GatorGrip Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Since my last post I have had a chronic case of Bronchitis, bruised ribs (severly), stomach virus, and a split middle finger knuckle. It has been quite the ordeal and ain't quite out of me yet but I have toughed it out and soldiered on. I have only bent sporadically since being ill but have still managed to bend about 8 or so pieces of 5/16" x 7 & another 6" Trying To Keep The Faith Brothers - Keep On Keeping On! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigdeze Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Damn brotha, you're all kinds of jacked up! How did you bruise your ribs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Keep at it Kel! You know how it is man. Sometimes the bad and/or workouts you do while working around an injury are the most important to your future success. Whether you continue on or throw in the towel is sometimes a very thin line. I know that you know all this already though. Your fight is way bigger than any kind of urge to throw in the towel. You've got support from me and a bunch of other guys man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geofiz Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Hey Gator- maybe this quote will help a small bit until you are totally healed up. I have it posted in my basement and make sure I take a look at it when things are going rough or I'm doing one of those crazy crossfit workouts. You are already unbelievably strong, hang in there and keep plugging away. “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardBean1 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Okay I am suprised and excited about todays PR bends. The day didn't start well because I still have this bronchitis and coughed so hard I blacked out and fell down on the porch luckily a friend was there and helped me back up saying breath. I didn't even know what happened but it scared my woman to death and she ran and googled it and of course it said syncope (passing out) can easily happen while in a coughing spell from bronchitis or pnuemonia. Bottom line is I was alright just a little embarrassed and disoriented for a second or two. I bent the following 5/16" cold rolled steel bars today and it was surprising to me for the fact I haven't bent bars in nearly 3 years until Ben Edwards sent me some steel and I started this log the first week of December. I feel I am progressing well to be this early back in the game. Now let me clarify I did these with double wraps like I used to do some in the old days when that was acceptable now yall bend with tissue paper :lol: so I will have to work my way to that level. NOW TO THE BENDING SESSION 7" x 5/16" 6.5" x 5/16" 6" x 5/16" 5.5" x 5/16" Now I have no idea where these bars would be calibrated but they were all CRS so they have to be legit nonetheless. I am just as suprised and happy that I still have some DO strength left in the tank and it just gives me a big boost in self confidence to move forward in my comeback and beyond. Thanks for all your comments of support and motivation it gives me that extra boost I need. Keep at it. You will move up the latter very quickly much like muscle memory when weight lifting. You were a super strong bender and you will be one again very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Thanks Guys for the motivating words. I have been tore up here and there but I am still managing decent bends after a 3+ year layoff and only 5-6 weeks into it half ass because of illness and injury. BENT: 2 x 6.5" Bastard Bars last night. I AIN'T DONE BENDING STEEL YET BECAUSE IT'S MY THANG! GATOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Good stuff! 2 Big Bastards is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Thanks Guys for the motivating words. I have been tore up here and there but I am still managing decent bends after a 3+ year layoff and only 5-6 weeks into it half ass because of illness and injury. BENT: 2 x 6.5" Bastard Bars last night. I AIN'T DONE BENDING STEEL YET BECAUSE IT'S MY THANG! GATOR Bending's ur thing...glad to see u back at it man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 I have bent another couple 7"x5/6" bars and 6" bastard Bar but my knuckle calloused heavy and has now split the skin in 3 places. It gets worse and more painful everytime I try to bend a bar. Might have to let this one heal for a little while. Yes I have been liquid bandaid to feel the depth of the splits. I may have to get some electrical tape and wrap up the knuckle before trying to bend again. I ain't stop trying just gotta heal a few days. Who am I kidding I bend something today even with the cracked rib. 1/29/2011 My rib hurt bad today but took some Motrin but decided to bend anyway and I got a couple more 7"x16" bars and a 5" bar I couldn't fiqure out if it was that hard HRS or regular CRS but it went down in less than a minute. I hit hard and don't let up until the job is done. These I have been doing in doubles but they appear to be under 1.5" in diameter. I am improving and almost to run out of steel. It will be a sad day when I finish the last few pieces. I wish I had something to cut down the bars but at the moment it is all in a storage unit that has been locked by the company because we don't have the extra to pay it. A miracle could happen and I get some steel some how just got to give it time. 2 - 7"x16" bars and a 5" bar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hadn't bent much in the past week or so due to the ribs and letting the knuckle heal up. I seem to have hit a plateau in the 5/16" range or the last few 5/16" pieces of crs and a drill rod or two are too strong for me yet. I did measure the wraps I have been using and thier diameter was barely over an inch even though they were double wrapped. This leather or suede I got is thinner than my old stuff I used back in the day they don't seem as tough either because the inner wraps are really tearing apart. One thing I did do today was a 1/4" Square CRS I believe although they were mighty shiny. I bent one sitting down in a chair without leaning back much. It was just something I decided to try on a whim. Not the stuff yall are killing but I guess if I keep trying I will eventually get there. I got to get some new steel but times are tough right now, for everybody I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 I have had a hell of a two days so tonight I said the hell with it and grabbed a 6.5 Sqaure and took it down with not much problem so them I grabbed a piece of round 5/16" x 6.5" and bent it to a sub 1" crush gap. I wanted to blow off some steam and it worked pretty well. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 Well here is a string of nails, bolts and bars I have bent since starting back at the beginning! (Thanks again Ben) Anyway the poor pic is just to show yall the ole Gator is still trying to get back to being a bender. lol My rib was healing then I went and helped a lady move her furniture from a storage facility and re-injured it this time the part closest to my spine. This cracked rib, torn muscle or cartilage is a pain in the ass. If I cough to hard or sneeze it hurts like a mutha! I am trying to heal and get back to more bending as most of this was done in well under a month unitl bronchitis set in and the rib thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 Well I am now a month into being 40 and the worst shape physically in my life. It has been 1 year, 3 months, 13 days since I picked up any steel with a will to bend it. I injured my bicep insertion point and it took months to heal, the zeal for the steel faded into nothingness, regret and self pity. My biggest obstacle was knowing where I once was and how far from that I really am, questions "Can I get it back, how long will it take, what if I injure myself again, can I even scrape the money up to afford steel and wraps to bend?" ect... Well nothing spectacular by far but I did find my old meager stash of rusty steel and some very raggedy, torn and holey suede wraps and rolled them loosely around the steel and gave it a go...1 Yellow Nail - DU1 Blue Nail - Reverse1 DO 7" x 9/32 DR rated between 345-375 yield strengthBowed a DR rated at 390-395 yield strength about 50 degrees...This is no doubt at my max for the moment!None of these lack luster bends were really hard until the last one but I know I have got to start low and slow in order to prevent injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six Barrel Shotgun Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Time to kick ass, again! That picture in the earlier post is awesomee. I also like to keep my bended steel, sentimental value I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencrush Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Glad to see you back at it Kel! You will always be one of the most explosive benders on the planet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 Glad to see you back at it Kel! You will always be one of the most explosive benders on the planet. Glad to see you back at it Kel! You will always be one of the most explosive benders on the planet. Thanks for the compliment Ben that means alot since you are one of the best hand strength enthusiast on the planet- The steel you bent, grippers you have closed and other feats you performed secure your place as one of the best in our niche of strength! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoggoth Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 Glad to see you fired up again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorGrip Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 Well I am sore today so I must have done something right from yesterday's mini bending session.... I had to sell my fairly large gripper collection a couple years ago to feed my family but I discovered one I must have kept... The JAG - John's Adjustable Gripper. My friend from Nova Scotia sent me 4 of these type grippers over the years and I used them occasionally but I had so many other grippers at the time that I played with them more often and honestly bending was really my passion so grippers didn't get much focus after closing the #3 CoC and RB 300. The whole concept is micro-loading by tightening the hose clamp screws on the springs to add more resistance but at very small increments so you can strive to make small adjustments with most every gripper training session.I am not going into a full blown gripper training phase but I am going to incorporate some closes for added grip strength as I challenge myself with the steel bending. Monster JAG - HG300 with hose clamped heavy duty springs for micro adjustment. http://imageshack.us/f/17/jagsj.jpg/These are the 4 JAG creations I had at one time just to show you the types of models he made:http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/70 ... 2x206.jpg/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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