...of Gripgods, Pinchmen And Steelslayers.

[anwnate]

_{Congrats man! Very well deserved! That is, if IM gives the green light, but still. I think it''s good so what do you need more haha Great job!}

Thanks man. Now I got to refocus on the #3!

Nice write-up of a challenging journey!

Congrats on this big cert!

Appreciate!

Nice job on the bending The Red; great job on keeping the bending under wraps.

Haaahaa. Watching you and Chez bend them was some excellent motivation!

really good write up. i ahd resolved to start bending again this year. this has me more convinced that i need to spend some time with it. i just need my rot cuff to heal up and I'll be starting.

Thanks Brent. Heal up good!

[daniel reinard]

Great job Nate! You put a ton of work into the Red. I look to see you on the IM site very soon!

[anwnate]

Great job Nate! You put a ton of work into the Red. I look to see you on the IM site very soon!

Thanks man. I've made some pretty quick gains. I'm gonna fight for the #3 and continue bending on a more limited basis.

I jacked my right hand a bit doing a DU with bad technique last night, but I'll try your FBBC Nails out soon.

Maybe I'll find a new wall to climb!

[anwnate]

1/17/13

Can't express how pleased I am to be getting back into normal training. Don't get me wrong...I love bending, but once you sign up on the list...you're constantly concerned about staying healthy and not getting injured. The last three weeks, I've been walking on egg shells.

I'm changing things up and am only going to do one actual grippers/vulcan workout a week (Monday).

From now until August (41st BD), I will be focused on several goals.

Win bet with Chez (bar tab against him outpulling me by 20lb on Axle at Nationals) (this obviously is more important than Certing the #3).

GHP7 4 reps (If I have to make it one rep at a time ..it'll be 4 mini-goals and that's just fine with me,

MM1,

CoC#3 Cert,

370 Axle,

60lb Inverted Hex Dumbbell Lift

MM2,

2HP 200

Except for 1 rep GHP7 and beating Chez ...none of these goals are easy. I'm gonna work my butt off to achieve them.

10 Leg Lifts hanging off bench

25 full crunches legs up in air

1 CoC #1 L+R

5 OHP(50x2 dumbbells)

10 OHP(40x2 dumbbells)

10 Leg Lifts hanging off bench

25 full crunches legs up in air

1 CoC #1.5 L+R

Strict Curls

1 x 40 L+R

1 x 50 L+R

1 x 60 L+R

1 x 65 L(fail)+R(Fail)

2 x 60 L+R

3 x 50 L+R

4 x 40 L+R

Plate Curls

3 x 25

3 x 30

3 x 25

10 Leg Lifts hanging off bench

25 full crunches legs up in air

1 CoC #2 L+R

10 Strict OAR (70)

Axle

4 x 110

3 x 200

2 x 250

1 x 270

1 x 290

1 x 310 (PR) ...movin' on up...to the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie. (hee hee) (this puts me within 30 of Chez's known best at home)

3 x 200

4 x 110

Time holds

250 x 20 sec, 8 sec.

Axle Squats

4 x 110

4 x 160

6 x 180

Straight Leg GM's

9 x 110

[anwnate]

Something just came in the mail and so I put it downstairs.

Now all I hear is crying from my basement.

Took me a while to figure out it where it was coming from...

space

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It was my weights!

Inzer Single Prong Forever Buckle Belt 10mm.

[wojo]

Uh oh.....sh*t just got real....Chez better prioritize his axle training

[Mike Sharkey]

nice belt

[anwnate]

Axle Squats

3 x 110

3 x 160

6 x 200 - Haven't done this since I was 17yo. (need to be careful...prob going to plateau here for bit due to heart)

I LOVE MY BELT!

[anwnate]

1/20/13

Itchy Scratchy need to bend feeling was overwhelming.

1 Leisurely Rice Krispy Red Nail in IMPs...Chest cracked, back cracked, elbows cracked, wrist cracked (about 25-30 seconds)

Didn't want to actually do a nail workout...waiting til Wednesday to attempt some FBBC stuff (at least bastard and Golden in IMP's).

40 min Moderate paced walk

1/21/13

(All grippers considered closed unless listed as a miss)

10 Leg lifts crunch finish…legs off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

2 BS1.5" #1 L + 2 BS1.5" #1 R
4 DB Bench (40x2)

1 BS1.5" #1.5 L + 1 BS1.5" #1.5 R

4 DB Bench (50x2)

1 BS1.5" #2 L + 1 BS1.5" #2 R
4 DB Bench (60x2)

1 BS1.5" #2 filed L + 1 BS1.5" #2 filed R

4 DB Bench (70x2)

2 BS1.5" #2.5 L (miss 1/8") + 2 BS1.5" #2.5 R

4 DB Bench (85x2 with Manus Grips)

1 BS1.5" #2.5 filed L (missed by a mile) + 1 BS1.5" #2.5 filed R (missed by 1/4")

1 DB Bench (105 x2) Right arm only (my body is weird...last time my left coulda repped it)

1 TNS King Kong L (miss 1/4) + 1 TNS King Kong R (grippers weak today...letting it go)

2 DB Bench (85x2 with Manus Grips)

10 Leg lifts crunch finish…legs off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

10 DB Flys (40x2)

10 DB Flys (25x2)

10 Leg lifts crunch finish…legs off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

22 DB Shrugs (70x2)
22 DB Shrugs (70x2)

22 DB Shrugs (60x2)

10 Leg lifts crunch finish…legs off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

Axle (DO-conv) light day

(Just want to get more experience on axle...rocky montage playing in head...DRAGO!....er...CHEZ!)
200 x 3

250 x 2

270 x 1 (Belt) felt pretty good...tempted to go up, but gonna wait until Thurs.

250 x 1

250 x 2

250 x 3

250 x 2

250 x 1

Axle Squats

110 x 6

160 x 6

Too many things on the plate. I need to rearrange week once again to try and accommodate. I want to do grippers when fresh...that looks like it's going to be Sunday afternoon. I want to bend nails further from Bench...so Wednesday. I want to end the week with heavy Axle...so Thursday. I need to get 2HP in also...so after Nails on Wednesday. I need to squat more...so...Mon, Tues, Thurs. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are going to be pretty darn light days...focused on specifics. Fri/Sat stay clear. My body needs that 72+ hr block of rest.

Sun. p.m. Crush Day

Mon.a.m. Abs, Bench, Flys, Shrugs, Axle + Squats (light day).

Tues.a.m. Squats

Wed. p.m. Nails, 2HP, block work

Thurs a.m. Abs, OHP, Curls, OAR, Axle + Squats (Heavy day)

[anwnate]

1/22/13

Axle Squats

110 x 6

160 x 6

210 x 6 (belt)

[wojo]

1/22/13

Axle Squats

110 x 6

160 x 6

210 x 6 (belt)

Nice Squats! You gotta send me a clip...

[anwnate]

1/23/13

Bending

Warm up Red in (1 1/3 IMPs)

Bastard (IMP singles) kinked to 15-20deg...hands did not feel warmed up so I gave up the bend.

Attempted my first horseshoe (failed to move it at all) DC#1 - turns out I was grab/pushing it wrong

Golden Bastard (IMP Singles) forgot to unwrap wraps at end...oh well. (side note...YT flagged me for having Dean Martin on in the background...had to use music removal...RETARDED YT!)

http://youtu.be/48mu3CMFHsw

Attempted shoe again after looking at a shoe bend video. Managed to kink and sweep it...failed to crush to 180deg.

Attempted SFC lite rim 0. Managed kink...failed to sweep or crush.

Red 6" Nail (IMP singles) kinked to 40-45deg est. body pretty smoked left it for another day.

[Geralt]

Nice vid! Bending is getting more and more attractive as I see it. Btw, anyone also got the idea that Eric Roberts was doing some bending on this vid? From a certain angle...

Sorry. I'll keep it serious here. Bending's cool. Serious.

[anwnate]

Nice vid! Bending is getting more and more attractive as I see it. Btw, anyone also got the idea that Eric Roberts was doing some bending on this vid? From a certain angle...

Sorry. I'll keep it serious here. Bending's cool. Serious.

Is that young eric roberts or old eric roberts? lol

You are right though...bending is cool.

1/23/13

2HP ghetto style (almost forgot to work this on it's new day)

100 x 20 ATG taps

100 x 20 ATG taps

100 x 11+6+3 ATG taps

100 x 8+5+5+2 ATG taps

Here are my first horseshoe attempts from earlier. Not exciting...but a learning experience.

http://youtu.be/cjWKZ4wD5mA

[Mike Sharkey]

I think you should rename your log "Bending with Beer"

nice effort on the shoe.

[anwnate]

1/24/13

10 Leg lifts leg lifts off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

OHP dumbbells squeezed together

9 (50x2)

10 Leg lifts leg lifts off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

Strict Curls

1 x 40 L + R

1 x 50 L + R

1 x 60 L + R

1 x 65 L + R

3 x 60 L + R

4 x 50 L + R

5 x 40 L + R

Plate Curls

3 x 25 L + R

3 x 30 L + R

4 x 32 L + R

3 x 30 L + R

4 x 25 L + R

10 Leg lifts leg lifts off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

OAR

10 x 70 FOF (focus on form) L + R

10 Leg lifts leg lifts off bench

25 Crunches legs in air

DO Axle

6 x 110

4 x 160

2 x 200

2 x 250

2 x 270

1 x 290 (belt) felt really weak...didn't push

5 x 270

250 hold for time 32sec, 8 sec

200 hold for time 40 sec, 22 sec

160 hold for time 28 sec

Broccoli Bands in "get your hands up" position 2 x 40

Axle Squats

6 x 110

6 x 160

3 x 210 felt form breaking

5 x 160

[anwnate]

I'm going to take a moment and enjoy this.

Then I think I'll email Randall.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[anwnate]

Awoke with my back in "hotel bed agony" this a.m.

I was not a happy camper. I intended on shooting a GHP7 single vid this a.m....things didn't go so well.

I ended up with 24 efforts today. Here's how I failed...

Skin pinching...

Grip Failure...

Pinky wound ripping back open...

Video Failure...

Pinky sliding off gripper (over and over again)...

Pinky obscuring camera...

Hand obscuring GHP set block swipe...

etc...etc..etc... and variations of all of the above.

Here's a prime example right here...I'm not even sure I closed this one...but the camera decided to flake out mid-taping.

http://youtu.be/uv2a64y_7hs

Anyway...I plan on taping one next Saturday during a training session with Chez. Time to step up.

[Chez]

Dang, 24 attempts? You certainty are persistent. I would have quit at like 4 attempts. That looked closed but the camera was pretty far away so its hard to tell.

[Geralt]

I'm going to take a moment and enjoy this.

Then I think I'll email Randall.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

- nevermind - stupid post from me. Thought this was the IM #3 list. This is what I get from quickly gripboarding while at work. Sorry!

Edited January 28, 2013 by Geralt

[anwnate]

Dang, 24 attempts? You certainty are persistent. I would have quit at like 4 attempts. That looked closed but the camera was pretty far away so its hard to tell.

I'm pretty sure that was a miss too. I could not get things working correctly yesterday. I imagine we'll get on the first attempt on Saturday.

I'm going to take a moment and enjoy this.

Then I think I'll email Randall.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

- nevermind - stupid post from me. Thought this was the IM #3 list. This is what I get from quickly gripboarding while at work. Sorry!

It was...very much so. I was briefly on the #3 list...however Randall has now fixed the error. There have been people who certed the #3 twice (once with CCS)...but I get to be the first person to get on the #3 list...TWICE in the same year! A bit of future trivia for yah.

[anwnate]

1/28/13

10 Leg Lifts (legs off bench)

25 Crunches (legs in air)

DB Bench

(40x2) x 4

(50x2) x 4

(60x2) x 4

(70x2) x 4

(85x2) x 4 (with Manus Grips)

(105x2) x 2 (PR)

(85x2) x 2 (with Manus Grips)

Incline Bench

(70x2) x 8

10 Leg Lifts (legs off bench)

25 Crunches (legs in air)

Flys FOF

(25 x 2) x 12

10 Leg Lifts (legs off bench)

25 Crunches (legs in air)

DB Shrugs

(70x2) x 22

10 Leg Lifts (legs off bench)

25 Crunches (legs in air)

DO Axle

110 x 6

160 x 4

200 x 2

250 x 2

270 x 2

290 x 2 (inexplicably...my back was really bothering me...until I remembered I screwed it up yesterday and had forgotten "duh!"...backed off quick)

270 x 1

250 x 1

200 hold for time 32 seconds

Broccoli Bands 40 reps L + R

[Geralt]

Dang, 24 attempts? You certainty are persistent. I would have quit at like 4 attempts. That looked closed but the camera was pretty far away so its hard to tell.

I'm pretty sure that was a miss too. I could not get things working correctly yesterday. I imagine we'll get on the first attempt on Saturday.

I'm going to take a moment and enjoy this.

Then I think I'll email Randall.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

- nevermind - stupid post from me. Thought this was the IM #3 list. This is what I get from quickly gripboarding while at work. Sorry!

It was...very much so. I was briefly on the #3 list...however Randall has now fixed the error. There have been people who certed the #3 twice (once with CCS)...but I get to be the first person to get on the #3 list...TWICE in the same year! A bit of future trivia for yah.

Now I had to read the list again...What the...hahaha yes indeed! Well, you got a sight on how it will look like. Setting the stakes high! you will get it however.

[anwnate]

1/30/13

Today did not go as planned.

Due to a change in plans…I decided to bend pretty early this a.m.

I've no idea whether this had an effect on the ole CNS or what, but things didn't go smooth.

I spent yesterday waiting around in the hospital which always messes up the back. However, beyond a few sciatica twinges I felt decent this a.m.

I did a few warmup squats and a few crunches…then attempted my first "official" barehand bend.

I'm embarrassed to say I wussed out pretty quickly. I just wasn't "feeling it".

I do believe I should just shut my newbie mouth in the future and just talk about things after attempting them. I certainly think I'm strong enough to crush the nails I had at the ready…but my "b" game is not even close to my "a" game. I haven't been around long enough (5+ months bending) to accurately judge how my body is going to respond on any given day. What can you do?

Next I attempted a IMP bastard without bands…probably kinked it like 10 degrees and gave up. Now I'm wondering if bending only once a week (on command) is such a good idea. I do believe that by bending often you develop a tolerance that makes it easier to get in the zone and past the kink pain.

Very soon, I'm jumping off of the mental cliff…saying "screw bending" etc. Eventually I remembered that while training for the Red, I had several days where things just weren't working right…and it wasn't really the end of the world.

So I decided to rescue the bending day by just focusing on training. I took one of the pieces of rated steel that Sharkey traded with me…a 90deg 455# and crushed it to 1.75" (initial hit in doubles, then singles to crush). This took a little out of me, but got things flowing a little better.

I decided to give a shiny a try…but kink/sweeping in doubles…because mentally I didn't want another chance at failure. I pretty much did most of the bending in 10 seconds, but took the remainder of 3 minutes to finish it off.

http://youtu.be/M1lx94tasJ0

I didn't feel like I got enough workout in so I decided to finish off some more stuff.

I completed this morning's bastard with double IMPs (crush in singles).

Then I finished off a 6.5" Bastard the same way.

It's interesting how sharp the bend on the bastard is.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

All in all…I feel like I got a workout. I'll attempt a shiny in 1 2/3 IMP's next week. Not sure what else I'll attempt. I'm gonna kind wing it I think…see how I feel.

[anwnate]

2/2/13

Went to Chez's for a training session. Everything was off...grippers, Axle, 2HP, Bending. The only silver lining is that I felt like I had been run over afterwards. You know...the feeling like you got a really good workout in...and I did, despite the lack of PR's. Gym Le Chez never disappoints in that regard.

2/4/13

I've thrown my back out a few times recently (during sleep of all things). It's really affected everything...most noticeably grippers. I've come to the conclusion that I'm somewhat overtrained physically, and very worn down mentally. With the exception of a little bit of bending stock that I need to run through (a few shiny's etc) for a BB challenge, I'm going to go on sabbatical from training. I need to give my body a rest, but mostly I need to recharge my mental reserves. Since I'm constantly tearing my injury back open, it certainly won't hurt my pinky to have a few solid months off grippers.

In the mean time, I will be spending my free time/work out time fixing a few things around the house in preparation for putting it on the market this Summer. With any luck, I'll be in North Carolina harassing Bob Sudin come this Fall. I'm going to start back up full throttle in May in preparation for the NAGC. It won't be enough time to make great gains, but I should be able to get back into shape so I don't hurt myself. I'm competing in Ohio "for the experience" anyway so this break isn't really costing me placings or anything. Who knows, I might still be able to pull off a PR or two.

I'll check in from time to time, but for the most part be absent from the boards. Best of luck on your goals.