I just stumbled upon this website…steel bending look interesting, but I have a few questions before I take the plunge. Can I talk to a live human?

Damn right you can. Text Zach, our resident steel bending expert @ 352-973-3768. He’ll answer within a few minutes.

Why do I have to sign up for a monthly membership to buy the steel? Can’t I just buy it and pay the retail price?

From January 2021 until April 2025 we operated as an online retail store. Our steel had to be marked up quite dramatically in order to pay for operating costs, advertising, etc. The steel pricing got too high and it rightfully turned off a lot of benders. Something had to be done. This switch in May 2025 has allowed us to cut the price of our steel 4x-5x what it used to cost. This new membership model gives you (the bender) fantastic pricing, more steel choices, and a much better experience than before. Steel bending is a volume-based training discipline. The more you bend, the better you get. It’s simple. Most importantly…our average bender spends around $80-$100 per month now, as opposed to double or triple that with our old retail model.

After I sign up…how will I know what to do? Do you provide help?

After you sign up, you will get your beginner’s kit. It’s got all the steel and accessories you’ll need to get started. We also throw an intro booklet in there! In addition to that, you’ll be assigned a personal bending coach who will reach out to you (once or twice per month) to see how you’re doing, offer tips and pointers, and ultimately push you to become a better bender.

What is the layman’s definition of short steel bending?

The most fun strength training workout you’ve never heard of. Scare the hell out of bystanders and build some disgustingly strong grip strength by grabbing a steel bar and bending it until it’s a useless hunk of nothing.

What is the nerdy definition of short steel bending?

It is the act of bending a bar-like steel object (that varies in length) into a tight “V” shape using only your two hands. Use of the legs, torso, or any other part of your body is prohibited. The ends of the bars must be two inches or less apart in order to be considered a legitimate bend.

What are the physical benefits to me?

Thickens your wrists and builds your forearms into a grotesque mass of veins and ligaments. It will take your grip strength to the next level, and shaking hands with strangers will be something you’ll begin to look forward to. Your gym lifts (if you have any) will benefit greatly from this newfound “raw” type of strength. The other benefits are numerous and varied (they are talked about in depth in our intro-to-bending booklet).

What are the psychological benefits to me?

The main one is a massively increased confidence. We don’t really know how to describe it. But it’s sort of like the feeling you get when you walk into a room full of people…and you know something they don’t. Kind of like if you have your black belt in BJJ. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself.

Why should I bend steel as opposed to say…performing fingertip pushups or dumbbell wrist curls?

You are welcome to do those exercises! No hate over here, baby. It’s just…steel bending is so goddamn primal and will awaken the animal inside of you. That’s not hyperbole. It builds a strange inner confidence.

Will I actually be able to bend these bars at first?

Damn right you will. The progression system was built with the beginner in mind – no prior bending experience necessary. The first bar in our ladder should be easy enough for the average man to bend.

Will the steel snap or break suddenly?

Absolutely not. The steel alloy we use is designed to bend in a safe manner. It will never snap in half unless bent back and forth intentionally many, many times.

How is the steel strength measured? Is it accurate?

Our “poundage” bars are rated by the poundage of force required to bend them. This was figured out with a top-secret process (shh!) and is very accurate.

If I begin to take this seriously, what’s the average cost per month I’ll spend?

The average bender usually spends (including his monthly membership fee) around $80-$100 per month. That’s about the same price you would pay for a local gym. Not bad at all!

Is there a timeline for how long it should take me to be able to bend the top bars?

Based on our years of experiences in the trenches, if you work your ass off, bend at least twice per week, and commit to becoming a top-level steel bender, then it should take you around two to four years. That’s a big “if.” A great deal of inner strength will be needed to even be able to touch those top bars.

How do I protect my hands?

You wrap the ends of the bars with tough but flexible materials such as suede leather or mil-spec nylon. There is a small art form to this wrapping, and you must learn to do it correctly. Both types of hand wrap are sold here.

Can the steel be bent more than once?

Yes and no. They are designed to be bent once. That is what the main gist of the workout is. But, to get a bit more mileage out of your steel, you can perform something called snapping. That is when you bend the bar back and forth over and over and over until it snaps in the middle. It’s a brutal workout.

What do I do with the bent steel?

Go buy a five-gallon bucket from your local hardware store and toss them in there. Recycle or chuck when full. The scrap price is mere pennies.

This seems a bit wasteful. Why do you promote this?

Enough with the moralizing. Many people buy coffee every morning and throw out the plastic cups when they are finished drinking. Aluminum beer cans litter the street after a frat party, and no one bats an eye. We bet you even throw out all your glass bottles into the trash instead of recycling them. What’s the difference between that and steel bending? That’s all that needs to be said.

What bending workout regimen should I follow?

We highly recommend bending at least once per week…preferably two. You want to keep the reps high. Think around ten to fifteen bars per bending session…ten to twelve warmup bends followed by two or three tough bends. Some might want to even increase that volume, too. A more detailed plan of attack is included in our intro book.

How do I treat short steel bending? Is it an ancillary exercise or should it have its own “day” so to speak?

Treat it like any other CNS-heavy workout (deadlifts, squats, hill sprints, etc.). It’s nasty and will fry your nervous system if done too frequently. Give bending its own day or two in your lifting routine.

Will it have a negative effect on my current lifting program?

No, we don’t think so. Just keep it separate from your other lifts and allow some time for recovery. Should do the trick.

How long have you been in business for? Do your current customers give you positive reviews?

The Short Steel Bending Company, Inc. has been in business since January 2021. We have tons of great reviews and have never gotten a negative one (LOL, promise).

Do you offer money-back guarantees or refunds of any sort?

Mistakes happen…we’ll make it right. If we screw up an order (give you the wrong type of bars, wrong number of bars, etc.) we’ll obviously refund you the difference or ship the missing bars as quickly as we can. On the other hand, if you bought some steel and want a refund for any reason, just text customer service at 302-690-7039 and explain why. We will then refund you the price you paid for the bars. Please do not abuse this extremely lax return policy. We try our hardest to be fair and we expect the same treatment in return. Contact the owner with any complaints: Matthew Armiger (302-690-7039).

Do you have any more last-minute tips or pointers for me related to short steel bending?

Take it SLOW. Technique is EVERYTHING. Wrap your bars TIGHT. Give your hands and wrists some time to adjust to this awesome exercise.