The narrator undergoes "Iron Fist" training, an ancient Chinese martial arts technique that strengthens the hands by striking various objects to increase bone density and toughen the skin. The narrator's motivation is to toughen up his "paper hands" that have cost him thousands of dollars in the stock market due to panic selling. Over the course of a week, he performs a series of exercises, including punching a bucket of sand, a rope-wrapped wooden pole, a sandbag, and a rock. The training is extremely painful, causing skin abrasions and swelling. However, by the end of the week, the narrator's hands have become noticeably stronger and more resilient, and he has even made a profit in the stock market by holding onto his investments.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Iron Fist training originated in China hundreds of years ago.
2. Martial artists would strike every part of their hand thousands of times on objects like rocks, walls, and ropes.
3. This training increases bone density and toughens the skin on the hands.
4. The narrator attempted to do Iron Fist training for a week to toughen up his hands.
5. The narrator had to do 100 reps of a different exercise each day, selected by his cameraman.
6. The exercises included punching a bucket of sand, a rope-wrapped wooden pole, and a sandbag.
7. The narrator also did push-ups on his knuckles and wrists, and punched a wooden board.
8. On the sixth day, the narrator punched a rock 100 times, and on the seventh day, punched a bucket of small rocks.
9. The narrator's hands were in rough shape after the training, but he felt they were getting stronger.
10. The narrator made a profit of $460 by holding onto his training position during the week.
11. The narrator's hands were noticeably tougher and more resistant to pain after the week of training.