Starting With Bending Soon

[rift]

I read somewhere that I should work on levering for at least 6 months before I start to try and bend. I've done that and can now do a 10 lbs maul overhead (although a couple inches from the end of the handle) and lesser amounts rear, front and side. Anyway, does it sound like I have a decent enough foundation? I was planning on ordering the FBBS and maybe a book. Any thoughts other wise? thanks.

[bencrush]

I read somewhere that I should work on levering for at least 6 months before I start to try and bend. I've done that and can now do a 10 lbs maul overhead (although a couple inches from the end of the handle) and lesser amounts rear, front and side. Anyway, does it sound like I have a decent enough foundation? I was planning on ordering the FBBS and maybe a book. Any thoughts other wise? thanks.

Sounds like you've done your prep. Time to buy some steel, some pads, and maybe an e-book.

[luuc]

Jedd Johnson's Bending E-Book is considered to be the best source around, also look at video's on youtube of members on this board.

Good luck!!

[tja]

Jedd Johnson's Bending E-Book is considered to be the best source around, also look at video's on youtube of members on this board.

Good luck!!

Seconded.

And by your levering I'd also tell you to hit the steel

[matthcarl]

You're probably well ahead of me in the levering department.

[Johnsson]

Why levering training for 6 month is so important before any bending exercise? I have done some bending with easy nails in this week and a year with grip training including wrist curls and little bit reverse wrist curling and no any levering. Is it good idea that I started bending before any levering training ?

[TKtheGreek]

Why levering training for 6 month is so important before any bending exercise? I have done some bending with easy nails in this week and a year with grip training including wrist curls and little bit reverse wrist curling and no any levering. Is it good idea that I started bending before any levering training ?

yea why not

[bencrush]

Why levering training for 6 month is so important before any bending exercise? I have done some bending with easy nails in this week and a year with grip training including wrist curls and little bit reverse wrist curling and no any levering. Is it good idea that I started bending before any levering training ?

Not absolutely necessary though for some. I don't train levering and have done just fine. Others say I'd do better with levering. Who knows...probably better to add it--in your case--just in case.

[matthcarl]

I never tried levering until I'd been bending, and I still don't train it much. For the record, I was dead last in the sledge levering event at TPS Grip Assault last year, with one whole rep on an 8 lb. sledge. I had already bent the red nail, bastard and golden bastard by then. It might make more of a difference for reverse and traditional DU than DO bending.

[gazza]

Slim the oldtime strongman is the Hammer King and also an Accomplished bender as well as steel scroller so it obviously works but remember Slim is a freak and swung a sledge hammer for upto 12hrs a day daily so fair to say he did abit more sledge training than most he has his own style of bening named after him called slim style which uses alot of wrist torque so again the sledge levering had to have helped there.

The only other person on here ive heard of that uses sledges but does not bend but has done some decent bends is John Eaton but again hes another freak hes a farmer i think so uses sledges in his work but doesnt do an awefull lot of training at anything so again its an extreme example but proves that sledges do work.

John brookfield the grip specialist also uses sledges and again is a freak john was the 1st to bend the ironmind red nail and is probably outside of competition one of the strongest grip guys all round in the world so again the sledges have not done him any harm.

I was a hod carrier/building labourer for over 20yrs and a good ammount of that was breaking up concrete floors with sledge hammers,i could always swing a sledge longer and more powerfull than any of my work mates over the years and could always front lever a standard[over here] 8lbs sledge.

In 2002 i was talked into entering the novice section at the british nail bending champs i won and my times on a couple of the bends were actually quicker than some of the others in the higher sections despite me never ever at the time trying a nail so the sledge work i had done over the years in my daily work obviously helped.

In the 7yrs ive been bending ive probably touched my sledges and other lever equipment a handfull of times the reasons are 2 fols.

1st they bore the shit outa me each 2 there own.

2nd and more importantly 2 get good at steel bending i bend steel period and do isos and it seems to have worked for me so why change when i am seeing results.

Also fair 2 say that unlike alot of others who train everything grip IE:-grippers,pinch,v-bar,bending,thickbar etc i just mostly bend and occassionally have a few weeks at other things so im not loseing as much energy/strength on the other stuff like these guys so that gives me abit of an advantage i feel.

If your getting some good results with the bending after doing some sledge work then stick with it and do both untill it stops working then try something else.

If your strapped for cash and cannot afford the steel,nails,bolts etc to bend then the sledges make sense untuil youve got some spur dosh!

[Jedd Johnson]

In my ebook I discuss a conditioning period to get used to the strains of bending. This conditioning period includes many things including hammers and other work that preps the hands, fingers, lower arms, and elbows. It's not 6 months though. That seems a bit excessive. I put this in because when I wrote my book, there were many new benders who were getting very sore when they started out, plus I got VERY VERY sore when I first started and wanted to set up a ramp-up period for the novice bender who many times is also a novice grip trainee.

[Booyah!!!]

I have heard The E book and sledge levering is great but I never bought the book or do much sledge levering. I did go through some growing pains and still do. You have to at least give your body a chance to recover between workouts and watch lots of videos (lots in the gallery and Youtube) and work opposing muscle groups Sounds like you have a good base to build on. Looking forward to seeing some of your bending

[rift]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I don’t know where I came up with 6 months of levering, maybe it was just something I decided to do to make sure I would be committed before I started purchasing bending materials and literature. I do actually enjoy the levering though, so hopefully I’ll have time for both.