Bending After Age 45?

[Hubgeezer]

I have been doing grip for 5 years now. having started at age 45. I purchased IM's Bag of Nails 3 years ago, and would pull out a white nail every 6 months, fail, and set it aside. Clay Edgin gave me a 15 minute lesson, and I managed to bend a timber tie. A month later, he gave my 23 year old son 15 minutes of instruction. Last night my son and I went to Michael's, purchased some overpriced suede, and my son, all 5 ft 9 inches and 7 1/2 inch hands of him, was easily bending yellows. I just about destroyed my elbow putting a tiny wrinkle in a white. I have 50 pounds on him on the Rolling Thunder, 3/4's of a gripper on him, larger hands, etc, etc. He has been a mechanic for 2 years, so there is obviously functional strength there. My elbow is killing me, and there are women on this board bending nails.

All of this for the question: does anyone know of an older person that took up bending after age 45? I can go to a doctor, but I would imagine they believe that everyone on this board is insane. There is Brookfield, Dennis Rogers, but these guys have been at it a long time. Should I let it go and accept defeat, as I am risking injury, or should I just take it slower and strengthen the tendons first? I have avoided excercises that put pressure on the elbows, as that seems to be the body part that is the most tender when it comes to exercise. I'd like to know if you know of over 45's that took it up, or if I just have to accept that I will never grow to be half the nailman my son is...Hubgeezer

[GarytheDino]

That would be a good poll to ask, the age people were when they started bending. It's 35 for me and I have the feeling I'm toward the upper end but not sure.

[EricMilfeld]

I'm 36 and started one year ago. The all-out attempts that yield little or no bend of the steel (isometrics) always do a number on my right elbow. By limiting these type of efforts to no more than once a week, and waiting atleast a day after bending before benching, I can keep the pain under control.

[chuck]

Well, I'm just starting with bending and I'm over 40, but I hope my previous learning will temper my ego to stay injury free. Towards that end, I am taking Bender's advice and concentrating on lever lifting for a good six months first, then working on a high volume of easy bends before considering tougher stuff.

I have relatively small joints and have suffered from elbow tendonitis (both work and workout related) a few times. At present, my elbows are better than ever, I believe from the changes I've made to diet and using certain exercises.

In the past year, I've been getting alot of essential fatty acids, mostly from Ground Flaxseed, raw pumpkin seeds, raw walnuts, and black sesame seeds, 2-4 tablespoons of each every day. I make sure to chew them well for best digestion. Whey Protein isolate has really helped as well. Beyond that, I'm taking Calcium and especially Magnesium supplements, Vit. A & E, the most bio-available kinds I could find. I also take 2 grams of Sodium Ascorbate powder in a little water twice a day. I used to use Udo's Choice Oil and MSM, but found I do even better with the nuts/seeds, and they're alot cheaper.

Physically, I analyzed my form on the motions that were aggravating my elbows, and was able to

correct my faulty technique, like not bending my elbows too soon on power cleans.

The exercises that worked to heal up my elbows and get them stronger were 1 and 2 arm chinning bar hangs for time, 1 and 2 arm handstands against a wall for time, Lever bar hammer curls for 2 sets of 12-15 reps, and rubber band finger extensions for 1 set of 100 reps every other day. I think overhead and bench press lockouts with a barbell might help as well.

I also use some of the mobility drills from Pavel's "Super Joints" book. The Russian Pool cue drill with a broomstick especially helps. And I stretch my wrists with flexed and extended hands with elbows locked for 30 seconds each stretch twice a day, after workouts and before sleep.

Now that I'm in good nick, I've been doing front and back sledge levers, working up to a max single in 5 sets, each way, and doing 2x6 side to side levers as well as the other exercises.

I don't believe age is the obstacle, lack of knowledge and bad habits are.

Hope any of this helps. Good luck!

[nagual]

... you can also try switching bending style to something that is not as taxing on the elbows, which for most seem to be underhand.

Other than that, what strengthens the tendons and ligaments the most, is static work. I would imagine that an armwrestler would be a strong bender, because of all that amount of static work that hits the elbow hard.

One way would be to take that white, and try bending it with a small to moderate amount of force, and just keep that tension on the nail for say, one minute. You are not to bend the nail, just apply pressure/tension on it. Try this with different hand positions etc a couple of times a week, and then slooowly start upping the volume and intensity. This can be done with levering aswell, i.e. holding the sledge in different positions.

Edited October 7, 2004 by nagual

[Scott Styles]

I don't think age would enter into it. Double overhand bothers my shoulders, and I am 23. What's important is that you recognize the pain and work with it, rather than through it. You may want to put some effort into learning a different method. If you do this, it is likely that someone using double overhand will be able to bend harder steel than you. But you can catch up and pass them by being consist over time.

When I first got the IM nails, I tried with all my might and barely put a perceptible kink in a white. It took me over a week before I could bend it. For weeks after that, as far as I was concerned, the green was an immovable object. I eventually bent that, after I bought steel from the hardware store and got some work in on it. This time was all spent learning to squeeze the nail with my hand as I bent it. Not a natural feeling for me at all.

Over a period of maybe 5 months I worked up to bending the yellow with a reverse grip. My wrists got much stronger. Then I got maximized bending from cyberpump and learned double overhand. I bent a yellow with that style the same day. The next, my chest was completely sore.

That was the point I realized if I was bending just to bend harder nails, I was letting my ego get caught up by the feat of strength rather than the value of the exercise.

[climber511]

I'm 56 now and starting bending I guess 2 years ago or so due solely to this board. My best bend in the IronMind stuff is a Blue with my best probably a few regular 60d nails done. I still have a couple 60s I can't do I but get most kinds now on a good day. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't do the volume the young guys do but that seems to be for my whole body, not just grip. I did have 45 years of more general lifting and sports behind me and 20 years of rock climbing which I think did help me. I don't really specilise my grip training a lot as it seems I get injured if I go at bending etc for too long and hard at a stretch. Like most older guys, I have a series of overuse and other injuries to work around that flair up from time to time. Anyway to answer your question, at 40 you should be able to gradually build into a lot of progress. You'll find that some things will fit you better in terms of what hurts you and what you can really push yourself on just based on your bodies strong and weak points. Maybe bending or at least the style of bending you're doing just isn't for you - try other areas of grip and see how they treat you. Luck to you.

[Hubgeezer]

Some excellent points there, thanks all. I hope to hear from more over 35's, as I suspect over 45's here is not realistic, as it is a relatively young board. My motivation for bending has not much to do with the usual reasons we like this stuff, it is a pramatic one:contests are including bending more and more, and I am relatively competitive on the other events that get included. I either have to learn to bend, or avoid contests that have bending. I have no problem taking things longer and slower, as that is the way I do everything.

Watching my son coming out of the chutes so fast was almost shocking, as nothing he has done in grip has come naturally to date. I have been training him slow and steady, and Clay's lesson was very easy stock, not touching any IM nails. The night before last, my son easily bent everything he touched. He wants to try a blue nail tonight. I have to accept that my path will not be the same, but if older gripsters say it is a road of risk, I won't take it, and just keep doing the stuff I'm better at.

Besides, I've had 3 PR's in Rolling Thunder in two weeks, so I am not ready for the cane you see in my avatar.

Hubgeezer

[Dave H]

I am a firm believer that age is not a factor in strength related activities. I am 48 years old now and in much better shape - and stronger - than I was 5 years ago and I have been lifting weights consistantly for 33 years. I am still setting pr's and none of my son's friends - or my son - can out perform me in the gym (he's 24). Just keep training - and practice the bending often with nails easy enough that you can bend without hurting yourself. If you do it consistantly, then you will get stronger and stronger. Just don't over-power youself with nails that are too hard. If you do that, you'll just get an injury.

Sixgun..

[MikeP]

I know the response of a 25 yr old doesn't carry the same impact as a 60 yr old, but I would like to add a penny or two. I think alot of it has to do with what kind of exercise or work you have been doing. Like you said, your son is a mechanic, lots of isometric pulls on lug wrenches and sockets etc in sometimes odd angles, so his elbows are probably ready for it. You said you have been avoiding exercises that work the elbows? That would add to the problem now if you jump into one of the most demanding tests on your elbows that I can think of. I work with cables and don't get pain from it but Eric M. tried my cables and said damn that hurts my elbow. I'm sure, if you start with all the cables like I was doing and youre not used to the funny angle. Same with bending. Just need to take it slow and work the sledge, stretching, and light bending. Take your time and I don't see why you can't work into bigger steel. True, you may never get the red, but who's to say you would have if you were 20? You just never know. Tendons and ligaments grow/repair very slowly and especially slow at your age so its going to be a slow battle/journey. Sounds like youre already prepared for it. Congrats on your other lifting and best of health. Overcome.

[3Crusher]

I started bending when I was 39, and could not bend the easiest of timber ties when I first started. Almost two years later I started bending Reds. Age to me is just a number. By this time in your training career, you should know how to listen to your body. Ramp up the volume and difficulty gradually, and you should have no problems. I sometimes wonder where I would be now if I had started 20 years ago, but I can't turn back time, so I just look forward to making myself the best I can be.

[MikeP]

Damn Steve! You definitely had me fooled. I would have guessed you were closer to 31.... That shows what hard work does for the body.

[bigsquat]

I started bending at age 44. I have bent a variety of 60ds. I have elbow problems as well. But I've come too far to stop now.

[Thaibox]

My pops is 65 and is bending grade 2's and is working on 60's. He's also shooting for the #2 right now. He'll be hitting the gym and training hard until he's dead.

There is no such thing as an age limit in this game, only a limit to your dedication.