EricMilfeld Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Like most, I assumed I simply didn't have the required leverage to be able to bend double overhand style with any degree of success. By trial and error I've been enlightened. Because my left forearm was suffering such pain from reverse grip bending, I started alternating my workouts with double overhand and reverse grip bending. Not only am I now pain free, but my double overhand strength is gaining by leaps and bounds. A month or two ago I couldn't overhand a timber tie, though I had bent a 240 Challenge bar at the time. Then today I bent a grade 5 completely double overhand with relative ease. I'm also requiring much less of an initial kink from the reverse grip, before I can finish off a bend with double overhand. In fact, only 1/8" of a bend on a grade 8 is sufficient before I can overhand it to completion. The point I'm trying to make is, don't give up too soon with the overhand technique. Try training it in addition to your reverse grip, and see if it doesn't help. I think eventually I may be able to perform the entire bend double overhand, like Gavin Holle. And I believe Terminator has started doing the same. My guess is, and it's only a guess at this point, that most would have greater potential with double overhand, despite having more success with reverse grip initially. A few things that helped me with this technique: 1) Grasp the very ends of the nail with only the first two fingers of each hand. 2)With the initial bend, don't attempt to bend the nail in a direction directly towards your feet, but a bit away from your body. 3)As you're gripping the nail as tightly as possibe, be pushing into the ends of the nail with your palms (good padding is imperative), as you attempt to pull your hands towards your chest, and your elbows closer to eachother. I'm failing to describe the actual technique itself with any degree of justice, so practice, practice, practice. It seems to be as much an issue of perfecting this new technique as it is developing the required muscles, to gain the advantage I found using double overhand. If you give it some attention in your training, my hunch is that there's more of you out there who may discover what I've stumbled upon; namely, that this technique can take your bending to the next level. I'm no bending expert, and have less than six months experience, and could be completely off base here, but if you're up to it, give it a try for a while and let us know how you make out. Maybe some of you guys have already been down this road and have some answers for us. Do tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinslater Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Eric great post and thanks for sharing your experiences. Im not doing any bending at the moment but I like your idea of training with both styels and they seem to compliment each other no matter what style you end up using. Thanks! Austin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amaury Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Very interesting post ! Something that prevents me from doing more volume Holle's style (i bend a nail or two from time to time) is that this technique puts a lot of strain on the forefingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 Something that prevents me from doing more volume Holle's style (i bend a nail or two from time to time) is that this technique puts a lot of strain on the forefingers. I found this to be true as well, Amaury. Though for me it's been only a minor irritation that quickly dissipates. No long lasting pain like I was suffering from reverse grip bending each and every workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJones Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Eric, Great post - I have been wondering the same thing - I learned about bending from SHRUG and simply mimic his double underhand style - a lot of stress on the wrist however. Finally did a double overhand bend last night - very easy white nail - just to see how it would go - not too bad. Also - went back to the IM catalog and looked at Gavin Holle's technique and looked at the article by Brookfield in this quarter's MILO. Interesting. I'm going to keep trying the double overhand and see where it takes me. Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rekx Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I have been using the overhand style since I started bending a couple of months ago. Initially I tried the other methods, but the overhand just seemed more natural to me. You mentioned trining particular muscles that are used in overhand...I was curious what muscles would you say those are? You also mentioned that most don't have the required leverage to use this technique. I was wondering what you meant by that? Would the leverage come from wider chest? Or longer arms? Great post BTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hublifter Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Great post Eric. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I'm no bending expert.... ...but I can bend grade 8's like butterknifes after only six months of training. Dude, that makes you an Expert! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubthewonderscot Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Clay, you always find a way to get your point accross. Had me laughing my friend. So true! Weldon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 You mentioned trining particular muscles that are used in overhand...I was curious what muscles would you say those are?You also mentioned that most don't have the required leverage to use this technique. I was wondering what you meant by that? Would the leverage come from wider chest? Or longer arms? Of course the reverse grip "terminates" in overhand and therefore uses the same muscles, but from a different angle. But the point I was making was that adapting to overhand is seemingly, for the most part, an issue of getting the "feel" for the technique, and not so much developing strength in new muscle groups, particularly if you've already been training reverse grip. I think regardless of technique used, bending stresses the body from the finger tips through the shoulders and of course the chest and lats. As for my comment about leverage, I meant that when first trying double overhand you will most likely feel as if you have no leverage from this position. I didn't really mean to say that there is a particular body build suited for this technique, though I'm sure some are more suited to this style than are others. Thanks for the compliments fellas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lipinski Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Shoot, when you say reverse grip, do you mean double underhand, or the way where you hold it out in front of you (like is shown on David Horne's video?) I have been going to double underhand lately, and it has been going well. Although I only have a weeks worth of experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terminator Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I think the only absolute in bending is that everyone needs to find the style that works best for them. Each style has its advantages, and each causes pain in its own special way. Pain is our friend, blood is the gravy that makes it taste good. Can you tell Arnold is tomorrow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Crusher Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 19 bent reds has made the man go over the edge............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Crusher Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Hey Eric, How do the grade 8's that you are destroying compare to the 260Kg bar? Thanks. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricMilfeld Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 Hey Eric,How do the grade 8's that you are destroying compare to the 260Kg bar? Thanks. Steve It's funny. The first grade 8 I did last week was murder, but it was partially bent from an attempt a couple of months prior. Then 3 days after, Weldon certified me on a grade 8 bend that felt super easy. In fact, it felt much easier on the crush down than the 260, though the initial bend was a little more difficult. It's hard to be completely objective about the comparison, as I've apparently got a boost of strength here lately, but my opinion is the grade 8 is tougher than the 260. Bob, reverse grip as in, yes, the style demonstrated by David Horne on video. Terminator, wish like crazy I could be there. So go crazy and tear it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amaury Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Just hope we will be able to see a video of Pat in action ! If not i'll send two Jamaicans on cocaine to each lucky gripboard member that was there but did not shoot it on video. EDIT: i was kidding for the jamaicans, just in case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRBeyers Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I have yet to try the UNDERHAND method!! Eric, you are dead on about pushing away from your body in an attempt to "crush" the nail rather than just bend it. There is nothing like the feeling when that nail starts to kink......you have it on the ropes......and then finish it with a crush!!! I think I like this more than gripper training.........whoa, did I say that out loud??!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I'm no bending expert.... ...but I can bend grade 8's like butterknifes after only six months of training. Dude, that makes you an Expert! True, examining the certification data reveals that Eric is gaining bending strength at the fastest rate of all guys on that list. Took him about three months to go from a 200k to a 260k bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slazbob Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 the style gavin holle uses to bend reds, seems like he uses his chin to brace it. is this leagal? i may be wrong, but if i'm not...isn't that the same as holding the spring to steddy a gripper? if that was the case; r. sorin, j. brookfield, among others, would be on the #4 list. but i've only seen that pic. in ironminds catalog, maybe it just looks that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 just would like, like Amaury did, to warn people to be careful with the double overhand style. I strained both my index fingers 2 months ago, and they still hurt now. I was a beginner a the technique and think I was pushing in all the wrong directions, but dumbly gave it my maximum. anyway, I have been bending with the underhand technique lately (the only one not painful for me now) and making good gains, which I believe should translate to the reverse style. david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Where did you get the symptoms for the strained index fingers? I have gone seriously into double overhand bending lately because it is the only way that doesn't hurt somewhere in my arms and destroy all other training but I do get quite a bit of pain in the back of my hand, in the area that "belongs" to the index finger. Frankly I haven't worried about it since it seem to be some muscle that recovers in a few days. But maybe I should take more care? Nils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Horne Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 There is some good info here. I've been wondering about the Underhand v Overhand crushing styles. I struggle to get the overhand style near my chest to be able to implememnt the style, yet I've seen it work very well for the likes of Dave Johnson who is a lot smaller than me. Question. Is anyone doing the overhand style who is over 230lbs in bodyweight? It seems that most of the big guys (Shrug, McGranahan) use the underhand grip style. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikael Siversson Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Where did you get the symptoms for the strained index fingers?I have gone seriously into double overhand bending lately because it is the only way that doesn't hurt somewhere in my arms and destroy all other training but I do get quite a bit of pain in the back of my hand, in the area that "belongs" to the index finger. I think it is part of the game. I get very similar pains in my right hand. Bending is "no pain no gain" in its purest form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Where did you get the symptoms for the strained index fingers?I have gone seriously into double overhand bending lately because it is the only way that doesn't hurt somewhere in my arms and destroy all other training but I do get quite a bit of pain in the back of my hand, in the area that "belongs" to the index finger. I think it is part of the game. I get very similar pains in my right hand. Bending is "no pain no gain" in its purest form. OK, good, since I can assume that you have had them a while with no serious complications I will go on with them. Compared to a whole lot of other pains that I have had with grippers and bending it just doesn't feel as serious in some hard to explain way. Nils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 no my pain is injury pain that has stayed even after several weeks not bending, it is right where the index meets the hand. I was basically using bad technique (I suppose, since I haven't been able to experiment more on this). I was really levering the bar (or rather trying to) on my index fingers, with little to no chest crush. you probably have a good technique by now, and your fingers are strengthening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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