When I think of Vitalik the following things are in my mind: Gripper, Bottom-Up Press, Armwrestling and double underhand bending!
As you can see a great combo of things in our small world.
Vitalik is not just a steel bender, he has wrists of steel, hard steel, very hard steel and you can see this not only with some very strong excercises he can do with his hands but with his steel bending achievements.
He has a lot of double underhand bends where he showed that he is on top in this area. Just imagine to bend things like the following in DU style:
Red Nails, different Bastards in very short lengths like normal, hexa, golden and shiny.
You can watch all of these in his channels:
I am happy that Vitalik is part of the interview section now:
Name:
Vitalik Sevko
Year of birth:
1982
Height:
180cm
Weight:
91kg
Location:
North of Russia
Occupation:
Lawyer
Relationship Status:
Married
Question 01:
What does steel bending mean to you?
First of all - a sports hobby
Question 02:
When and why did you start steel bending and what does or did your active time look like?
Around 2010-2011, I learned about bending in the VK community (Iron Grip). At the very beginning, I tried to bend HRS (reverse and DU), then there were calibrated Iron Grip Bars. 2015-2016 were the most active years for me in bending (FBBC certification and their rods served as a big motivation fo me), then they stopped adding achievements to the certification list and my motivation disappeared :)
Over the past 10 years or so I have had many breaks in bending training (sometimes due to lack of motivation, sometimes due to minor injuries)
Question 03:
What do you love about steel bending?
The feeling of the moment when the steel starts to move. And when after a hard battle the bar is defeated
Question 04:
What do you hate about steel bending?
Injuries that can happen. Also long arm recovery after bending workouts, which interferes with other grip workouts and armwrestling for example.
Question 05:
How does your training for steel bending look like?
DU training (IM pads).
Like that-very good warm-up of the hands, arms and shoulders. Breaking 1-2 nails 6mm (about 60kg). Bending one rod 90-100kg (7mm diameter), bending one rod 115kg (7.5mm diameter) and bending 4-5 rods 8mm diameter (120-130kg or more, depending from strength).
Approximately once every 10 days (due to a longer recovery time after working in IM pads).
DU training in double pads - about once every 4-5 days. Warm-up, bending of one medium-load rod. And bending or trying to bend 2-3 heavy rods (with maximum effort). After training in double pads, hands recover much faster.
Question 06:
How does your other training look like (strength or other)?
Other workouts - 3 workouts per week at the gym. 60% of armwrestling exercises and regular exercises with a barbell, dumbbells. I love pull-ups.
With grip training and bending - I improvise. For example, when I don´t bend for 2-3 months, I train only grippers and, for example, a pinch grip.
Then I switch only to bending.
Question 07:
What goals have you set for yourself?
Learn to bend DO :) I usually get new bend goals when I start a new bending training cycle.
Question 08:
What was the most impressive bend you ever saw (live or on video)?
Barehand DU - Batraz Tibilov - Red nail
Freestyle - double pads - Alex Klimovich - Bolt 12.9 and IG rod 260 kg (CRS 10 mm)
Alexander Kirrilov - KOSB FBBC (mostly due to the pressurization)
Alex Denisovsky - DU IM pads (rod calibrated by me) 180 kg (very hard 8mm 7" CRS) (for example - I calibrated a red nail with stripes at 138-140 kg)
DO in IM pads - Alex Klimovich - NF rod 230 kg (CRS 9mm) I recorded this video. It was very fast, about 40 seconds! At that moment, the 230 kg rod in IM pads was not the limit for him!
Question 09:
Rapid stuff – choose one
Bolts or steel?
Steel
Unbraced or braced?
Unbraced Singles or doubles?
Singles (but I love doubles)
Chalk or not?
Chalk
Beer or water?
Water
Cordura or leather or both?
Leather
Short bars or long bars?
Short Bars
Horseshoes or flat bars?
Flat Bars
Chips or chocolate?
Chocolate
Question 10:
The last words belong to you. What do you want the reader take away? Let us know your poems of steel!
For all - goodness and peace!
To all bending brothers - strength and new victories over steel!
Fight with steel and with yourself!
