JohnOBrien Posted July 22, 2004 Author Share Posted July 22, 2004 6" G2 x 2 5.5" G2 x 2 6" G5 x 4 Pre-Kinked 5.5" G5 x 1 (kinked this one Monday) Tough 60d Commons x 4 5.5" G5 x 1PR Excellent day for bending! All the 6" G5's went down fairly easily, so I figured I'd have another go at the 5.5" G5 from Monday. Took it down with a struggle (it had ~20 degree kink). Took down 4 of my tough 60d Commons without too much struggle, then decided to give a fresh 5.5" G5 a go. Got a huge kink on my first attempt and from there it was academic. All the light bending yesterday focusing on form really paid off today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 6" G8 x 1 PR Was sitting in my office minding my own business, when this G8 bolt started taunting me from across the office. So I got up, wrapped it, and gave it a go. To my suprise (shock) that sucker kinked! I fought it all the way down to inside the 2" spread to make it a full bend and it took the better part of a full minute, but I got it! That showed 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 24, 2004 Author Share Posted July 24, 2004 Levering with a 4# Engineer's Hammer, bottom of handle. Pronations - 2x50 Supinaitons - 2x50 Front Raises - 2x50 Rear Raises - 2x50 Dexterity balls, 10 minutes each hand (5 minutes clockwise, 5 minutes counter-clockwise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJones Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 John, Congrats on the G8 bend - very good bending!! Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 26, 2004 Author Share Posted July 26, 2004 Thanks Brett, I've learned a lot from your log and your encouragement means a lot to me. A little pre-workout bending... 6" G2 x 2 5.5" G2 x 2 6" G5 x 2 6" G8 x 1 IM Red x miss (not even a kink) 6" G2 x 1 6" G5 x 1 Didn't feel "on" today. All bends were more difficult than they should have been. The G8 took all I had in me today so when it came time for the red, I had nothing left. Picked up a G8 after the red, nothing, a G5 after the red, nothing, finally did a G2 and then went back and killed a G5 after the confidence booster. Didn't feel comfortable with the length of the Red, I may buy some stock that is 7" so I can get used to the length. Maybe some 5/16" G2's to start with and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 26, 2004 Author Share Posted July 26, 2004 Afternoon of 7/26 Tough 60d x 1 5/16" x 7" G2 x miss kinked (20 degree) 5/16" x 7" G2 x 1 Wow! That 5/16" G2 was a beast to get started! Once it was kinked, I finished it without too much trouble, but the initial kink was TOUGH! Of course, it was out of my "groove" being 7" and I had just finished a workout, but it was tough. I'll give one a go when I'm fresh and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaibox Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Nice job with the G8 man. Sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 John, those 5/16" G2 bolts are a lot of fun. They look cooler when bent than the 1/4" bolts do. The 6.5" one I did felt like a red at the very beginning and then it got easy. The 6" one felt like a red most of the way through except for the last crushdown. I think these are good stepping stones between the G8 and red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJones Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 John, Great work on the bending - the 5/16 G2 is something I haven't tried - Guess its time to go to the hardward store. What style are you bending with? Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 (edited) Thanks Thaibox! I wasn't sure the one I did this morning was going to go, but I fought through it anyway. Those are some tough bolts! Clay, I agree that the 5/16" bolts do look way cooler than the 1/4" bolts and they do tend to melt after you get into them a bit. They will still look pretty cool when done in a strongman show, so I'll keep working on them. Brett, I've bent with a lot of different styles. I was working on double underhand for quite awhile, but I've recently (last week) switched to double overhand exclusively. I guess you'd have to call it the "fold" style, but it's just what I've fallen into and what works best for me. I think it was your video that convinced me to switch to that exclusively. Edited July 27, 2004 by JohnOBrien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 5/16", 7" Grade 2 x 1 kinked (~20 degrees) Red x 1 I just couldn't leave those new 7" bolts alone, so I had to try one fresh. Got a good kink, then hung up for a second, then smoked it the rest of the way down (under 1"). That went so well I had to try a kinked red. It was a struggle, but I think the crush is actually a little easier than a G8 because it isn't as springy. In the middle of it, my 11 year old son who was watching said, "Man, dad. Your face is really red!" I bet it was 'cause I thought I was gonna pop there for a minute! No more bending until Thursday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-man Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Damn John!! Another soon to be red bender Very impressive, time to crush that one down and get certified. I'm getting VERY inspired as of late, these journals are unreal, you Clay and Jeff have put some great info out there for the rest of us. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 Thanks, but the kink was the part that I had to cheat on. I crushed it from about 20 degrees to a full bend. These cheat bends are really beneficial for me. I'm not sure if it's a confidence thing or what, but once I cheat bend one, I usually am able to do a full bend within a week or two. We'll see if that continues to be the trend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 John, I had a similar experience with the cheat bends. Before I could bend a red or G8, I would bend them to 30-40 degrees over a barbell and then crush them down. It gave me a good feel for how the steel moves and how much pressure it takes to bend something like that. It was educational as well as a good strength builder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 (edited) Glad to hear that I'm not the only person doing these cheat bends Clay. I bent mine over the handle of my bolt cutters, which is probably why mine don't kind as deep as yours did. Okay, so I said no bending until Thursday, but I went down to LaPlata, MO today to check out their supply of nails and came back with 2# of galvanized 60d commons. Of course, you can't just buy nails without trying to bend one, so I bent one when I got back to my office. I was supprised at the difficulty of it. It is probably at least as difficult as the black 60d's that I've gotten here in town, but it was difficult all the way through, unlike the blacks which get pretty easy once you get past 90 degrees. Compaired to a G5 (I did one of those too, just to do the comparison), they are probably just a hair easier (at least the one that I did). One very nice bonus, I only paid 69 cents for 2#, which is unbelievabley cheap! I may put off my second bending day of the week until Friday now since I've done at least one bend which required some focus everyday this week so far. My hands are starting to complain, so I need to back off a bit. Edited July 28, 2004 by JohnOBrien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 I bet if you take 4-5 days off, you will come back and scare the hell out of a red nail, if not bend it completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 28, 2004 Author Share Posted July 28, 2004 I may do just that! I have a big Strongman competition on Saturday, so I don't want my hands to be tender over the weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 6" G2 x 2 5.5" G2 x 2 Galvanized 60d x 5 Black 60d x 5 Hands were feeling great today so I decided to go ahead and bend today instead of tomorrow and use Friday to recover for the contest on Saturday. After bending 5 of each type of 60d, the blacks are definitely a bit tougher than the galvanized (especially the initial kink). They bend different though. The blacks have a "sharp V" shape to them and the galvanized give a very nice U shape. I'm going to try to find some leather for padding today and see if that makes any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 Felt good enough to do two more bends after lunch... 6" G5 x 1 6" G8 x 1 Probably the toughest G5 I've ever done. It had the JH marking, but it was gold color, like a G8. It was far easier than the G8, but it was tough for a G5. The G8 just about killed me. I've done too much bending this week and need a break (it's hard to take a break when you are so close to a goal though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted July 30, 2004 Author Share Posted July 30, 2004 6" G2 x 2 IM Yellow x 2 5/16" x 6.75" G2 x 1 (3/4 inch off center) IM RED x 1 PR Well the wait if over, I finally did a RED! Found some leather at WalMart (where else do you go in Kirksville, MO) and did some trial bends. Didn't especially like the feel, so I put it inside my IM Rags (which I'm used to, thanks for the idea Brett Kerby) and rolled a yellow and smoked it like never before. Cut the head of of one of my 5/16" G2's and smoked it too. So I figured, what the heck, I'll give a red a try, not really expecting it to do anything since I've bent everyday this week, but I torqued, and it bent. If I get a kink, I can finish anything (at least that's what I like to tell myself ). Long story short, I put it away. I wan't timing myself, but I'm pretty sure it was under 1 minute. I just ordered 25 more reds so I can practice before I send in to certify. Thanks to Brett Kerby, Brian Kerby, and Thom VanVleck for introducing me to this addiction! Thanks to Brett Jones and Clay Edgin for the encouragement and all the tips! Good way to end the week leading up to a contest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Edgin Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 Nice! It seem like you were right on the edge of nailing that sucker and it just took a couple tweaks to get you over the edge! I too sometimes bend with the cordura inside of the leather. It doesn't make it very thick and seems to protect well. Great job John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted August 1, 2004 Author Share Posted August 1, 2004 Well, it's the morning after the show, and I feel like I've been beaten with a ball bat. Had a really good time, saw some very strong individuals, and had an overall good show. I could have done better in a couple of events, but overall, I was happy with my performance. Got 4th out of 5 people in my weight class (missed third by 0.5 points if my calculations were correct, Ben Moore got me again but I'm gaining on him!). Some some very impressive performances: Eric dominated the 231's (which we all knew he would do if he made the weight, my hat is off to you man!) and set a blistering new record in light weight stones ; Joe Costello put on a very good performance (didn't look like his second show, he looked like seasoned competitor); saw some heavyweights that are not going to be amateurs for much longers; and saw Geoff Dolan and Jesse Murande in person, which was very cool. 1st Event - Farmer's Walk (270# each hand) - only 60 feet, but it's the heaviest farmer's I've ever done and I didn't train it before the event because I was focused on bending. Tied for last place. 2nd Event - Log Press Medly (220, 250, 280, 300) - got the first two logs in a little over 11 sec, couldn't clean the third. I'd been focusing on continental cleans and they told us we couldn't use a towel just before the event. Nobody pressed the third log in my class, so I got second here. 3rd Event - Stones - Set a PR here by getting the 300# stone, just missed the 330 (couldn't pull it into my lap far enough to balance with it). My right ankle is sore this morning and I think I tweaked it on the 330# stone. I ended up last here on time, but there were three of us here within a few seconds of each other. 4th Event - Conan's (740#) - Got the pick, started walking, and next thing I knew I was on the ground. Passed out from exertion and lack of oxygen. Only went for ~37 feet, good enough for fourth, and really freaked my wife out. Glad my kids were with my Mom for the day and didn't see that. 5th Event - Medly (750# Yoke, 275# Duck Walk, Heavy Sled Drag [didn't hear the weight for it]). My best event by far. Ended up winning this one with a time of a little over 37 seconds, which I though was good until one of the SuperHeavies put up a remarkable time of 24 seconds! Had a great time seeing all the competitors. Some really strong dudes, some great comradere, and a good performance for me. I was pretty nervous going in to this show, because it was the first Platinum show that I've done, but I felt like I was pretty competitive (with a few exceptions) with the big boys in my weight class. All in all a very nice day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jad Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Is that the Ben Moore from Centraila who played for MU? Great log BTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted August 2, 2004 Author Share Posted August 2, 2004 I think it's a different Ben Moore. I don't think he played college ball. 6" G2 x 2 5.5" G2 x 2 6" G5 x 2 6" G8 x 1 IM Yellow x 2 IM Red x 1 Galvanized 60d x 6 Nasty Black 60d x 6 Good bending workout. I'm trying to work up to using the nasty black 60d's (roughly equal to a G5) for volume, but it's taking time. Most I've ever done in a workout. Also 1st time I've done a G8 and a Red on the same day, so that is pretty cool too. Contacted IronMind today to start the certification process. Figured if I can hit a red two days after a strongman contest and feeling like somebody beat me severely, I can hit it pretty much anytime. I'm out of reds until my order of 25 new ones gets here. Trying to wait patiently... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOBrien Posted August 3, 2004 Author Share Posted August 3, 2004 Backing off on bending this week so my hands can recover (going back to twice a week instead of everyday). So I did levering today instead. All levering done with an 8# Sledge. " marks indicate distance from the head of the hammer: Pronations - 5x10", 11", 12" Supinations - 5x10", 11", 12" Rear Levers - 3x5x30" Front Levers - 3x5x20" Felt pretty good, but I could feel the bending from yesterday, especially on the first set of pronations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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