Training for Multiple Types of Bending at Once

[jpav2010]

On 9/18/2018 at 11:46 AM, Donc101 said:

4.       Indian Clubs.  I started using these a few months ago and my shoulders, elbows and wrists feel better than they have in a long time. We beat those joints up with heavy bending, especially the shoulders.  I was starting to have a weird feeling in my shoulders.  It wasn’t pain and I was not limited, but I could just feel something going on deep in my shoulder. I bought the clubs to prevent anything from happening to my shoulders.  They feel great right now.  I do these to warm up before bending and lifting and will also normally do these at the end of the workout.

 

These are my thoughts. I hope this helps someone.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on the Indian Clubs. I have 15, 20, 30, 35, and 45 lb Clubbells which I use on a regular basis and I think they've been very helpful, especially my shoulders. I've had 3 shoulder injuries in the past (two motorcycle accidents and one from sleeping on my arm wrong) and I believe the Clubbells have kept the whole shoulder joint flexible and strong. After using these for awhile I no longer felt my injuries unless I press on that injured area really hard and dig in. Whereas before using the Clubbells sometimes there would be a dull ache for days after exercise, playing a sport or just moving my arm too fast or in a funny direction. 

I've been incorporating macebells in my workouts lately and they have also been helpful. 

[Donc101]

There has been some talk recently about bending injuries.  

I have been lucky enough to have never been injured in the 3 years that I have been bending. I think that a big part of this is that I bend in almost every style.  I think the problem starts a lot of time when someone is focusing on 1 thing and they develop imbalances and get hurt.  Being a well rounded bender develops the body allover and limits the imbalances that lead to injury. I also think it is key to lift weights to stay strong allover and to do exercises and stretches, etc in the thought of preventing injuries. Indian Clubs are a big part of this now for me. 

I do think it is best for gains to be doing max or near max bends. I have not had a lot of success in getting stronger at bending by doing easier volume work.  I can bend all the red nails I want and that won’t help me bend the KOAB.  I also do believe though that you should not try to advance too quickly, to build it slow and move up little by little. 

Rest and just using common sense is key too, if you feel bad or like you have an injury coming, rest. Take a day off.

On this issue, I always remember the Under the Spotlight - Grip Profile with Ivan B. (https://www.gripboard.com/index.php?/topic/47333-under-the-spotlight-grip-profile-ivan-beritashvili/). This is from it:

6.  Do you have a personal anecdote, topic or thoughts you'd like to include in your profile?

Never hurry.  

Put decades in your strength building.  Watch David Horne and Gary Hunt, realize that there are no age limits and that true strength comes with accumulated experience.

Strength is not about how you "rip your ass" (senseless huge efforts) today.  Strength comes with 1000 of tons of lifted or bent metal.  Strength comes with 1000's of opponents pulled.

Each rep, each bar, each kilo, each fight – counts.  Accumulate your experience and don’t  always go "balls to the wall"  if you want to progress till your 60-s.

Let me tell you my story…

Once I became strong, I was a very good reverse bender.  After some isometric tips from Jonathan Umpherville (who in his turn learned this all from Gary Hunt) I gained HUGE reverse power.   I added something like 50 lbs to my reversed bar rating in a very short period of time (maybe 2-3 months?).  I was reversing IM red nails (450 pounders) confidently in IMPs, and bastards also.  I passed a red nail cert no trouble with reverse start.

Then I became greedy.  I took tougher and tougher bars and progressed too fast.  My strength increased faster than my body could bear.  I believed, that Gary Hunt’s bends are touchable, and that I would reach a G5 Edgin reverse.

Soon, I took some new awesome 1.25” leather pads put them on a Sexabastard bar.  I gave it an awesome hit!  The bar began bending and then CRUNCH!!   My thumb web tendon ripped off.  That was end of my “great” reverse bender career.  Young, strong, greedy, cocky.   Good combination of characteristics to cross out forever a big branch of my favorite sport in one second.

But luckily we have DU  .

(By the way, before it mangled me, I gave the "#@%*^!" a good 17 degree kink!  It was a good hit, believe me.)

[FrankD]

5 minutes ago, Donc101 said:

I have been lucky enough to have never been injured in the 3 years that I have been bending.

This part is amazing, Don. Good work on that. 

[KapMan]

Im forced to go slow, I bit off more then I could enough times then I care to admit.

Im not smart, at all. And my situation complicates things a bit. Im not really able to do multiple things, like general purpose strength in the gym and bend..

i have to pick one or the other. It maybe that ill be 72 before ill bend a bastard but thats the hand im dealt. 

Strength is a marathon not a sprint amirite? 

Excellent post don, the socrates of bending.

 

[Mike Rinderle]

7 minutes ago, KapMan said:

Im forced to go slow, I bit off more then I could enough times then I care to admit.

Im not smart, at all. And my situation complicates things a bit. Im not really able to do multiple things, like general purpose strength in the gym and bend..

i have to pick one or the other. It maybe that ill be 72 before ill bend a bastard but thats the hand im dealt. 

Strength is a marathon not a sprint amirite? 

Excellent post don, the socrates of bending.

 

You'll get there.  Or you could just go to Jedd's and have him scream in your face and you will magically do it.  This is my favorite bend of all time. From after a grip contest in 2010.  I had never bent anything other than a few 60Ds.  Had no idea what I was doing.  @Jedd Johnson basically screamed me into a bastard cert.  Hahahaha

From that point on I was hooked.

[KapMan]

1 minute ago, Mike Rinderle said:

You'll get there.  Or you could just go to Jedd's and have him scream in your face and you will magically do it.  This is my favorite bend of all time. From after a grip contest in 2010.  I had never bent anything other than a few 60Ds.  Had no idea what I was doing.  @Jedd Johnson basically screamed me into a bastard cert.  Hahahaha

From that point on I was hooked.

Thats amazing!

[Mike Rinderle]

1 hour ago, Donc101 said:

Rest and just using common sense is key too, if you feel bad or like you have an injury coming, rest. Take a day off.

Well that rules me out.  

[KapMan]

1 minute ago, Mike Rinderle said:

Well that rules me out.  

You, me and 90% of the planet.

[Donc101]

1 hour ago, KapMan said:

Im forced to go slow, I bit off more then I could enough times then I care to admit.

Im not smart, at all. And my situation complicates things a bit. Im not really able to do multiple things, like general purpose strength in the gym and bend..

i have to pick one or the other. It maybe that ill be 72 before ill bend a bastard but thats the hand im dealt. 

Strength is a marathon not a sprint amirite? 

Excellent post don, the socrates of bending.

 

You will get it Shawn. You have the strength. You just need to stay consistent. I think that is the biggest key for you. 

[KapMan]

1 hour ago, Donc101 said:

You will get it Shawn. You have the strength. You just need to stay consistent. I think that is the biggest key for you. 

Thats the plan my friend.slow, and consistent. Thank you for your support. Having a good team in my corner is exactly what I need. 

[Tom Flesher]

On 9/18/2018 at 2:46 PM, Donc101 said:

4.       Indian Clubs.  I started using these a few months ago and my shoulders, elbows and wrists feel better than they have in a long time. We beat those joints up with heavy bending, especially the shoulders.  I was starting to have a weird feeling in my shoulders.  It wasn’t pain and I was not limited, but I could just feel something going on deep in my shoulder. I bought the clubs to prevent anything from happening to my shoulders.  They feel great right now.  I do these to warm up before bending and lifting and will also normally do these at the end of the workout.

 

These are my thoughts. I hope this helps someone.

Coming back to this a while later, I realize I don’t know a thing about these. I’m curious what size and brand you’re using and whether you’ve got any suggestions on how they’re used. Any videos you’d suggest on how best to leverage them?

[Donc101]

26 minutes ago, Tom Flesher said:

Coming back to this a while later, I realize I don’t know a thing about these. I’m curious what size and brand you’re using and whether you’ve got any suggestions on how they’re used. Any videos you’d suggest on how best to leverage them?

I am definetly not an expert in them. I bought 2 lb clubs and they seem to be the right size for me. I forget the brand, just found a good deal on amazon for a set and bought them. There are tons of videos on YouTube. I just watched a bunch of them and picked the exercises that felt good and I liked to do. They really help the shoulders, elbows and wrists. I use them to warm up before any lifting and bending and also use them at the end for some high rep work. If you get them, let me know what you think. 

[KapMan]

1 hour ago, Tom Flesher said:

Coming back to this a while later, I realize I don’t know a thing about these. I’m curious what size and brand you’re using and whether you’ve got any suggestions on how they’re used. Any videos you’d suggest on how best to leverage them?

@Andrew Dube knows something on this. I asked on FB about them. 

A guy named don giafardino on Facebook was recommended and Dubé squared posted these links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/taraswolkowinski

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/lphantman

[Andrew Dube]

2 hours ago, Tom Flesher said:

Coming back to this a while later, I realize I don’t know a thing about these. I’m curious what size and brand you’re using and whether you’ve got any suggestions on how they’re used. Any videos you’d suggest on how best to leverage them?

1-3 lbs is all you need. I've come to prefer lighter clubs actually, but heavier clubs can be used for strength work. Start by simply making circles (arms straight) exploring your shoulders range of motion. Next I would work on learning inside and outside mills. Here's a great video showing the different combinations with these two simple movements. I'll try to film a video tonight demonstrating some wrist drills you can do. 

 

[Tom Flesher]

Thank you guys! I’d have gone with something way too heavy if I hadn’t asked. This is great.

[KapMan]

9 minutes ago, Tom Flesher said:

Thank you guys! I’d have gone with something way too heavy if I hadn’t asked. This is great.

If you did the quote

”if he dies, he dies” would aptly apply

Edited December 19, 2018 by KapMan

[Andrew Dube]

 

[Donc101]

On 12/19/2018 at 5:19 PM, Andrew Dube said:

 

Andrew is like a ninja with those clubs!

[Donc101]

Check out this core movement Bud Jeffries posted. Looks sinister. I think this would be great for braced bending, helping with the sweep.  I need to try it out.

here is a ling to the video: