Man what an awesome time last week, DIESELS.

As you know, on Thursday, I help the Basics of Grip and Strongmanism seminar.

Here’s a pic, with Dr. Jim Wagner on the left, me, and Chris Fritz on the right.

I got this message posted on my wall on Facebook, after the event:

“I got to spend the day at a seminar with the grip legend himself,
Jedd Johnson. I learned more in 5 hours than I did in the last
five years. It was an awesome day and Jedd is one of the nicest
guys you could meet! I’ll be seeing you again Brother, hopefully
at the next contest!”
Chris Fritz

Here’s how the day’s content rolled out:

9:00AM Start, meet and greet

Warm-up
General to specific
– General Full Body: Mobility / Activation / Light Stretching
– Move to Weights
– Move to Specific
Magic Formula for Success

Grippers
Technique
– Placement
– Gripper Angle
– Wrist Angle
– Tension
– Set to Close
– Skin Stretch
– Hit
– Thumb Strike
– Roll the Dice
High Impact Drills
Other Considerations

Pinching
Technique
Chalking Considerations
Plate Pinching
Block Weights
Odd Objects
Euro Pinch
High Impact Drills

Thick Bar and other Open Hand Training
What is Open Hand Training? Is Thick Bar “Support Grip”
Support Specificity
Technique
High Impact Drills

Intro to Feats
Tension
Beginner Conditioning

Card Tearing

Steel Bending

Programming
Individual Based
Setting up YOUR Program
Formulating Workouts – Think Energy Economy
Specificity of Grip Training

Injury Prevention & Recovery Methods

2:00 / 2:30PM Close

Man, I’ll tell you what, I absolutely love talking GRIP with people.

As an added bonus, before we called it a day, Dr. Jim Wagner got out his Hawk Grips, a special set of soft tissue massaging devices, and worked on us a little bit.

We got EVERYTHING on film, and I’ve already begun editing the footage, and will be making it available on DVD.

If you want to be the first to add this information to your library, add your information to the box below:

It will be ready as absolutely fast as I can get through all 5 hours!

In the meantime, Make it a Great Week.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Sign up for notification as soon as this seminar becomes available.

There were Superheros all over the place, this past Sunday.

From little kids with their faces painted like the Ninja Turtles, Spider Man, and even characters from Frozen…

To the athletes who participated in the 5K Run/Walk…

To the entertainers who did their thing after the event was complete.

It was a day to celebrate the inspiration we get from one awesome little boy and his family.

Sunday, August 23rd, was the 2nd Annual Mason’s Hope 5k Run/Walk.

And I had the honor to be a part of it for the second year, perform classic oldetime strongman feats of strength.

Above, I’m blowing up a hot water bottle until it bursts…

The whole day of activities is dedicated to Mason Barto, a boy from Towanda, PA, who has CDG (Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation) and it keeps him from living the kind of life most youngsters enjoy.

However, despite the challenges he faces, physically, Mason and his family continue to be bright faces in the community and an inspiration for countless people.

I know that when I came home later on and did my August of Arms workout, thinking of Mason made me focus in and take things a little bit further than my body wanted to.

It truly is my privilege to be a part of this great day each year.

Below, you’ll see the video of the entire show I did, and after I finished up, local singer, Aaron Kelly, who was on season 9 of American Idol, gave a little concert as well.

A great day indeed. I hope you enjoy the videos.

Intro and Warm-up Bend – Bending a Horseshoe

A nod to Pat Povilaitis, “The Human Vise,” and first person I ever saw do this feat.

Bending a 60D with Aaron Kelly in my Arms

A nod to Dennis Rogers, Grandmaster Strongman, who made this feat famous.

Bending a Nail on the Bed of Nails

I invited Mason up to help me out with this one.

Kid Lifting with the Strongman Bench

The kids always have a lot of fun with this one. I got the idea from Strongman John Beatty, who was once on America’s Got Talent and performs strongman shows all over the country.

Breaking a Chain with Arm Strength

I wanted to do something cool involving Arm strength, so I decided to break a chain. Looking back, I wish I would have gone for a double chain break, because the single ended up being too light.

Ripping a Phone Book in Half

This was a Pittsburgh phone book, so I made a couple sports jokes before ripping this book in two.

Bending / Breaking a Hammer

This was a Pittsburgh steel hammer, so I worked the Pittsburgh sports joke in one more time. Somehow, the handle broke on this instead of the neck bending like it usually does, so it didn’t look as good as it usually does.

Bursting a Hot Water Bottle with Lung Power

The hardest challenge of the shoe, I always feel like I might pass out doing this one.

Dousing the Flaming Hammer

This is one of my signature feats, I guess, since I light it on fire and talk about my original interest in becoming a pro wrestler called Napalm Jedd. I also use it to salute Slim “The Hammer-Man” Farman, one of if not THE oldest living performing strongman.

Performing feats of strength is a fun and reward form of training, and I’d love to share my knowledge with you, via any of my various resources. Please check some of them out below and let me know if you have any questions as far as what can be the best fit for you.

       

All the best in your training.

Jedd

On August 24, 2014, I did a Strongman Show as part of the Mason’s Hope SuperHero 5K, a fundraiser for Mason Barto, a little boy with CDG (Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation).

Here is a short news video that talks about Mason’s story.

It was my pleasure to be a part of such an awesome cause. I was hoping to have Mason stand on my chest while I performed the Bend of Nails, but in the days leading up to the event Mason was visiting more specialists and ended up having to stay there longer than planned.

I look forward to meeting you, buddy!

On top of the great cause, I was particularly excited about being able to put on this show, because my parents, my grandmother, my wife and my daughter were all there. You see, I rarely do a local show – most of my stuff takes place in other states, so none of them have ever watched me perform live.

Below is the show I put together.

Watch each feat separately:

Frying Pan
Horseshoe
Cards
Phone Book
Kid Lift
Anvil and Blob
Bed of Nails
Wrench Bend
Hammer Bend
Hot Water Bottle

If you’ve ever wanted to do feats of strength like bending a wrench, a horseshoe, a hammer, or rolling a frying pan, this DVD can show you how to do it.

Braced Bending DVD

Make it a Great Day!

Jedd

P.S. During the show, I pulled off a feat I have never been able to complete, if memory serves. I lifted a 55-lb anvil by the tail and then picked up a 50-lb Blob and curled it. It was quite a rush to do it during the show, although most of the audience probably had no idea how hard it was, ha ha ha.

If you are working on Lifting the Blob, here is the best resource for you:

I was recently interviewed by Josh Hewitt in the Straight to the Bar Gym Chats.

The topic was Grip Strength and Feats of Strength.

In the video, we also talk a bit about how I got involved in strength training and what led me to loving Grip Strength and Feats.

If you are looking for information on Feats of Strength, you have come to the right place.

My collection of Feat of Strength information is the best that is available anywhere. My products leave you with a complete understanding of how to do the feats, how to train for them, and how to progress with them.

While I have a lot of respect for many of the other authors and producers out there, my products are simply better.

Check out my products below:

Braced Bending
Get ready to turn your hands and wrists into weapons of mass destruction. This DVD will show you how to destroy EVERYTHING in your path. From frying pans, to steel bars, to horseshoes, and wrenches, Jedd and Mike team up once again to bring you everything you need to know on how to do odd object bending like a champion. It’s fun to destroy things around the house – start today.

Order the Braced Bending DVD today

Nail Bending eBook
Steel Bending is often called the gateway drug of Feats of Strength. You literally get hooked on the feeling of steel bars, nails and bolts, giving way to your ever increasing wrist, hand and upper body strength. This ebook has produced over a dozen of official IronMind Red Nail Certified Athletes as well as countless other Red Nail Benders who are yet to be certified. With information on technique for all the major bending styles, a conditioning program, a HUGE strength training library and a progression of nail, bolts and steel bar, you will have everything you need in this ebook.

Get the Nail Bending eBook today

Hammering Horseshoes
Learn how to what was never meant to be done – Horseshoe Bending – just like the strongmen of yesterday and the modern-day Strongman Performers as well. Learn to do the feat of strength that has stood the test of time from the Leaders in Grip Strength Feat Instruction, Jedd Johnson and Mike Rinderle. Discover horseshoe progressions, how to wrap shoes for protection and how to kink, sweep and crush them into heart shapes. Why would anyone NOT want to bend horseshoes?

Get the Horseshoe Bending DVD today

Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands
The Nail Bending DVD show you complete technical demonstrations of the three major bending techniques as well as information on strength building, injury prevention, and MORE. Get your bars, get your wraps, get warmed up and hit the play button. Soon, you’ll be able to wrap up your first bar and bend it right along with me. Soon, you’ll know the secrets of getting a tight, secure wrap, how to generate maximal strength, how to accomplish all your goals in steel bending.

Get the Nail Bending DVD

Phone Book Mass Destruction
Phone Book Tearing, a classic feat of strength done by performing strongmen and grip enthusiasts for over 100 years, can be just as exhilarating as bending steel once you know how to do it right, or it can be frustrating as hell if you don’t. This ebook will set you straight.

How to Tear Phone Books Like a Strongman

Card Tearing eBook
Card Tearing could be the best feat of strength for beginning strongmen to try, because it gets your fingers, hands, wrist and elbows used to producing the kind of tension that comes with doing feats of strength. The ebook shows you how to progress up to tearing your first full deck of cards, as well as how to strengthen your hands and wrists specifically for the feat of card tearing without having to buy endless decks of cards.

How to Tear Cards

The Art of Scrolling Steel
In this DVD, Bud Jeffries and I team up to bring you the ultimate resource on scrolling steel bars into abstract art and purposefully shaped objects. You’ll learn long bar feats, mid-bar feats, and how to progress through the many different types of scrolls. We also packed this DVD set with incredible ways you can train with barbells and bands to get stronger at steel bending without always having to bend steel.

Get the Art of Scrolling Steel

CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination
This product explores every aspect of Gripper Training you need to know in order to improve your crushing grip strength and even certify in the major gripper certifications. Learn how to maximize every facet of your technique in order to smash your target grippers and eliminate any possible weaknesses in your crushing grip. Be amongst the best in the world once you watch this awesome video. Normally an on-line DVD, but you can also upgrade to the hard copy as well.

Order the Gripper Training DVD today

Napalm Pinch: How to Dominate the Two Hands Pinch
The Two Hands Pinch is contested in nearly 75% of all competitions. How well you do in it can make or break your overall performance in the entire contest. This DVD shows you everything you need to know to take your Two Hands Pinch training to the next level. With information on Technique, Hand and Device Prep, Drills, and Contest Programming, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Two Hands Pinch training.

New Low Price – Napalm Pinch DVD

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Buy the Nail Bending DVD, Braced Bending DVD, and the Hammering Horseshoes DVD and get either the Card Tearing eBook or Phone Book Mass Destruction FREE!

Use the button below:

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Blasting Apart a Phone Book

Hope you had an awesome Mother’s Day Weekend.

I have not had a chance to visit my Mom yet. I was only able to give her a call, as I was out of town from Thursday on and just got back late last night.

I was away to Spokane, Washington at the Empire Classic, a big expo consisting of bodybuilding, physique, strongman, and powerlifting competitions.

I had the opportunity to perform Feats of Strength in front of 1200 people and it is something I will never forget.

Strongman Feats Show

Here’s the video from Saturday Night’s performance…

You will see I struggle quite a bit with the phone book. I warmed up with the same dumbbells and plates that the bodybuilders were using and my hands got super greasy and were slipping on the pan and book.

Also, I have been fighting with a sinus infection for weeks and weeks and was struggling with the hot water bottle. The first night, I totally failed because my beard was not letting me get a good seal on my face. The second night, I just couldn’t breathe very well through my nose at all, making the feat 10 times harder.

I really wish I would have gotten the Friday show on tape, because I wasn’t as rushed and really did a better job speaking. Recognized the promoter, the competitors, talked about Grip Strength’s importance, the sport of Grip, explained the feats, and even recognized the Veterans in the crowd, which is something I always try to build into my shows.

Either way, I had a ton of fun and learned a lot over the course of the entire weekend about promoting contests. Ivan and Erin Ribic operate a whole other level compared to what we do in Grip Sport. I was blown away at the level of organization.

Public Service Announcement: If you try a hot water bottle, use safety glasses. I forgot my glasses both nights and could have really gotten hurt badly.

Grip Strength Challenge

While I was there, I also ran a Grip Challenge booth.

As always, one of the biggest attractions was the Grippers I had spread all over the table.

One dude, a strongman competitor, was trying as hard as he could to close a #1 gripper, but just couldn’t get it.

Just as I figured his technique was off.

He had it positioned wrong in his hand from the start.

Bad positioning throws off the way the fingers pull on the front handle, making a gripper 25 to 50 pounds harder to close.

So, I ran him through 3 or 4 simple technique modifications and within minutes he had not only smashed the #1 gripper shut, but had also managed to close the #2.5.

While this kind of a jump is rare, I see guys going from missing the #1 to closing the #2 just through technique improvements ALL THE TIME.

That is why I urge you to pick up CRUSH: Total Gripper Domination.

The technicality of Gripper training often surprises people.

They are blown away by how much easier it is to close grippers once they understand the right technique.

No other source out there comes close to my Gripper Video.

I show you the stuff you MUST know in order to get good at Grippers.

Pick it up here today: http://thegripauthority.com/gripper-dvd/crush-dvd2.htm

All the best with your gripper training,

Jedd

Is Your Gripper Technique Holding You Back?
Click the Banner Below to Finally Find Out

I am really getting pumped up.

The project that Bud Jeffries and I have been working on for a while now, our DVD on Scrolling Steel, is almost complete!

I have a pile of them in stock. They look awesome!

Now, we are down to the last few behind-the-scenes things and we will be ready to put this thing out for you all.

Don’t miss this. Grab it right when it comes out so you can get it at the best price possible.

Sign up for the update list today, so you get notification RIGHT when it is available.

Thanks and all the best.

Jedd

When Will You Die: Host, Jake Porway and Jedd after doing some Frying Pan work

Set your DVR’s and VCR’s to record Nat Geo at 10 PM tomorrow night – Monday April 22.

That’s right, I am asking you to tear yourself away from the final hour of Monday Night Raw tomorrow night.

Maybe you’re wondering why…

Many of you remember from last September the Top Secret Grip Trip that I took to California.

This show is what that trip (and my second trip in December) were both for.

The Show is called “The Numbers Game” and the episode is called “When Will You Die.”

I have not seen the show, so I am not sure how it was edited all together. All I know is that I took two separate trips out there last Fall and Winter and bent about two dozen horseshoes, frying pans, nails and other pieces of steel.

Plus I ripped a whole pile of phone books and decks of cards, so they have plenty of footage to go through – HA HA!

It was a great time, I had a lot of fun, and I hope it carries over well to the show.

Also, feel free to post something on Facebook or another social network. Sometimes, with a “crazy” sport like Grip or doing Feats of Strength, it is good to get it in front of your friends’ and family’s eyes when it is on mainstream media like this, to show them that you are not the only “crazy” one out there.

Thanks everyone, for all the support, and all the best in your training.

Jedd

Over a year ago, my buddy Josh McIntyre and I were emailing and he suggested a name for a series to be featured here on the site called Tales from the Grip. It was to be stories of training written by all of you and posted here on the site.

The title is of course a play on words of Tales from the Crypt, which if you have never seen, was a horror story series shown on HBO, I believe, about 20 years ago and probably longer. I am probably showing my age by referencing it…LOL.

Tales from the Grip – Fayette Fair, Dunbar PA – July 2012

Today, I am going to start the series off by telling you of my experiences doing my first ever professional Strongman Performances, at the Fayette Fairgrounds, which started last night (July 26th) and will continue on until Tuesday July 31. If you are in the area of Dunbar, PA, you should come check it out.

How it Came to Be

I received an email from John Beatty well over a year ago asking if I’d ever be interested in doing Strongman Performances with him or for him. John was the owner of Fat Bastard Barbell Company for several years before recently selling it to his friend Jerry when he got to busy to keep it going. If that doesn’t ring a bell, then you may remember seeing him on TV back in 2010 on America’s Got Talent when he gave the big “In Your Face” to Piers Morgan.

Here’s the video:

John is an accomplished Strength Athlete himself. He was a professional strongman competitor from 2000 to 2010, and has also competed in many powerlifting and Grip Sport competitions, while also bending some awesome high-level steel.

After the initial emails, I didn’t hear much from John for quite some time, so I didn’t think much of it, but then, late last year, I got a call from John and he told me that he could use me for some shows coming up in the summer. I thought it sounded like an awesome and fun opportunity and I immediately told him I would love to try it.

In the months to come, I picked John’s brain about how to even set up a Strongman show. Considering my bending experience was limited to contests where you generally wrap and try to bend as big of steel as possible in 5 minutes time, the idea of putting together an entire 30-minute program seemed very daunting.

I have watched performing strongmen like John Brookfield, Dennis Rogers, Pat Povilaitis, Dave Whitley and Mike Bruce a handful of times over the years, but they mainly had performed single feats as part of other strength endeavors. John Brookfield did some of his bending feats during a larger expo in conjunction with other acts. Dennis, Pat, Mike, and David had all done their feats at Mighty Mitts between events. All of them were awesome performances, but they were shorter in duration.

However, with John’s guidance and coaching, I began to see some light at the end of the tunnel. He and I talked several times over the last 6 months and he would always share some knowledge about how to set up shows, some of the staple feats he did, and how to tie feats together to make the show run well. I soon began developing confidence in myself to be able to put a variety of feats together that would be entertaining for the crowd to watch.

Building the Equipment

About 6 months ago, John sent me the plans for some of the equipment that he uses in his shows. One was a deadlift platform that kids can sit on and then you lift them up. Another was a finger lift platform where someone lays on a board and you lift them with one finger. And the last one was a Bed of Nails.

In hindsight, the right thing to do would have been to get right on it and buy the lumber and build all of the equipment so that I could train on it and get to know it.

Unfortunately, what I did was I put it off and never built anything until last weekend. I am no carpenter. In fact, I make a poor carpenter’s assistant, so I enlisted my Dad to help me put this stuff together. I figured it would take us maybe 4 hours on a Sunday morning to build it all.

No.

It took use two hole days of serious work to build just the kiddie deadlift platform and the bed of nails. It took me 4 hours just to pound all of the nails through the plywood for the bed of nails, so that was quite a wake-up call in itself. Nevertheless, with the help of my good old Dad, the two pieces got built and I even through some deck stain on the deadlift platform. John was impressed with the craftsmanship and said that mine looks better than his! I told him I wanted to make sure everything looked good since my show was going to be a reflection on him.

The Drive Down

Finally, the day to come to the fair arrived. I figured, again, that the drive would be about 4 hours. I dropped the baby off at the babysitter and turned on the GPS in order to get an estimate of how long it would take to get down here. I nearly laid an egg when it said 5.5 hours. I still had to go get the trailer and load everything on it in addition to packing everything up in the car…amazing.

Once loaded, I got out on the road. I have never pulled a trailer behind a vehicle on a 4-lane highway. Quite interesting! I was swerving a bit at first, but eventually got used to it. PennDot has construction projects going on, on just about every highway I drove on yesterday, including a section on Route 22 where the road is one lane and the barricades seem just about wide enough to afford like a foot of space on each side of the trailer. Lots of fun driving, I can assure you. Sweat was pouring down my brow into my eyes as I drove. Awesome.

The First Shows

It felt good to drive the Jeep onto the Fairgrounds and find my location for the shows. I was placed under a pavilion, which was a good thing because it was pouring buckets last night.

For the first day of the Fair, with such bad weather, the fair was nearly empty, but we got the two shows in that were scheduled. The small crowds were great to break the ice and get things rolling.

In the first show, John handled the PA system and narrated. He and I traded back and forth doing feats.

For the second show, I manned the PA and narrated and did 6 feats while John did 4. Everything went well, including my flaming hammer torch feat. Other feats that we did included the kiddie deadlift, phone book tearing, horseshoe bending, mace swinging, kettlebell juggling, and more. A rather diverse range of feats.

More to Come

As the rest of the shows progress, I will keep you posted. But I must say, I am pumped to be doing them.

I never thought I would ever get up on a stage and perform for a crowd. I always saw myself as more of the coach person who would help others enjoy the feats of strength by safely learning to do them themselves, but after just one day, I am excited to be given the opportunity to share what I know in this new way.

I really want to say thank you to John Beatty, “The Strongman,” for giving me this opportunity. Find out more about John here: John Beatty The Strongman.

Oh, and by the way, my favorite feat so far has been bending stuff while laying on the bed of nails. Surprisingly the pain from 600 nails digging into your butt and back fizzles away when the adrenaline rushes through the body.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by. If not, keep coming by the site as I will be adding to this post as the shows go on.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Horseshoe Bending may sound crazy, but indeed, people all over the world are doing it. From shoes made to outfit small ponies to shoes designed for larger animals such as draft shoes, tough dudes around the globe are mangling them – twisting them from their characteristic U-shape and into a flattened S, or even completely around on themselves until they resemble a heart!

Bending Horseshoes may just be one of the most beneficial types of bending. Many of the benefits are listed below.

Why Bend Horseshoes?

Now, you may be wondering why the hell someone would want to bend a horseshoe. Well, if you are a student of the art of feats of strength, then it is a natural progression from regular steel bending such as bending nails and bolts.

However, if you have a more traditional strength training or muscle building background, then you may need some more reasons to try horseshoe bending. So here’s a few right now:

Benefits of Horseshoe Bending

Conquering the Impossible:
Horseshoes are made to be durable and resist wear, so to be able to straighten them and tie them into a knot, it’s as if you are defeating the undefeatable enemy! Nothing gives you a bigger rush than finally taking down the next level of shoe, especially if you’ve missed it a couple of times already!

Excellent Core Strength Builder:
While the hands, and arms are extremely important for horseshoe bending, the level of core strength needed to bend horseshoes is unparalleled by other strength feats. You must be able to send shock-waves into the shoe with explosive core power in order to make the shoe start moving in the sweep and crush and you have to be able to maintain longer durations of straining in order to keep the legs moving. NO other feat of strength matches this level of intensity.

Horseshoes Build Horseshoes on Your Arms:
The straining and dynamic effort associated with horseshoe bending can’t be beat, even by the most rigorous of conventional bench pressing programs or the most demanding bodybuilding routines. Your triceps blow up seriously blow up from this kind of work.

Builds Character and Mental Toughness:
Horseshoe Bending takes hard work, dedication, a strong will, and a remarkable heart. You have to be able to deal with struggle and with failure, but the feeling you get when you bend that next level of shoe for the first time is indescribable. This kind of tenacity carries over to other training as well, and bending horseshoes can revolutionize the way you approach the iron in the weight room.

Incredible Grip and Wrist Strength:
It was once an accepted belief that Bending would take away from your Grip Strength, but with the increase in benders participating in horseshoe bending, we are seeing more and more often that this is untrue. Your hands and wrist have to be strong in order to bend shoes and with the force required to excel, you end up building hand strength that carries over into many other types of Grip Training. And it goes without saying that stronger hands and wrists will be mean bigger lifts in the gym.

Chicks Dig It:
Just imagine how impressive it will be to the girls in your class or the ladies in the office when you wrap up a horseshoe and bend it right before their eyes. Horseshoes bent into a heart shape are second only to chocolate as a gift on Valentine’s Day! Screw tearing a deck of cards or a phone book! Who’s impressed with ripping paper? The ladies want to see you mess up the hard stuff, brother!

Tendon Strength:
Horseshoe bending requires high tension throughout the body, and with this comes tendon strength, the kind of strength that will set you apart from others at the gym and will keep you injury-resistant in your workouts. This kind of strength can’t be produced with conventional lifting means. This is something that only comes about from battles with horseshoes.

Technique over Force Production:
This is actually reason number eight, and it is the most important reason of all. Horseshoe bending is heavily dependent on technique. In fact, some of the best horseshoe benders in the world are under 200-lbs and can’t lift much more than 300-lbs on the bench press. This is because while full body strength is important, technique is what sets the biggest horseshoe benders in the world apart from the rest of the pack. This is why horseshoe bending is one of the most skill-dependent feats that there is.

For more information on horseshoe bending, check out our DVD, Hammering Horseshoes. I worked on this with Mike “Rindo” Rinderle, the first ever US Steel Bending Champion, and crazed steel bender.

Hammering Horseshoes is by far the most detailed resource on horseshoe bending that exists today and we will show you everything you need to know to get started kinking, sweeping, crushing and hearting big horseshoes.

Get the Hammering Horseshoes DVD and get started bending horseshoes. Right away.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Happy Hammering Horseshoes Customers:

“I bought the hammering horseshoes dvd before I even had a shoe to bend,they give everything you need to know to get going no question about that. Well worth the money.”
David Mitti
Recreation Horseshoe Dominator

“The DVD is well worth it! I tried to bend some easy shoes before watching the DVD and didn’t do anything but bruise my leg up. After watching the DVD about halfway through, I tried the same shoe and finished it off with a lot less effort than the first try.”
Jason Bergmann
Professional Strongman Competitor

“If you are really interested in progressing on shoes, use the money you would spend to buy some easier shoes to buy Hammering Horseshoes….watch that a couple times and you will bend your DC0. All bending is technique, but it’s almost impossible to just muscle a decent shoe, you HAVE to have some technique and strength too. Don’t waste a bunch of time like I did. The info wasn’t readily available when I started bending shoes but anyone wanting to start out today should watch Hammering Horseshoes. I am in no way associated with the DVD, and I paid full price for it. It will teach you an efficient way to bend shoes for sure.”
Andy Thomas
Competitive Steel Bender

I recently had the opportunity to have some great email and phone conversations with a great American strength athlete, Jason Bergmann.

In case you are not familiar with Jason, here are some of the highlights from his Strongman competition career, which I pulled from Wikipedia:

• A 3rd place finish in the All-American Strongman Challenge 2007
• In 2008 came in 2nd in the America’s Strongest Man competition
• In the 2008 World’s Strongest Man he made the final ten (coming in 9th overall)
• In 2010 (after recovering form injuries) he made the top 10 of the 2010 World’s Strongest Man

As you can see, Jason has proven himself one of the best in the world, having made it to the finals on two occasions Of World’s Strongest Man.

Recently, he said he was looking for some different types of training he could do, as he was dealing with a pec tear. He also said he had begun doing some strongman performances and wanted to add some new feats to his repertoire, and eventually found our Hammering Horseshoes DVD.

Here is the first note I got from him:

“Jedd,

I came home from strongman training and saw the DVD arrived today! I was going to wait to watch it and maybe try some shoes tomorrow since I had already tried to bend a few before watching the DVD (didn’t even nudge a diamond classic #2). But after watching about half the dvd on wrapping technique and learning more about the kink I gave it a go.

After giving it a few tries on the lightest shoe I had bought (St. Croix Forge polo #0) I knew something wasn’t right. Repositioned the shoe and followed the tips in the video and started to bend the shoe!

I will admit that I used a towel on my leg to get it past 180 degrees and I’m sure I will have a bruise or two. After about 5 minutes I had to see if I could do it on my right side too (torn pec on that side) and after getting everything set up right that went as well.

Without the tips and technique on your DVD it would of taken me a lot longer to figure it out if at all. I can say after bending my first shoes that it is not a trick. Getting the leverages right yes, but trick no!

Thanks for putting the DVD together and putting so much information in it. Well worth the money and when I’m looking to try another feat of strength I will be checking out your other products. Thanks.”

Jason Bergmann

Well, Jason wasn’t just blowing smoke. He also got the desire to try out short steel bending as well as Braced Bending, and picked up both the Nail Bending DVD and our Braced Bending DVD.

He says that while he enjoys Nail Bending and Braced Bending, Horseshoe Bending has been his main focus. He recently sent in some video clips of him bending some very impressive shoes he bent, the Kerckhaert SSP 10×22 #5 and the SCF Plain #3.

“Jedd,
Sending the link to me bending the Kerckhaert SSP 10×22 #5. My
technique is getting better as this shoe I was only able to kink a
month ago. Thanks again for all the help. Now it’s time to get some
bigger shoes!”

“Jedd,
I was able to bend the SCF plain #3 last night. Just for kicks I tried
the AB#6. Needless to say that is going to take some work to move that
big SOB!”

Now, if you are not familiar with Horseshoes and their level of difficulty, I grabbed the ending portion of the “Advanced Section” from our Horseshoe Strength Progression List and pasted it below.

As you will see, the first video above, the Kerckhaert SSP 10×22 #5 sits at number 29 out of 37 on the list. Pretty deep, but then in video, he wipes out the St. Croix Forge Plain Regular #3, which is number 30 on the list as well. And while these bends are not official certification bends for any competitions or lists, they are still extremely impressive. Given the fact that Jason has pretty much just started doing this, you can describe his progress as nothing less than meteoric.

Advanced Level Horseshoes

23. 5/16×7/8 healed
24. Wide sliding plate
25. Kerckhaert SSP 8×22 #1
26. st croix forge regular plain 000
27. Kerckhaert SN 8×25 #3
28. Diamond special 5
29. Kerckhaert SSP 10×22 #5
30. St. croix plain regular #3
31. SSP 8×18 #000
32. SN 8×20 #000
33. Kerckhaert SN 10×22 #3
34. Kerckhaert SSP extra 8×22 #0
35. Unmarked healed shoe 3/8×3/4
36. AB #6
37. Kerckhaert WH 10×28 #6

However, despite Jason’s progress, his strength levels, his determination, you HAVE TO KEEP ONE THING IN MIND – the most important part of Horseshoe Bending or any type of steel bending, is TECHNIQUE.

Jason said it himself, without the instruction, it would have taken him much longer to learn the proper technique or might not have gotten if at all. When a sheer Power House like Jason says something like that, you know it’s true.

And because he has started out in the right direction from the beginning, Jason has been able to consistently progress AND avoid injuries, allowing him to enjoy every single PR he establishes.

No matter what level of strength you have, when you combine that power with the right technique, you are able to take your bending to an even higher level. Once you dial that technique in, get ready to blow through shoes that previously seemed out of reach.

And for the absolute best instruction on technique for Horseshoe Bending, you have to pick up Hammering Horseshoes. You can get it by clicking on the banner below.

Write me a note when you start destroying shoes!

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Two Bent Shoes by Jason Bergmann

Bending your first horseshoe is one of the milestones you will never forget when you practice feats of strength. After all, these damn things are made to go on the feet of horses and ponies and to take a freakin’ beating.

Bending horseshoes is no joke.

I recently got an order from one of the members of the Diesel Universe, for the Hammering Horseshoes DVD. Shortly afterwards, I got an email from him as well. His name was Jason Bergmann, a Strongman Competitor who does strength demo’s for youngsters in his area, and he said he was looking to add Horseshoe Bending to his repertoire of grip strength feat.

Check out the email he sent me below:

I just ordered the Hammering Horseshoes DVD from your site. Since it will take a few days to get the DVD I really wanted to order some horseshoes as well. Since that info is in the DVD could you give me a few suggestions for beginners? I currently compete in Strongman and my brothers and I do demo’s for k-8 schools and I would like to add this in to my program along with a few other grip feats. So If I can order some shoes and get them around the same time as the DVD it would save me some time. Thanks, Jason Bergmann

Ordering horseshoes ahead of time actually seemed like a damn good idea, so I pointed him to this post, Horseshoe Progression List, and told him to check out Ken-Davis.com to pick up some shoes.

Well Jason Bergmann is a true action taker, because he jumped on the Ken-Davis site and had the shoes at his house before the DVD even got there! And I don’t wait when I send in these orders. I could see right now that this dude was serious!

Today, I got another email from Jason and this time, and this time I could tell he was excited. Check this out:

Jedd, I came home from strongman training and saw the DVD arrived today! I was going to wait to watch it and maybe try some shoes tomorrow since I had already tried to bend a few before watching the DVD (didn’t even nudge a diamond classic #2). But after watching about half the dvd on wrapping technique and learning more about the kink I gave it a go.

After giving it a few tries on the lightest shoe I had bought (St. Croix Forge polo #0), I knew something wasn’t right. Repositioned the shoe and followed the tips in the video and started to bend the shoe! I will admit that I used a towel on my leg to get it past 180 degrees and I’m sure I will have a bruise or two. After about 5 minutes I had to see if I could do it on my right side as well (torn pec on that side) and after getting everything set up right that went as well.

Without the tips and technique on your DVD it would have taken me a lot longer to figure it out if at all. I can say after bending my first shoes that it is not a trick. Getting the leverages right yes, but trick no! Thanks for putting the DVD together and putting so much information in it. Well worth the money and when I’m looking to try another feat of strength I will be checking out your other products. Thanks, Jason Bergmann

The Hammering Horseshoes DVD, Two Slain Shoes, and the Wraps Used to Slay Them

DIESELS, this kind of stuff gets me pumped up!!

I love hearing about success stories such as this one! Being a part of their success is even more awesome. That is why I put together these instructional videos – I know how cool this stuff is and I want you to experience it too.

That is also why I partnered up with my buddy, Mike Rinderle on Hammering Horseshoes and Braced Bending – he gets pumped up hearing about new benders’ success every bit as much as I do.

If you want to see what it feels like to have the crafted steel of a horseshoe bend to your will, make sure to get our DVD, Hammering Horseshoes. We’ll get you going on the right path, just like Jason Bergmann is doing now.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

When it comes to Feats of Strength, people know where to go in order to get the proper technical instruction they need.

They come to me.

They know I most likely either have an ebook or DVD showing them the exact techniques for the feat of strength they want to accomplish, OR I have explained it at The Grip Authority.

Common Questions about Performing Feats of Strength

One of the topics you been asking about lately is “how do I get started with feats of strength?”

You want to know what wraps to get for bending. This is very important because there are many options out there and some are better than others.

You want to know what kind of protection to use on their body, especially when doing things like braced bending or horseshoe bending which requires you to press the object against your body.

You want to know what kind of steel to buy. This one REALLY varies, depending on what kind of feats you want to do – Braced? Unbraced? Log bars? Mid bars? Short bars? When you get into shapes, then it just gets even more confusing.

How to Get Started – The Essential Basics

To continue with this tradition of being the go-to guy for learning feats of strength, I asked my good friend, Mike Rinderle, to put together something that will cover EXACTLY these principal topics:

• What Kind of Wraps to Buy
• Where to Go to Buy Your Wraps
• What Steel to Buy for Bending
• What Kind of Steel to Avoid for Bending (Safety-Wise)
• What Kind of Odd Objects the Pro’s Bend

If you are into Feats of Strength and you want to learn the basics from one of the best all around benders in the world, then you need to check out the video that Rindo put together.

Braced bending Basics

Why This Video is Awesome

The best thing about this video is that it is no fluff. I do a quick Intro, Mike covers everything in about 8 PowerPoint slides, and then I close it to give you an important message, and that’s it.

Once it is queued up, it will take you like 5 minutes to watch it and take notes, then it is just up to you to get the stuff.

Plus it costs you nothing – $0.

All the best in your Feat of Strength training,

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!

Did you see how the first week in the Classic Strongman Feats Tournament panned out? If not, here is the video:

Congrats to David on the First Round Win in this Five-Round competition!

The standings from Week 1:

• 1 – David Horne – 3 Points
• 2 – Mike Rinderle – 1.5 Points
• 2 – Jason Steeves – 1.5 Points
• 3 – Richard McLean – 1 Point

This week’s feat is Card Tearing.

According to David Horne, the earliest recorded Grip Competition was a Card Tearing contest featuring various styles of tearing a deck of cards.

After all, there are many ways to tear a deck of cards:

• Tearing a Deck in Half Vertically
• Tearing a Deck Lengthwise
• Tearing Multiple Decks in Half
• Cornering a Deck
• Quartering a Deck
• Tearing While Wearing Gloves
• And the list goes on and on

In fact all these techniques are explained in my Card Tearing eBook, and I can show you how to do all of that stuff.

Despite all of many ways to tear a deck of cards, we will focus on only two of them: Tearing a Deck in Half and then Quartering one of those Halves, as quickly as possible.

Now, there are many styles of Decks of Cards out there, and the difficulty of these different decks varies quite a bit.

With that in mind, the standard deck we are going to use this week is Bicycle Brand. If you tear a deck of Bicycles in half and then quarter one half, then you will beat anyone you face who does not complete this feat with bicycles or someone who completes it with non-Bicycles. However, if you do complete the full feat with a deck of non-Bicycle Brand cards, then you will beat someone you face who could only rip the Bicycles in half.

So, again, the Ultimate Goal here is to tear a deck of Bicycles in half and then rip one half into half again.

If you do not have access to Bicycles, just rip what you have.

Aside from this there are only a few other rules:

• The Full Tear Must be Non-Braced (no bracing the cards or the hands against your thigh or stomach
• The Deck must be a new deck, showing the plastic wrap and seal being broken on camera
• You may use chalk, but no adhesive on the fingers
• As much of the tear should be done on camera (to prevent someone potentially dropping the deck out of the screen and then picking up another doctored deck)
• Other rules will be added as they come to me – try to stick to the legitimate form of the challenge please!

I am currently on vacation and I have not had the opportunity to film a demonstration, but this will happen if/when I am able.

Otherwise, get me your video submissions by 8 PM on Saturday, August 13th, 2011.

Get to tearin’ and Get to filmin’!!!

Jedd

P.S. Thanks to the Bender’s Battlefield for donating $50 of Drill Rod!!!

P.P.S. Need to learn how to get hands tough enough to rip decks of cards in half like sheets of paper? Then get the ebook that shows you everything you need to know, SON!

We received one submission for the Home Made Strength Grip Challenge, but it was a strong one.

In the video below, Brian Lederman shows he’s a man who takes action.

He’s had the DVD for two weeks and has already built AND IS DOMINATING nearly half the equipment.

Great job brother!

Brian Lederman

Brian, thanks for the great feedback on the new Phone Book Tearing eBook, Phone Book Mass Destruction!

And, since you already have Dave Whitley’s Lessons of the Old-time Strongmen, I’d be glad to send you a Diesel Crew Shirt. Please email me your shirt size and I will get one right out to you, bro!

Check out the site on Monday for next week’s Weekly Grip Strength Challenge, everybody!

Jedd

It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been almost a full year since I released the Card Tearing eBook.

When I wrote it, I wanted to make it a complete Card Tearing System.

I designed it to be a resource that anyone could use to work toward tearing a deck of cards, regardless of hand size, current strength level, or prior training experience.

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