Problem?

[liam.mccaffrey]

I have had a great weekend so far with a couple of PR's so i thought i'd have a go at a piece of 7"x5/16" stainless tonight.

I was surprised how well i did i only expected to kink it but had no problem with the kink, hard but after a few hard hits i got it to 100º pretty sweet. At this point, and this isn't just for this bar, like most i have to uncurl the fingers from one side of the bar because there isn't enough room between the ends.

I have been working on my crush and its really improved, i crushed down some 5/16" mcmaster hex on friday. But as soon as i uncurl one hand i have no power what so ever, the harder bars go from moving nice to completely freezing. I know stainless starts to get really hard at this point but what i want to know is if people have any advice on that part of the bend other than doing a sh!t loads of isos.

Many Thanks

Edited May 13, 2007 by liamcafs

[Tim71]

As I found out in another thread this is a common problem on the tougher stuff. I don't know really the answer. I've tried Unrolling one wrap and then putting the excess material on just the outside of the bar to push in.

Once I get the bar in enough to kinda lock my fingers for the crush then I found using chalk on my hands helped some so I wouldn't lose some grippiness in between my fingers from sweat.

I've not found a universal cure though. Seem like in that point where my knuckles are hitting but it's a little to far to get good power on the crush is a problem. Only thing that really helps me is to get stronger to the point of where you really fly through the first part of the bend and it keeps the metal softer for a few seconds. The faster I bend it the easier I bend it but if a piece of steel is at you max effort then it's hard to do.

If you find a good solution let us know. I've also been playing with crush pads some and on some things like 6 inch bolts it helps.

Tim

[liam.mccaffrey]

i have just started using chalk on limit bends, and i agree it does help

[gazza]

The chalk,elastic bands and what ever wraps you use will all help but once you hit your "LIMIT" at this particular time you have no option but to get stronger technique also plays a major role but without the strength it will only take you so far.

In my opinion isos are probably the most important training aid for this,other bending problems hell just bending and isos will if done properly and long enough make you a very powerfull man when it comes to bending thats all aload of the oldtimers did Alexander Zass was proberly the father of isometrics and he bent some real beastly metal i think if it works for people as strong as him then what have i got to lose alot of people knock isometrics but they have there place like any other form of exercise but i think they are better for bending than weights i have not touched a weight in probably 12mths now just isos and bending and i am getting better all the time and i am 46 this year so i am doing something right.

If i was you i would look at were my sticking piont is for example if its 90degrees or there abouts i would kink some bars just a bit harder than you can crush now and kink them at 75-80 and 100-110degrees and do these with 7inch,6inch and 5inch bars as when you try to crush do isos with the different lengths it hits the hands differently and you learn to push against angles and lengths etc this lkeeps throwing the body/mind off making it adjust/adapt all the time it does take time dont expect a week of isos to transform you you need to put an honest effort and abit of time into it to see some good results.

when you do the isos or attack a PR bar you have to get the mind and muscles used to giving a burst of substained[isometric push]power for a certain ammount of time sometimes people are strong enough to bend a certain bar but on the initial kink they dont push for long enough with enough power to make the bar move this is what the iso training is for it teaches you to build muscular endurance and to hit the harder stuff that does not get easier as it heats up stuff like stainless and bolts that are springy etc you need to be able to keep the pressure on and this takes time to build.

you have to look inside youself and be totally honest with yourself do you want to just bend for a hobby and be happy with any progress and PRs as they come along nothing wrong with this or do you want to really push yourself in bending as far as you can if the answer is the 2nd one then i feel you really need to start exploring what your mind and body as regards bending are capable of taking and how much pain you are prepared to go through to get there wraps/padding will help to a certain extent but you will still feel pain as you start bending harder and harder steel so you need to learn to think of pain as your friend and except that you will get injured its part of the journey you can minimise these injuries but i feel that if you are constantly afraid or thinking about injuries or getting injured it will hinder your progress i advocate the latter it works for me thats the type of person i am all or nothing no middle ground but i aint knocking the 1st aproach as this to will get you results.

[wscorpion]

you have to look inside youself and be totally honest with yourself do you want to just bend for a hobby and be happy with any progress and PRs as they come along nothing wrong with this or do you want to really push yourself in bending as far as you can if the answer is the 2nd one then i feel you really need to start exploring what your mind and body as regards bending are capable of taking and how much pain you are prepared to go through to get there wraps/padding will help to a certain extent but you will still feel pain as you start bending harder and harder steel so you need to learn to think of pain as your friend and except that you will get injured its part of the journey you can minimise these injuries but i feel that if you are constantly afraid or thinking about injuries or getting injured it will hinder your progress i advocate the latter it works for me thats the type of person i am all or nothing no middle ground but i aint knocking the 1st aproach as this to will get you results.

Wow Gazza, besides the fact that you are an extraordinary bender, you master the science of creating sentences as well, 199 words in 1 sentence, WOW!

j/k.

But how do you bend a piece of steel in the correct form for iso's? If i put the half of the bar between something solid it will bend much sharper then when i bend it with my hands. How do you overcome this, or doesn't this matter?

[dimmers]

i know you meant the above as but was there really much point in it???

[wscorpion]

i know you meant the above as but was there really much point in it???

Does it matter?

The reason i posted was the question below that joke.

Or do you feel i shouldn't make a small joke here? Then sorry for that

[lone Wolf]

[but how do you bend a piece of steel in the correct form for iso's? If i put the half of the bar between something solid it will bend much sharper then when i bend it with my hands. How do you overcome this, or doesn't this matter?

I don't think it really matters on how sharp the bend is your trying to work within a certain range of motion

[liam.mccaffrey]

thanks for comenting gaz