Technique Advice

[JHenze646]

I am not setting any bending goals at this point. I am trying to progress slowly. I have been using bending as a finisher with good results.

Technique advice welcome.

[J.T. Straussner]

Work on getting the bar higher up, and wait to explode until it's locked in where you want it. Looking good man.

[Mike Sharkey]

solid. on to harder steel

[anwnate]

Work on getting the bar higher up, and wait to explode until it's locked in where you want it. Looking good man.

Absolutely this.

solid. on to harder steel

And definitely this.

You will get even more benefit from advice when you film steel that is a bit closer to your max.

[JHenze646]

Thank you for watching and the advice.

You will get even more benefit from advice when you film steel that is a bit closer to your max.

I was given these bolts and told they were harder-ish. I was really expecting a knock down drag out for this bend, I cleared floor space for pacing back and forth and put fresh batteries in my camera.

[bencrush]

Form looks pretty good to me. Developing the ability to not only GET the bar higher under my chin - but KEEP it PINNED there during the application of initial force - was absolutely key to me going from not being able to bend a Blue Nail double overhand in January to finally having the form come together and "click" for me and going from my first Red Nail bend to the Fantastic Bastard in pretty quick succession. I knocked down dozens of certs and goal bends soon after finally figuring out my flexibility and form issues with high double overhand.

Also, if you're asking for general bending advice from elite guys, I'd recommend alternating the pads you use (Ironmind wraps, double leather pads, etc.) every workout and possibly switching form (reverse, double overhand, double underhand, modified double underhand, etc.) every workout to really get the most long-term bang for your bending buck.

[PeterSweden]

I can tell you some of the key points that Master Wigren gave to me which helped me get the red nail in IMPs in 18 seconds. Took me like 4-5 months of active training.

1. Get the bar high up under your chin.

2. take a deep breath and hold it and tense up your whole upper body..

3. Imagine that you could touch your elbows while in that position. i.e dont chicken wing it, moving your elbows down, but rather straight towards eachother.

4. Squeeze the wraps like you would a gripper almost, clamp down on them hard.

5. Press the ends of the bar hard into your palms as if you would try to shrink the length of the bar.

(doing 3 4 and 5 at the same time makes the bar move cause the ends are under pressure, you have a steady hold on the bar and the elbows move towards eachother so you get all kinds of different leverage advantages)

Tips I got from EJ Livesey was.

Hold your hits longer. The bar might not move for the first few seconds.

Dont lean so far forward when you bend. (I was leaning over like I was preparing for a good stuffin while bending at the time )

Paul Knight and David also pointed out how important a really tight wrap was.

Dont cheat when wrapping the bar up, get it tight.

What also helped me was doing bending in periods and upperbody barbelltraining in periods while training on sledgehammers and grippers instead of bending.

Edited March 10, 2014 by PeterSweden

[Tim71]

I can tell you Ben's advice helped me a ton when I first started bending. Looks pretty good to me. I too seem to get more power when I hold the bar up higher.

Tight wraps and chalk are 2 things I highly underestimated when I first started and it cost me lots of progress early on.

[JHenze646]

Also, if you're asking for general bending advice from elite guys, I'd recommend alternating the pads you use (Ironmind wraps, double leather pads, etc.) every workout and possibly switching form (reverse, double overhand, double underhand, modified double underhand, etc.) every workout to really get the most long-term bang for your bending buck.

Thank you for all the help and advice.

I have no strength at my chin but I will work on it. I will also have to have someone show me double underhand.

Thank you!

[robertmiller67]

In addition to all the aforementioned... plenty of upper back & sledgehammer work in the off season! Also heavy chest-crushes with the hardest gripper you can close... really helps with the crush down. Good luck bud!

[JHenze646]

Thanks for all the help. I ordered some drill rod and look forward to putting a lot of work in. Here is my start.

Thank you for watching.

A quick question, is there a bending pad that can be wrapped with ease like leather/suede but feels like IMP's?

I prefer the IM pads.

[Tim71]

I use some 4 by 10 inch softer suede and when wrapped, they hurt about like IMPs and are about the same thickness and if anything, they might be just slightly tougher for me to bend in.

Not all suede feels the same - some is softer / spongier and that's what I use to save time when I'm working my way up for my big IMP bends.

I'm like you, I'd bend even more in IMPs if they weren't such a pain to wrap.

[Ivan Beritashvili]

From golden times of Benders Battlefield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTU8M3MNj-8

[EJ Livesey]

Couple little things.

1. Set goals.

2. Alternate lifting and bending days to start. It will destroy your CNS and cause over training. That opens you up to injury.

3. I've found slowly exerting force until the bar yields is better for me. Less injury. I do not explode into the steel. Exploding works great for guys that are Ox strong and get psyched up. But I'm neither.

4. Get the bar higher and to keep it there pin your chin to your chest.

5. Toughen your hands with table slaps and tuf foot.

[JHenze646]

I am still working thru some issues. Any advice is welcome.

[Tom Scibelli]

Technique is looking a lot better Josh, you're getting the bar higher up in your neck. Was that a red nail you tried on the third bend? You might want to experiment with loosening up your index finger on the kink and kinking over both your index and middle finger, it might be a little more comfortable.

[king crusher]

Technique is looking a lot better Josh, you're getting the bar higher up in your neck. Was that a red nail you tried on the third bend? You might want to experiment with loosening up your index finger on the kink and kinking over both your index and middle finger, it might be a little more comfortable.

The third one I'm sure I heard him say "piece of M drill rod, maybe another day"

Good stuff man.

[Sean Cashman]

Looking good man! I didn't have the sound on at work to hear what the bars you bent were but your progress looks really good.

[JHenze646]

Thanks for taking look guys.

[Buccos1]

Good stuff Josh! Try to stick with your hits a little longer on the kink/sweep. Your set-up around 2:30 looked pretty good. Stick with doable stock until it becomes automatic. Stay with it, take your time and you will definitely get there!