What is the layman’s definition of steel bending?
The most fun grip workout you’ve never heard of. Scare the hell out of bystanders and build some disgustingly strong lower arm strength by grabbing a steel bar and bending it until it’s a useless hunk of nothing.
What is the nerdy definition of 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 wall is prohibited. The ends of the bars must be 2″ or less apart in order to be considered a legitimate bend. Ugh, how clinical, right?
What are the 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 will begin to look forward to. The other benefits are numerous and varied (they are talked about in depth in our intro-to-bending-book).
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, either. Real shit. It builds a strange inner confidence.
Will I actually be able to bend these bars at first?
Damn right you will. The progression systems were built with the beginner in mind – no strongman experience necessary! The first bars in our numerous ladders are easy enough for most people 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 “poundage” measured? Is it accurate?
Most of the bars are rated by the poundage of force required to bend them. This was figured out with a secret process (shh!) and is very accurate. These bars have been vetted for many years.
How many bars are in your steel bending progressions?
There are forty total bars in our seven separate progression systems and twelve horseshoes. They all start out pretty easy, but get MUCH harder as you go up the ladders. Good luck!
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 will learn quickly. We offer a few types of hand wraps.
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 when full.
Where and how do I start?
Pick up our world-famous Beginner’s Kit. It contains a pair of mil-spec nylon hand wraps, suede hand wraps, our steel bending paperback guide, and thirty steel bars of various levels. It will only cost a few bucks ($99), but will give you a good first taste of what steel bending is all about. You can then decide if it’s right for you.
What bending workout regimen should I follow?
In the beginning, bend every day or every other day in order to get a good feel for the bending process. After you start to slow down and find a bar that gives you some trouble, your bending sessions will drop to one or two times per week. A typical session would be five warm-up bars from 40% – 70% of your max, and then two to three bars from 70% – 90% of your max. Go for max effort bends every four weeks or so.
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 (dead-lifts, squats, hill sprints, etc.). It’s nasty and will fry your nervous system if done too frequently. Give bending it’s own day 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. That should do the trick.
What are the average costs of bringing steel bending into my life?
Assume between $50-$80 per month if you begin to take it seriously. That’s about the same as a gym membership.
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?
Yes we do! Didn’t like the steel or think you got scammed? We will give you an instant refund – no questions asked. Also, if we screw up an order (give you the wrong bars, wrong amount of bars, etc.) we will refund you the difference instantly. TSSBCI does not play around with your money.
What are the shipping costs?
For orders going to the lower 48 states in the USA (and that swamp, D.C.), we offer a $15 flat-rate, same-day shipping option. AK & HI will be charged a $50 flat-rate for any-sized order. International shipping is also a $90 flat-rate fee.
Are there any deals or coupons that I can take advantage of?
While we do not give out coupons or run regular sales, we do offer a loyalty program. Spend over $300 with us? Receive a unique code that gives you 5% off any order for life. Spend over $1,000 with us? That code will now give you 10% off any order for life. Spend over $2,000 with us? That same code will now give you 15% off any order for life. How sick is that?
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.