Today, I have a review on my Nail Bending DVD from EJ Livesey, a guy who has accomplished quite a bit in his short time bending, certifying on the IronMind Red Nail, among other elite-level bends.

As you read, you have to understand that to say that EJ Livesey is “intense,” would be a huge understatement. This guy is willing to look for, buy and put instruction into action, and he’s willing to put in the work to be great. EJ, like many others I have helped, (and maybe even like you) had the potential to be great at bending already – I just showed him how to turn all of his strength into being a nasty bending machine. Check it out…

My name is EJ Livesey, and I have been bending since 2010. When it comes to learning new things, I am a very visual person. My luck and progress in Bending came slowly until I got Jedd’s DVD NAIL BENDING: HOW TO MELT STEEL WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.

When I saw the DVD advertised, I knew right away this would skyrocket my success, so I had to have it. Now some of the information in the DVD, such as the different types of wrapping materials, I was already familiar with. Other things, such as the correct mechanics for the different styles of bending I was not so familiar with.

With the DVD playing in front of me, I was able to wrap up a piece of 9/32″ drill rod in a set of Ironmind Pads. At the time, this piece of metal I could only kink in these pads (IronMind Wraps make the bend much harder, due to the lack of padding). So I studied the DO (Double Overhand) section over and over.

For me, DO was always weak and painful, until the “circle of strength” was discussed and explained in the DVD. I finally saw the error of my ways, and right away my DO was strong.

Within a few weeks (as opposed to months), I was strong enough to bend the Red Nail in IronMind pads. I was amazed and a true believer.

There are tons of little secrets to be learned in all of the different styles of bending, and these secrets are explained by one of the best in the community, Jedd. These secrets need to be explained by an elite bender, or you are in for a long road of pain and disappointment.

Other very important aspects of this DVD, are the Recovery and Strength sections. There are tons or exercises out there and tons of products that claim to make your hands and arms stronger. However, all you need are a few simple exercises/movements. This is the information you could spend months trying to find and never get a credible answer. Jedd does all the work for you and his reputation speaks for itself.

The end of this August I will have been bending for 2 years. I have certified on the Red Nail, bent the King of All Bastards Bar in 1.25″ double wraps, Stainless Steel Hex Bar in IronMind Pads, and my favorite: an 8″ adjustable wrench unbraced Double Overhand. All those bends in less than 2 years, and your DVD helped, a lot.

Jedd knows what will work, and work fast. If your dream is to bend the Red, be the “freak at work” or bend some bastards, buy HOW TO MELT STEEL WITH YOUR BARE HANDS. You will be satisfied.

Sincerely,

EJ Livesey
Certified Red Nail Bender

EJ – Thanks for the awesome words. Looking forward to more awesome bending exploits from you, dude!

All the best in your training,

Jedd

The Strength of Steel and Bending Stock

Over the years, lots of people have asked me questions about the strength of steel and bending stock. Because steel bending can be so obsessive, and the need to constantly bend more stuff can overtake an individual so intensely, it can be easy to understand why so many people are hungry for this knowledge.

Common Questions about Bending Stock Strength

Here are some of the types of questions I get most often:

“How Strong is my Steel?”
People will be bending a certain nail, bolt or piece of stock and want to know if it is a good bend or not. This is understandable, because people like to know where they stand.

“What nail/bolt/stock should I go to next if I am bending THIS and want to bend THAT?”
Most people want to ultimately be able to bend a certain bar, whether it is the Red Nail or some other high level bend like the Bastard from Fat Bastard Barbell or the Battle Bar from Benders Battlefield. Along the road to this goal it’s nice to know which bends to attempt along the way.

“How far am I from the Red Nail if I am bending this or that…”
Sometimes people are seeing progress by cutting what they can bend down to shorter lengths, or they have been moving up to harder graded bolts or slightly thicker stock, but they still want to know how far away they are from their goal.

And there are many, many more questions I receive about the strength of bending stock.

Comparing Strengths of Various Pieces of Bending Stock

There is a system that is used to rate the strength level of bars. This has proven to be quite useful in getting an idea of where different bars lie in relationship to one another, and it even works well for a variety of different stock, including Round Steel, Graded Bolts, Drill Rod, and even square and hex steel.

This system was innovated by Eric Milfeld and later Mike Krahling. These are just the guys that I am most aware of in the United States who are doing it. There may indeed be many more who are doing this.

This process involves special attachments that are put onto the bending stock being rated, followed by using the steel to pull against weight until it bends to the desired angle. Once the stock bends to that angle, it is assigned its strength level.

This process is often labeled “calibration,” although there has also been debate about whether that is the proper term. Perhaps a better term to describe it would be simply “rating the stock.”

Regardless of what you call this process, it has proven to be a fairly reliable method for a solid comparison tool, as well as something to base your progressions and purchases upon.

In the video below, Mike Krahling demonstrates the process of rating the strength of a steel bar.

Now, what you see here is just one bar being rated, but over the years, many bars have been rated and also logged for comparison at the AZ Grip website. You can see the strength comparison chart here: Steel Bending Progressions.

Now, there are limits to this process, and that needs to be understood from the beginning.

For instance, steel varies and it can vary quite a bit. Just because you bought a Red Nail back in 2004 does not mean that a Red Nail that you buy right now will rate out at the exact same number. New stock might have been selected to be used at some point. (Of course, the Red Nail is still a Beast to bend, so no disrespect to IronMind.)

Variance of Steel Strength

As I point out in this post, Strength Variations of Steel, it is possible to see strength variance within the same piece of steel. Remember that steel is created in long lengths and then cut down in order to bend in shorter lengths. There can be quite a bit of variation within one of those virgin bars pulled out at the factory. So in that regard, you have to understand that just because you buy a 7-inch by 5/16-inch length of Cold Rolled Steel, it does not guarantee that you are ready to certify on the Red Nail, even though the Red Nail, too, is 7 X 5/16 CRS.

Variance in Steel Strength & Differences by Length

Also, you have to remember that you must take the readings of bars of different lengths very carefully. For instance, if you look at that chart, it lists the Red Nail, 7 X 5/16 in length and diameter, at 420-lbs in order to bend. Also, that chart lists a Linear “S” Grade 5 Bolt 6 X 1/4 in length and diameter at 425. An assumption that has often been made is that if one can bend that Linear “S” Grade 5 Bolt, then they surely must be able to bend the Red Nail, which is rated at 5-lbs lighter.

Unfortunately, this assumption is completely wrong, because the Grade 5 bolt is only 6 inches long, meaning there is less leverage available to produce a bend using the testing device. In reality, if the Grade 5 in question were 7-inches long, it would feel like bending a coat-hanger.

Comparing Different Bars

So, as you utilize the chart, make sure that you remember that comparisons should be made between different pieces of stock of the same length only. Also remember that the way the calibrating set-up bends the bar is not completely the same as the way the bar bends when you bend it, so just because a piece of stock rates higher than another piece of stock using the device, does not necessarily mean it will feel harder to bend when you try it.

Solid Resource

Even with this handful of limitations, the “Steel Progression Chart” is a very good resource for you in your bending training. It has been an extremely helpful tool for both new benders looking for ways to progress in their bending, as well as seasoned veterans who are looking for stepping stones to their ultimate bending goal.

In fact, I reference this chart quite often with my coaching clients who are looking for progressions in their steel bending programs. And now, it is a tool you can place in your toolbox to reference whenever you need it.

All the best in your bending,

Jedd

Hello DIESELS.

Check out the results of the Classic Strongman Feats Tournament…

Week 5 Bracket Video

Ending Score Totals

David Wigren – 7 Points * WINNER – $100
Cameron Bailey / Darrin Shallman – 5 Points – * WINNERS – $50 Each
Mike Rinderle – 4 Points – * WINNER – $50 worth of Steel from SteelBenders.org
David Horne – 3 Points
Richard MacLean / Jason Steeves – 2 Points
Daniel Reinard – 1.5 Points
EJ Livesey – 1 Point
Christopher Smith – .5 Points

Winners, please send me your paypal addresses so I can get your prize payments to you!

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!

I have been thinking about doing this for quite some time (since about March) and I am finally going to do it.

August is Classic Strongman Feats Month at Diesel Crew for the Diesel Grip Strength Challenge.

We will be having the first ever On-line Grip Strength Tournament. Here’s a video talking about the Tournament.

The way this will work is you all will submit videos as is regularly done and a bracket will be formed at random from the submissions.

The bracket will look just like any Tournament Bracket, like the NSCA for example.

Each week, the submissions will go into a hat and be pulled at random to fill the bracket and whoever out-duels the other person either wins, loses or there is a draw.

This will be a 5-week tournament, and each week will be a different feat of strength.

This week, for Week 1 in the Classic Strongman Feats Tournament is Reverse Style Bending.

You can have your choice of bending stock from the following selections:

• 40D Nail
• 60D Twisted Spike
• 60D Non-Twisted Spike
• Grade 5 Bolt
• Grade 8 Bolt
• 6″ X 5/16″ Hot Rolled Steel Bar
• 6″ X 5/16″ Cold Rolled Steel Bar

All of these items can be readily obtained through places like Ace Hardware, Home Depot, etc. Also, I have a bunch of Grade 5′s and Grade 8′s that I will send people for $1.50 apiece plus shipping.

To allow as many people to enter this Tournament as possible, almost all types of wraps will be allowed, meaning any soft material, such as towels, rags, denim, cordura, IronMind Pads (IMP’s), suede, etc,, as long as they are no longer than 12″ in length and 4.5″ in width. (**If you are not sure if your wraps count, please send me an email).

If you are wondering What Is a Grade 5 or a Grade 8 Bolt, then check out this video on my YouTube Channel = > What are Graded Bolts.

Rules of the Bend

• Must use Reverse Style / Terminator Technique
• No part of the lower arms below the elbow can touch the body during the bend
• The Bend must be completed within 30 seconds
• After the 30 seconds is complete, the bar must be bent to at least 40 degrees
• The bar has to be straight before bending. Once you attempt a bar, you can not attempt it again.

Feel free to attempt multiple bends throughout the week. Just make sure to send me your best bending video by 8PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.

How to Measure Your Bend

My buddy, Mike Rinderle has put together this video for you on how to measure your bent bars.

How to Wrap and Bend Reverse Style

Here is a video that I did showing how the Bars should be wrapped and how Reverse style is done.

Video Identification Requirements

• Title: DieselCrew.com Grip Strength Challenge – Classic Strongman Feat Week 1
• Description: http://www.dieselcrew.com Grip Strength Strongman Feats
• Tags: grade 5 bolt bend, reverse bending, strongman feats

Alrighty DIESELS – get your best bends done and get me the videos.

Jedd

P.S. Need instructions on how to bend? Check out my Bending Resources below…

Nail Bending eBook = > How to Bend Nails

Nail Bending DVD = > Nail Bending Explained

Hello DIESEL’s!

Check out this video of a hardcore Diesel Bending Maniac putting his Diesel threads in ACTION!

This is Carl Donati Jr, and he is putting a serious hurtin’ on an FBBC Golden Bastard with single IMP’s in less than 30 seconds.

Notice the killer Diesel Shirt that Carl is sporting! There’s at least one PR in every shirt, GUARANTEED.

In case you are not familiar with all of the terminology included here, I will explain.

Bastard – 7″ Bar from FBBC. Once bent, you attain the title, Bastard. This bar takes roughly 480=lbs to bend, as measured with the recognized method that was designed (to the best of my knowledge) by Eric Milfeld.

Golden Bastard – 3/8″ Diameter Brass Bastard Bar. Once bent you attain the title Golden Bastard.

IMP’s – Iron Mind Pads (the blue cordura wraps from IronMind Enterprises that must be used for their Red Nail Certification)

Single IMPS’s – This is to show that only one IMP is used per end of the bar. IMP’s are about 12-inches wide and are usually folded in twice before wrapping. Despite this “layering” of these “pads”, they give you very little actual padding – there is still a significant pain factor going on.

As you can see, Carl knocked this out of the park and surely qualified for the certification list at FBBC.

There are actually many, many (MANY) lists that are kept all over the internet for bending, nails, bolts, and various types of steel, stainless, and brass bars, among other things. It’s crazy how much the sport has evolved in the last few years.

Nail Bending isn’t just about wrapping the nail, bar, or bolt with as much padding as possible and bending it. There are many recognized methods, each varying in difficulty, pain tolerance, and other factors.

If you want to get started with Bending like this, then here is how you can do it…

• Nail Bending eBook: The most compelte reference on Bending that exists. Quick easy download for just $39.97
• Nail Bending DVD: Learn the Three Major Techniques with step-by-step video instruction, as well as wrapping demos, Injury prevention, Warm-up and more – Just $59.

Also, to pick up your own Diesel shirt, check out this post: Diesel Crew Tee Shirts. They actually do come with sleeves. Carl’s guns tore threw them in a previous bending PR and they have since vaporized.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

P.S. Get on the Strongman Training DVD Early Bird List. Put your name and email in the box below.