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Ep. 505: "Iron Tamer" Dave Whitley on Why YOU Should Be Bent Pressing

Release Date: 04/16/2026

Ep. 506: Only Got 6 WEEKS to Get Jacked and Lean? Do THIS:

The Hammer Cast

Only got 6 weeks to get Swole by Summer? This episode will show you EXACTLY what to do: [0:00:03] Six-Week “Get Jacked and Lean” Question Framing the core question: what to do in six weeks to look impressive at the beach/pool Brief expectation-setting: six weeks is enough for noticeable change, not total transformation [0:01:00] Introduction to Aleks (“Hebrew Hammer”) & Training Background Aleks’ personal training experience since 2010 Specialties: kettlebells, calisthenics, natural human movement, old-school bodybuilding, “True Grit” Philosophy: most answers are...

Ep. 505: "Iron Tamer" Dave Whitley on Why YOU Should Be Bent Pressing

The Hammer Cast

Get my 9 Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge HERE => On this most glorious of episodes, Dave Whitley returns so we can talk about: Light banter about SNL host jackets and writing our cats in for president (note: in 2028, please write in Ozzy PAWSbourne, I insist) Why the Bent Press Matters Dave’s role in the modern revival of the bent press Being called the “father of the modern bent press movement” Social media reactions: from high praise to harsh criticism Using the controversy as a practice in emotional balance and perspective Historical...

Ep. 504: Clif Harski on Building TRUE Athleticism with Kettlebells

The Hammer Cast

Get my 9 Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge HERE => On this splendiferous episode with the great Clif Harski we dig deep into: Limitations of Only Training the Fundamentals Critique of the “inch wide, mile deep” philosophy when it becomes a narrow trench Analogy of digging a foundation but never building the house Indiana Jones / Holy Grail analogy for strength that only works under ultra-specific conditions Over-Reliance on the “Big Six” Kettlebell Lifts Why double front rack squats aren’t the ultimate lower-body lift for strong...

Ep. 503: What To Do If You Can't Crawl

The Hammer Cast

Sometimes, despite your ambitions, your body simply pushes back against your attempts to get stronger. For some exercises finding an alternative is easy. For instance, if your shoulders can't yet handle military presses, you can always knock a home run out of the ballpark with pushups and lay the foundation for military pressing strength later on down the line. But what do you do when you can't do even the most fundamental of movements, like crawling? I give some insights on how to work around - and then barrel through - this conundrum in this short episode. On that...

Ep. 502: How to Train - and GAIN - When Your Job's a Pain

The Hammer Cast

Got a labor-intensive job? Good news: you can still train and make gains. You just have to approach your training correctly. This episode will tell you how. On that note: If you like training that: · Gives you more strength than it takes from you · Improves your stamina and resilience simultaneously · Powers-up every nook, cranny, crevice, and corner of your Soft Machine Then you just might like my 9-Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge. As the name indicates, it’s just 9 minutes long, and it’s designed to be done WITH your current workouts – NOT instead...

Ep. 501: The Kettlebell World Bids Farewell to a Legend

The Hammer Cast

Today we bid farewell to a legend in the kettlebell world, without whom the entire movement almost certainly would've petered out and faded into fitness obscurity more than two decades ago. I give my thoughts about it on this episode. On that note, if you like training that: · Gives you more strength than it takes from you · Improves your stamina and resilience simultaneously · Powers-up every nook, cranny, crevice, and corner of your Soft Machine Then you just might like my 9-Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge. As the name indicates, it’s just 9 minutes long, and...

Ep. 500: Why I’m not the least bit worried about ‘AI coaching’

The Hammer Cast

In this episode I dish on: [0:02:00] Seppuku & Why Machines Can’t Make Poetry [0:03:00] Is AI Going to Replace Coaches? [0:04:30] Why Programming Is More Than an Algorithm [0:05:40] Real-World Coaching Example [0:06:20] Psychology & the “Rationalizing Animal” [0:07:10] AI Coaching Fails: Pistol Squats & Kettlebell Swings [0:08:30] Content “Inbreeding” & Soulless AI Output [0:09:40] Human Connection & Why Clients Choose Coaches [0:11:00] Being “AI-Proof” as a Trainer [0:12:00] Strength Legends & Experience vs. Science [0:14:00] My...

499: Old Time Strongman Secrets for Eye-Popping Strength (at ANY age!)

The Hammer Cast

Wanna get freakishly strong like the Cirque du Soleil acrobats or old time strongmen? I dish on how to do exactly that in this episode. If you like training that: · Gives you more strength than it takes from you · Improves your stamina and resilience simultaneously · Powers-up every nook, cranny, crevice, and corner of your Soft Machine Then you just might like my 9-Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge. As the name indicates, it’s just 9 minutes long, and it’s designed to be done WITH your current workouts – NOT instead of them. Even cooler: Many find that it actually...

Ep. 498: Conquer Advanced Calisthenics Skills by Doing THIS 1st

The Hammer Cast

"Eliminate frustration and speed ahead." Who doesn't want this? When it comes to strength training - and calisthenics in particular - many ambitious and well-meaning enthusiasts jump right into a laundry list of progressions... And fall flat on their tushes. If you want to feel like you're positively speeding through the various and sundry progressions that lay at the heart of each and every advanced calisthenics movement, you must first dominate their prerequisite movements. This is the sure-fire path to things such as: One-arm pushups Pistol squats Nigh on effortless...

Ep. 497: Conquer Kettlebell Ballistics by NOT Doing This 1 Common Thing

The Hammer Cast

If you want to radically speed up your mastery of the ballistic kettlebell lifts - no matter WHERE you are in your training journey - you need to throw conventional training tactics out the window and use a sleek set of little-known drills to amp up your mind-muscle connection almost instantly. My best-selling book, Tamers of the Lost Arc, can show you how. Check it out here => https://a.co/d/a1cNsCl On that note, if you like training that: · Gives you more strength than it takes from you · Improves your stamina and resilience simultaneously · Powers-up every nook, cranny,...

More Episodes

Get my 9 Minute Kettlebell and Bodyweight Challenge HERE => https://www.9MinuteChallenge.com

On this most glorious of episodes, Dave Whitley returns so we can talk about:

Light banter about SNL host jackets and writing our cats in for president (note: in 2028, please write in Ozzy PAWSbourne, I insist)
Why the Bent Press Matters
- - - Dave’s role in the modern revival of the bent press
    - Being called the “father of the modern bent press movement”
    - Social media reactions: from high praise to harsh criticism
    - Using the controversy as a practice in emotional balance and perspective
Historical Strongmen & Bent Press Feats
- Arthur Saxon and legendary one-arm bent press numbers (370–400+ lbs)
- Comparison to modern strength standards (most people can’t even deadlift that)
- The famous Saxon vs. Eugen Sandow rivalry and its pro-wrestling–like storyline
- Mention of Bill Hinbern and historical resources at Super Strength Books
- Reference to Sig Klein and his 1936 article on the bent press
- Quote and key idea: lifters’ “greatest mistake” is ignoring the bent press
How Fitness Culture Drifted Away from the Bent Press
- Shift from physical culture to bodybuilding and machine-based training
- Misconceptions: equating size with strength and leanness with health
- Fragmentation into bodybuilding, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, strongman, kettlebell sport, etc.
- Hope that modern training will re-integrate these strands again
Modern Examples & Context
- Mention of Colin Lake’s 60 kg (135 lb) bent press as a current benchmark
- Note about John Grimek bent pressing ~300 lbs well into the 20th century
- Discussion of how incentives and popularity shape what athletes train for (e.g., US football vs. Olympic lifting)
The Get Up as a Foundational Movement
- Dave’s view: the get up as the base for all grinding movements (especially overhead), except maybe the squat
- Using swings and get ups as the primary starting tools with new students
- Why people skip get ups (they seem complicated and “slow” vs. sexy complexes)
- Client anecdote: feeling better, tighter, and more integrated after only a few get-up sessions
Martial Arts & Yoga Analogies
- Pavel’s idea: the kettlebell swing as the “Sanchin kata” of strongfirst-style kettlebell training
- Dave’s parallel: the get up as the “sun salutation” of strength work
- Multiple variations and progressions built on one foundational pattern
How the Get Up and Bent Press Interrelate
- “The bent press finish is what the get up starts,” if done with proper attention
- Finding the rack position from the get up
- Why you shouldn’t try to clean and press if you don’t yet truly “own” the rack position
Seven Anchor Principles for the Bent Press (and Other Grinds)
- 1. Practice as the path to mastery
  - “Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent”
  - Importance of practicing the right pattern, not just more reps
- 2. Keep your eyes on the weight
  - Head follows eyes, body follows head; looking away destabilizes the load
- 3. Keep the forearm vertical and wrist straight
  - Managing the combined center of mass with heavier bells
- 4. Build a structural column of support
  - Stack joints and bones under the load rather than muscling everything
  - Column shifts as you descend into the bent press
- 5. Pack the shoulder
  - Depress and retract the scapula; “shorten the X” from shoulder to opposite glute
- 6. Give the free hand a job
  - Beginner positions:
    - Free hand to opposite knee with elbow on same-side knee
    - More advanced: free forearm on same-side thigh, hand near chest
  - Using the free hand on the thigh to help stand with very heavy weights
- 7. Make it look natural and easy
  - A key compliment: “You made it look easy”
  - Aim for smooth, elegant execution (e.g., like high-level pull-ups or handstand pushups)
The “Circus Trick” Critique
- Critics calling the bent press a mere “circus trick”
- Dave’s rebuttal: circus arts require real strength and skill
- Observation that dismissiveness often comes from people who can’t do the lift
How to Learn More from Dave
- Social media:
  - Instagram: @irontamer
  - TikTok: @irontamer
  - Facebook: Dave Whitley
- Websites:
  - OldTimeStrongmanUniversity.com for coaching and education
  - IronTamer.com for speaking/performing background
- Mention of Dave’s book “Taming the Bent Press”
- Free PDF on the seven anchor principles available via contacting Dave
Belfest Event Info
- Dave presenting at Bellfest in Austin, Texas (weekend of April 15th recording)
- Co-taught/linked sessions with Peter Neimand on the bent press and get up
- Mention of tandem bent press videos showing different body types moving efficiently
- Discount code: DAVE30 for 30% off Belfest registration
- Aleks’ tongue-in-cheek suggestion to use your tax return to attend Bellfest

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