What 140+ Real SSB Customers Actually Say About Steel Bending

“If you want a handshake that makes other men question their masculinity, pick up short steel bending.” — Brian S., Dawsonville, GA

That’s one of 140+ customer reviews on the SSB site. Real name, real city, real guy who paid for the membership and wrote that himself.

The hard part of buying any fitness product is figuring out whether the marketing matches the actual experience. The fastest way to find out: read what people who already bought it have to say.

Below: 14 of the strongest reviews from the SSB customer wall, organized by what brought guys to the sport — lifting, combat sports, forearm size, beginners just trying it, or the founder himself. Find the ones that match your situation.

Lifters: “I Wasted Three Years On Hook Grip”

The most common pattern across reviews from lifters: grip was the limiter on heavy work and they didn’t realize how undertrained it was until they actually started training it directly.

“I love SSB because there are so many aspects of grip and forearm training that are overlooked that can be accomplished by improving your bending. Something as simple and primal as bending something is fun AND you can feel a difference after training.” — Jeffrey C., Lincolnton, NC

“As an avid lifter for a couple of years, my grip strength was the hardest part of my build to develop. Short steel bending hits those hard-to-reach spots in your workout and develops your grip strength and forearms, as well as some surprise spots you wouldn’t think of.” — Dominic L., Miami, FL

“I’ve used the gyro-ball, dumbbell wrist curls, and I can do finger tip pushups, and it’s almost embarrassing to say this little 100 LBS bar made me feel like a little girl lol… absolutely brutal for strengthening the hands, wrists, and forearms.” — Gerard R., North Charleston, SC

“I have noticed a much better mind-muscle connection when bracing for lifts in the gym and have seen increased gains in the shoulders, lats, and of course, forearms, due to short steel bending.” — Samuel H., Killeen, TX

The pattern: dedicated grip work moves things in the gym that years of general lifting didn’t.

Combat Sports: BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, Arm-Wrestling

Bending shows up across every grip-demanding combat sport. The carryover to gi grip, wrist control, and sustained holds is what guys keep flagging.

“Purchased the beginner kit and some extra steel to help with wrist/grip strength for jiu-jitsu and other hobbies. Already noticed a difference with the muscles that are engaged when bending… also it’s pretty fun! Thanks Matt!” — Cody M., Liberty Lake, WA

“It made my ability to grip-fight in judo and BJJ a lot better. Once you get into the higher strength bars, it becomes a really good workout that you can do almost anywhere, and it’s fun to bring to small get-togethers with the guys (just to see who can bend the biggest bar). It’s also funny to watch your 270lb football player friend fail to bend a steel bar that your 190lb-ass can.” — Andrew R., Ypsilanti, MI

“After over a year of specializing in arm wrestling training, my sons and I picked up some random nails from the workbench and started talking about the practice of nail bending and steel bending. Turns out it was a lot of fun… We like SSB’s scaled bars because they give a standardized framework to help you know whether you’re making progress in the right direction.” — Richard F., Elgin, IL

The pattern: the lever-arm endurance from bending shows up directly on the mat.

Forearm Size: “Muscles I’ve Never Felt Before”

The visible-results crowd. Forearm thickening, arm-vein pop, that “looks like a guy who works with his hands” effect.

“I can all-around see a difference in my forearm size and how much more weight I’m able to curl. It definitely brings a new feeling of confidence. It’s a secret you’re carrying around that no one knows about.” — Alex G., Thomasville, NC

“In my short time of steel bending, I have felt muscles in my arms that I have never felt before in my life! I am excited to have found a new avenue for my grip/wrist training that makes it fun and interesting.” — Christian G., Portland, OR

“Did a couple of bars and boy, are they tough. Definitely feel it in my forearms. If you want big lower forearms, this is definitely the way to go!” — Rafael C., Midland, TX

“Best grip and forearm workout I’ve ever had.” — William H., Westminster, MD

The pattern: visible forearm change shows up in 6-12 weeks of consistent training.

Beginners: “I Struggled At First But Got Hooked”

The first-session experience. People came in skeptical, ran into the Fourth Power Problem, and then the engagement loop kicked in.

“Didn’t think I would be into as much as I am. My wife actually makes fun of me. I started with the free trial bars and struggled a bit, because I’ve never used those muscles in that way before. But, the struggle is part of the fun, because I bend it enough each time that I don’t want to stop until it’s bent. I liked it enough to start the beginner set, and I’m working on cracking the 200 LBS bar now.” — Patrick F., Chicago, IL

“SSB makes it easy and affordable to get into bending. I hadn’t done any bending before, but was able to quickly get to bending the lightest bar. I introduced it at my gym and everyone at all levels have really enjoyed the experience.” — Sonja S., Albuquerque, NM

“Five-star review!!! I had bought the beginner’s kit a while back and found that I could bend the 230 bar fairly easy. I hadn’t progressed, until recently.” — Matthew B., Galax, VA

The pattern: the first bend is accessible. The progression hooks you. The plateau forces you to actually train.

What Customers Say About Matt Personally

This is the unusual one. Most fitness products don’t have customers writing reviews specifically about how the founder treats them. SSB does — because Matt actually answers his own phone.

“I have nothing but great experiences with anything I needed for steel bending! From start to finish the process is simple and customer service is outstanding. The personal touch really sold me on keeping my membership.” — Matt C., Carmel, IN

“Can’t say enough good things. Matt goes above and beyond on customer service. Answers questions and gives advice promptly. Truly cares to help you progress and enjoys your accomplishments. Massive selection of steel to fit any need. Fast shipping. True pleasure to do business with.” — Brian S., Logansport, IN

“SSB will be my ‘go to’ for bending products from now on. I was introduced to them (from a buddy of mine) just based on the service from Matt and his team. I purchased the Beginner’s Bag, which included everything you need to start bending immediately. When the product arrived, you can see the care they put into packaging. The Short Steel Bending team had reached out to ask how I enjoyed the product. I have purchased lots of different strength and conditioning equipment, and have never had service like that. If I had to give stars with 5 as the highest, I’d give them a 10.” — Joel D., Heartland, TX

“Overall, SSB has been an amazing experience, and I can truly feel the difference in my grip strength! The team has been great about reaching out and supporting me through the process.” — Clayton S., Reynoldsburg, OH

“Matt does a phenomenal job with his products and sharing knowledge (read his book for beginners!). In my short time of steel bending, I have felt muscles in my arms that I have never felt before in my life!” — Christian G., Portland, OR

The pattern: every review that mentions service mentions Matt by name. That’s not normal in the fitness equipment space.

What These Reviews Have In Common

Across 140+ reviews, the same themes recur:

The training works fast. Most reviewers report noticeable strength changes in weeks, not months.
The first bend is accessible. Almost no one reports failing the entry tier when they follow the technique guide.
The progression hooks you. Multiple reviewers used the word “addiction” or “hooked.” The 12-tier ladder gives you something specific to chase.
The forearms thicken visibly. Multiple mentions of size gains, even from people who weren’t optimizing for aesthetics.
Matt’s involvement is unusual. Customers explicitly call out the founder’s accessibility and personal coaching as a differentiator.
Quality and consistency are real. The calibration matters — multiple reviewers contrasted SSB bars with hardware-store bolts and other vendors’ bars.

These aren’t the marketing claims we’ve been making throughout these articles. These are paying customers saying the same things in their own words. The patterns we’ve described — grip as a limiter, the Fourth Power Problem, visible forearm change, founder accessibility — show up unprompted across hundreds of independent reviews.

If you’ve read 12 of our articles wondering whether the claims are inflated, here’s your independent check.

Read All 140+ Yourself

The full review wall lives on the SSB site HERE — 140+ reviews and counting. Real names, real cities, real outcomes. We’ve quoted 14 above. The others say similar things in different words.

Get On The Ladder

Try the membership for 14 days. $1 to start. $400/year after.

What you get: bars at cost (around $1 each in volume vs competitors’ $4-5), free rush shipping, unlimited coaching from Matt himself, lifetime refunds on unbent bars, the proprietary app with leaderboards and bend logging, and direct community access.

Sign up: shortsteelbending.com/sign-up

Or text Matt directly at 302-690-7039 — he answers his own phone, even at his kid’s birthday party.