Improving The Initial Kink

[LiftingKid]

I have been bending for quite a few months now and I have always had trouble with the initial kink. Now, I maintain sledge work (although I do need a bigger sledge....) to no avail in terms of my kinking of a nail. It may be a technique thing though, I usually bring the nail to my neck with my elbows above my wrists and bend from there. However, leverage is usually not that great when I do that. Any thoughts in terms of what I can do?

[burner]

I have been bending for quite a few months now and I have always had trouble with the initial kink. Now, I maintain sledge work (although I do need a bigger sledge....) to no avail in terms of my kinking of a nail. It may be a technique thing though, I usually bring the nail to my neck with my elbows above my wrists and bend from there. However, leverage is usually not that great when I do that. Any thoughts in terms of what I can do?

torque the wrists and push, you should feel pressure on the index fingers. This technique will not come overnight, stay focussed and determined, the strength will come with time.

[John Eaton]

I kinked my 60D today using double underhand, then crushed it down.

Good luck.

[Number Ten Ox]

It may be a technique thing though, I usually bring the nail to my neck with my elbows above my wrists and bend from there.

I kinked my 60D today using double underhand, then crushed it down.

I do not recomend trying double underhand with your elbows above your wrists and nail at your chin. Seems akward.

Seriously though. Watch so many videos of the good benders on the board that you dream about them (the bends, not the dudes), and duct tape a bit of weight onto your sledge for more resistence.

I wish I could -

Bench:140lbs

Squat:275lbs

Deadlift: 290lbs

when I was 14.

Heck I wish I could squat that now!

[LiftingKid]

It may be a technique thing though, I usually bring the nail to my neck with my elbows above my wrists and bend from there.

I kinked my 60D today using double underhand, then crushed it down.

I do not recomend trying double underhand with your elbows above your wrists and nail at your chin. Seems akward.

Seriously though. Watch so many videos of the good benders on the board that you dream about them (the bends, not the dudes), and duct tape a bit of weight onto your sledge for more resistence.

I wish I could -

Bench:140lbs

Squat:275lbs

Deadlift: 290lbs

when I was 14.

Heck I wish I could squat that now!

I've been trying to watch some vids, although it can be difficult to catch some subtle hints in their technique. I will replicate an ideal DO bend as best I can. BTW, I will definetly duck tape some weight on now that you suggested that!

[Dude]

torque the wrists and push, you should feel pressure on the index fingers. This technique will not come overnight, stay focussed and determined, the strength will come with time.

I was gonna say the same thing. Your elbows should come off your body in somewhat of a 45 degree angle, not straight towards the floor. Try jumping down a little in nail strength of whatever you're bending and work on powering into the nail hard during the kink, then take that on to the bigger stuff.

[smp76]

I've been trying to watch some vids, although it can be difficult to catch some subtle hints in their technique. I will replicate an ideal DO bend as best I can. BTW, I will definetly duck tape some weight on now that you suggested that!

Soon I will have a nice video of my 5.5" Hex Bastard attempt and my failed Grand Bastard attempts...a student is putting it all together for me. There is about five edited minuted of me blasting into the bars doing just what Ron is describing. Not that I am an expert but it is a lot of video and should give you a good look at a long series of hits where I attempt to blow through the bar. Driving the elbows down at a 45 degree agle to the floor. I will post it in my gallery when I up load it and link it to this thread and I hope it helps. Again, I am no expert in form or technique and have a weak chest so I would not try to replicate too much If you did replicate too perfectly you would be snaggle toothed and a spoon chested freak!

-Sean

[SHRUG]

Nothing will help you more than just bending a lot of steel. When I started I had no idea what DU or DO was. I just started bending DU because it felt natural to me. The more I bent the better I got and I started teaching myself little ways to get the most power to the nail. You will get more and more comfortable as time goes by and the strength will come.

One thing that really helped me was bending very frequently. When I first started I would go down to my basement every night and bend 5 - 10 pieces of steel, the key is to train to the point of just before failure, then I would do hot and cold therapy on my hands and upper arms and slam a protein shake. I just kept doing that every night for the first few weeks, I think it really helped me build a big base.

One other thing, it may sound crazy, but start bending sitting down but only from time to time. Obviously you will not have near the power sitting down that you do standing up but just try it and you will see what I mean. You will only have the power of the muscles directly involved to start the kink, then when you get good at this and you go back to standing up you will be amazed, the kink will feel like butter. I trained like this in the beginning for the first few weeks about every other day or so until I was relatively happy with my kinking power, from there it will increase as the steel gets bigger. Hope this info helps, later.

SHRUG

[smp76]

Nothing will help you more than just bending a lot of steel. When I started I had no idea what DU or DO was. I just started bending DU because it felt natural to me. The more I bent the better I got and I started teaching myself little ways to get the most power to the nail. You will get more and more comfortable as time goes by and the strength will come.

One thing that really helped me was bending very frequently. When I first started I would go down to my basement every night and bend 5 - 10 pieces of steel, the key is to train to the point of just before failure, then I would do hot and cold therapy on my hands and upper arms and slam a protein shake. I just kept doing that every night for the first few weeks, I think it really helped me build a big base.

One other thing, it may sound crazy, but start bending sitting down but only from time to time. Obviously you will not have near the power sitting down that you do standing up but just try it and you will see what I mean. You will only have the power of the muscles directly involved to start the kink, then when you get good at this and you go back to standing up you will be amazed, the kink will feel like butter. I trained like this in the beginning for the first few weeks about every other day or so until I was relatively happy with my kinking power, from there it will increase as the steel gets bigger. Hope this info helps, later.

SHRUG

Sound advice from a great bender. I like the sitting idea Shrug, isolation and form practice. Great stuff man, glad to hear you chim in with a great nugget of wisdom.

-Sean