Cross-Dominance Adjustments

When I was a child, my grandmother noted that I held crayons with my left hand and when I learned to write, that was also with my left hand. I also use chopsticks with my left. She assumed that I was left-handed and bought left-handed scissors for me. But I couldn't use them. Because I cut paper with my right hand.

I actually do most things with my right hand since I'm stronger on my right side. I'm also right-eye dominant. There are certain things that are arbitrary though, like which hand I choose to use a knife and fork with. It doesn't seem to matter and I'll switch between the two. It's called cross-dominance and it's apparently quite rare. Who knew?!

While right-handedness occurs in roughly 70-95% of the population, left-handedness constitutes mostly the remainder at 10%. (This data is from Wikipedia and no, I don't know how studies propose such a wide variance in the percentage of right-handed people while then suggesting there are only 10% left-handers.) There is a minute subset of cross-dominant people comprising about 1%. I'm one of those people. Weird, right?

I developed "mouse arm" at my first desktop job because I spent hours seated in front of my monitor, gripping the ubiquitous right-handed mouse. Mouse arm aka frozen shoulder is akin to carpal tunnel (which I've also had) but in the neck and shoulder. After a lot of chiropractor visits, I was finally "fixed" but I had to find a substitute for the mouse.

For some reason, I can only use my right hand with a mouse, but either hand if I switch to a trackball. With my older Mac systems, I have my trackball set up without any special clicks. I use it with as much dexterity as a pen. On my newer PC, I had to first adjust to the concept of a "right click" and the trackball sat on the right side of the laptop. But that's been causing a lot of old issues to suddenly reappear in my wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

In a bid to alleviate my right-side golfer's elbow tendinitis, I've finally resorted to converting my trackball to lefty-mode. That just means all the right-click functions now reside as a left-click, like a mirrored object. This will take the pressure off my right elbow and wrist while I'm at my computer. It will probably take a few weeks before I know whether this has helped. Meanwhile, I'm still doing my standard Push Day workout with HIIT cardio today.

I'm surprised when I enter the gym this morning because The Heron's younger companion is behind the front desk and greets me heartily. Whoa, does everyone work here? The Heron himself looks different. I think he actually shaved today. He also wears the same turquoise blue Rangers sweatshirt and black shorts with white trim to the gym each time he's here, which makes him easy to spot. His friend spots him at the Olympic bench press and incline press.

My right elbow twinges during Smith Inclined Presses so I widen my grip to put the stress on the pectorals. The closer the grip, the more the triceps are involved. But a wider grip involves the shoulders a bit more as well and I'm concerned about that. Someone has attempted to patch the big hole in the wall under the mirror facing the Smith. What they really need to do is run plexiglass under the mirror. It's $116 at the Home Depot for a 1/8" sheet that measures 48" x 96". Not crazy expensive.

45lbs at the V-bar 

The rest of my routine is routine. My elbow twinges during Rip Skulls but I can still finish 3 sets. Even the V-bar Press Down goes well and I'm happy.

Foggy Monday Push

Norwegian 4x4
5 min w/u (4 min on / 3 min off) x 4
5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33
Calories 291
Miles 2.68
HR 144-199 (117)

Cage Stretch
HGPU 22

Push Ups 50
Crunches 30/40
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith Inclined Press
(60degree)
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
90 x 12 x 3
(Rt Shoulder/elbow)
65 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
20 lbs x 12/15 reps
22.5 x 12/15 x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
(Happy with 8+) right golfer elbow
40 lbs x 12 x 3

V-bar Triceps Press Down
20lbs x 12
30 x 12
40 x 10
45 x 7.5
40 x 8
30 x 10
20 x 12

Mat Stretch