David_wigren Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Slowly working by way back into horseshoe bending again. Bent a Kerckhaert SSP #3 8x22mm. This used to be a very easy horseshoe for me back in the day. Hopefully with training it’ll get easy again. But it’ll take time to get back the strength and also toughen the legs and ribs in order to be able to handle the tougher shoes. The plan is to not rush it and settle for one session a week. Slowly moving to harder and harder shoes. I’m gonna try and climb Anton’s cert list of Kerckhaert shoes, one level at a time. Apart from horseshoes I also plan to hit a 3/4” braced bend. Hopefully be able to bend one cut to 30”. I’ve got unfinished business with that particular bar! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 I apologize for the poor sound quality. My phone is 8 years old by now and the mic gave up years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Knowlton Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 nice work , incredible bend 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 Had an incredibly good session yeaterday. After warming up with an SSP #3 22x8 I decided to go for a few heavier shoes. Last week I had used an SSP #0 22x8 as an iso-shoe for the kink. To my surprise I managed to kink it this time. Though I couldn’t get it much past 120 degrees. The legcrush was much tootough for my leg. I even suspect I managed to receive a minor injury as I stubbornly kept trying to finish the shoe. After this I went for a much harder shoe, the DF #4 25x10. And to an even bigger surprise, I managed to kink that shoe aswell. I had wrapped it and expected it to be an iso shoe. I did not expect to move it at all. After a bunch of attempts it ended up at about 80 degrees. I could not get it further as I couldn’t transition to the sweep and legcrush, because as I mentioned earlier, my leg couldn’t handle it. I was insanely happy for this result. I truly did not expect to be moving shoes like these so soon after having started bending horseshoes again. I honestly suspected that I would never be able to bend shoes like these again. However, after my initial gleeful state, I began to worry that maybe I had gotten my hands on a particularly weak batch of this horseshoe. So I wrapped up an old SSP Extra #1 22x10, same as I certed on back in 2013. At this loint I was already pretty gassed. I made an effort to kink it and got about 20 degrees before i tore a callous in my palm. I took this as evidence that I had not come across a weak batch and that I really kinked one for real. Initially I told myself that I was only going to bend once a week. The success of yesterday’s session has me itching for more horseshoe bending. But I’m going to try and not overdo it and wait until next sunday before my next session. Like I said earlier, I think I might have gotten a minor injury on the too of my leg. Some rest would probably be good for letting that heal. I’m super excited for what I’ll be able to do over the next few months and for the rest of the year. The leg crush is probably what will hold me back initially, but after it catches up I’ll hopefully be bending the big shoes past 180 degrees. And maybe surpass my previous bast back in 2013. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
featsofalex Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 Love to see it, The Return of the King!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce1337 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 No shoe is safe, the king has returned and he looks stronger than ever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 17 Author Share Posted May 17 On 5/10/2024 at 5:34 PM, bruce1337 said: No shoe is safe, the king has returned and he looks stronger than ever. On 5/7/2024 at 3:53 PM, featsofalex said: Love to see it, The Return of the King!!! Thank you ror the kind praises! Loving re-discovering the challenges of horseshoe bending. Just as in the beginning I remember struggligt alot with torn skin in the palms. And now that I’ve started bending horseshoes again after such a long layoff my hands are not conditioned for it and have started tearing again. But it’s all part of the challenge. Hands will get tougher with time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 20 Author Share Posted May 20 New cert attempt yesterday. The DF #0 22x8. Anton informed me a few hiurs ago that the bend have been wight lighted and is up on the list! Next bend will be the SSP #4 22x10. IMO this is where the level starts to become nightmarish. I think that for the next few sessions I’ll spend more time doing easier bends and training isos in various positions. Strength is coming back fast. I don’t want to accidentally push too hard and end up injured. Yesterday when I did some crushdown isos at the end, I think I felt my femur bend/flex a little . I took it as a sign that it was time to ease off. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 20 Author Share Posted May 20 Some have joked about my age now when I’m a bit older. But to be honest, I’m still relatively young. My man Mike Rinderle started a few years older than I am now and he was a total beast. Andy Thomas also started late and was bending harder shoes than I am doing currently. I turn 39 in a few weeks. Which is old if you want to win the olympic gold in gymnastics. But it’s right smack in the middle of prime age when it comes to strength and steel bending. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 20 Author Share Posted May 20 38 minutes ago, David_wigren said: a few hiurs ago that the bend have been wight lighted Wow, I really can’t spell for sh*t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist of Fury Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 (edited) 1 hour ago, David_wigren said: Some have joked about my age now when I’m a bit older. But to be honest, I’m still relatively young. My man Mike Rinderle started a few years older than I am now and he was a total beast. Andy Thomas also started late and was bending harder shoes than I am doing currently. I turn 39 in a few weeks. Which is old if you want to win the olympic gold in gymnastics. But it’s right smack in the middle of prime age when it comes to strength and steel bending. Didn't know we were the same age, I always thought you were a few years older than me. Age is just a number, seriously, look at Fredrik Svensson, taking the Swedish record in the deadlift (strongman) just recently. As far as strength sports go you can be very strong for a long time as long as you train smart. Just look at Odd Haugen, dude is over 70 and still strong as hell. Great bending by the way, those shoes are very hard to bend. Edited May 20 by Fist of Fury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 22 Author Share Posted May 22 On 5/20/2024 at 4:00 PM, Fist of Fury said: Didn't know we were the same age, I always thought you were a few years older than me. Age is just a number, seriously, look at Fredrik Svensson, taking the Swedish record in the deadlift (strongman) just recently. As far as strength sports go you can be very strong for a long time as long as you train smart. Just look at Odd Haugen, dude is over 70 and still strong as hell. Great bending by the way, those shoes are very hard to bend. Yes exactly! We’ve seen so many examples of guys being super strong up and into their 70’s. Chris Rice comes to mind as one of those all round athletic guys who has remained strong decade after decade. Barring illness or injury, one can definitely stay strong well into their 50’s and 60’s, while also being completely drug free. 70’s is probably where the decline will become evident for most. But you can still be a bad dude even at that age. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londonjoseph Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Coach wiggy! Don't forget who inspired you to come back, and the weak horseshoe bender you just started coaching! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 13 hours ago, Londonjoseph said: Coach wiggy! Don't forget who inspired you to come back, and the weak horseshoe bender you just started coaching! Haha yes, following you had a big part of it. But also me falling down some stairs and banging my knee so bad I couldn’t squat anymore. I don’t know what has caused me more pain. You or that flight of stairs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londonjoseph Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 3 hours ago, David_wigren said: Haha yes, following you had a big part of it. But also me falling down some stairs and banging my knee so bad I couldn’t squat anymore. I don’t know what has caused me more pain. You or that flight of stairs. I hope I caused way more pain, and I hope there will be more to come after. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted June 16 Author Share Posted June 16 Managed to put a wobble on the DF #3 25x10 (The Bergmann/Ivan shoe). I’ve been using it as an iso shoe and to my surprise it suddenly started to move. Ribs have gotten a bit tender. I overexerted myself a few weeks back. Felt like my ribs were legitimately close to breaking while trying to crush a shoe. Probably have a few micro fractures and/or connective tissue damage and/or inflammation. It’s affecting my crushdown. I finished two SSP #3 22x8 today. Relatively easy shoes. But they still hurt quite alot to crush. It’s all part of the game though. Horseshoe bending is hard, and you have to manage pain and stress as your body adapts to it. It’s a slow, tedious and painful process. Nothing of worth ever comes for free! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_wigren Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 (edited) Yesterday I worked on a SSP extra #1 22x10, same type of horseshoe that was my very best cert bend back in 2013. I used 1.5” wraps, so thicker than the standard of 1.25”. Worked on it off and on for about an hour. When I stopped it was frozen at about 170 degrees. If my progress continues in a similar rate I should be able to bend one from start to finish with 1.5” wraps sometime towards the end of july. And then another month or two before I can do it in 1.25” wraps. And then I’ll equal my all time best. After that I’ll venture into completely new territory, with my sights on Zsolt, Ivan and Jason! Edited June 24 by David_wigren 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfgeat Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 ^^^This is a my favorite thing I have seen in a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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