Bending Wrap - One Towel Or Two?

[Scott Styles]

I started bending about three weeks ago and based off of the information I read on Benders site and watching the how to bend a challenge bar video, used one towel to roll my steel. With this method I was able to bend a white after about a week but could not bend a green.

Last night, inspired by Shrug's video of the three reds, I tried wrapping a nail with two towels, one for each hand. Sure enough the green went down for me. Interestingly my weak point went from the intial kink to the crush. I told my friend who previously struggled to bend the white, and about 20 minutes later he called to tell me he too had bent a green.

Based on my experience I would say two towels is superior, but it seems as though there are decent benders who prefer one. Is there a trick to wrapping the nail with one towel that makes it better?

I've really been suprised by the amount of technuiqe required to bend.

[amaury]

I prefer one towel. I bend Povilaitis style (aka Terminator style). I think two towels is very well adapted to the Spike Style (which is the style used by Shrug) but not quite so to the Povilaitis Style cause it would hurt the fulcrum. It's always possible to toughen one's hand up though.

"Interestingly my weak point went from the intial kink to the crush"

Do you mean that you now have a pb to crush the green nail ?

Amaury.

[BJones]

Since I learned from SHRUG - I have been using the two towels method - but may try the single towel method just to have tried it.

I have also been using the double underhand start - which feels great on a 40d -

I am going to try the style on Benders site (great site BTW) when I bend again but haven't had much success thus far - it seems the one towel method may work better for the style on Bender's site. although he shows the two towel method.

Since I am a recent convert to bending I am trying to take my time with this and progress slowly.

Brett

[Scott Styles]

"Do you mean that you now have a pb to crush the green nail ? "

Previously if I could bend the white nail to a point where I could get leverage for a chest crush, finishing it was easy. Now, with the sudden increase in my kinking ability, chest crush has become more of a limiting factor. It took a lot of effort for me to finish the green. I was suprised. I intend to try a piece of 7" long 1/4" hrs tomorrow. I expect to have to fight all the way through to the end.

[Anuwbius]

I had been using one towel for the longest time, and felt it never held me back. I mostly use terminators style of bending, but am also strong with the double underhand. Recently I have been using two towels, but they are placed directly next to each other, so there is no visible part of the nail, not until I make the bend. I find this provides padding on the fulcrum even in terminator style bending. I find it also provides more cushin overall/in general which allows me to put all that I have into the chest crush.

Edited February 17, 2004 by Anuwbius

[amaury]

"It took a lot of effort for me to finish the green. I was suprised. I intend to try a piece of 7" long 1/4" hrs tomorrow. I expect to have to fight all the way through to the end."

Ok, that's interesting ! Then i suppose you don't work your upper body cause the green nail is quite easy to crush for someone that trains with weights (even if he is weak like me ) but is not necessarily easy to kink for the same lifter if he has never trained his grip.

A suggestion: to work the chest crush i divide my bending workouts in two :

- At first i kink all the nails i have decided to bend and then i chest crush them. Once i have kinked them all (i take all the time necessary to do it), i proceed to all chest crush them IN A ROW. Like this my chest crush is worked much better.

You can also chest crush some hard grippers.

Happy bending !

Amaury.

[EricMilfeld]

I use one towel mainly because it's easier to wrap and less likely to slip out of position.

[Sean Dockery]

I second Eric's input.

[SqeezeMasterFlash]

One towel, cut almost all the way through the center. You get the ease of wrapping like a single towel, and less resistance in the middle of the bar like two towels.

[Scott Styles]

Amaury, I do lift, but I'm not consistent nor motivated enough to move heavy weights. For instance, my chest work consists of a few sets of 8-12 with some 50lb dumbells. I cannot chest close my 3. I may have to start trying if I stagnate on the bending. So far though, it's been steady progress.