My version of a Westside Workout

Getting ready for my first powerlifting meet in February and I've been noticing some weaknesses that need to be corrected.  Mainly my hamstring strength and sitting back more on my squats.  No better way to hit both of those than a couple of Westside exercises I used to do a lot of, box squats and good mornings.

I don't have a box, so I improvised and overcame with my own version I call Ottoman Squats.  Just moved the Ottoman into the man cave and used that.  :D  When compressed, it is right around 15".  I won't go much heavier than this until I can make a box, but let me tell you that 135 feels like a ton coming off a 15" box when you haven't done these in awhile.  Getting the lower legs past perpendicular to the floor really makes you contract the hammies to curl you back up.  Hit 10 sets of 2 with 135.

I was pretty fried by that point, but I wanted to hit the whole posterior chain and reenforce sitting back so I threw in a few sets of good mornings to finish things off.

 

So, don't avoid your weaknesses.  Attack them and you will get much stronger overall!

Class of 2012: The Steel Benders Hall of Fame

Voting was held over the last month on the Benders Battlefield for the Steel Benders Hall of Fame.  The top 5 vote getters and ties were elected to this year's class.  Old man Rindo made it!  This is a huge honor for me and I can't believe that I'm now a member of this elite group.  Really makes all the hard work I have put in over the last few years worth it.  I was blown away to receive the support I got from the voters.  To join this group of benders in the hall has been a big goal of mine.  Many of the legends from the sport were voted in last year:

Class of 2011
Ben Edwards
Aaron Corcorran
David Horne
Eric Milfeld
Pat Povilaitis
Paul Knight
Joseph Greenstein: The Mighty Atom
John Brookfield
John Beatty
Dennis Rogers

Here's this year's class:

Class of 2012
David Wigren - Best all around steel bender in the world right now.
Carl Ansara - Best braced bender out there and a sick reverse.
Jedd Johnson - Done more to teach people how to bend than anyone else.  And a damn good bender in his own right.
Mike Rinderle - No idea how this happened.  Hopefully there's no recount.  :)
Mike Hadland - One of the best unbraced benders to ever walk the planet.  Great in all 3 styles
Mike Krahling - Incredible reverse and braced strength. Mike also holds the US Nationals Competition (Beast in the East) and is responsible for calibrating all the drill rod used in certs on the Battlefield.
Congratulations to all the new inductees!!!! 

The Road to a 600 lb Deadlift in 2012

This year I pulled 510 lbs at a bodyweight of 256.  Right after that I moved and the new man cave wasn't really big enough to pull in, so I pretty much stopped deadlifting and just bent a lot of stuff.  I then lost 30 + pounds due to some blood pressure issues.  Well, about 3 weeks ago I got the itch to pull again.  So what do you do when you don't have room to deadlift?  That's right, you move all the living room furniture and haul your kit out there and get to lifting!!!!

Since the weight loss and the 4 months off pulling, my top end is way down.  A couple weeks ago I was able to pull 450, but it wasn't easy.  As I'm getting stronger, I should be able to pull more, but I have some kind of mental block that is stopping me.  I believe mental blocks are made to be shattered, so I will bust through this and get my top end moving toward my goal of 600 soon.  That's a guarantee!

In the meantime, one of the benefits of the weight loss and getting in a bit better shape has been my ability to get some high rep work in without having a freakin heart attack!!!  Historically, I have made progress with working up to heavy singles and doubles almost every workout.  I just wasn't seeing it this time though.  I have been stuck right around the 450 mark since I started pulling again.  Today I worked up to an ugly miss at 460 that just didn't sit right.  So instead of packing it in, I said screw the low rep stuff, pealed some weight off the bar and did a high rep workout.  It was awesome and I got some serious work in.  So when your workout isn't going well, don't quit!  Change stuff up and try something new.  Just do work!!!

Today, after the infuriating miss at 460, I was able to pull a relatively easy 300 X 15 along with some some high rep shrugs and one arm rows.  I will be feeling this workout tomorrow!  And Iwill be stronger for it!

My Traditional / Modified Style of Double Underhand

I have been really working hard on my Double Underhand Bending over the last few months and it is finally coming around.  Today I went after a piece of very tough 5/16" X 7" 0-1 Drill Rod.  This was pretty tough 5/16 and I would estimate it would rate in the 475 - 480 lb range. I didn't quite get it to 40 degrees, but that will come soon enough.  My ultimate DU goal is a 5/16 X 7" Grade 5 bolt (Edgin).

There have traditionally been two styles of double underhand bending: traditional and modified.  Traditional is with the wraps fairly close together and the bar travels from neck level down toward the waist.  The bar is mainly bent with wrist strength.  Modified style is basically an upside down double overhand bend.  The bar remains high and with a double underhand grip you push in on the ends like you would with a DO bend.  This style incorporates the larger shoulder and chest muscles and typically allows people to bend much bigger steel.

My style is a traditional / modified hybrid.  I incorporate the motion and technique of a traditional bend, using mostly wrist strength to bend the bar.  Where I deviate from the traditional style is that I move the wraps further apart.  Typically I put them 1.75" to 2" from the ends. 

Take a look at the video below to see my technique and give it a try.  Whatever double underhand technique you use, I would encourage you to incorporate DU into your training as it is an excellent way to strengthen your wrists and become a complete bender.

Rindo's Scrap Yard - What's the story?

Welcome to my new blog everybody.  I really think you will find it entertaining and a little different than everything else out there.  It's going to be a mix of steel bending, feats of strength, and my quest for both physical and mental advancement. It will also include my take on politics, entertainment, humor, spirituality, and life in general. 

We're going to have guest posts from all walks of life.  There will be those from the strength game, nutritionists, scholars, satirists, and political commentators.  One thing this blog will not become is stale.  We will change things up and tear things down, only to build them back up again.

This will be a window into my passions, so you know there will be some steel getting bent and some weight being lifted.  Not only will I post pictures and videos of various strength feats on this blog, but will also offer instruction and help to people interested in progressing in the manly arts. 

Here's a recent piece I made by scrolling a 3/8" X 12" spike and S bending a hammer:

I've really been getting into braced bending like crazy recently and Jedd Johnson and I have a Braced Bending DVD coming out soon.  So keep checking in for details because we are planning on releasing it before Christmas.

I really hope you enjoy the new blog and your comments and ideas for content are always welcome.