Improve your brain health

If you’re hanging out at Brain Training 101, you probably want all of the above. And if you like the idea of training for just 15 minutes a day, this might be for you.

Brain Builder is no one size fits all solution. You’ll start out with a Brain Speed test which is designed to assess your current level of cognitive fitness. It takes about 20 minutes and really isn’t too bad.

Note: Make sure you’re in a quiet room and turn the phone off. Mine rang in the middle of one of the sections and I had to start all over. (Thank you Mr. Telemarketer looking for someone who no longer has this number.)

Then, the BrainBuilder coach will adjust your training program according to your performance on the test. This is a great feature as it tailors your training to your individual level and gives the program a more personal feel.

You also get a choice as to how long your training session will last: 15 minutes for those of you short on time or 30 minutes for you endurance athletes.

Your First Session:

Each session starts out with an introductory meditation where you are shown relaxing scenery accompanied by soothing background music. This was a favorite of Tori Deaux who mentioned how much she liked it to me in conversation as well as in her MindTweaks review.

You’ll then move on to your brain training sessions which progress as you move through the program.

Visual Focus Session: You’ll be shown two images in random order. One image is your target image and you’ll need to press the space bar each time you see it. (Watch carefully, these images appear fast!)

Visual Base Unit Session: You’re given a sequence of numbers that you must remember and type in correctly after they disappear from the screen.

Visual Base Combo Session: (Warning: this one is pure evil.) You’ll see a sequence of letters, digits and shapes for 3 seconds. When the sequence disappears, you will be asked to recreate it from memory.

Auditory Base Digits Session: You’ll hear a series of numbers spoken aloud. After the sequence is complete, you’ll be asked to type in the exact sequence. (This was the hardest session for me. I definitely need to work on my auditory skills.)

Auditory Base Letters Session: Just like the previous session, but switch out the numbers and replace them with letters.

Auditory Random Combo: (You knew it was coming!) Now, numbers and letters are spoken in sequence, and you’ll need to type them back in exact order.

Did I Mention The Brain Games?

If you need a break from training, you can access your own set of brain games right from your member dashboard.

Who’s It For:

Anyone aged 7 and up who wants better memory, increased attention and clearer thinking.

Currently only available for PCs. (A MAC version is in the final testing stage.) Go here to have the company notify you when the MAC version is released.

What’s The Cost?

BrainBuilder comes with access for 5 people and costs $199.95. It’s not the cheapest brain trainer on the market, but it’s definitely not the most expensive. It’s a great deal for families looking for a complete solution, and it’s less expensive than joining a brain gym – if you have one in your area.

You can get Brain Builder for $199.95 here.

Free 30 Day Trial

You can try BrainBuilder free for 30 days by paying the $14.95 charge to have it shipped out to you. If you like it, you’ll be charged $66.65 for three months which is a nice way to break up the cost.

Go here to get your 30 day trial.

Likes:

• Slick Design
• Entertaining while still being challenging
• Easy to install and use
• Includes Brain Games!

Dislikes:

• No MAC version
• Is a bit pricey for some
• No online demo

Hang Out With Alex and His Crew:

You can get to know the awesome people at Advanced Brain Technologies by interacting with them online. They are are extremely active and accessible – which is a smart move on their part and cool for us.

The Advanced Brain Community:

Click here to join the free community (Add me as a friend once you join, then go add Tori Deaux – she has too much time on her hands and could use the company.)

Twitter:

Alex Doman – CEO

Advanced Brain Technologies – Company Account

Ginger Kenney – Social Media Manager

Mandy Doman – Office Manager

Cari Burningham – Vice President – Sales and Marketing

Facebook:

Advanced Brain Facebook Group

I’ll be working with the program over the next few weeks, and I’ll report back with my progress. If any of you currently use Brain Builder or are purchasing it, please leave a comment below and let me know how your training is going.

Also, if you have any questions, please leave them below. Alex will be popping by, and he’d be happy to answer them.

Brain-Bike Image ©istockphoto/JACEKWOO. All others ©BrainTraining101.com and Advanced Brain Media