Return To Bending After Injury

[VeGripper]

Well, today was my first day back to bending after a little over 2 weeks off to let the sore spot on my palm heal, and it was definitely a kick in the pants trying to get back to where I was before.

Started out warming up with a pair of blues, then a 5.5x1/4", a 5"x1/4", and a 5/16"x6.5" G2. Most went pretty easily, then the goal was to bend three 6" G5 bolts to get the feeling back again. This is where it went downhill.

First G5, not too bad. Took about 20 seconds and re-wrap, where a few weeks ago this would have been a 10 second or less bend. Oh well, gotta start again somewhere.

Next one slapped me silly by only bending around 5 degrees and stopping cold. What the heck is this? Rested, tried again, no more budging. Changed gears and tried to DO fold it, which I suck at, and it went nowhere. Terrible. Threw it down in a fit, rested a few, then wrapped up the last G5 rather than continue with the slightly kinked one.

Powered into it with everything I had in usual DU style, bent this one around 10 degrees, then stopped me cold. Tried twice more, failed both times, and now my tender palm spot is hurting a bit AND my elbow feels like tendonitis is setting in. Great - this is supposed to be the fun comeback, and now I hurt in 2 areas instead of one and I miss my goal by 2 bends. I toss out a few more blue nails just to bend something I can actually manage, and I call it a day.

Not sure how this hand injury is going to heal, but it's really quite annoying. I rolled the bar in 2 IM pads instead of one this time, adding a lot more padding than I usually work with. Also, I realized how terrible my DO style is even for trying to get the crushdown started if the initial DU kink isn't a good one. I just can't get it right. When I try to get the bend started high up and just under my chin, it just slips out of place. Either the whole thing drops to nipple height and I finally catch myself to get some force on the bar (but I'm not pushing into the bar and away from me at this point, rather down and into myself) or it just shoots out and I lose it. I can safely say that I'm not powerful or flexible in the DO position, but I don't know what I can do to work this. I'm feeling a bit defeated right now, but hopefully a few weeks of recovery bending will get me back to where I was. I'll either surpass my old best or break myself trying, so there's no quitting even though my faith in bending is a bit shaky right about now. A few days off and hopefully it'll be a little better the next time around!

VeGripper

[GatorGrip]

VeGripper my friend,

I know what you are going through, I have wrenched my wrists especially my left one so bad that picking up a glass of water is pretty painful. I was making dinner for my wife and daughter tonight and even grabbing the skillet and pots had my wrists ringing. I feel like this may take a while to heal and I better go back into bending gently or suffer longer or permanently.

Now don't you give up your body is just telling you to slow down and it needs a little more time to repair. You and I have been putting some serious hurt on these nails, bolts and bars it was only a matter of time before one put a hurting on us. That’s okay though because we will prevail. I am going to start doing some other exercises like levering and maybe block weights to augment my bending. I am glad to hear that you have added some more badly needed padding to your wrapping technique.

Now lets reassess the training session today:

1) You are not exactly 100 percent - but you were able to bend some metal anyway which is promising and shows your true tenacity

2) You have the will to go back to bending even after a substantial injury and training setback - that takes determination and discipline.

3) You added extra padding to prevent a repeat of the palm injury-that is being proactive in prevention which shows you are serious and thinking your next steps through.

4) You are willing to talk about the issue for input and moral support - which tells me you don't want to quit, you just need a little reassurance and support that your going to blow through this and keep moving forward to your goal of annihilating the Red Nail.

So even though we have both been slapped with a reality check that we may be pushing to get far to fast. We probably need to let our body (hands and wrists especially) catch up with our will to achieve the next level. I know brother the bars are like Pringles you can't just have one. To be satisfied seems almost blasphemous so we jump right into the next thicker, harder or shorter piece we can find without letting ourselves fully heal. Momentum is a great thing but if you swing to far out to fast you’re likely to hit a tree like Tarzan, but I haven't ever seen him bend a G5 or G8 let alone a Red Nail.

Keep your head and spirits up because I as well as all of us in the Steel Brotherhood have all the faith in the world that you will overcome this and be back and beyond in no time.

P.S. I through a temper tantrum (don't tell my daughter because she is not aloud to have tantrums) when I couldn't warp that 1/4" Square CRS and I slung the whole thing wraps and all across my basement, but when I calmed down after killing a few 60s and Blues, I still had to crawl under my desk to get it. It will be waiting until I can kink it enough put the GatorGrip on it and chomp that mother down.

Edited March 13, 2005 by GatorGrip

[mANVIL]

VeGripper - I would strongly recomend reading every word on this page in particular the "Advance Slowly" section:

http://www.geocities.com/ltgodfrey/new.html

edit: I know the heading to that page says "tips for the bending newbie" and you can probably bend harder steel than I can, I wasn't trying to imply you were a newbie and I think those tips are applicable to people of all skill levels.

I looked back over your threads in Bending forum the last 30 days and I believe this is the 3rd post where you mention injury. Learn from the mistakes of the guys on this board and take things slow. You say "I'll either surpass my old best or break myself trying," ... well don't be surprised if you either surpass your old best AND break yourself trying it, or just break yourself trying. Some might call me a pussy for this attitude and that's fine, see where its gotten you. You flew through the grade 5 bolt and were already attempting grade 8's or even finishing them (don't remember exactly) it's no wonder your body is fighting back. The palm pain, index finger strain (which you saw in your first G5 bend, yet half a dozen workouts later and a 17day layoff you are attempting 3) is your bodies way of saying "slow down man youre f***ing me up!." If you're feeling this much pain on the G5's what are you going to do to your hands when you get to the red's? You're also more likely to affect your other hand strength goals this way which is just going to make you feel more like shit. If I strained my back squatting 300, you would call me an idiot if I attempted 350 the next workout.

Think about why you are doing this. Did you bet someone that you would certify on the red next month? Why not take a more conservative approach and fully dominate a nail before moving on. Get a 10lbs box 60d's and don't bend anything harder until you have dominated every nail in the box. Then go on to the grade 5's, when you can bend 10 back to back then move to a cut G5 or the G8's. Bending is alot of fun and from what you've just posted you're not having much of that right now.

Edited March 13, 2005 by mANVIL

[VeGripper]

Both replies are much appreciated. I think I expected a bit much for the comeback and was in too much of a rush to be where I was at before, and that just ain't happening. I'll definitely be taking a bit more time to recover and work my way back up slowly - I'm in no situation where I need to get to the red nail soon, but impatience has a way of making one want to get there as quickly as possible. I've still got my share of work ahead of me, and I'll definitely be approaching it a bit more intelligently in the comeback. I'll keep working volume through the next few weeks since my endurance is a bad spot for me (same with all lifting as well - good for a few reps, crap out with high rep stuff even if it is light) so perhaps that'll be the better way to go. I'm not looking to damage myself further, so that does seem to be the best route. Moderate level volume, some additional wrist work and we'll see where it takes me in the coming few months. Thanks again for the replies!

VeGripper

[gamidon]

I agree with the other posts about taking it easy. This is advice I freely give and ignore completly when it comes to myself When I hurt I figure out ways to work around it. I frequently damaged my hands and had to train with them. Bone bruises are a real bastard to heal and it takes a long time. I generally refuse to wait so I change the nail hand placement to where it doesnt hurt so bad and then keep going. I have a revolving hand placement moving around the painful spots when I hurt them.

So if you can't wait (probably better to rest than continue but...) Take some leather cut it into squares (2"x2") Put them in your palm to dull the pain, add 1, 2, or 3 per side if you have to on the crushdown to reduce the pain. Try to use as little as possible because the extra padding makes the crushdown spongy and harder to complete. Use smaller nails and work the volume, don't go for max attempts when you need the extra padding you are only going to make things worse.

Bending is all about pain and injury management, they pretty much come with it. Get better and keep your head in the right place. It is hard to keep a positive mental attitude when you keep getting hurt. The attitude is what will get you through it.