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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Raedyn on Tue, 31 January 2012, 16:44:36

Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: Raedyn on Tue, 31 January 2012, 16:44:36
I started my journey into the world of mechanical keyboards with a Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless with Cherry MX blacks. I really liked the build quality and looks of the board, but the heaviness of the keys were causing my fingers and forearms to fatigue (I'm sure the fact that I can't type worth a damn was a factor too). The fatigue slowly turned into persistent pain and it eventually got to the point where I had to stop using the board. I went back to my membrane keyboard and about six months later, I finally was able to type for long periods of time without fatigue or pain.

I all but swore off mechanical keys. Then I read about the lightness of the Cherry reds and decided to give them a shot. I went with a Leopold Tenkeyless mainly because of the price. I didn't want to drop another 150 bucks on a board and end up reselling it at a loss, a short time later.  

I like this board as much as I did the Filco and it would really suck if I had to give up on it too. I've had the board for a couple of weeks and so far I have felt none of the fatigue that I felt from the blacks. /Knock on wood

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Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: FinancialWar on Tue, 31 January 2012, 17:03:13
I thought wanking would be the way to cure weak forearm.
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: Arexxk on Tue, 31 January 2012, 17:08:04
Quote from: FinancialWar;504659
I thought wanking would be the way to cure weak forearm.

Partly. I still get Carpal Tunnel with my left hand :|
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Tue, 31 January 2012, 18:46:55
Yeah it can be a real problem, those one arm workouts...
(http://www.yaplakal.com/uploads/post-2-13055461024691.jpg)
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: FinancialWar on Tue, 31 January 2012, 19:23:26
Quote from: ripster;504703
It's the asymmetric workout that bothers me.

that's why I have both left and right handed Razer deathadder.
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: daerid on Tue, 31 January 2012, 22:07:31
I don't know how people develop these problems. I've been typing on a keyboard pretty much every day for the last 15 years, and the only time I got any kind of pain was a little stiffness in my right wrist after moving from Cherry Blues (Das Keyboard) to a MS Nat 4000 (Rubber dome). And that was last year.

The one thing that I see (from watching people type and from Youtube videos), is that people tend to put unnecessary strain on their fingers and thus their wrists. The trick is to relax, people. And don't underestimate the power of the pinky. Every time I see people typing without using their little fingers it makes me cringe.
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: Gawkbasher on Tue, 31 January 2012, 22:13:47
Quote from: daerid;504911
I don't know how people develop these problems. I've been typing on a keyboard pretty much every day for the last 15 years, and the only time I got any kind of pain was a little stiffness in my right wrist after moving from Cherry Blues (Das Keyboard) to a MS Nat 4000 (Rubber dome). And that was last year.

Genetics is probably a big part of it.  Not all joints are created equal.
I'm with you though.  I do not have problems after a lifetime of being on the computer almost all the time. I don't think it's because other people are doing something wrong though -- I consider myself very very very lucky.
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: F u r u y á on Tue, 31 January 2012, 22:21:04
It's a sum of all those things. I think that genetics and people's bad habits do matter, as well as the equipment (chair, keyboard, switch, ...)

And yes... relax is the word!
Title: Cherry Reds - The Cure for Weak Forearms
Post by: Glockateer on Tue, 31 January 2012, 22:21:27
Actually, the cure for weak forearms is grip strength. The cure for fatigue might be a better name.