When grip guys and strength aficionados get started in steel bending, they want to progress as quickly as possible up the various levels of steel as fast as possible. They often try many different training techniques in order to strengthen their wrists and lower arms for the many steel bending techniques that exist.

One of the time-honored traditions of steel benders is Levering Sledge Hammers, and I’m often asked by steel benders if Sledge Levering is a good option for building better bending strength.

In today’s video, I address this topic: Will Sledge Hammer Levering Help Me Bend Bigger Steel:

Does Hammer Levering Help Build Bending Strength?

This is honestly a pretty big change in my line of thinking. In fact, in both my Nail Bending eBook and Nail Bending DVD, I suggest Sledge Hammer Levering to bring up their bending.

However, I always try to learn and develop, both as a lifter and a coach. Since working with dozens of benders over the last few years, I’m convinced that Sledge Hammer Levering isn’t as necessary as I once thought.

Also, in talking with many big benders over the years, the consensus, by far is that BENDING is what you should focus on in order to get good at bending.

I still stand by the fact that Sledge Levering will help you in conditioning your wrists for bending. In fact, I suggest a minimum 4-week ramp-up period where the various wrist movement patterns are trained with gradually increasing intensity, prior to doing any bending.

I recommend Sledge Levering for beginners because it allows you to work so many beneficial ranges of motion and movement patterns that are needed with steel bending, including both non-braced and braced bending methods.

However, once you start actually bending full time, or at least making steel bending one of your primary goals in your training, I think it’s most important to focus on purposeful bending, working your way up the ladder, and continually working on perfecting your technique and force production on actual nails and bars. At that point, Sledge Work can take a back seat, and be used mainly as a recovery method between bending sessions, and for keeping things like Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow as far away as possible.

I hope today’s post has been helpful toward directing you down as straight and as short a path as possible to your ultimate bending goals.

If you’re interested in more Steel Bending information, please check out the resources that countless other steel slayers have tapped into. The links are below.

Nail Bending eBook: Since 2005, this digital manual has helped more people start out on the right track with their bending than any other resource on the planet. It includes pictorials of how to properly execute all the major and minor bending techniques, dozens of different exercises for building lower arm strength and preventing injuries, as well as a full 9-week lower arm conditioning program for beginner benders.

Nail Bending DVD: Released in 2011, this video picks up where the ebook left off, walking you through the process of becoming a great bender. It shows you the proper way to wrap your steel for powerful bending, and you can see bars bent right on your computer screen or TV. Grab you steel, get your wraps, and let’s do a couple bends together as you play this DVD right in your own living room or home gym.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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Training to Bend the Red Nail?
Get the Go-to Resource for Nail Bending: The Nail Bending Ebook

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By request of the Diesel Universe, I was asked to hold a 1-Day Intensive Grip Training Seminar.

I have set this up for Thursday, March 31st, starting at 9AM in Wyalusing, PA

We’re covering the 3 main areas of Grip Training: Grippers, Pinching, and Thick Bar.

These are the foundations of developing a Mighty Grip, and you’ve gotta train them right to build your Grip right.

The goal is make sure each person there is setting Grippers correctly, and knows the ins-and-outs of Plate Pinching, Thick Bar Training, and other Open Hand methods.

We’re also gonna get into the basics of Card Tearing and Steel Bending, because these feats make up the foundation of Strongman feats.

There’s going to be a BIG EMPHASIS on hands-on training.

After all, you learn by doing, not by hearing me talk.

This is going to be an AWESOME session for a small group of 5 individuals.

However, there’s already 2 slots filled.

Which means if you want to grab 1 of the 3 available slots, you’ve gotta act fast.

Click Here to Join the Seminar

It’s gonna be a sweet, comfortable and intense 5 hours of learning on March 31st.

Get ready to learn a ton, have a bunch of fun, and get your hands chalky.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. I’m also looking to set up the cameras to capture everything on film. Gonna be awesome.

Grab Your Spot Now: Click Here to Join the Seminar

Few things make me happier than seeing my students reach their goals.

I know how much work they have put in, the sacrifices they have made, and the battles they have fought.

Today, one of my members at The Grip Authority, Adam Moyers, appears on the IronMind website for his official Red Nail certification.

Here is a picture below. Adam is the one with the Red Hillbilly Jim Beard (blue shirt). My friend, Sean Dockery was his witness, as the feat went down in Columbus this past Saturday night.

What is the Red Nail?

If you aren’t familiar with the Red Nail, it is the primary steel bending certification that is out there.

The Red Nail is actually a cold-rolled steel bar 7″ long and 5/16″ in diameter.

So, it’s not really a nail, as in something you would use in carpentry, but it is still given that name.

In case you are not altogether familiar with steel bending terminology, think of a steel bar about the length of a pencil, but about as thick as a Sharpie marker.

The Red Nail – The Primary Bending Feat

Bending a Red Nail is quite an accomplishment.

When I first started bending back in 2002, there was only 1 person certified for bending a Red Nail.

He did it in 1995 and nobody else did it until 2003!

Since then, on average, only about 6 to 10 guys get certified each year for bending these bars.

So, you can tell, it is quite a legitimate feat of strength.

Red Nail Bending Rules

There are a few rules for the official Red Nail bend.

First, you can only wrap the bar to protect your hands with the cordura wraps that IronMind sells.

These wraps, called IMP’s or IronMind Pads, offer great protection for your skin so you don’t drive a bar through your skin, so that’s great.

However, they do very little in the way of padding.

Using something like suede leather pads the bend and reduces the sting.

Believe me, you EARN your Red Nail bend when you go with IMP’s.

Next, you have to take the bar from perfectly straight to a U-shape with less than 2″ of space between the bar ends in less than 60 seconds.

That means, you have to be explosive in the bend. If you take your good old time bending it, you might miss the 60-second cut-off, and have to try to bend another one.

You also have to perform your bend before a witness of IronMind’s choosing.

IronMind will assign you a witness, and then you must contact them to line-up the specifics of your certification attempt.

Of course, the bar also has to be an official Red Nail from IronMind. They send 3 of them to your witness for the official attempts.

Red Nail Bending Technique

Naturally, just like any other sport or execution of strength, there are rules for how you bend it.

For the Red Nail bend, no bracing is permitted. Do so, and you get disqualified.

So, you have to know the ins and outs of proper bending technique.

That’s where I come in.

Instructional Bending Resources

Before 2005, there was very little information on bending. I decided to fix this by publishing my Nail Bending eBook in December of that year.

This eBook covers everything you need to know to bend the Red Nail and other challenging bars, nails and bolts.

Of course, some people learn better from video than still-shots like are in my eBook. So, by popular demand, I put together another resource called the Nail Bending DVD in 2010.

I would estimate that over 50% of the people who have certified on the Red Nail did so after studying at least one of my resources on bending.

Naturally, having the how-to information in front of you isn’t going to guarantee an instant Red Nail certification.

You still have to hone your technique.

You still have to develop your strength.

You still have to put the work in.

But, one thing is for sure, all other things being equal, those who utilize at least one of these resources will have a much easier time of accomplishing their goal, than the person who just tries to figure everything out on their own.

So, if the thought of bending steel interests you…

If you’ve ever wanted to try feats of strength…

Or if you want to see your name up in lights, like Adam Moyers, John Manna, Trevor Lainge, Adam Glass, Carl Donati, and many of the other benders who have tackled this elite feat of strength, your best bet is to get my products.

Nail Bending eBook

Nail Bending DVD

I look forward to seeing your name on the Red Nail Roster sometime soon down the line.

Happy bending,

Jedd

Check out this pictorial of “Iron Tamer” Dave Whitley’s Red Nail Certification from over the weekend.

Notice how Dave starts high and then swings the arm into position for the bend.

The video shows there is NO WASTED MOTION as he begins the initial kink. There is no shaking of the hands, no energy leak, if you will. The force is all concentrated into the nail. That is the first compression – INWARDS on the nail or bar being bent.

The second compression takes place in the lower body and core. This allows you to continue the kink even further.

You can get stuck in “No Man’s Land” when you don’t kink the bar far enough. The bar freezes there as you try to re-group and get the bend going again, but often, that is where it stays.

This second compression allows for a longer kink, moving you past “No Man’s Land” and deeper into the sweep where you can exert more force.

I never knew about any of this, of course, back in 2004 through 2008 when I was doing more bending. In fact, I never learned it until 2010 when Pavel had me do a bending demo at the RKC Certification weekend. He saw what I was doing, mainly standing straight up while bending. This is something you may do too. If you’re just bending 60D’s all day, then that might work for you, but when you are crossing up into unventured territory in 7-inch long, 5/16-inches thick Cold Rolled Steel territory, otherwise known as the Red Nail, standing mainly straight up is only going to get you so far.

Pavel coached me to drop with the legs and core, and not just lean forward but to actually sink down and compress the core, and I couldn’t believe the difference.

I’ve told Dave a few times already, but one more won’t hurt – “Nice work, brotherrrr!”

If you want to learn more about this Double Compression technique to increase your DO Bending, be sure to grab my Nail Bending DVD. I cover it in there, along with many other technical enhancements you will pick up.

Many small things like this can equate to BIG improvements in your bending. Just like any physical endeavor, technique is SO IMPORTANT.

You must build your house on a strong foundation, otherwise, you might find your kitchen in a sink hole one day.

The same can be said regarding Nail Bending. Your strong foundation is your sound technique, and if you don’t have strong technique, then you are leaving bending power on the table.

All the best in your bending.

Jedd

In March, I attended the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.

This is something I do every year. generally, I compete there in the Mighty Mitts Grip Contest, but an injury kept me from doing that this year, so it was just a Weekend Getaway for me this time.

Between segments of the Strongman Competition and the Grip Contest on the main stage, some good friends of mine, Dennis Rogers, Pat Povilaitis, and Mike Bruce, performed feats of strength.

Here are a handful of them:

“The Human Vise” Pat Povilaitis Bends a Steel Bar Over His Neck World’s Strongest Man Style

Mike “The Machine” Bruce Bends a 12-inch Spike

Grandmaster Strongman Dennis Rogers Bends an Adjustable Wrench

These are just a handful of the feats these amazing Strongmen performed over the course of the weekend. These guys really do some amazing things.

I shot a documentary style video of the entire weekend and put it all on DVD.

The DVD features not just me but also Paul Knight, JT Straussner and Chris Dezendorf hanging out, enjoying the weekend, talking training, and even sharing ghost stories!

To see even more of what we saw, including more awesome feats of strength, the entire Mighty Mitts competition, and more, you can pick up the DVD by clicking the image below. DVD’s are just $19.99.

Enjoy,

Jedd

P.S. Want to perform the same exact Feats of Strength that the guys in the above videos performed? Then check out out DVD, Braced Bending: How to Destroy Everything in Your Path.

Recently, a friend of mine, Nathaiel Brous, was successful in certifying on the IronMind Red Nail. I thought his progress was fantastic, so I asked him if he’d be interested in an interview.

If you love steel bending, I encourage you to check this out. In addition, I encourage you set your goals firmly for tackling the Red Nail. Set your date, lay out your training, and if you need assistance getting there, let me know.

Let’s get this done together in 2013!

And now, Nathaniel Brous:

Jedd: Nathaniel, Tell Us a Bit About Your Athletic Background

I was a pretty active kid and a competitive swimmer in my youth. While I was never really into weight lifting, working construction helped keep me pretty fit into my early twenties. Unfortunately at 23yo I found myself in heart failure and was diagnosed with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (with atrial fibrillation) which severely curtailed my activities. This basically meant I had a weakened, enlarged heart that no longer beat normally…and they had no idea how it happened. I felt I had been cut down, at the time many consider the prime of their lives.

Jedd: That is Something I Have Never Heard of. So, What Made You Get into Grip & Bending?

I have to credit my daughter Abigail with getting me into grip. Because my heart condition had forced me to be relatively stagnant, I lived vicariously through watching physical shows like World Strongest Man and Sasuke (Japan’s premier obstacle course program). In early 2011, we were watching American Ninja Warrior and she said, “You can do that Daddy!” The reality was that I couldn’t – not even close. But, I wondered what would happen if I trained for it. And so my little odyssey began.

I began researching Ninja Warrior and learned about the value of grip. I discovered the Captains of Crush Grippers and Ironmind. These led me to learn of sites like the Gripboard (anwnate) and Diesel Crew.

All successful athletes in Sasuke are slight in build but pound for pound the toughest around. I quite casually throw that in, but don’t really have any doubts of it. It would be a nice discussion in the future. A Urushihara Yuuji or Nagano Makoto interview would be an awesome addition to the Diesel files. Few people even know the insane things these guys do with their grip. Sorry, I digress.

I began my training with a focus with weight loss. I decided to drop 50lbs to get down to my high school weight of 195. I figured from there I could reevaluate. By the way, I’m 6′ 4″ so I wasn’t exactly obese at 245. It took about 6 months to shed the weight and while I felt ok – people were very worried about me. I actually appeared gaunt and sickly…but didn’t even realize it until I started seeing pictures of myself. I question the sanity of the people who created those BMI charts…

Anyway, as I trained, I found that my heart really was holding me back. Due to my intense swimming regimen in the past, I was keenly aware of how my body responded to exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I was making progress and improving, but I knew I was never going to become successful in Ninja Warrior because I couldn’t train as hard as was necessary to become competitive. However, since I had already “gotten off the couch”, I was happy enough to shift gears and my training entirely to “Grip Sport”. Over a period of a year, I built my weight back up, but it was a different (more muscle based) weight.

I can’t tell you how pleased I have been with training Grip. It is something you can get into for little financial cost and make solid gains…regardless of your age, weight or background. I had such a blast at my first event, World’s Strongest Hands 2012 (Wyalusing, PA location)…I didn’t mind getting my butt kicked in the events. I came home with a renewed sense of motivation and purpose. Over time, I have met a great network of people who are extremely supportive and helpful.

(Note from Jedd – Here is Some Footage of Nate at World’s Strongest Hands 2012 on the Wrist Developer)

One of those people, John “Wojo” Wojciechowski was kind enough to invite me to a grip training session at his place. Afterwards, he taught me how to reverse bend a nail. I managed to reverse IM Blue and put a kink in a G5 my first time out. I would say that after my first bend, I was hooked.

Jedd: What Made You Decide to Certify on the Red?

That night when I came home very pumped up about bending. I spoke with my wife Maureen about possibly going for the Red nail. She had been pretty supportive of all my grip work and in quite the Rocky-esque fashion…said “Go for it!” I decided then that I would bend on the “down low” and then do a “double cert.” like Hannes Kainzj. With her blessing, I immediately ordered a bunch of Blues, Reds, and IM Pads. There is a wealth of bending knowledge on the internet, but I would have to credit Jedd’s ebook for setting me on the correct and safe course. I think it should be standard issue for anyone just getting into bending. As it turned out, a pinky issue has really slowed my gripper progress. Just before Christmas, I decided to Cert. the Red by itself and kind of “get on board” if you will.

Jedd: As you Progressed Through the Levels of Bending, Was it Pretty Easy Progress for You, or Were There Struggles? And How Did You Get Through Them?

I was fairly lucky to start where I did with bending, but no matter where you start, there will always be your first wall. For me, that wall was the G8. I struggled with that bar week after week and had almost no visible results. It was quite disheartening. I figured (correctly) that I was missing something pretty basic…but really didn’t know what it was.

I finally decided to slap double IMP’s on the G8 and see what happened. I melted that sucker down to like 80deg (finished it later). This was the beginning of what I’ve named “Reduced Padding Progression.” I certainly didn’t invent the idea, but I may have coined “RPP” as an expression.

It’s a very similar idea to people who progress in grippers. Ideally, you have like 100 rated grippers that you can slowly move up the ranks with. But reality dictates that we don’t have the money, time or luck to collect such a comprehensive collection, so we make do with other means (Vulcan’s, forced closes etc.). In the same vein, an ideal bending situation would mean acquiring slightly harder steel (baby steps) that progresses you from one piece to the next.

RPP provides an alternative route to that. I cut down a pair of IMP’s to 2/3 and 1/3 total length and then a single pad in half. So then I had the opportunity to bend the same piece of steel in 2’s, 1 2/3s, 1 1/2, 1 1/3 and 1’s. While it’s true that bending in doubles and singles are very different beasts…there is not a tremendous difference in technique between any one of these steps from the one before or after it. And…all of them work the same muscles to some extent…particularly the sweep and crush. You could literally take this idea to the extreme and cut the pads down to any fraction that you thought would help.

I took this idea and ran with it. It turned out, I wasn’t bending the G8 because it was “uncomfortable” to hit it hard in the kink. I never (a long time anyway) would have realized this, if I hadn’t de-mystified the G8 by bending it in doubles. A week later I managed the G8 in singles. Right then, I immediately tried and succeeded in bending a Red in doubles.

Over a few weeks, I gradually worked my way down to singles and eventually without bands. I didn’t immediately stop using bigger pads…I took it slow. After a bunch of bends in doubles, 1 2/3 became my “big” pads and this went on until at the very end I was doing the majority of my bends in singles. The hands need time to condition to the stress, and I’m of the opinion that this allowed me to continue training when I otherwise would have bailed. My cert. day actually saw me bend my 100th Red nail.

Jedd: What Would You Recommend to Others Who Might be Interested in Bending Steel and Certifying on the Red Nail

If someone is interested in getting into bending, the first thing I’d recommend would be to learn as much as you can. Again, I must pimp Jedd’s book. It’s really required reading for the beginning nail bender and will save a ton of time, money and possibly doctor’s bills (bending steel carries it’s own risks)

Next, make use of the internet… Youtube, Gripboard, Benders Battlefield. There are a lot of good people out there, more than willing to lend a hand. All you have to do is reach out. Thirdly, don’t skimp on padding. It’s super cheap and (in my opinion) can to get you from point A. to point B.

Since I’ve got the pulpit…there are two more important things I’d like to impart. One I would like to borrow from the poker world. Leaning. When you “lean” on your opponent, you keep pressure on him and generally, the longer you do it, the more of an advantage you gain…until you have all his chips.

There will be times you will want to be more aggressive…there are time you’ll be less aggressive. It won’t be linear, and it won’t be stagnant, it’ll be like an ever-changing and ever-flowing river. But it will always be moving forward. Basically I advise that you “Lean” on your goals. Find out what it is that you want, how you are going to approach it…then start leaning. Any time you can adjust your strategy to exploit something, do so. Whether that be incorporating a new technique, or adding a workout, or subtracting a workout…keep the pressure on your goal. It will have no choice but to fall to your will.

The last thing is just a thought to keep in mind. You don’t get stronger by working out…you get stronger by recovering. Try and stay in tune with your body…call audibles if you have to. We don’t recover based on a chart or our peers, we recover at our own rate…a rate that changes as we age. Know your body and figure out what kind of rest it requires…then allow it to get stronger.

“The most productive and the most difficult thing about grip training is waiting until your body is ready to train again.” – me

Nathaniel’s Red Nail Certification (First 40 Seconds)

Jedd: Nate, thanks for the interview and for sharing that awesome wrapping progression with my readers. That is the first time I have heard anyone lay it out in that way. Very nice work and I wish you well in your pursuit of the Gold Nail. Please keep us posted!

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Jedd: Diesels, if you are looking for guidance to get you to your Steel Bending goals, look no further than the resources below for all the information you need on conditioning, wrapping, technique, and progressing…

Nail Bending eBook | Nail Bending DVD

Free Report on Oldtime Strongman Feats = > Sign up for it Here

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IMPORTANT: My buddy, Iron Tamer Dave Whitley, is doing a benefit to help one of his good friends who was in a car accident: Bending for Burt. He is taking donations. If you would like to help, please check this out.

 

Chances are if you are going to try out steel bending, you are already doing some other form of training. While you want to bend steel and become a good steel bender, you also want to maintain the gains and results you have worked so hard for already.

That is exactly what Ty Byrum is doing – trying to find a way to work bending into his current program without upsetting it too much. Ty wrote in and wanted to know about the best way to add steel bending and other similar feats of strength training into his current training layout.

Here is what Ty is already doing at this time:

     “I bought your bending ebook and
     horseshoe bending video recently and
     I am wanting to know how frequently
     I can train those things. I’m currently
     doing the RKC ladder program Tues and
     Sat, Thursday I squat heavy and do some
     strongman things (farmers walk, sandbag
     loading/ walk, and rope climbing. I do
     gripper/sledgehammer training on Monday
     Wednesday Friday. I just wanted your idea
     on when bending might be optimal and
     when I might need to back off.
     Any info would be appreciative. Thanks-Ty”

Steel Bending is a rewarding form of training that can compliment and support many other types of training as well, IF IT IS IMPLEMENTED CORRECTLY.

As you can tell, Ty is already a busy man who takes his training seriously, so he wants to get the most out of each aspect (Kettlebells, Strongman, Ropes, Bending).

Let’s take a look at some of the important variables to consider when adding nail bending and other forms of steel bending into your program. Mainly, when I help people place bending in their weekly routine, I look at three variables: (1) The type of bending they will be doing, (2) Current types and styles of training they are already doing, and (3) Their own personal recovery abilities.

The Type of Bending

The type of bending you are doing can make a huge difference in when you will be able to do it, how much, and how long you will take to recover.

For instance, if you are doing nail bending, that does not use nearly the amount of muscle mass and energy as horseshoe bending, for example.

I truly feel that Horseshoe Bending is one of the most athletic forms of bending, because it requires you to produce strength in many more positions than say Reverse Bending a Nail or Double Overhand Bending a steel bar.

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Reverse Bending the Red Nail

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In general, any type of non-braced bending will be “easier” on your body than braced bending, because you are not pressing steel against a part of your body.

Also, with Non-Braced styles of Bending, for the most part you stay standing up, while with braced bending, you must bend forward much more, in order to kink the bar or shoe against the thigh.

With non-braced bending, you are using your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and torso to create the kink and work through the sweep.

As a result, Braced Bending wipes out your core much more because the lats, abdominals, lower back and glutes are stressed much more heavily.

So, as you can see, the type of bending plays a huge roll in deciding when to properly place it in your training week.

Now, let’s look at the next factor to use for deciding how often you can bend.

What You Are Already Doing in Your Training

This factor is very important in determining how much bending you can add into your training program, as well as how often you can add it in there.

For instance, if you are already training two hours per session and you are training 4 to 5 days per week, then chances are you are already producing a great deal of volume in your training.

It really doesn’t matter what kind of training you do, if you are putting in 6.5 to 8 training hours per week, you are doing a lot of Volume.

In Ty’s case, we know he focuses on body training Tues (RKC Ladder), Thurs (Squats/Strongman/Rope Climbs), and Sat (RKC Ladder again).

We also know that on Mon/Wed/Fri, Ty works on his grippers and sledgehammers.

The thing that jumps out at me, right away, is to stay away from Thursdays. That looks to be the most intense day of training, with Squats, Strongman Training and Rope Climbs. Adding in something strenuous like bending on that day is a recipe for CNS burnout, lack of results, and potential injury.

While there is something to be said about multi-joint training either before or paired with grip work and bending, Ty just has too much going on that day right now.

On Tuesdays & Saturdays, Ty is doing what he calls an RKC Ladder (Kettlebell Work). He doesn’t specify exactly what that it is, but I think it is safe to assume that he is doing presses and maybe even some snatches, along with swings and maybe even Turkish Get-ups. That sounds like a pretty good day for some bending!

The reason I say this is because Kettlebell work is great for getting the shoulders ready to do other work, and bending is one type of training that seems to benefit from Kettlebell work, because it is done overhead.

Bench Pressing, however, which is a horizontal push, wears out the pecs and makes it very hard to produce the force needed to bend steel.

One of his Kettlebell days, maybe Saturday, might be a good day to add in some bending…

However, also notice that Ty is doing three days of pretty much the same work: Grippers & Sledgehammer Training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

BINGO!

We have just found the best days to add in some bending. Most people do not need 3 days of Grippers
to see progress, and most people do not need 3 days of Sledgehammer work. So my suggestion is to completely wipe out one of those days and make it the primary bending day.

So, looking at the schedule one more time, Ty’s training week looks like this:

     Monday: Grippers / Sledge
     Tuesday: Kettlebells
     Wednesday: Grippers / Sledge
     Thursday: (Squats/Strongman/Rope Climbs),
     Friday: Grippers / Sledge
     Saturday: Kettlebells
     Sunday: Dude finally gets a day off – LOL!

In looking at this schedule, my suggestion is for Ty to place his main Bending day on Wednesdays, and there are many reasons why.

1. Monday stays Gripper day. He can do Grippers hard on Monday and have several days over the course of the week to recover a bit and then hit them hard again on Friday.

2. Tuesday won’t work as a bending day because he is going to start bending on Wednesday.

3. I am willing to bet the Thursday sessions kicks his ass. We already said it would be too much to add bending on that day, and I bet he might feel like toast the next day as well, so both Thursday and Friday are out.

4. Friday remains a day of Grip, a fantastic day to do so because for most people the work week is over and you can relax and enjoy some Grippin’.

5. Saturday is another Kettlebell day. Like I said, overhead training does not affect bending too much, but it does some. I would not make either Kettlebell day the primary day of bending where Ty sets his goals on dominating steel.

So, that pretty much leaves with Wednesday. Wednesday is still very early in the training week, especially considering that at this point he will only have had one body training day and a grip day. He should have plenty left in the tank and not feel too beat up at this point.

Also, after he gets used to bending, he won’t feel too many effects of the bending on his big strongman day either. Maybe the first couple of weeks he will see a drop in his farmer walk hold times, but that will go away soon.

A couple of other things…

• 1. If he so desired, Ty could also add in a second day of bending that is lighter on either one of his Sledge days (Friday) or on his second Kettlebell days (Saturday).

  This would not be necessary for a couple of weeks. It would mainly be used to work on form and technique, and not as a PR day by any means.

• 2. Ty might want to re-consider all the extra sledgehammer work now that he is bending. Sledgehammer training is mainly useful as a way to get conditioned for bending – injury prevention, if you will. It doesn’t do much for bringing up your bending. Bending improves bending. So, Ty might want to gradually phase out the Sledgehammer training for the most part.

Recovery Abilities

The next main factor we will discuss is your personal ability to recover from your training.

This is the X-factor that makes it so hard for me to tell people how often to bend – how much time do they need in order to recover enough to hit it hard the next time.

It would be great if you could bend steel every day but most people can’t do that or they will end up with tendonitis or tennis elbow, or some other over-use injury that will hold them back.

Everybody has a natural “recovery ability.” For some, it might be 2 or 3 days and they are ready to slay dragons.

For others, they might need a little longer and can only hit the steel at a high level once per week.

The trick is figuring all of this out without having an injury.

Since I wrote my Nail Bending eBook, I have always suggested that people who have never done any grip training or steel bending before to do at least a 3 to 6 week ramp-up of just basic forearm training.

For instance, in my ebook, I talk about the 6 main functions of the wrist and forearm (FERUPS: Flexion, Extension, Radial Deviation, Ulnar Deviation, Pronation, Supination).

And I lay out an approach over several weeks where you focus in on each of these movement patterns in order to condition the muscles and connective tissues to direct training stress.

Gradually over the course of this training layout, you work the lower arms more intensely and more often. During this period, you can get a very good idea of how long it takes you to recover from an intense session. Also, as this program progresses, we gradually work Bending into the program and begin doing the direct forearm work less. Eventually, all you are doing is bending and you have a very good idea of what your recovery abilities are.

This is one way I have helped new benders get started on the right foot. They build the solid foundation first, and then the gains come quicker.

I encourage you to give yourself the time you need and work up slowly when you start bending.

Of course, there are many other things you can do to optimize your recovery, all of which are outlined in the ebook.

Applying This Process To Your Scenario

This is the process you can use for yourself when you want to find the best day(s) to bend for you. Think about the following:

• What Type of Bending Will I Be Doing: In general Braced Bending is harder on the overall body that Non-Braced.
• What Type of Training Am I Already Doing: The training you are doing and want to keep doing can dictate where Bending will be placed.
• How Well Do I Recover: This is a relative issue for all benders and must be considered on an individual basis. Not everyone can bend multiple days a week, nor does everyone need to.

For most people who have a full training schedule, one serious bending day is enough. A second day can be used for technical improvements, but multiple days per week are excess in most cases and truly not needed.

Most people that do a great deal of bending each week have either been doing it for a very, very long time and have worked up to it, they don’t do very much per session, or they are complete freaks.

So please do not think that you have to bend 3 or 4 days per week in order to progress.

If you want more information on getting started bending the right way, you need the Nail Bending eBook.

Remember, it’s all about YOUR SUCCESS. Nothing pleases me more than people who have read my ebook getting rectified for bending the Red Nail, and shooting right past me in the rankings.

I like it when my students surpass their teacher!

All the best with your bending.

Jedd

P.S. Check out the Strongman Show my buddy, Iron Tamer Dave Whitley is doing to benefit one of his good friends who was in a car accident: Bending for Burt. He is taking donations. If you would like to help, please check this out.

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Don’t Waste Your Time Fumbling Through Bending Techniques. That’s Busch League!
Use the Techniques That Have Helped Hundreds of Other Benders Learn Their Craft Right.

Get the Nail Bending eBook. Click the Image Above. Start Bending in the Big Leagues.

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DIESELS,

Happy Labor Day. I hope you get the chance to enjoy some nice time with your friends or family. I made sure to get up early as usual and get some work done before enjoying the beautiful day.

I also got in a session with my only personal training client, Mark. He loves training, so I never have a problem working with him. He comes in, kicks his own ass, and loves every second of the training I put him through.

I thought I would take the time to answer some questions I have gotten recently. I figured I’d start with the hardest one to answer/admit.

Q: Jedd, what ever happened to your muscle-up goal? I remember something you posted a long time ago but haven’t seen anything since.

A: The truth is, I have not trained the muscle-up in quite some time. It just got to be too big of a pain in the neck to set everything up. My old squat rack was extremely light, so I had to load all this extra weight on the other side to keep it from tipping. In one workout, I buggered up my shoulder a bit, so I avoided the movement for a while. I was still hitting the same heights once it was feeling better though, so the time off didn’t really hurt me or hinder my progress.

Then, I came to realize that if I ever did complete the muscle-up, I’d probably either crack my head open or break my neck on the ceiling. It never registered how close I was coming to the structure above, so when I was training it, I was moving the cage over to the car-portion of the garage. One thing led to another and I began bagging the training. That was late 2010, so it’s been almost two years.

What I have been continuing to do is many versions of Pull-ups. I have used many different handles, added weight, changed tempos, etc. Below is a video of me working on the Rogue Fitness Dog Bone. This thing is sick. The only thing tougher to do Pull-ups on is the Globe.

I have used the Dog Bone for my Pull-ups several times over the last few weeks. This is unlike conventional Pull-ups or Chins in many ways:

1. Open Hand Grip: You can’t help but build hand strength with this device. You can’t get a wrap around the handles because they are so large.

2. Intense Chest Compression: Your upper arms end up adducted and it brings in the pectoralis muscles in much more than regular pull-ups/chin-ups.

3. Wrist Component: Having the hands on top of the globes like in the video lights the wrists and forearms up like a Christmas tree. If your wrists are a weakness in your sport, you should try this piece out.

I could only do two reps when I first started hitting these. Now my best is 6 reps with no weight added, and I have already moved up to adding a 25-lb plate, as you’ll see in the video.

I love doing Pull-ups and Chins, and I will eventually master the Muscle-up. But for right now, I am enjoying the Rogue Equipment too much. After trying them for about a month and a half, I am perfectly comfortable recommending them. Check out their catalog here.

Someone said they heard that Rogue’s equipment was of crappy quality. I don’t see how they can think that, judging by what I have used. While it isn’t covered in chrome and is more Johnny Cash style of equipment, I don’t see any flaws with the gear and I see no weak points. Every indicator is that this stuff will last for a long time.

---

This next question was not asked directly to me. It was on the Gripboard. But, I have been asked this question many times so I thought I’d post it here as well.

Q: [I want to get better at Double Overhand Bending.] But, for now, reverse bending with the bar at or above shoulder height seems to be considerably easier than any other style. Especially with the bar in close to my shoulder.

My question – is this considered a legit form for bending or is it considered sloppy or cheating? Am I wasting time continuing to kink in this manner? Is it smarter to transition to DO sooner rather than later?

A. First off, let’s just quickly define the major bending techniques.

Double Overhand Technique

There is Double Overhand where the hands are placed at the end of the bar/bolt/nail. The hands are positioned between a pronated and neutral position, then the ends of the bar are bent down into an inverted U-shape.

Double Underhand Technique

There is Double Underhand, where the hands are placed at the ends of the bar, but now they are oriented between supination and neutral, then the bar is bent into a U-shape.

Reverse Style Bending

Finally, there is also Reverse style, where the hands are oriented in neutral and then slightly deviated, with one hand “overhand” and the other “underhand.” A completed bend is when the angle of the bar reaches 40-degress and there is usually a time limit involved.

Each of these styles have their own benefits and shortcomings. Double Over and Double Under can be used to bring more upper body strength into the execution, which generally leads to bigger bends. Reverse, however, is one that is much more “pure grip strength,” testing the wrist and forearm more intently, although not entirely.

However, if you have mobility issues and are unable to get into the positions, then you will also be unable to benefit from the two power positions. Some people, like the person who asked the question, then must find other ways to start the first part of the bend, called the kink.

One of the main guys that got me inspired to try bending back in 2002/2003 was Pat Povilaitis. He said that he used to get bends started with Reverse until his shoulders and torso loosened up enough to get into a good position for the DO Kink. So, that is what I did as well for the first few years, eventually bending a Red Nail with a Reverse Kink and then a DO finish.

So, I was in the same boat as the person who asked this question.

Is a Reverse Kink cheating or sloppy technique? No way. Actually, for most people, Reverse is much harder that DO or DU, so getting the bend started with Reverse and then transitioning to a stronger style to finish is no problem whatsoever.

During the time where you need to use both techniques in order to fully bend a nail, it is a good idea to work on figuring out what is keeping you from getting into the DO Power Position. Are your arms so big that they don’t allow you to bring the bar up high? Are your shoulders so tight that you can pull them back? Are your pecs and biceps too tight? Is your upper back weak? Are your triceps tight? Is it a fascial issue?

All of these are possible explanations why someone would have trouble getting into the DO Power Position. Addressing these issues will help you get into the position.

However, my friend, Jason Steeves, pointed out that there are limitations in the height you can bend the bar in most cases. The writer mentions bending the bar at or above shoulder height. The cut-off for most bending lists are head height. This is something to watch.

The reason there is a cut-off, I believe, is to limit the engagement of the lats in the bend. This keeps the emphasis on wrist strength. By practicing the technique and focusing intently on the lats, you can still get them involved in the bend. However, the most important point here is that if you are bending for a certain list or certification, you should practice the way you will be required to bend for that list. Some lists require the use of very small pads, limiting the amount of force that can be exerted into the ends of the bar. Others require very thin wraps, reducing padding and heightening the factor of pain tolerance.

However, in my experience, if you perform a Reverse Bend and keep the bar above your head the entire time without arching your back, the bend seems much harder. That could just be me though. I know if I paint something with my arm straight up in the air for more than ten seconds, it feels like my arm is going to die. This has been ever since the late 90’s long before I ever tried bending, strongman or any other non-conventional training methods. I am left only to blame this issue on bad genetics and playing baseball…

For more detailed Bending Technique instruction, you should check out my Nail Bending eBook. It breaks every one of thee techniques down for you, plus it covers some other lesser common bending styles.

---

This last one comes from YouTube. I put up a video about a year ago where I talk about increasing deadlift grip, and I mentioned that Fat Bar Training is not always the best way to go about it. I got the following question:

Q: So are Fat Gripz a waste of money then?

A: Fat Gripz are absolutely NOT a waste of money. They allow you to turn dozens of exercises into thick bar exercises almost instantly without buying or building axles or thick handle loadable dumbbells. Plus, I think they will survive an atomic bomb blast, so they are a safe investment.

My point in that video was this. If your grip fails when doing Deadlifts, you need to train specifically for improving your Deadlift Grip.

The Deadlift Grip (for most people) is an alternated grip on a thin bar. In most cases, the time under tension requirement for the pull overwhelms your grip endurance. For most people, this means they need to train holding more weight for longer periods of time, or you need to finish your deadlift faster so that you don’t reach your grip strength endurance threshold.

In many cases, when people train with a thicker bar, the size difference is so substantial that it trains the hands in a slightly different way. Obviously, the same muscles are being worked, but the orientation of the hands and loading are different. Going from a one-inch bar to a 2-inch or even 2.5 or 3-inch bar could end up being too big of a size difference to get good carryover back to deadlifting on a regular bar.

Aside from working with a heavier barbell to load the hands specifically, I also suggest wearing some leather work gloves while deadlifting in that video. This increases the perceived size of the bar. The bar itself doesn’t change, but the fact that the glove material sits between your fingers and the bar keeps the fingers slightly more open so the bar seems slightly larger. The same effect can be gotten by wrapping a towel over the bar and gripping it, but it slipped my mind to mention this because I was driving. You can see the video I am talking about here.

Will thick bar training improve hand strength? Absolutely. It is a great way to train for general hand strength. However, I think the best way to bring your deadlifting support strength up is by doing work of a more specific nature.

That’s all for now. I was going to answer more questions, but this post got big in a hurry, so I will make sure to answer more down the line. Feel free to leave comments with any questions you might have.

Stay tuned for future posts. Sign up for my free newsletter below.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

DIESELS,
Happy Labor Day. I hope you get the chance to enjoy some nice time with your friends or family. I made sure to get up early as usual and get some work done before enjoying the beautiful day.

I also got in a session with my only personal training client, Mark. He loves training, so I never have a problem working with him. He comes in, kicks his own ass, and loves every second of the training I put him through.
I thought I would take the time to answer some questions I have gotten recently. I figured I’d start with the hardest one to answer/admit.
Q: Jedd, what ever happened to your muscle-up goal? I remember something you posted a long time ago but haven’t seen anything since.
A: The truth is, I have not trained the muscle-up in quite some time. It just got to be too big of a pain in the neck to set everything up. My old squat rack was extremely light, so I had to load all this extra weight on the other side to keep it from tipping. In one workout, I buggered up my shoulder a bit, so I avoided the movement for a while. I was still hitting the same heights once it was feeling better though, so the time off didn’t really hurt me or hinder my progress.
Then, I came to realize that if I ever did complete the muscle-up, I’d probably either crack my head open or break my neck on the ceiling. It never registered how close I was coming to the structure above, so when I was training it, I was moving the cage over to the car-portion of the garage. One thing led to another and I began bagging the training. That was late 2010, so it’s been almost two years.
What I have been continuing to do is many versions of Pull-ups. I have used many different handles, added weight, changed tempos, etc. Below is a video of me working on the Rogue Fitness Dog Bone. This thing is sick. The only thing tougher to do Pull-ups on is the Globe.
I have used the Dog Bone for my Pull-ups several times over the last few weeks. This is unlike conventional Pull-ups or Chins in many ways:
1. Open Hand Grip: You can’t help but build hand strength with this device. You can’t get a wrap around the handles because they are so large.
2. Intense Chest Compression: Your upper arms end up adducted and it brings in the pectoralis muscles in much more than regular pull-ups/chin-ups.
3. Wrist Component: Having the hands on top of the globes like in the video lights the wrists and forearms up like a Christmas tree. If your wrists are a weakness in your sport, you should try this piece out.
I could only do two reps when I first started hitting these. Now my best is 6 reps with no weight added, and I have already moved up to adding a 25-lb plate, as you’ll see in the video.

I love doing Pull-ups and Chins, and I will eventually master the Muscle-up. But for right now, I am enjoying the Rogue Equipment too much. After trying them for about a month and a half, I am perfectly comfortable recommending them. Check out their catalog here.
Someone said they heard that Rogue’s equipment was of crappy quality. I don’t see how they can think that, judging by what I have used. While it isn’t covered in chrome and is more Johnny Cash style of equipment, I don’t see any flaws with the gear and I see no weak points. Every indicator is that this stuff will last for a long time.

---

This next question was not asked directly to me. It was on the Gripboard. But, I have been asked this question many times so I thought I’d post it here as well.
Q: [I want to get better at Double Overhand Bending.] But, for now, reverse bending with the bar at or above shoulder height seems to be considerably easier than any other style. Especially with the bar in close to my shoulder.
My question – is this considered a legit form for bending or is it considered sloppy or cheating? Am I wasting time continuing to kink in this manner? Is it smarter to transition to DO sooner rather than later?
A. First off, let’s just quickly define the major bending techniques.

Double Overhand Technique
There is Double Overhand where the hands are placed at the end of the bar/bolt/nail. The hands are positioned between a pronated and neutral position, then the ends of the bar are bent down into an inverted U-shape.

Double Underhand Technique
There is Double Underhand, where the hands are placed at the ends of the bar, but now they are oriented between supination and neutral, then the bar is bent into a U-shape.

Reverse Style Bending
Finally, there is also Reverse style, where the hands are oriented in neutral and then slightly deviated, with one hand “overhand” and the other “underhand.” A completed bend is when the angle of the bar reaches 40-degress and there is usually a time limit involved.
Each of these styles have their own benefits and shortcomings. Double Over and Double Under can be used to bring more upper body strength into the execution, which generally leads to bigger bends. Reverse, however, is one that is much more “pure grip strength,” testing the wrist and forearm more intently, although not entirely.
However, if you have mobility issues and are unable to get into the positions, then you will also be unable to benefit from the two power positions. Some people, like the person who asked the question, then must find other ways to start the first part of the bend, called the kink.

One of the main guys that got me inspired to try bending back in 2002/2003 was Pat Povilaitis. He said that he used to get bends started with Reverse until his shoulders and torso loosened up enough to get into a good position for the DO Kink. So, that is what I did as well for the first few years, eventually bending a Red Nail with a Reverse Kink and then a DO finish.
So, I was in the same boat as the person who asked this question.
Is a Reverse Kink cheating or sloppy technique? No way. Actually, for most people, Reverse is much harder that DO or DU, so getting the bend started with Reverse and then transitioning to a stronger style to finish is no problem whatsoever.
During the time where you need to use both techniques in order to fully bend a nail, it is a good idea to work on figuring out what is keeping you from getting into the DO Power Position. Are your arms so big that they don’t allow you to bring the bar up high? Are your shoulders so tight that you can pull them back? Are your pecs and biceps too tight? Is your upper back weak? Are your triceps tight? Is it a fascial issue?
All of these are possible explanations why someone would have trouble getting into the DO Power Position. Addressing these issues will help you get into the position.
However, my friend, Jason Steeves, pointed out that there are limitations in the height you can bend the bar in most cases. The writer mentions bending the bar at or above shoulder height. The cut-off for most bending lists are head height. This is something to watch.
The reason there is a cut-off, I believe, is to limit the engagement of the lats in the bend. This keeps the emphasis on wrist strength. By practicing the technique and focusing intently on the lats, you can still get them involved in the bend. However, the most important point here is that if you are bending for a certain list or certification, you should practice the way you will be required to bend for that list. Some lists require the use of very small pads, limiting the amount of force that can be exerted into the ends of the bar. Others require very thin wraps, reducing padding and heightening the factor of pain tolerance.
However, in my experience, if you perform a Reverse Bend and keep the bar above your head the entire time without arching your back, the bend seems much harder. That could just be me though. I know if I paint something with my arm straight up in the air for more than ten seconds, it feels like my arm is going to die. This has been ever since the late 90’s long before I ever tried bending, strongman or any other non-conventional training methods. I am left only to blame this issue on bad genetics and playing baseball…
For more detailed Bending Technique instruction, you should check out my Nail Bending eBook. It breaks every one of thee techniques down for you, plus it covers some other lesser common bending styles.

---

This last one comes from YouTube. I put up a video about a year ago where I talk about increasing deadlift grip, and I mentioned that Fat Bar Training is not always the best way to go about it. I got the following question:
Q: So are Fat Gripz a waste of money then?
A: Fat Gripz are absolutely NOT a waste of money. They allow you to turn dozens of exercises into thick bar exercises almost instantly without buying or building axles or thick handle loadable dumbbells. Plus, I think they will survive an atomic bomb blast, so they are a safe investment.
My point in that video was this. If your grip fails when doing Deadlifts, you need to train specifically for improving your Deadlift Grip.
The Deadlift Grip (for most people) is an alternated grip on a thin bar. In most cases, the time under tension requirement for the pull overwhelms your grip endurance. For most people, this means they need to train holding more weight for longer periods of time, or you need to finish your deadlift faster so that you don’t reach your grip strength endurance threshold.
In many cases, when people train with a thicker bar, the size difference is so substantial that it trains the hands in a slightly different way. Obviously, the same muscles are being worked, but the orientation of the hands and loading are different. Going from a one-inch bar to a 2-inch or even 2.5 or 3-inch bar could end up being too big of a size difference to get good carryover back to deadlifting on a regular bar.
Aside from working with a heavier barbell to load the hands specifically, I also suggest wearing some leather work gloves while deadlifting in that video. This increases the perceived size of the bar. The bar itself doesn’t change, but the fact that the glove material sits between your fingers and the bar keeps the fingers slightly more open so the bar seems slightly larger. The same effect can be gotten by wrapping a towel over the bar and gripping it, but it slipped my mind to mention this because I was driving. You can see the video I am talking about here.
Will thick bar training improve hand strength? Absolutely. It is a great way to train for general hand strength. However, I think the best way to bring your deadlifting support strength up is by doing work of a more specific nature.
That’s all for now. I was going to answer more questions, but this post got big in a hurry, so I will make sure to answer more down the line. Feel free to leave comments with any questions you might have.
Stay tuned for future posts. Sign up for my free newsletter below.

All the best in your training.
Jedd

Chuck Sipes

I got a review copy of an ebook package on Chuck Sipes called Chuck Sipes Power Storm this week and I must say the guy was impressive. Here are a few pictures I found of him showing some of the awesome stuff he did.

While a lot of the oldtime bodybuilders are cool and all, I haven’t found a great deal of evidence that they bent steel on top of hitting the iron relentlessly, but Chuck Sipes did. In fact, he doubled as a regularly performing strongman during the 1960’s while maintaining a world-class physique, reportedly all drug-free.

Text-book reverse bending technique, above. Check out the location of the nail in relation to his thumb .

Here he is crushing down what is most likely a 60D (60-penny) spike. It looks as if he just wrapped them in a small towel. Bending 60D’s with minimal wrapping like that involves a tremendous amount of pain tolerance. Chuck was obviously an intense dude.

Sipes didn’t just do the short non-braced bends, he also did the long braced feats. While I don’t know how far he went with the finish, whether he just put a U in the bar or if he “fished” them wrapped them into a scroll, above it shows he had some massive arm and shoulder strength to be bending bars in this way.

I can’t even imagine how many magazines must have featured Sipes back in the day.

My bouts of research on Chuck Sipes have been very impressive. My biggest take-away from it all was his work ethic. Maintaining his physique would have been much easier if he were not employed as a lumberjack, working long shifts, with less-than-optimal meal conditions, I’m sure, yet he managed to make it happen, keeping himself as hard as the mountain rock that he walked on. Keep that in mind next time you are feeling run-down after a day’s work.

For more inspiration, you can read more about Chuck Sipes,one damn intense dude, right here: Chuck Sipes Power Storm

All the best in your training,

Jedd

TGA Member Spotlight: Jason Steeves

Today, I want to spotlight someone from The Grip Authority, my Grip Strength coaching site, Jason Steeves. Jason is someone who has put forth a great deal of effort in order to improve his technique and accomplish his goals in the area of Grip Strength development.

A lot of people are surprised when they join TGA because it is not like a lo of other Membership Sites. The way I run TGA is I try to be like a coach, sort of as if we are all on a baseball or football team. As the Coach, I try my best to help develop everyone on the team (the members).

And just like any conventional sport, where each player needs specific skills and must improve certain parts of their game in order to excel in their position, each one of my members has their own particular goals, and I do my best to help them all develop them.

Part of being a coach is to put out recognition of the improvements that I am noticing, and in the past I have kept this recognition primarily within the TGA group itself, BUT, now I want to bring some of that recognition outside as well.

Jason is a great example of a coachable member on the team. By coachable, I mean, he takes suggestions and gives them an honest try in his training to see whether they work for him, and then gives me feedback so I know it is working (or not).

Jason makes my “job” as “Coach” easy – Jason regularly makes comments on the TGA Blog about the monthly features and instructional videos, and even sometimes I’ll get an email from him.

Jason is also a great team player. We have a private Facebook group for the Members at The Grip Authority, and he is one of the most active members, often making posts within threads, “Liking” posts, and showing others encouragement when they post videos.

So I sent a note to Jason a few months back about doing a spotlight here and he agreed. I have been meaning to post it for some time and wanted to go ahead and do so today.

Interview with Jason Steeves

Jedd: How did you learn about TGA?

Jason: I think I first heard about TGA through the Grip Strength Radio pieces you were doing Jedd. I really enjoyed them and the call ins and wish that more people would’ve participated as there was a lot of good information floating around and some good interviews.

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Jedd: Did you have any reservations about signing up?

Jason: I guess I just wasn’t sure what to expect so I didn’t end up signing on towards the end of the first year you had TGA running.

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Jedd: Why did you end up joining The Grip Authority?

Jason: I’m in a position that I can help support grip to some extent and want to really help Jedd and the others that are devoting so much time and effort to get this thing off the ground. Once I was on there I found a wealth of great training information and have implemented much of it into my own.

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Jedd: What were your expectations when you joined TGA?

Jason: Get in touch with more of the grip community and to improve on my own endeavors in grip.

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Jedd: What are some of the things you have learned since joining The Grip Authority?

Jason: There’s a lot that I’ve picked up here at TGA. Some of the pinching volume and reverse bending tweaks are what stand out in my mind. Probably the thing that I’ve learned that gets utilized the most is implementing the band hammer curls which I super-set with band press-downs. This is a tremendous recovery aid (I think it blows the pipes up a tad too :D). Reverse bending if I end up doing to much of it can really bugger up my elbow area. These exercises can take that pain away significantly and quickly.

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Jedd: What are some of the features you like about The Grip Authority.com?

Jason: I really like the audio, workouts of the month and the interaction we get on Facebook although I wish more people were more active there as well. For anyone who’s reading this some of the best coaching you can get is to shoot a video of yourself and put it up. People are usually very friendly and knowledgeable in this community and can help bring your gains to the forefront. I think that for TGA to be the best that it can be we need that interaction vs just waiting for Jedd to show us stuff all of the time. Use the group, interact.

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Jedd: What are some of the improvements you have made since coming onto The Grip Authority?

Jason: I can specifically state that through information that you’ve provided us my wide pinch drastically improved allowing me to pinch my wide 35’s, 5 dimes, get almost 70# on a 4″ HSS pinch trainer I made, 50# Legacy blob and damn close to my blob50 and regular York blob.

I also took my reverse bending from wobbling gr8 bolts to demolishing them, red nails, all sorts of FBBC stock and placing certs on the Benders Battlefield and David Horne’s World of Grip. I’m also sitting at a half decent spot with my 5/8″ braced bending.

I didn’t really focus real hard on grippers last year but maintained a level of being able to close my #3’s with a parallel set anytime I want and have TNS my 2.5 a few times.

My two hand pinch is also on the way up. I’ve been mainly using my Saxon bar for the past bit but am consistently getting pulls of 215 or so and the number keeps climbing.

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Jedd: Who else do you think should join TGA? Anyone you think would benefit from the info in particular?

Jason: Definitely anyone with any sport aspirations. A persons hands and wrists are the final link of our power transfer and to many people misuse lifting straps leaving them gym strong but not work strong.

One of the main reasons I like it is it’s fun though. Doing feats of strength like the oldtime strongmen, farmers and tradesmen is a good show for anyone. Eyes open pretty good when you start quartering decks of cards, bending steel, ripping phonebooks, etc.

The grip community is also really good and most people freely share information and stories as well as implements and such to people who’re in need. Plus it’s pretty interesting to figure out who all of these characters are, talk with them and compete with them. I love this sport 🙂

---

I really want to think Jason for letting me do this spotlight with him and for being a long-time supporter of my site and my efforts. It has been awesome watching him improve on many lifts, especially his pinching feats. The “student” has truly surpassed the teacher in this case, as well, because I think he would thoroughly Kick My Ass in a reverse bending contest now.

As a kid, I always saw myself one day becoming a baseball coach, since it seemed like I played baseball FOREVER, but after trying that here and there, I realized that it just wasn’t my passion to do that.

Instead, my passion is Grip Strength Training, Feats of Strength, and things along those lines, and it feels awesome to watch a video of one of my guys or gals (yes, I have women on the site too) accomplishing awesome feats they have been training so long and hard for.

Jason, keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing even more out of you.

For everyone else who’d like to come aboard The Grip Authority, <= click that link. Jedd

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…

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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

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

All the best in your training,

Jedd

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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

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Want to learn how to do Feats of Strength? Check out these trusted resources:

How to Bend Horseshoes

How to Bend Nails, Bolt and Short Steel

How to Tear Cards

How to Tear Phone Books

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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.

The “Beast In The East” Steel Bending Comp
Promoted by Mike Krahling
Submitted by Mike Rinderle

The Beast in the East Steel Bending Competition will be held this Saturday, May 14th, at 10AM. Some of the best steel benders in the United States will be converging on Exton, PA to compete for hundreds of dollars in cash and prizes.
(more…)

Footage via amuricankb on YouTube

Above, you’ll see Dennis Rogers (who happens to be a Diesel Iron Master) and Pat Povilaitis performing prior to the Mighty Mitts competition at the Arnold Strength Expo from last weekend.

(more…)

Diesel Universe, it’s Time to VOTE!!!!!!

The challenge was to bend a 60D Nail. Who do you think did so in the most improessive fashion? Put your vote in the comments section below!!!

Daniel Reinard – Hanging Upside-Down

Zach Lister – Reppin’ BassPro with Loose Wraps

Darrin Shallman – Uses a G5 as a Warm-up for a Spike

David Wigren – Tiny Pads

Andy Thomas – Wrapped in 3 Paper Towels

Ben Edwards – Various Lifts Leading up to a Bend

Carl Ansara – Pulling a Car, Carrying Kettlebells

Junie Davis – Upside Down with KB in Teeth

So, who is the winner this week? Put your vote in the comments section!

Thanks!

Jedd

Even though I released the Nail Bending DVD over two months ago, the fantastic feedback continues to roll in. I really appreciate the kind words that you have been sending in, and I’d like to share more of it with you.

Get your copy of Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands < = Click That Link

I’m a happy guy Jedd. At 2 different times today I was able to crush the yellow nail. Once at home and then Down at the gym after all the guys yanked on it, and couldn’t move it. So that’s 2 today full crush.

Your Dvd has helped me tons and I get new stuff from it every time I look at it. What a treasure. Thanks again for putting out a awesome product! I’m eyeballing that blue nail, LOL…
Tom Guthrie

I received this awesome DVD at the at the start of the year. Only two weeks in and I already have a growing pile of destroyed nails and a grin from ear to ear. Very informative, clear explanations of techniques from beginning to end with absolutely no confusion. The section on injury prevention and rehab
is worth the asking price alone. If you want to progress quickly and safely with this unique skill this is a great way to start. Thank You!!
Alastair Hart
Enthusiastic Newcomer from the UK

After reading the Bending eBook, I went out and bent a 7″ piece of CRS and a 6″ Piece of CRS! Imagine my disappointment when Ace Hardware didn’t have 60D nails!

I watched the DVD last night. The Technique, and Wrapping sections were priceless. The stretching, recovery, assistance drills, were like the icing on the cake! It’s like you let out ALL THE SECRETS!

I wondered how to wrap the head of the nail. It makes total sense now! More great stuff from Diesel Crew!!!

Marc M. McLellan
Special Investigative Support Technician, Federal Bureau of Prisons

Submit your feedback by leaving a comment below or post it on my wall.

There were only two submissions last week, and Josh McIntyre came out on top.

Is there anyone who can beat Josh McIntyre in the Diesel Crew Grip Feat of the Week?

Josh McIntyre (winner)

(more…)

There were only two submissions last week, and Josh McIntyre came out on top.
Is there anyone who can beat Josh McIntyre in the Diesel Crew Grip Feat of the Week?

Josh McIntyre (winner)

(more…)

Like a 50-Ton Boulder in an 80’s Adventure Movie, the Killer Feedback is Still ROLLING In!

That BUZZ you hear off in the distance is NOT the sound of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Natural Gas Mining activity or the clamoring about the new season of American Idol.

It is the humming of anticipation from the people waiting for their copy of the Nail Bending DVD, and the praise the DVD continues to get.

When I designed this DVD, my goal was to make it something that anyone could benefit from, especially new benders and those who have had very little coaching.
(more…)

Like a 50-Ton Boulder in an 80’s Adventure Movie, the Killer Feedback is Still ROLLING In!

That BUZZ you hear off in the distance is NOT the sound of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Natural Gas Mining activity or the clamoring about the new season of American Idol.
It is the humming of anticipation from the people waiting for their copy of the Nail Bending DVD, and the praise the DVD continues to get.
When I designed this DVD, my goal was to make it something that anyone could benefit from, especially new benders and those who have had very little coaching.
(more…)

Three Red Nail, slain by the Iron Tamer David Whitley, IronTamer.com

The Steel Onslaught Continues

If you live near Nashville, TN and think you are smelling the aroma of molten lava streaming down the side of a volcano, that is actually the smell of Red Nails being melted with hand power by the Iron Tamer Dave Whitley.

A few months back, in preparation for the RKC, I gave Dave a call to ask for pointers for preparing for the snatch test.

During the conversation, he said that he had been bending recently and had just hit a Grade 8.

“Bro, you’re close to a Red Nail,” I said.

“Really??” he said back.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Dave continued to hit Grade 8’s, but could not tackle the Red.

Then I had him shoot a video of his technique so I could look at it.

Sure enough, he was Chicken Winging a bit.

We worked on his technique a bit over the phone and sure enough within a couple more weeks I heard back from Dave and he was kinking Red Nails.

A few weeks later, he finished off his first Red Nail.

Flash forward a few more weeks and he posted the picture at the top of this post on his blog, bending 4 Red Nails in one training session – AWESOME!

Check out what he had to say recently about the Nail Bending DVD…

From Dave Whitley

I could go on and on about Jedd, his expertise in grip strength etc., but I’ll keep it simple with this timeline…

In late September 2010 I struggled to bend my first grade 8 bolt for about 7 minutes.

On December 20th 2010 I bent FOUR Iron Mind Red Nails in less than an hour thanks to tips and advice Jedd gave me.

A week later I was crushing them down in less than a minute.

Jedd has put all the best information from his bending ebook and the stuff he has learned and developed since he wrote that book onto the Bending DVD.

If you want to learn the modern bending trechniques, he is the guy who not only wrote the book, but also filmed the DVD on how to do it.

Buy this DVD, put it into practice and crush steel.

Iron Tamer Dave Whitley
Master RKC instructor
www.IronTamer.com

The TRUTH About Dave Whitley

In Dave’s case, it wasn’t just a matter of getting stronger that got him to the point of bending Red Nails like they are coat hangers.

Dave’s been wrecking steel, shredding cards and phone books, and twisting horseshoes FOR YEARS.

In the case of the Red Nail, Dave’s improvements primarily came from Technique Improvements.

Bending is highly technical and that is where the Nail Bending DVD makes the most difference for people.

By understanding the proper hand angles and ways to exert force into the steel, you can BLOW THROUGH your current PR’s and raise the bar way more quickly.

In the DVD, I show you Reverse Style, Double Overhand, and Double Underhand in detail. You can wrap up and bend your first nail or a new PR right along with me.

If your sick of being stuck at the same spot or if you want to get started the right way, the Nail Bending DVD will set you straight.

Get it here = > How to Bend Nails.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Earlier this month, I released the Nail Bending DVD – How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands and the positive feedback has literally been rolling from all over the Nation and the World for that matter.

 Get Your Copy, NOW. Click here = > NAIL BENDING DVD

From Ben Edwards:

 Jedd,

I got the DVD yesterday and watched the first half of it today. LOVE the 2004 Red Nail intro loop! I know a lot of guys that would literally consider the price of the DVD worth a few views of that video alone for motivational purposes. Have really been impressed with the amount of time and effort/knowledge that went into making that Bending DVD. Even guys like me with a very solid bending base will no doubt find something that will help them along their path to increased bending strength. I’ve taken notes on a few sections of the DVD and wanted to wait until my muscle relaxers wear off (I hurt myself on Monday – bulging disc!) before I watch that part a few times through and then take notes on that as well.

Ben Edwards
GoalOrientedTraining.com

From Rory Hickman:

 Hi Jedd,

Thought I’d let you know the DVD arrived yesterday morning, I watched half yesterday and the other half this morning – absolutely awesome the whole way through! Just like your other products the video and sound quality are second only to the amazing content. I was blown away by the detail you went into just on wrapping, I’d never imagined there was so much to take into consideration and that was just the first 20 minutes or so. To be honest I could mention every section and say how good each was – but I’m not sure how many variations on the work ‘excellent’ I could come up with before it got repetitive…

I’ve already tried out the band exercise for developing the flexibility to get into the proper DO-bending position – first couple of reps barely came within 6 inches of my neck but I was able to get closer each time – I can definitely see how it will help. The thumb stretch felt great too – mine sometimes get tight from working on the computer and drawing but I could feel the stretch really well.

Love the DVD man, it’s got me completely fired up to melt some steel but I’m gonna take your advice and work back into it slowly. I’ve got a load of things to work on to get to the point where I’ll be bending anything impressive but with this I now actually know what I need to work on. Thanks for creating such an incredible product, it’s awesome that someone who’s at the competitive level you’re at is so willing to share so much of your training knowledge.

Thanks again,

Rory Hickman
StrongerDesigns.com

 Get Your Copy, NOW. Click here = > NAIL BENDING DVD

From The Iron Tamer, Dave Whitley:

From Mike “The Machine” Bruce:

This DVD is steadily making its way across the entire globe.

Truly a world-wide phenomenon, here are some of the countries where the DVD has been purchased:

 United Kingdom

Australia

Germany

Sweden

France

Thailand

Canada (Just ordered TODAY!)

Belgium (Another Country with Molten Steel!)

Switzerland (Added 1/6/11)

And if you are in the United States, and think you hear the squeaky sound of suede being tightened on a bolt or the sweet smell of steel being melted by the power of hand strength, you probably live near a nail bender. Here are some of the cities where the DVD was purchased during the first week only.

 Rosemount, MN

Sterling, VA

Chicago, IL

San Diego, CA

Stafford, VA

Shaw Air Force Base, SC

Merritt Island, FL

Jacksonville, FL

Miami, FL

(The State of Florida must be covered in molten steel by now!!!)

Bloomfield, NJ

Pittsburgh, PA

Lawrence, KS

San Bruno, CA

Fayetteville, GA

Burton, MI

Cypress, CA

Torrance, CA

Madison, CT

Moultonborough, NH

Rock Creek, OH

Tuscaloosa, AL

Corona, CA

(Expect Climate Changes in California in 2011 due to all the Nail Benders)

Thanks to everyone who has picked up the DVD!

Hearing good things about my products makes me glad that I put them out and fires me up to get the next one out there!

If you’d like to leave feedback about the DVD, please a comment in the section below…

 Get Your Copy of the Nail Bending DVD = > Start Ruining Perfectly Good Stuff

Kevin Greto’s Tropheys – 60D Timber Ties – The First of Many to Come, For Sure…

Thermite (n)

1. a composition of a metal powder and a metal oxide, which can melt its way through even the thickest of metal supplied to it

2. a term used to describe the absolute ease you will have in bending nails, bolts, rolled steel, and other bars after you watch this DVD:

Order Your Copy = > Nail Bending – How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands

The long wait is over.

Right now, all over the world, orders are being processed.

By this time next week, hundreds of people will watch this DVD.

In two weeks time, these same people will begin developing the obsession with Bending perfectly good fastening devices into U and Y-shapes.

And in a few months time, there will be an all-out onslaught on the Red Nail, Fat Bastard Stock, and other various Challenge Bars.

Nothing is going to stand in your way toward accomplishing your goals – NOTHING.

When it comes to Strength Training, there are a few different ways you can improve:

1. Work Harder

Some people are not willing to put the work in to get better. They lack motivation. They lack the drive.

However, working as absolutely hard as you possibly can, can have detrimental effects to progress. Your own motivation can be the thing that holds you back.

2. Work More Often / More Volume

Some people lack the energy to put the work in. They are unable to get any momentum because they don’t put enough time in their training and preparation.

Unfortunately, working too often, doing too much volume, and going about things unwisely can get you hurt and stunt your progress even more.

2. Coaching / Guidance

Some people have no direction. Like tiny children lost in the park, they wonder around trying different methods for short periods and bounce around like the Plinko chip on the Price is Right.

This is where I come in.

I am here to steer people in the right direction and give them the knowledge they can use to succeed. I have put together this Nail Bending DVD to show you the Best Practices for Serious Nail Benders:

Nail Bending Best Practices that I will Show You

• Wrapping Methods: I show you what the most commonly used materials are for safe and powerful bending, as well as how to properly wrap so that you are able to drill into your nail or bar with utmost viciousness
• Bending Technique Demonstrations: I show you the main three Bending Techniques, covering each one slowly and methodically, allowing you to follow along with me and copy my movements right there at your TV screen or Computer monitor.
• Strength Training for Bending: This section includes only HIGH IMPACT TRAINING METHODS for building foundational strength and further bending power. There is NO FLUFF.
• Injury Prevention: Bending is too fun and rewarding to stuck on the shelf. I show you ways to take care of yourself so that you can keep from getting hurt and maybe even get better from conditions you might have already from poor practices.

Like every product I make, I worked my ass off on this DVD for you. I am proud to introduce it to the strength training world.

Get your copy here = > Nail Bending Instructional DVD

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Thermite (n)

1. a composition of a metal powder and a metal oxide, which can melt its way through even the thickest of metal supplied to it

2. a term used to describe the absolute ease you will have in bending nails, bolts, rolled steel, and other bars after you watch this DVD:

Order Your Copy = > Nail Bending – How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands

The long wait is over.

Right now, all over the world, orders are being processed.
By this time next week, hundreds of people will watch this DVD.
In two weeks time, these same people will begin developing the obsession with Bending perfectly good fastening devices into U and Y-shapes.
And in a few months time, there will be an all-out onslaught on the Red Nail, Fat Bastard Stock, and other various Challenge Bars.
Nothing is going to stand in your way toward accomplishing your goals – NOTHING.

When it comes to Strength Training, there are a few different ways you can improve:

1. Work Harder
Some people are not willing to put the work in to get better. They lack motivation. They lack the drive.
However, working as absolutely hard as you possibly can, can have detrimental effects to progress. Your own motivation can be the thing that holds you back.
2. Work More Often / More Volume
Some people lack the energy to put the work in. They are unable to get any momentum because they don’t put enough time in their training and preparation.
Unfortunately, working too often, doing too much volume, and going about things unwisely can get you hurt and stunt your progress even more.
2. Coaching / Guidance
Some people have no direction. Like tiny children lost in the park, they wonder around trying different methods for short periods and bounce around like the Plinko chip on the Price is Right.
This is where I come in.
I am here to steer people in the right direction and give them the knowledge they can use to succeed. I have put together this Nail Bending DVD to show you the Best Practices for Serious Nail Benders:

Nail Bending Best Practices that I will Show You

• Wrapping Methods: I show you what the most commonly used materials are for safe and powerful bending, as well as how to properly wrap so that you are able to drill into your nail or bar with utmost viciousness
• Bending Technique Demonstrations: I show you the main three Bending Techniques, covering each one slowly and methodically, allowing you to follow along with me and copy my movements right there at your TV screen or Computer monitor.
• Strength Training for Bending: This section includes only HIGH IMPACT TRAINING METHODS for building foundational strength and further bending power. There is NO FLUFF.
• Injury Prevention: Bending is too fun and rewarding to stuck on the shelf. I show you ways to take care of yourself so that you can keep from getting hurt and maybe even get better from conditions you might have already from poor practices.

Like every product I make, I worked my ass off on this DVD for you. I am proud to introduce it to the strength training world.
Get your copy here = > Nail Bending Instructional DVD
All the best in your training.
Jedd

Well, the long wait is almost over.

Next week, my new DVD, Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands, will go live.

This DVD is 90 minutes of bending instruction covering Wrapping, Bending Techniques, Strength Training, and Injury Prevention.

You can basically wrap up and bend your first nail right along with me as I show you how it is done.

To launch this thing into the Stratosphere, I am holding a contest.

I want you to tell me why you want this DVD. Tell me why you should get one.

For every 50 comments I get between now and Saturday, I will draw a winner randomly to select people who will get a free copy of the DVD.

I will announce the winners on Saturday, so when you post below make sure to include your valid email address, so I can contact you.

I am also including Facebook comments on this as well, so if you want to post there, you can do so here = > Jedd’s Facebook Page.

I have helped hundreds if not thousands of people learn to bend through my articles and my ebooks. Now I want to help even more by showing them myself.

In addition to this contest, the people who get the first shot at this DVD for a special price are the ones signed up for my Bending Newsletter. To go get signed up now, click on the banner below.

If you don’t win the contest, there will be here an announcement here on the site when the DVD is LIVE.

Until then, Happy Thanksgiving, and all the best to you and your family!

Jedd

Hi guys, it’s Jedd here.

Over the last few weeks I have literally been more productive and creative than I have in years and as a result I have several new things coming down the pike.

The first project that I am going to be releasing is a new DVD called, “Nail Bending: How to Melt Steel with Your Bare Hands.”

If you are interested in signing up for one of my new email newsletters, please go to this link = > Bending DVD Info.

I will be releasing the DVD at a special price for those on my Mailing List, so make sure to sign up to get the DVD at the best possible price.

I am transitioning to a completely new email communications system, and very soon will only be using the new one, so if you are receiving emails from me through Constant Contact, make sure you sign up above so that we can remain in touch.

Go here to sign up for updates = > Bending DVD Info

As you can see, the Bending DVD is going to be the best product available for learning how to bend nails, steel, and bolts and continually improve while also avoiding injuries. In addition, the hand health practices I show in this DVD are applicable to all other forms of Grip Training and many other aspects of strength and conditioning as well.

So don’t delay, SIGN UP TODAY. Bending DVD Info

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

When it comes to bending, there are some questions that seem to get asked over and over…

• What is the typical bender like?
• How does somebody get involved in Nail Bending?
• Why would someone want to bend nails in the first place?

Recently, Carl Donati Jr put together a guest post that answers many of these questions. If Bending Nails is something you’ve heard about, thought about doing, or wanted to pursue, have a look at what he says about his beginnings with Nail Bending, how he’s progressed, and what he has done to be at the level he is right now: A recently certified Red Nail Bender…

The Journey Into Nail Bending

Carl Donati Jr, Bending the Red Nail

I am writing this article to both generate interest in and provide a “push” to those that may be on the fringe of taking on steel bending. I hope to contribute something that may help in some small way. This information is aimed primarily at the beginner or intermediate. As I am writing this, I will be making my official certification attempt at bending the IronMind Red Nail in less than a week. I have come a long way in my bending skill, but still have a lot to learn and a long road ahead.

I have trained with weights consistently since I was eleven years old. I have come full-circle from a decade (+) long affair with bodybuilding to my current path as a competitive powerlifter. When I began competing as a powerlifter in my early thirties, I quickly found out my wrist strength was not up-to-par, as I obtained a moderate wrist strain when doing heavy doubles on bench one day. At this point, I began looking at ways to build up my wrist strength in a way that this type of injury would not happen again and derail my training as it had.

I did the typical stuff you’d expect in a commercial gym (wrist curls with a dumbbell and barbell, reverse wrist curls, fat bar holds … etc.), but didn’t really find what I was looking for until I came across information on the Captains of Crush Hand Grippers and later the IronMind catalog. I started to train with the grippers, doing OK over the first year. I think I was able to close the # 2 at this time. (My progress stalled but incremental gains here have me working toward the #2.5). I began to explore the IronMind catalog and incorporated several things into my training, including the Hub Pinch, the Rolling Thunder, and the Wrist Lever. About two years ago, I purchased the Bag-of-Nails. The rest is history, as I became hooked that first night!

As I think back to the day the Bag-of-Nails arrived, I remember excitedly looking through all of the contents and visualizing what I was going to do that night with the stock (nails). I looked at the white and green nails and thought, “Ok, these are definitely possible.” I looked at the yellow and blue and thought that it would take a lot of training to get to that level. When I held up and examined the Red Nail, I really did not think it was possible to bend this behemoth!

I bent double underhand with my pinkies touching using single IronMind Pads (IMP’s) for the entire first year. My first month consisted of folding the wraps into a square and putting the nails into the pads, then folding them over. It was only after doing some research that I began to roll the wrap around the nail and secured it with a rubber band. In retrospect, what I have learned and would do differently those first few months would be to seek out someone who is experienced and observe and train with them. If this is not possible, I would join the Gripboard and read/view videos, then submit my own bends for critique.

Double Underhand Bending Technique

Getting back to the double underhand (DU) style… I focused on technique and took small steps for that first half-year. It wasn’t until the last quarter of my first year I finally bent the yellow DU (Double Underhand). My progress from the yellow to the blue was very quick, unlike that first eight months. At this time, I was unaware of the Fat Bastard Barbell Company (FBBC) and their steel stock. If I would have incorporated their steel into my training, my initial progress would have been a lot smoother. The FBBC has a wide selection of steel and bolts to help facilitate your road to the Red (if that is what your goal is) in jumping between the IronMind stock and chasing other certifications such as Bender’s Battlefield, FBBC, or the Gripboard. Local hardware stores are another great location to purchase bolts and nails. For a great list of online steel/bolt suppliers and ranking of bending stock difficulty, read the appropriate sections in the Diesel Crew Bending e-Book.

After my first year, I became aware of the Diesel Crew blog and read some of the bending articles. The tips were helping me immensely and I decided to buy the Bending e-Book. After reading the e-book, I began to experiment with the Double Overhand (DO) style. The contents in Jedd Johnson’s book, along with advice I was receiving on the Gripboard enabled me to make excellent progress in the DO style of bending.

Double Overhand Bending Technique

I continued to bend DU and DO, with good progress in both techniques. It was soon thereafter I bent my first graded bolt and then a harder grade 8 bolt. At this point, I focused more on the DO style and began working my wrists with the 8-pound sledgehammer and Rolling Thunder. I also worked on my shoulder flexibility with stretches and bar hangs.

Sledge Hammer Levering

I feel that the most important accessory in my own training that helped me keep my wrists healthy and improved my all-around wrist and hand strength were the sledge levers. In doing these, I typically do 3 sets of front and rear levers for 6 – 8 reps. The levers are done in between bends. I am not very proficient in the Rolling Thunder but do this 2 times per week for ten second holds and singles.

Looking back through my training logs, one interesting point to make is that many of my PR bends were done in between sets of heavy squats and deadlifts. I did not do a strictly dedicated bending workout until I started bending the 5/16” diameter stuff. I have compared my intensity on heavy S/DL days with specific bends to that of the same stock on non-lifting days and the former wins by far. Personally, I am in a better mindset on my heavy days to explode into the steel, though have been bridging the gap in recent months.

This takes me to the pre-bend psych-up. I have worked on focused deep breathing exercises and visualization techniques. Prior to the bend, I consciously track each breath in and out until I am in a relaxed, but focused state. At this point, I briefly rehearse what I will be doing with the outcome being the destruction of the steel.

Reverse Style Bending

As mentioned above, I started to bend double underhand and then switched to double overhand. Several months back, I began to experiment with the reverse grip. To me, this style of bending (hands low with thumbs touching) feels better and more natural then DU. And reverse bending is a lot of fun! At the current time, I am getting better at reverse grip, where I am now bending grade 5’s to almost 40 degrees. I hope to continue my progress with this style and will continue to work to improve it as much as I can. As my bending progresses, I will continue to work all three styles of bending: double overhand, double underhand, and reverse style.

IronMind Pads

Lastly, I would like to touch briefly on the types of wraps I used and continue to bend with. As mentioned previously, I bent exclusively with the IronMind pads (IMP’s) for the entire first year. Although these pads were tough on the hands – I had many blisters and cuts those first few months – I think by doing this, my hands became conditioned to the point now where the calluses protect against almost any problem. When I jumped up to the 5/16” bolts and CRS (Cold-Rolled Steel), I bent using the IMP’s with a small piece of leather wrapped around it for a total diameter of about 1.2.” Upon taking the bolt/bar down to 2″, I would cut a small piece off from the leather and work with until I was proficient… and so on until I was bending using just the IronMind wraps.

I hope I was able to provide you with some tips that help with your bending or enable you to reach another level of stock. To me, bending has permeated many other parts of my life (powerlifting, work, motivation, etc.) in a positive way. It has taught me how to focus intensely on one specific thing and transfer my energy in an explosive manner. A great aspect of steel bending is the many short-term goals you end up setting and achieving, and the mental effect of that success on your psyche. Many days, I find myself rushing home to start bending or skipping my off days because I just can’t wait.

If you are thinking about getting started, don’t waste any more time and just do it! Going all the way back to one of my original reasons to start bending – to help prevent wrist strains for the bench press – I haven’t had a problem with my benching since I started to bend steel.

Carl Donati, JR – Certified Red Nail Bender

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Carl, thanks so much for submitting your guest post and congratulations on your recent certification on the Red Nail. Also thanks for the props on the Nail Bending eBook. I am glad it has been helpful to you in your Journey in Steel Bending.

P.S. If you’d like to get started with Nail Bending safely, there is no better resource that the Nail Bending eBook

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

If you are bending steel with the reverse technique, you may be having trouble moving on to the next bending level. Chances are the thing holding you back in the reverse technique is your kink strength. If you get a good kink on the nail, bolt, or stock, it will be that much easier to finish the bend off. However, if your kink is weak, you will have to work harder in the transition to double overhand.

To clear a few things up, if you are new to steel bending, here are some pictures to show you what exactly I am talking about.

Reverse Bending (also known as Terminator Style)

LOTS OF TIPS ON REVERSE BENDING IN THIS POST ==> (more…)

Sonny Barry bending a 5/8″ x 43″ round steel bar at the 2009 Olde Time Strongman and Barbell dinner

STEEL BENDING CONTEST

Sonny Barry recently contacted me and asked me to help him get the word out about his contest he is holding in Philadelphia in January.

SEE THE DETAILS AFTER THE JUMP (more…)

I hope you’re doing great!

I just saw this on YouTube and had to post it here for everybody’s enjoyment. I think you are going to laugh your ass off.   (Thanks for sending it over, Dan)

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I hope your training is going well this week, and you are getting ready for a fantastic Halloween.

I am still riding the waves of momentum from this past Saturday’s Grip Training. My hands are feeling great and after the high volume on Saturday, I know I am just a few sets away from a gigantic PR!  If you want to reathe workout report from this weekend, check out my blog:  Napalm Jedd’s Blog.

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Scott Bird Loves the Deadlift

I have been working with Scott Bird from the Straight To The Bar site for years. Scott and I have been teaming up ever since I put out the Nail Bending eBook.

He’s been giving me a hand since the beginning and has helped me improve my blog and the Diesel site, and has really helped raise awareness of the sport of grip and feats of strength like nail bending and card tearing.
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This is a guest post by Shane Swing. I’ve sent him many thoughts and prayers over the course of the last few weeks, and in return he sent me this very thoughtful and inspiring guest post. Thanks Shane and I am keeping your daughter in my prayers. -Jedd-

My daughter took her first breath on August 4 of this year.

Such an angel she was.

However, she immediately had trouble nursing with mommy, she threw up constantly with the bottles we tried, and within a week, she lost 10% of her body weight.

This prompted weekly visits to the pediatrician, and sleepless nights for mommy and daddy.

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Bent IronMind Red Nail – Do You Have What it Takes?

Bending has come so far since I started doing it, it isn’t even funny.

When Smitty and I started bending we used to wrap a canvas wrist wrap around whatever we were bending. This would often result in a very loose wrap and the bar we were bending would slip all over the place. We could get no leverage on the nail because we were grasping and pinching at the slim piece of material. We had to be extremely cautious when we were bending because if the nail or bar slipped it would bite us in the hand or finger. Each bend had the chance to injure us.

Here is one of the very first videos I ever put out. You can see that it is wrapped with a leather strap, slightly longer than the canvas strap we first started using.

Good thing that was only 1/4-inch HRS!

Later on, we realized that most people were wrapping their nails with (more…)