diesel Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 After a very long departure from the sport, I decided to get back into steel bending about 2 months ago. There is only one goal in mind right now: IronMind Red Nail Cert. Here's a description of the past bending workouts that I have done, not accounting for warm ups. I realized that I needed a place to log my progress, hence my return to GB. All bends were completed with IM pads and with rubber bands around the pads (something I will need to wean myself off of soon): Week 1: 11 X Blue Nail Week 2: 14 X Blue Nail Week 3: 18 X Blue Nail Week 4: 20 X Blue Nail, 2 X Yellow Nail Week 5: 10 X 60d Common Week 6: 20 X 60d Common Week 7: 1 X Red Nail, completed in roughly 30-40 seconds DO, 5 X 60d Common I am much stronger now than when I had entered the sport (back in college when I was 21 yrs old). I am now 31, am about 30 lbs heavier (mostly muscle), and much more focused in my approach. The past 7 weeks has been all about re-learning my technique and re-strengthening my hands and tendons, which haven't seen grip work in years. I know what has worked for me in the past, and I am sticking to the formula. The plan is to keep working volume, getting to the point where i am able to bend 2-3 Reds in a session without any doubt. I will then remove the rubber bands and start practicing for the certification, which I aim to complete in early 2016, God willing. Today's workout (Week 8) will be posted later today. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Nick, it is great to see you back! Been a very long time. You are one of the few that I've really wanted to see get back into grip/bending. I know we'll be seeing your name on the cert list in 2016. Stay healthy and destroy your goals! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted November 14, 2015 Author Share Posted November 14, 2015 Thanks a lot Ben! It's good to see a friendly face from the "old days." Keeping injury-free has been my biggest problem over the past few years, but I'm at a good place now and ready to attack. Week 8: feeling a bit off today, so i had to get a little mad while listening to Metallica Live in Mexico City (93). I took down 6 bars of the 7" X 1/4" Square FBBC stock. I think this is going to be a great training bar for me in the coming weeks and will help me build up my wrist strength, pain tolerance, and endurance with the Reds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Johnson Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Welcome back to the fray. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burkhardmacht Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Always good to come back to training!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Week 9: 10 X 7" X 1/4" Square FBBC stock - all bends in IM pads and completed within a minute After a dealing with a cold and congestion all week, and not having gone to the gym once, it was nice to achieve a 60+% increase in volume from last week. I don't know if anyone else feels the same way, but this square stock feels a bit spongy on the crushdown (not quite to the extent of a g5 or g8 bolt, but not quite like round stock either). Or maybe I'm crazy and this cold has got to me. Anyways, really pleased for still not feeling 100%, and definitely feeling more confident with the harder grade stock. This week I am going to start working on my flexibility, as it takes too long for me to get into position with 7" stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 amazing. i couldn't even get through my warm-up bends today . . .i think i am still feeling the effects of last week's volume workout. i will rest for a while longer, next workout i am going to aim for some reds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 amazing. i couldn't even get through my warm-up bends today . . .i think i am still feeling the effects of last week's volume workout. i will rest for a while longer, next workout i am going to aim for some reds. You'll rest up and kill those Reds in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 So from my last bending workout (Week 9: the 10 square FBBCs), I ended up with some deep bruising in my hands which proved to be quite painful whenever pressure was applied. It was bad enough to where I couldn't even bend a yellow last time around, and also had trouble just gripping a stove pan earlier in the week. Volume training has always worked well for me when it comes to bending, but i don't think my hands were quite ready for that kind of load just yet. Anyways, tonight I thought, let's give it another go. On my warmups, I hit a yellow and a 60d, both much slower than normal, both with some pain in my index fingers. But i kept going. The Red was in front of me, and I knew it was going to be a battle if I tried it. Long story short, after several hits, i took the Red down in my IM pads. Now this was an ugly Red bend, by far the ugliest I have ever done. Ever. But tonight it wasn't about time, speed, strength . . . none of that. It was a matter of sheer will. I know I can take the Red down on a good day. Tonight i proved to myself that I can take a Red down on a really crappy day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 Week 11: 1 X Red (IM pads) Another rough bending workout, thankfully with a successful conclusion. I really can't help but laugh, as I've gone from a 30 second Red bend in Week 7 to a 30 minute Red bend in Weeks 10 and 11. Ugly stuff no doubt. My index fingers still felt sore during my warm-up bends, so the only thing that I can think that is that the bruising is sapping my strength. I honestly feel like that is the only variable that changed over the past three weeks. I think I need to get away from these Red attempts over the next two weeks, maybe do some lighter work with some 60d's to fully recover my hands. I know that I can smoke Reds. I just need to find that happy zone again. But I walk away again tonight with the knowledge that yes, even on crappy days, I can take this bar down. Confidence meter is climbing slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 after squats today, i found one of those short thickbars laying around in the corner of my gym. i haven't done any thickbar training (never had access to a bar), so I decided to go off of the routine and see how it felt. I am guessing the bar weighs around 25ish lbs. Under that assumption, I did 2 x 6 @ 205lbs, and 1 x 4 @ 205lbs. these were all full stop deadlifts. i don't know how thick the diameter of the bar is, so it is hard for me to relate to strength on, say, an IM axle. all the reps felt good. I will likely incorporate this into my weekly routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 Tonight, I tried my attempt for lesser intensity bends. Unfortunately I couldn't even get through 1 60d bend. The pain in the bones of my index fingers was a too much to handle. I need to stop being stubborn with this and just let my hands completely heal, and come back strong. I'll am going to take at least two - three weeks off completely from bending, while continuing my normal gym routine. A small setback to 3 months of strong and rather quick comeback gains, but I am confident that I will still cert bend on the Red in the coming future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 After a good 2 weeks off from bending, I decided to go at it again tonight. I said a prayer, asked God for full healing in my hands, and strength to accomplish what I originally set out to do... Week 13 (all bends in IMPs and rubber banded): 1 x 60d (warmup) 1 x 7" X 1/4" Square FBBC 3 X Red Nail (all under 1 minute) Felt very strong today! Wow, what an answer to prayer. I was beginning to be worried after several weeks of really poor performance and 30+ minute Red bends. It feels like my hands are 90% healed now. Although i wasn't concerned with time on the Red bends (I was thinking I wasn't even going to be able to do it tonight!), my fastest bend was actually my second bar, which clocked in at about 25 seconds. Going forward it is all about consistency and just overall feeling comfortable with bending a 7" bar in the IMPs. 2016 is the year! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avasatu Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 God is probably the single thing holding my body together after what it's been through. Good bends man! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) Here's a link to one of this past week's Red bends: http://sendvid.com/wl8y54xj?secret=44dea5f2-9746-4400-b151-3b4721a9ae1c I'll admit, 7" bars give me trouble, particularly on the kink. I wish the Red was 6" lol Edited January 7, 2016 by diesel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 After a good 2 weeks off from bending, I decided to go at it again tonight. I said a prayer, asked God for full healing in my hands, and strength to accomplish what I originally set out to do... Week 13 (all bends in IMPs and rubber banded): 1 x 60d (warmup) 1 x 7" X 1/4" Square FBBC 3 X Red Nail (all under 1 minute) Felt very strong today! Wow, what an answer to prayer. I was beginning to be worried after several weeks of really poor performance and 30+ minute Red bends. It feels like my hands are 90% healed now. Although i wasn't concerned with time on the Red bends (I was thinking I wasn't even going to be able to do it tonight!), my fastest bend was actually my second bar, which clocked in at about 25 seconds. Going forward it is all about consistency and just overall feeling comfortable with bending a 7" bar in the IMPs. 2016 is the year! I hate I missed this log, glad to find it. Welcome back man and good to see you posting! Prayers were answered for sure...3 Red nails under 1 minute Way to handle that red nail! Yes 2016 is the year for ya! Congrats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 So over the past month I have really taken an interest in target shooting. I obtained my Maryland handgun qualification certificate (currently waiting for my license) a few weeks ago and have spent a number of sessions at the range, often times shooting 100 rounds with my favorite handgun (so far), a Sig P226 (9mm). Last night I ended up shooting 100 rounds with a Sig P220 (my first 45 caliber), and wow, my hands are pretty sore, especially around the thumb pad area...kind of a similar feeling to gripper work. As a result, I'll hold off on bending until about Wednesday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Week 14 (all bends in IMPs): Warm ups included a Yellow Nail and a 60d 3 X Red Nail (no rubber bands, each completed within a minute) Prayer works. Felt very good and confident today, even with slightly sore hands from the weekend's shooting adventure. I decided to go for Red Nails under certification conditions, including no rubber bands. I think these are some of the first, or very first, bends that I have ever done without the use of rubber bands (if I have ever done them, they were never completed with bars of any significant difficulty). The first bend went off in roughly 40 seconds, and I definitely felt a loss from the "transfer of power." The second bend went off much smoother and is the subject of the YouTube video. By the third bend, my hands were tired, but I still mustered the bend within approximately 35 to 40 seconds. I think I may call IronMind shortly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Change of plans. I contacted IronMind tonight. I'm ready, and I will destroy that nail. Numbers 14:17: "Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 VERY COOL!!! We'll see you on the Red Nail list soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 So tonight I aimed for another Red workout. It was a no go. Barely kinked the thing. I tried for the FBBC square. Barely kinked that. Frustrating turn of events. I know it has nothing to do with my strength or ability to bend, but maybe everything to do with adequate rest? I don't know if my body needs more time to recuperate from these workouts these days? Not sure. Kind of scratching my head tonight. But what I don't want is when it comes time to cert, I don't want to have any doubt (and don't want this to be a variable). What to do, what to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Warmup: 1 x 60d Workout: 3 x Red Nails All three bends of the Red Nails were done in IMPs and no bands. The first bend was rather non-chalant and took me about 2 full minutes. I could tell that I was not properly warmed up on this bend, so I didn't push the speed factor. On the second and third bends, I felt much more comfortable and went for the attack - both of these bends took roughly 20-25 seconds. What is nice is that I am doing these bends without having to get amped up; they are well within my strength level. I received the IronMind pre-certification paperwork, but I am holding off on the submission. There are two big factors right now, the first is dialing in my rest periods, and the second is moving beyond a rather stressful season of life. With respect to the first issue, I am bumping up my rest time from 1 week to 1.5 weeks in between bending sessions. I can't keep having this "good week, good week, awful week" type of training that I believe is resulting from insufficient time to heal my hands. With respect to the second, personal issue, I just need a few weeks to move past this season (I have lost some weight and haven't done any other workouts in the past 2.5 weeks). As far as the timing of the certification, I am not concerned with the slight delay. I will certify with IronMind and will keep pressing forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Pizzo Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 So tonight I aimed for another Red workout. It was a no go. Barely kinked the thing. I tried for the FBBC square. Barely kinked that. Frustrating turn of events. I know it has nothing to do with my strength or ability to bend, but maybe everything to do with adequate rest? I don't know if my body needs more time to recuperate from these workouts these days? Not sure. Kind of scratching my head tonight. But what I don't want is when it comes time to cert, I don't want to have any doubt (and don't want this to be a variable). What to do, what to do... I think we've all been there before. I've had some pretty puzzling failures with steel I could usually bend during warm-ups on strange occasions...I also chocked it up to inadequate rest. Nothing wrong with some extra rest, I took a little over 2 full weeks of recovery before my Red cert...whether I needed all of it I'm not sure, but mentally I wen't in feeling well-rested and confident! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 So tonight I aimed for another Red workout. It was a no go. Barely kinked the thing. I tried for the FBBC square. Barely kinked that. Frustrating turn of events. I know it has nothing to do with my strength or ability to bend, but maybe everything to do with adequate rest? I don't know if my body needs more time to recuperate from these workouts these days? Not sure. Kind of scratching my head tonight. But what I don't want is when it comes time to cert, I don't want to have any doubt (and don't want this to be a variable). What to do, what to do... I think we've all been there before. I've had some pretty puzzling failures with steel I could usually bend during warm-ups on strange occasions...I also chocked it up to inadequate rest. Nothing wrong with some extra rest, I took a little over 2 full weeks of recovery before my Red cert...whether I needed all of it I'm not sure, but mentally I wen't in feeling well-rested and confident! Thanks Frank, it's slightly comforting to know that we have all been in the same boat of "puzzling failures." I couldn't have said it better. And for me it is definitely a rest issue. I mean, going from barely being able to kink the steel to being able to bend the 3 Reds tonight...so now I just need to find the rest period that my body wants and needs. Come certification, I don't want to have any confidence issues. As you put it, I will eliminate as many variables as possible beforehand and go into the certification very well-rested and confident! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Warmup: 1 x 60d Workout: 2 x Red Nails (a video of my second one is attached below) So I like the 1.5 - 2 week rest period. I felt great today, considering that I still haven't been back into the gym. All is well and progressing as planned. Edited February 13, 2016 by diesel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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