Where Did Everyone Go?

[gumpster]

I don't know where the guys went off to. Some of the regulars who were active in the bending section didn't compete in grip contests so it can't be that. They may have become involved in other (non-grip) athletic endeavors or got injured while bending and had to lay off for a bit. I'm not in contact with any of them so I don't have much insight - sorry.

[climber511]

I've been here since 04 I think and I guess as a promoter - I am part of the grip mob you speak of. I have seen the Gripboard come and go over time - going from lots of activity to pretty slow and back again several times. As for 10,000 active members - no way in the world! Popularity of various things comes and goes as well over time.

Bending is the same - way back when - working one's way up to a Red or Bastard was a big deal. Now one has to go far beyond that standard to even be noticed - and as you say, that is difficult to do - I think that lack of recognition easily gained does affect bending as well as other aspects of grip. I know many of us no longer do much bending due to injures and the potential to re injure oneself.

The "Grip Mob" - I know of no way to take that except as a shot at promoters - of which I am one. I have had reverse bending before as an event - I did quite well but to be honest I don't see DO as a great grip test (this has been argued many many times before, no need to do it again - different strokes for different folks and all). It takes a few months work to put on a contest - and so far at least I have lost actual cash money each time. Different promoters have different things they tend to put into their contests - John Beatty always has bending in his - Eric just had a bending only comp - Chad had a double Red bend in his medley - last years GGC had reverse - the rest of us have it one time but not the next so I'm not sure what you are even referring to when you say bending isn't being included. There have been several opportunities for you to have competed in bending lately - did you take advantage of them? It's really pretty easy to figure out what people like - have a contest - if you attract lots of people, you choose the right events, if not ?????

[MitchSA]

IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

You're going to make a lot of friends here, Mitch.

-Rex

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you

No need to apologize Mitch, your only stating your opinion!

Just my theories on the subject...:

1. Bending is relatively hard to combine with other grip endeavors. It really wears and tears on hands, fingers and wrists, especially if the path of smaller wraps is chosen. Personally I worked up to a shiny in IMPs and were overtrained for several weeks.

2. Bending (especially) isn't recognised as a typical grip contest.

=> #1 and #2 has the consequence that guys who are competing doesn't focus on bending.

3. It's relatively achievable to reach the level of red nail/bastard, but after that progress becomes more difficult. So after the first year or so, most "benders" fade away and lose interest, since it's farther between PRs, less videos to show etc. In most cases the "new guys" lose interest and leave the bending...

4. The freeze of the previous "nail-man-lists" probably "alienated" some of the guys who frequented those lists. I'm not saying it was a bad move, but some of them perhaps didn't appreciate it too much

5. Of course, the wrapping issue. I won't dwell on that point, since I don't make too much friends discussing the topic here , but in my opinion, it's a reason. Let me also clarify 2 things here:

1. The biggest problem with the wrapping issue isn't what size of wraps that's ok, the biggest problem is the historical reluctance to some kind of standard

2. The current version of the steel slayer's list and its rules is a great effort to set a standard in this area.

Just my own theories/speculations on the subject, Henrik

Thanks for the reply Henrik! I do agree with you on some of these points, but I still don't see point #2 as a factor. Once again, it is the EXTREME minority of members who partcipate in these contests in the first place. Also, it is a crying shame that the "grip mob" has eliminated bending in contests. Fair play if you want to demonize DO(since many argue it's not a true "test of grip"), but what about DU, reverse, heslep, slim style bending, horseshoe bending, long-mid/shortbar bending, etc.... I guess if the "grip mob" feels that all these facets of bending are not worthy of contest status, than maybe we should just change the name of this forum from the "gripboard" to the "plate-pinching/levering/and thickbar board". So, the consensus, as I understand it, is that the decline in steel bending is because the "grip mob" doesn't want it to affect the "true" tests of grip as found in these grip contests(ie: platepinch/levering/thickbar), so lets just eliminate them right!?! What ever happened to the proverbial "well rounded" athlete, you know, the one who can perform well at all aspects of the athletes given discipline?!? Imagine a "World's Strongest Man" competition where the events of barell tossing, farmer's walk's, overhead log press, etc. is removed from the competition because Maurize Pujinowski(sp??) doesn't want those events to affect his Atlas stone lifting!!!

I think the "grip mob" should maybe re-prioritize their thinking and get a more balanced approach. Just my 2 cents.

-Carl

Thank you Carl

[acorn]

IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

You're going to make a lot of friends here, Mitch.

-Rex

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you

No need to apologize Mitch, your only stating your opinion!

Just my theories on the subject...:

1. Bending is relatively hard to combine with other grip endeavors. It really wears and tears on hands, fingers and wrists, especially if the path of smaller wraps is chosen. Personally I worked up to a shiny in IMPs and were overtrained for several weeks.

2. Bending (especially) isn't recognised as a typical grip contest.

=> #1 and #2 has the consequence that guys who are competing doesn't focus on bending.

3. It's relatively achievable to reach the level of red nail/bastard, but after that progress becomes more difficult. So after the first year or so, most "benders" fade away and lose interest, since it's farther between PRs, less videos to show etc. In most cases the "new guys" lose interest and leave the bending...

4. The freeze of the previous "nail-man-lists" probably "alienated" some of the guys who frequented those lists. I'm not saying it was a bad move, but some of them perhaps didn't appreciate it too much

5. Of course, the wrapping issue. I won't dwell on that point, since I don't make too much friends discussing the topic here , but in my opinion, it's a reason. Let me also clarify 2 things here:

1. The biggest problem with the wrapping issue isn't what size of wraps that's ok, the biggest problem is the historical reluctance to some kind of standard

2. The current version of the steel slayer's list and its rules is a great effort to set a standard in this area.

Just my own theories/speculations on the subject, Henrik

Thanks for the reply Henrik! I do agree with you on some of these points, but I still don't see point #2 as a factor. Once again, it is the EXTREME minority of members who partcipate in these contests in the first place. Also, it is a crying shame that the "grip mob" has eliminated bending in contests. Fair play if you want to demonize DO(since many argue it's not a true "test of grip"), but what about DU, reverse, heslep, slim style bending, horseshoe bending, long-mid/shortbar bending, etc.... I guess if the "grip mob" feels that all these facets of bending are not worthy of contest status, than maybe we should just change the name of this forum from the "gripboard" to the "plate-pinching/levering/and thickbar board". So, the consensus, as I understand it, is that the decline in steel bending is because the "grip mob" doesn't want it to affect the "true" tests of grip as found in these grip contests(ie: platepinch/levering/thickbar), so lets just eliminate them right!?! What ever happened to the proverbial "well rounded" athlete, you know, the one who can perform well at all aspects of the athletes given discipline?!? Imagine a "World's Strongest Man" competition where the events of barell tossing, farmer's walk's, overhead log press, etc. is removed from the competition because Maurize Pujinowski(sp??) doesn't want those events to affect his Atlas stone lifting!!!

I think the "grip mob" should maybe re-prioritize their thinking and get a more balanced approach. Just my 2 cents.

-Carl

Some of us do try to use a very balanced approach. I dont know if you realize this but I have bent some of the toughest stuff out there. Edgins of every size down to 5.5", 5/16 G8, FBBC 5/16 Square down to 6", 13"x1/2", etc and I have done all of these in competition. I have also closed a #4 in competition, pinched 239#, 2" Vbar 280#, and I could go on. What have you done in heads up competition? When you have trained for and done a competition that includes not just bending but grippers, pinch, thickbar, etc and have tried to do your absolute best in every event come back and talk to me.

- Aaron

Edited October 14, 2009 by acorn

[easyWeight]

IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

You're going to make a lot of friends here, Mitch.

-Rex

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you but I was speaking to Zach in reference to another popular forum we both check out regularly..

Mitch

For the record, I agree with you Mitch. I put my grip and bending toys away regularly when they interfere with lifting. I don't know Rex, but I'm not sure he was insulted. Although it's hard to tell with half his banter Check out some his lifts on YouTube. He's an incredibly strong lifter and my two cents says he didn't get that way by putting grip first. Grip is one of those extra positive outcomes of lifting heavy.

[The Natural]

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you but I was speaking to Zach in reference to another popular forum we both check out regularly..

Mitch

I was just messing with you, Mitch. I actually agree that barbell training should be a cornerstone of one's training. In fact, I often shake my head at these guys who are able-bodied and want to get better at grip and bending, but can only handle baby poundages on the big lifts. If they were really serious about getting better at grip and bending, they'd cut back the volume on their grip training for a year and do a hybrid strongman/powerlifting program before returning to grip specialization. From what I hear, the more active members of this board used to be more about overall body strength, and over the years that has changed for the worse. It sounds like you've got your head on straight in regards to training, and so with any sort of ability you should be bending big stock before too long.

-Rex

[MalachiMcMullen]

Zach

I hear you about other forums being slow and going through slumps, ive also noticed a trend on other forums where people who have hardly done any conventional training yet want to work on insane feats.. IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

I'm new to bending and just hope I have not missed the boat, as there seem to be many good people who've really helped me in only a short amount of time.

I don't think you've missed the boat Mitch and I'm with you 100%. A lot of guys here still bend and bend big, but not as often. I've actually found that my bending strength has been maintained very well despite having done only 2-3 bends throughout the year. If I get interested in it again, I'll start back at it full throttle. I still have lots of $$$ worth of Stainless, Drill Rod and a few other odd stock laying around here waiting for just such an occasion.

Carl, when I said "mob rule" I meant the will of the masses and not that there was some block member group who decides what is in contests. What is put in contests is entirely up to the promoter. I know I'm not the only one who looks at the gripboard when deciding events for my comp. If I'm seeing no one training a certain aspect of grip, and I want a high turnout, it would not be in my favor to include events that no one is training unless I already had a large field of competitors committed to coming regardless of events. I could very easily hold a contest 3 months from now with freestyle bending, 1" Vbar, Hub lift for max weight, farmers walk with 2"+ handles and so on. I'd get a handful of guys to come out and have a fun meet, but that's about it. People, at least people on here, just don't train those events seriously enough to drive 3+ hours(and that's usually the absolute minimum distance for me) to compete in those events. I'd get a few of the MI guys easy, but that's just because it's a grip comp in their backyard. As the sport grows in popularity, a clear structure to gripdom unfolds, and more and more people train more and more events, it will be possible to host a comp in a local HS gym and hold whatever events you please and get a large turnout every single meet multiple times a year. Grip is not there yet. There are, as you said, very few people who even compete regularly and the contests are somewhat spread out accross the country. Poor Jedd goes to damn near every single grip comp and I don't think there's a comp(aside from GGC) that's less than 5 hours from him. The trip doesn't get much better for most the regulars either. It's 3hrs for me to MGC and Gripmas, 7ish hours to BBB, it was 15+ hrs to Chad's comp, 12ish hrs to GGC and I'd have to fly practically anywhere else. It's a lot of effort just getting to the few contests held right now, let alone putting all that effort into a contest you haven't trained for or don't want to train for.

[naturalstrength]

IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

You're going to make a lot of friends here, Mitch.

-Rex

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you

No need to apologize Mitch, your only stating your opinion!

Just my theories on the subject...:

1. Bending is relatively hard to combine with other grip endeavors. It really wears and tears on hands, fingers and wrists, especially if the path of smaller wraps is chosen. Personally I worked up to a shiny in IMPs and were overtrained for several weeks.

2. Bending (especially) isn't recognised as a typical grip contest.

=> #1 and #2 has the consequence that guys who are competing doesn't focus on bending.

3. It's relatively achievable to reach the level of red nail/bastard, but after that progress becomes more difficult. So after the first year or so, most "benders" fade away and lose interest, since it's farther between PRs, less videos to show etc. In most cases the "new guys" lose interest and leave the bending...

4. The freeze of the previous "nail-man-lists" probably "alienated" some of the guys who frequented those lists. I'm not saying it was a bad move, but some of them perhaps didn't appreciate it too much

5. Of course, the wrapping issue. I won't dwell on that point, since I don't make too much friends discussing the topic here , but in my opinion, it's a reason. Let me also clarify 2 things here:

1. The biggest problem with the wrapping issue isn't what size of wraps that's ok, the biggest problem is the historical reluctance to some kind of standard

2. The current version of the steel slayer's list and its rules is a great effort to set a standard in this area.

Just my own theories/speculations on the subject, Henrik

Thanks for the reply Henrik! I do agree with you on some of these points, but I still don't see point #2 as a factor. Once again, it is the EXTREME minority of members who partcipate in these contests in the first place. Also, it is a crying shame that the "grip mob" has eliminated bending in contests. Fair play if you want to demonize DO(since many argue it's not a true "test of grip"), but what about DU, reverse, heslep, slim style bending, horseshoe bending, long-mid/shortbar bending, etc.... I guess if the "grip mob" feels that all these facets of bending are not worthy of contest status, than maybe we should just change the name of this forum from the "gripboard" to the "plate-pinching/levering/and thickbar board". So, the consensus, as I understand it, is that the decline in steel bending is because the "grip mob" doesn't want it to affect the "true" tests of grip as found in these grip contests(ie: platepinch/levering/thickbar), so lets just eliminate them right!?! What ever happened to the proverbial "well rounded" athlete, you know, the one who can perform well at all aspects of the athletes given discipline?!? Imagine a "World's Strongest Man" competition where the events of barell tossing, farmer's walk's, overhead log press, etc. is removed from the competition because Maurize Pujinowski(sp??) doesn't want those events to affect his Atlas stone lifting!!!

I think the "grip mob" should maybe re-prioritize their thinking and get a more balanced approach. Just my 2 cents.

-Carl

Some of us do try to use a very balanced approach. I dont know if you realize this but I have bent some of the toughest stuff out there. Edgins of every size down to 5.5", 5/16 G8, FBBC 5/16 Square down to 6", 13"x1/2", etc and I have done all of these in competition. I have also closed a #4 in competition, pinched 239#, 2" Vbar 280#, and I could go on. What have you done in heads up competition? When you have trained for and done a competition that includes not just bending but grippers, pinch, thickbar, etc and have tried to do your absolute best in every event come back and talk to me.

- Aaron

...............????????(Reader is smacking their head against the desk in disbelief)

Ok guys! Lets all take a deep breath, count to 10, breath in/breath out, wax-on/wax-off... ok, are we all relaxed??? feeling better??? ready to communicate????

My ORIGINAL question was simply why is the gripboard activity(particularly the bending forum) so slow and if anyone had any ideas as to why this is so. It turned into the usual crazy, menstrual, hormonal, lets

"get all crazy" thread.

Firstly, this thread was never intended to single anyone out(well, maybe Rex ), never meant as a stab to any grip promoter, etc.

What are my accomplishments as far as bending/grip. Well, lets just say that my pinching, RT, thickbar can use some work. It's getting better, but we all have our strengths and weakness. I know many of you can axle lift 350+ pounds(I don't even know if I can regular deadlift that weight ), pinch grip 10,000+ pounds, etc, etc. I feel that my non-bending grip related lifts have really come along in recent time and I am working on them just as much as my bending. But let me ask you guys this question. How many of you can bend 5 SSP #3 Horseshoes in under 1 minute??? How many of you can push the boundaries on 5/8 and 3/4" bends??? How many of you can reverse bend an FBBC shiny bastard in single leathers????(shucks, that was supposed to be next weeks surprise for you guys ).

My point is simple! Just respect one another and understand that nobody is amazing in every aspect of grip(well maybe Paul knight ), but just appreciate everyone else's achievments/accomplishments as they come. I have the highest respect for peple like Chris, Aaron, John Beatty, and all the other promoters/grippsters, etc.

And no I haven't had the chance to attend any grip events. I would love to one day and get to meet all of you in person. With my current schedule, I can't attend these events(but I will one day, even if there is no bending events ) I know that I would get destroyed in most lifts, but it's all about the camaraderie. None of us is taking home a Tiger Woods salary for what we do. So when certain people(ie:Rex ) make statements like, "quit the bending and join the real grip athletes(ala Star Wars analogy- "Carl, turn away from the dark-side"), then yes I do get irritated and have to chime in as a result.

I am already sick of this thread and will no longer discuss these issues. Thanks for listening!

-Carl

[climber511]

Carl - I have to admit I took part of this personally - I have taken the appropriate "chill pill" - we may now return to our normal program.

Edited October 14, 2009 by climber511

[naturalstrength]

How many "active" members are there here? What constitutes "active"? Visited once, post how many times a year - what?

What is "well rounded"? Two questions really - what is well rounded in a general strength and athletic sense - and in the "grip" sense.

How defining are the standards set during a competition compared to gym lifts - verified or not - in your mind?

I have lots of other questions but let's start here.

How long is a piece of string, Chris?

[Guest Bullitt]

Zach

I hear you about other forums being slow and going through slumps, ive also noticed a trend on other forums where people who have hardly done any conventional training yet want to work on insane feats.. IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

I'm new to bending and just hope I have not missed the boat, as there seem to be many good people who've really helped me in only a short amount of time.

I don't think you've missed the boat Mitch and I'm with you 100%. A lot of guys here still bend and bend big, but not as often. I've actually found that my bending strength has been maintained very well despite having done only 2-3 bends throughout the year. If I get interested in it again, I'll start back at it full throttle. I still have lots of $$$ worth of Stainless, Drill Rod and a few other odd stock laying around here waiting for just such an occasion.

Carl, when I said "mob rule" I meant the will of the masses and not that there was some block member group who decides what is in contests. What is put in contests is entirely up to the promoter. I know I'm not the only one who looks at the gripboard when deciding events for my comp. If I'm seeing no one training a certain aspect of grip, and I want a high turnout, it would not be in my favor to include events that no one is training unless I already had a large field of competitors committed to coming regardless of events. I could very easily hold a contest 3 months from now with freestyle bending, 1" Vbar, Hub lift for max weight, farmers walk with 2"+ handles and so on. I'd get a handful of guys to come out and have a fun meet, but that's about it. People, at least people on here, just don't train those events seriously enough to drive 3+ hours(and that's usually the absolute minimum distance for me) to compete in those events. I'd get a few of the MI guys easy, but that's just because it's a grip comp in their backyard. As the sport grows in popularity, a clear structure to gripdom unfolds, and more and more people train more and more events, it will be possible to host a comp in a local HS gym and hold whatever events you please and get a large turnout every single meet multiple times a year. Grip is not there yet. There are, as you said, very few people who even compete regularly and the contests are somewhat spread out accross the country. Poor Jedd goes to damn near every single grip comp and I don't think there's a comp(aside from GGC) that's less than 5 hours from him. The trip doesn't get much better for most the regulars either. It's 3hrs for me to MGC and Gripmas, 7ish hours to BBB, it was 15+ hrs to Chad's comp, 12ish hrs to GGC and I'd have to fly practically anywhere else. It's a lot of effort just getting to the few contests held right now, let alone putting all that effort into a contest you haven't trained for or don't want to train for.

I'd come to Michigan for a 1" vbar contest. And not just because you're such a nice guy Zach.

Unfortunately it would be you and me competing, unless we could get Ben, Todd, or Mike to fly in. As near as i can tell, those are the guys training 1" vbar right now.

Everything goes in waves. Right now, sledge levering and sledge DL to the front seem to be really popular on the board. 1 arm axle deadlifting is also on the rise. Rex is responsible for some of the sledge stuff (I know I'm going to regret that), but I don't think that it's just a coincidence that levering and the 1 arm axle deadlift are two of the four events at Gripmas this year.

I think with a niche sport like grip and short steel bending you are going to have people fading away regularly, only to be replaced with new people that have that raging fire to hit PR after PR. Maybe only 1 or 2 people out of 10 will stay with it more than a few months. Those will become the "regulars". Some will wander in and out as their life allows. This is a hobby or sideline for the vast majority on the board. Some strongmen and PL guys will visit to help improve in their profession, but other than that, it's a hobby. A passionate one for many on the board, but a hobby just the same. When things like jobs, wives, babies, and money get included in the picture not everybody is going to stay with it for the long haul.

I love this stuff. I'm a broken down old basketball, hockey, football guy that thought his competitive days were over. I found a sport that I could not only have fun in, but compete in and not totally embarass myself (although anybody that has seen me pull a DO axle might argue that embarassing myself is what I actually am doing). Bending is kind of a niche of a niche. When I first visited the bending threads, I thought that it looked cool, but wasn't really for me. That was until Goody gave me my first 60D to bend and I was hooked. Bending has an even smaller group of participants than grip as a whole because it's not easy to do and it's downright painful sometimes. Fewer people catch the bug, so when the natural life changes occur and people fade away, it's probably noticed that much more. I have only been on the board for about 9 - 10 months, so i don't notice so much who has left. What I have noticed is what I think is important to growing a sport: tons and tons of new guys getting into bending and catching that fire. If we can hold on to half the new guys (me included in this group) that are now getting interested and fighting for spots on Eric's Steel Slayer List, bending is going to grow and get more popular. That will get it into more contests, more people will train it, and it will continue to grow.

Bending is like crack - once that first nail goes you are looking for ways to sell your car to buy more steel.

[Tim71]

I went from a posting machine a year or so ago to now I don't post alot. I still bend fairly frequently - maybe 2 or 3 times a week - but not top level bends. I see several different points in no particular order.

#1 the ecconomy. Steel costs money.

#2 Just because one doesn't post doesn't mean they're not bending. Unless I kill something big I'm not going to post the mediocre stuff.

#3. The new list has more requirements. I need to get a board with a 1.25 inch hole in it. Don't have one yet. My best braced bends would kill my hands in wraps that thin so I don't know if I'll ever give the braced part of it my all but we'll see. I've been geared for David's braced lists and they've served me well so again, well see. Unbraced looks very tempting right now though especially since I usually bent in thinner pads anyway.

#4 Biggest thing for me is I've had other priorities the last few months. Overall fitness has come to the forefront but I've still been bending. Also, I've hit cards, phonebooks, and grippers alot more.

Some of the others have all but dissappeared. Pat P is rarely on here, Big Steve never comes on here and try to get ahold of Tom Black or Terry Duty from the earliest days.

I will say this though, I seem to be blessed with the ability to take long layoffs and still come back and perform peak bends. I bent a 6 inch piece of 7mm CRS square the other night with wraps that would easily make the new rules so I was pretty pleased. I improved my "around the neck" or WSM style record the other night by bending a 21 inch piece of 1/2 inch round beating my old record by 3 inches. Then fished it for a new record there. None of these I posted but I was doing it so some others may be that way as well. I have dial-up and home and sometimes it's just tiring to have to go through all that to post a new bend.

Just my 2 cents.

Tim

[acorn]

IMHO the barbell comes first... everything else after!

You're going to make a lot of friends here, Mitch.

-Rex

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you

No need to apologize Mitch, your only stating your opinion!

Just my theories on the subject...:

1. Bending is relatively hard to combine with other grip endeavors. It really wears and tears on hands, fingers and wrists, especially if the path of smaller wraps is chosen. Personally I worked up to a shiny in IMPs and were overtrained for several weeks.

2. Bending (especially) isn't recognised as a typical grip contest.

=> #1 and #2 has the consequence that guys who are competing doesn't focus on bending.

3. It's relatively achievable to reach the level of red nail/bastard, but after that progress becomes more difficult. So after the first year or so, most "benders" fade away and lose interest, since it's farther between PRs, less videos to show etc. In most cases the "new guys" lose interest and leave the bending...

4. The freeze of the previous "nail-man-lists" probably "alienated" some of the guys who frequented those lists. I'm not saying it was a bad move, but some of them perhaps didn't appreciate it too much

5. Of course, the wrapping issue. I won't dwell on that point, since I don't make too much friends discussing the topic here , but in my opinion, it's a reason. Let me also clarify 2 things here:

1. The biggest problem with the wrapping issue isn't what size of wraps that's ok, the biggest problem is the historical reluctance to some kind of standard

2. The current version of the steel slayer's list and its rules is a great effort to set a standard in this area.

Just my own theories/speculations on the subject, Henrik

Thanks for the reply Henrik! I do agree with you on some of these points, but I still don't see point #2 as a factor. Once again, it is the EXTREME minority of members who partcipate in these contests in the first place. Also, it is a crying shame that the "grip mob" has eliminated bending in contests. Fair play if you want to demonize DO(since many argue it's not a true "test of grip"), but what about DU, reverse, heslep, slim style bending, horseshoe bending, long-mid/shortbar bending, etc.... I guess if the "grip mob" feels that all these facets of bending are not worthy of contest status, than maybe we should just change the name of this forum from the "gripboard" to the "plate-pinching/levering/and thickbar board". So, the consensus, as I understand it, is that the decline in steel bending is because the "grip mob" doesn't want it to affect the "true" tests of grip as found in these grip contests(ie: platepinch/levering/thickbar), so lets just eliminate them right!?! What ever happened to the proverbial "well rounded" athlete, you know, the one who can perform well at all aspects of the athletes given discipline?!? Imagine a "World's Strongest Man" competition where the events of barell tossing, farmer's walk's, overhead log press, etc. is removed from the competition because Maurize Pujinowski(sp??) doesn't want those events to affect his Atlas stone lifting!!!

I think the "grip mob" should maybe re-prioritize their thinking and get a more balanced approach. Just my 2 cents.

-Carl

Some of us do try to use a very balanced approach. I dont know if you realize this but I have bent some of the toughest stuff out there. Edgins of every size down to 5.5", 5/16 G8, FBBC 5/16 Square down to 6", 13"x1/2", etc and I have done all of these in competition. I have also closed a #4 in competition, pinched 239#, 2" Vbar 280#, and I could go on. What have you done in heads up competition? When you have trained for and done a competition that includes not just bending but grippers, pinch, thickbar, etc and have tried to do your absolute best in every event come back and talk to me.

- Aaron

...............????????(Reader is smacking their head against the desk in disbelief)

Ok guys! Lets all take a deep breath, count to 10, breath in/breath out, wax-on/wax-off... ok, are we all relaxed??? feeling better??? ready to communicate????

My ORIGINAL question was simply why is the gripboard activity(particularly the bending forum) so slow and if anyone had any ideas as to why this is so. It turned into the usual crazy, menstrual, hormonal, lets

"get all crazy" thread.

Firstly, this thread was never intended to single anyone out(well, maybe Rex ), never meant as a stab to any grip promoter, etc.

What are my accomplishments as far as bending/grip. Well, lets just say that my pinching, RT, thickbar can use some work. It's getting better, but we all have our strengths and weakness. I know many of you can axle lift 350+ pounds(I don't even know if I can regular deadlift that weight ), pinch grip 10,000+ pounds, etc, etc. I feel that my non-bending grip related lifts have really come along in recent time and I am working on them just as much as my bending. But let me ask you guys this question. How many of you can bend 5 SSP #3 Horseshoes in under 1 minute??? How many of you can push the boundaries on 5/8 and 3/4" bends??? How many of you can reverse bend an FBBC shiny bastard in single leathers????(shucks, that was supposed to be next weeks surprise for you guys ).

My point is simple! Just respect one another and understand that nobody is amazing in every aspect of grip(well maybe Paul knight ), but just appreciate everyone else's achievments/accomplishments as they come. I have the highest respect for peple like Chris, Aaron, John Beatty, and all the other promoters/grippsters, etc.

And no I haven't had the chance to attend any grip events. I would love to one day and get to meet all of you in person. With my current schedule, I can't attend these events(but I will one day, even if there is no bending events ) I know that I would get destroyed in most lifts, but it's all about the camaraderie. None of us is taking home a Tiger Woods salary for what we do. So when certain people(ie:Rex ) make statements like, "quit the bending and join the real grip athletes(ala Star Wars analogy- "Carl, turn away from the dark-side"), then yes I do get irritated and have to chime in as a result.

I am already sick of this thread and will no longer discuss these issues. Thanks for listening!

-Carl

Just to be clear Carl, I didnt take your post personally and am not the slightest bit irritated. When and if you decide to go do a grip comp let the promoter know your interested in bending and coming to their comp. If more people who were interested in bending went to comps then we would be seeing more promotors having bending events. Hell I've even had braced bending in 2 of mine. If you decide to come down here to AZ and do one of my comps I dont know you but still would be happy to put you up in our house, feed you and give you tips during the comp like I'm willing to do for any other gripster that comes and competes. Well anyone but Rex.

- Aaron

[gazza]

Hey Carl

Dont sweat it mate the bending forum is like that it seems to get people all irritated more than any other grip thing

I guesse bending a cut edgin in double wraps in the do folding style weighing i guesse 260-280lbs is 2 easy and there for should not be included in grip comps personally at that bodyweight with alot of upper body power i dont class that as a bending feat most 250plus bodyweight benchers should be able to do it in doubles.

Now reversing it is a different matter and probably alot more of a grip/wrist feat how many are doing that.

The strongest bender should always win,just depends on if you want to even the odds up and let the big benchers use the double wraps to there advantage more they will fine it easier useing the doubles and all the upper body power.

Now if you also include reverse,heslep and du styles in the same comps then the best all round bender regardless of bodyweight should win.

Regarding promoters and comps,simple there comp there rules ive actually attended a comp were an event was taken out as we were starting,shame really as it would have belonged to the wirral boyz but i guesse that was known so it was pulled to stop it happening.Leaves abit of a sour taste in your mouth after you and your friends bust your balls week in and week out so you can go and win that particular event but sometimes your just that good a promoter will do anything to keep a certain win with the locals it also happened to my mate maxwell thats why i never competed after that to much behind the scenes politics.

Lets face it since the days of pat,greg and dave,big steve etc bending has become easy very easy infact slap on the doubles and hit it high do and it melts like butter,but were are all the reverse and du style big bends most havent even hit a red or bastard in those styles yet.

Alot of people get frustrated they see big big progress on the do style they use doubles and alot of upper body strewngth and soon they are killing big steel but they then realiose that they have to work much much harder with reverse and normal du style because even with the doubles they cant use all that pushing power like they could in the do style some continue and plug awy but alot go onto other things because there not prepared to put the extra in.

Injuries are alot more frequent with bending this puts alot off because it stops there gains in other grip stuff.

Eric has probably returned a bit of normality to bending with his new steel slayers list but its gonna be an uphill battle.

[climber511]

Hey Carl

Dont sweat it mate the bending forum is like that it seems to get people all irritated more than any other grip thing

I guesse bending a cut edgin in double wraps in the do folding style weighing i guesse 260-280lbs is 2 easy and there for should not be included in grip comps personally at that bodyweight with alot of upper body power i dont class that as a bending feat most 250plus bodyweight benchers should be able to do it in doubles.

Now reversing it is a different matter and probably alot more of a grip/wrist feat how many are doing that.

The strongest bender should always win,just depends on if you want to even the odds up and let the big benchers use the double wraps to there advantage more they will fine it easier useing the doubles and all the upper body power.

Now if you also include reverse,heslep and du styles in the same comps then the best all round bender regardless of bodyweight should win.

Regarding promoters and comps,simple there comp there rules ive actually attended a comp were an event was taken out as we were starting,shame really as it would have belonged to the wirral boyz but i guesse that was known so it was pulled to stop it happening.Leaves abit of a sour taste in your mouth after you and your friends bust your balls week in and week out so you can go and win that particular event but sometimes your just that good a promoter will do anything to keep a certain win with the locals it also happened to my mate maxwell thats why i never competed after that to much behind the scenes politics.

Lets face it since the days of pat,greg and dave,big steve etc bending has become easy very easy infact slap on the doubles and hit it high do and it melts like butter,but were are all the reverse and du style big bends most havent even hit a red or bastard in those styles yet.

Alot of people get frustrated they see big big progress on the do style they use doubles and alot of upper body strewngth and soon they are killing big steel but they then realiose that they have to work much much harder with reverse and normal du style because even with the doubles they cant use all that pushing power like they could in the do style some continue and plug awy but alot go onto other things because there not prepared to put the extra in.

Injuries are alot more frequent with bending this puts alot off because it stops there gains in other grip stuff.

Eric has probably returned a bit of normality to bending with his new steel slayers list but its gonna be an uphill battle.

Gary - how's your kettlebell training going?

[John Beatty]

I think it's due (at least partially) to the economy. My sales of bending goodies are down domestically (but steadily going up internationally), despite seeing a surge in Beginner's bag sales overall. I'd think there'd be more guys coming in. I think people are holding back on their spending, I know I am, I haven't bought a new toy in a while. My gripper sales are very weak, both Baraban & FBBC (partially due to Wade's site), equipment sales are down over the last six months or so. I'm pretty much on pace with last year's sales, but prior to this year I've seen about a 15-20% growth per year, so you'd have to say my sales are off a good bit.

When the BBB comes back next year, there will be a bending event.

[The Natural]

Everything goes in waves. Right now, sledge levering and sledge DL to the front seem to be really popular on the board. 1 arm axle deadlifting is also on the rise. Rex is responsible for some of the sledge stuff (I know I'm going to regret that), but I don't think that it's just a coincidence that levering and the 1 arm axle deadlift are two of the four events at Gripmas this year.

Excellent point, Mike. I also think I played no small part in the blob fervor that existed earlier this year, during 2009's Golden Age of Grip. I commend you for recognizing the vanguard of grip evolution. As the year comes to a close, it is useful to grab a rocking chair, stoke one's pipe, and dwell on the winds of change. As for me, I have done my part here in Texas. It's time for me to move on. Like Gandalf, I appear for a time, help those I can, and move on to other lands and other adventures. Wade Gillingham bestowed on me the monicker of Grip Nomad, and I feel obliged to further my calling. Eric and Paul and the rest have been outstanding training partners and friends. I will always rememmber this chapter of my life with fondness and appreciation.

I guesse bending a cut edgin in double wraps in the do folding style weighing i guesse 260-280lbs is 2 easy and there for should not be included in grip comps personally at that bodyweight with alot of upper body power i dont class that as a bending feat most 250plus bodyweight benchers should be able to do it in doubles

Lets face it since the days of pat,greg and dave,big steve etc bending has become easy very easy infact slap on the doubles and hit it high do and it melts like butter,but were are all the reverse and du style big bends most havent even hit a red or bastard in those styles yet.

Gary, you may not know this, but I've also done a Big Shiny, double underhand. I just notified Wannagrip to change my title to reflect this signal achievement. I am truly an All-Around Bender, and with each bend I do, the more I come to see that for anything grip-related that bending might test, there's a more direct and more accurate way to test it with other devices. Pure bending comps, however, are worthwhile and I hope that Eric's contest spawns others like it.

-Rex

[bencrush]

I still talk to a few elite benders now and then and none of them are bending these days. Chalk it up to other goals mostly. Armwrestling, powerlifting, strongman, Highland Games, etc. have become their focus for a while. I think a few will return to bending in a year or two, especially if bending is featured in a big contest.

I haven't bent in a while, but that doesn't mean in a year or two I won't suddenly get that old competitive fire back and decide to get on a few lists again.

I still visit the Bending forum though and still encourage guys to keep breaking barriers.

I'm also a fan of Eric's Steel Slayer List, and in no way am I shunning it by not submitting a bend or two for it. I've got a few videos of Huge Shinys in Ironmind pads that would definitely count for the list, but of course they're not calibrated and those aren't recent bends.

Maybe some of the good benders are just hibernating. Waiting for that special day when they hit a big PR and have something they feel is worth reporting. That's what I think is going on with a few guys right now.

For most of us who loved bending, it doesn't matter if bending is in a contest or not. I bent because I loved it. Never cared much whether it was featured in a contest I was targeting or not, although admittedly bending does wreak havoc with a lot of other contest training, so it would be a big factor if I wanted to place higher in a certain contest.

The desire to bend (for me) goes in cycles. I'll be hell-bent on breaking a few PRs and then 3 months later will just be content to maintain with a lot lower volume. Now I'm just in a slump where I'm apathetic about my own bending, or lack of, but that doesn't mean I'm not happy to see others excited about it.

So for those that are currently fired up to bend, don't let the absence of the other benders hold you back! Tear it up guys! You'll most likely lure a few benders back to the fold with more traffic in the bending forum.

[naturalstrength]

stoke one's pipe,

Rex, what kind of forum do you think this is!!

[Wes]

I did everything I wanted to do, so I quit.

[Paul Knight]

I'm still bending in the background ... PR's have fizzled out and is why I'm not posting vids every damn day like I used to ... I def don't bend as much as I did and the reason cooresponds with quite a few other replies in this thread ... I'm obsessed with pinch and thickbar now, so I've been focusing my energy on that .... these events are killing me in comps. You haven't seen the end of my bending.

I've noticed that you've been doing freakin awesome on all styles of bending lately and it sux that there hasn't been much traffic in the bending forum to share your successes with .... I'll tell you though that I've def been paying attention to how well your doing ... congrats and keep up the good work even if nobody is watching.

I think Gazza should be some kind of paid celeb for what he has accomplished and it's sad how the Gripboard is as far as it goes for him right now ... he needs a documentary like Stanless Steel has to get some kind of reward for being the best at what he does.

Carl - if you went to one of Aaron's comps, you wouldn't be dissapointed ... Heidi makes awesome healthy food (especially the smoothie ) and Aaron took me around Tuscon showing me all the cool stuff they had in town ... it was like going on vacation .. not just a competition. He'll really makes you feel at home. I'm gonna try to make the next Cactus grip if you wanna start planning.

[MitchSA]

Rex Im Sorry if I offended you but I was speaking to Zach in reference to another popular forum we both check out regularly..

Mitch

I was just messing with you, Mitch. I actually agree that barbell training should be a cornerstone of one's training. In fact, I often shake my head at these guys who are able-bodied and want to get better at grip and bending, but can only handle baby poundages on the big lifts. If they were really serious about getting better at grip and bending, they'd cut back the volume on their grip training for a year and do a hybrid strongman/powerlifting program before returning to grip specialization. From what I hear, the more active members of this board used to be more about overall body strength, and over the years that has changed for the worse. It sounds like you've got your head on straight in regards to training, and so with any sort of ability you should be bending big stock before too long.

-Rex

Thanks Rex, no worries! Ive watched your lifting videos many many times! and they are very inspirational. Thanks for your comments.

Mitch

[yodajaeger]

I didn't want to post anymore in this thread but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut

I guesse bending a cut edgin in double wraps in the do folding style weighing i guesse 260-280lbs is 2 easy and there for should not be included in grip comps

How many has performed a bend like this? According to the FBBC list, there are four persons, Paul, Rex, Aaron and John Beatty. Booyah has done it for the steelslayer's list. Gazza has done bends way more difficult than this. I might have missed someone, but anyway, not very many have done this, regardless which wraps that are used.

My point is: The argument that a cut edgin is too easy, it's just to slap on some doubles and apply upperbody force, and therefor it isnt bending anymore, is just strange. Why? Because the guys who have bent a cut edgin have proved over and over again that they have a lot of grip and wrist strength.

Gary, you may not know this, but I've also done a Big Shiny, double underhand. I just notified Wannagrip to change my title to reflect this signal achievement. I am truly an All-Around Bender, and with each bend I do, the more I come to see that for anything grip-related that bending might test, there's a more direct and more accurate way to test it with other devices. Pure bending comps, however, are worthwhile and I hope that Eric's contest spawns others like it.

-Rex

This is a very relevant point though, my experience is that bending is an own animal, containing a unique set of skills. Some of them are very tied to wrist and grip strength, some of them are tied to upper body strength (for example the crushdown).

Edited October 15, 2009 by yodajaeger

[timiacobucci]

I cannot speak for anyone other than myself here. But I have simply had a bunch of other crap going on in my life that is seeming to suck the time energy and money that I used to put into bending. I still do some shows for people and have it at for anger management at times. I don't know about others but not posting on this forum does not mean I am not still interested in this stuff and you guys. I just feel I have less to contribute recently and still read and see whats going on but I feel a bit more removed from things when I am not actively engaged in them.

I have noticed lots of people like to read and talk about things, but for some reason don't actually DO the things they talk about very much if at all. These people are all over conventional forums and basically suck. The thing is, I think most of the people on here are NOT those kind of people. We like to talk about what we are actually DOING. So if we have fallen away from bending for a bit, there is not as much discussion. In that manner it is actually sort of a good thing I feel. I would rather the forum temporarily wane rather than deteriorate into just talk.

I for one am not quitting, and like Tim T has said, I have found taking a long rest and coming back to it does not really hurt my strength much if at all.

Actually maybe you guys that are in the same boat could comment on this, I feel stronger actually doing a big bend, like I have more force to put into it, maybe from resting. But at the same time my pain tolerance is terrible now. I still have the drive to hit it hard but right after I let off, I am like OOOOWWWW, why does that hurt so much now? With some anger and adrenaline this subsides, and maybe I sound like a little girl for saying it, but I just don't remember it hurting nearly as much when I did it more often.

On a side note, I work in a whare house at night again now. And I have been doing handstand pushups in trailers and pullups on stuff. I can't hardly ever lift with the powerlifting crew I used to on sunday mornings, it really sucks. I recently hit 8 reps deadlifting the back of the taylor dunn at my work though. http://gandcrepairce...125164245_0.jpg (the orange thing) It is surprisingly heavy with the battery rack in the back. I could only get 2-3 reps coming off a 450lb deadlift when I started. One other guy at work has got the tires a bit off the ground, but nowhere near lockout with it. So I am still doing weird stuff and trying to lift and workout where and when I can. Bending is just very tough on my shoulders and it would mess me up at my job. I really want to get a different job that doesn't interfere with lifting and bending so much so I can get back into it again.

I also got a new car project which I am spending allot of time and money on, this has taken most of those 2 resources away from my steel scrolling. Hopefully I will have the car going and can drive and enjoy it and put my time back into scrolling again soon.

[naturalstrength]

I'm gonna try to make the next Cactus grip if you wanna start planning.

Sounds like a great plan

Edited October 15, 2009 by naturalstrength