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Started By
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What is the rationale behind allowing bench press shirts?
Posted on 8/4/21 at 2:52 pm
Posted on 8/4/21 at 2:52 pm
It doesn't make you stronger, it makes you spring loaded. It's like running with a jet pack and calling it a legit record.
4
Posted on 8/4/21 at 3:28 pm to Jim Rockford
Technically you’re stronger because you can hold more weight
Posted on 8/4/21 at 7:10 pm to Jim Rockford
Geared lifting is its own skill. You can’t just jump into a shirt and bench 700 pounds. It’s more complicated then what you’re making it out to be.
Posted on 8/4/21 at 8:43 pm to DeafJam73
Correct!
Posted on 8/5/21 at 10:08 am to Jim Rockford
I use a slingshot to avoid shoulder pain and unnecessary pressure on my rotator cuff. It helps me lift maybe 5-10% more, but it's really about maintaining form and saving my shoulders now that I'm a bit older.
Posted on 8/5/21 at 10:22 am to transcend
quote:
I use a slingshot to avoid shoulder pain and unnecessary pressure on my rotator cuff. It helps me lift maybe 5-10% more, but it's really about maintaining form and saving my shoulders now that I'm a bit older.
I think I may be getting one of those soon. How do you like it?
Posted on 8/5/21 at 1:14 pm to DemonKA3268
I love it! Before I started using it I all but gave up on doing barbell bench because of my shoulder problems. Now I'm lifting almost as much as I was before with no pain.
Posted on 8/6/21 at 11:11 am to Hu_Flung_Pu
quote:
Technically you’re stronger because you can hold more weight
But you aren't holding the extra weight. The shirt is. So you aren't stronger.
It's like saying you can deadlift 400 lb without gear, but if you climb in your forklift you can pull 1200 lb.
And yes, it is a skill to get everything out of the shirt possible. But you don't need skill to jump in some gear and boost your max by 5%. I haven't put on a bench shirt and wraps since high school, but I guarantee I could go in the gym tomorrow and up my bench max by 20 lbs by throwing on some gear.
I'm with Rock, never really understood what the point of it is.
Posted on 8/6/21 at 3:32 pm to transcend
quote:
I love it! Before I started using it I all but gave up on doing barbell bench because of my shoulder problems. Now I'm lifting almost as much as I was before with no pain.
Same here. It’s allowed me to work around the pain and has made chest movements feel better when I’m not using it. Ie, it’s helped me get stronger
This post was edited on 8/6/21 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 8/6/21 at 8:11 pm to Fe_Mike
No the shirt doesn’t lift it, it helps you lift more due to the compression and tightness
This all started in the 60/70’s when guys would wear smaller regular cotton shirts
Then that’s how bench presses shirts became invented first out of polyester then later out of denim and double layered. I haven’t powerlifted in a while so there may be different materials now.
But to use the bench shirts I just described you really need to know how to use your triceps. You only do that if you work board presses, floor presses, lock out, rack work, using chains and bands or even using reverse grip.
You don’t just put the thing on and it works like magic. Those shirts have less margin for error so if you setup, bar speed, bar path to lower it on your chest correctly, then you won’t be as successful high rewards but higher risk of injury
This all started in the 60/70’s when guys would wear smaller regular cotton shirts
Then that’s how bench presses shirts became invented first out of polyester then later out of denim and double layered. I haven’t powerlifted in a while so there may be different materials now.
But to use the bench shirts I just described you really need to know how to use your triceps. You only do that if you work board presses, floor presses, lock out, rack work, using chains and bands or even using reverse grip.
You don’t just put the thing on and it works like magic. Those shirts have less margin for error so if you setup, bar speed, bar path to lower it on your chest correctly, then you won’t be as successful high rewards but higher risk of injury
This post was edited on 8/6/21 at 8:13 pm
Posted on 8/6/21 at 10:16 pm to Fe_Mike
You are 100% holding more weight then normal. Let’s say your free max is 400, even if the shirt is holding like 10% at the top and loads it as it goes down, a 600lb bench is 540lbs you are holding and overloading your triceps and arms.
Shirts and slingshots (I have one) take some off the chest and puts more on the triceps.
Shirts and slingshots (I have one) take some off the chest and puts more on the triceps.
Posted on 8/7/21 at 9:28 am to lsucoonass
quote:
it helps you lift more due to the compression and tightness
.....exactly my point. The high elastic modulus of the material creates resistance. It's essentially the assisted pull up machine. The material of the shirt is put into tension on the way down and creates a force that wants to return the material to its 'neutral' dimensions, thus helping you to lift the weight easier.
As the first poster said, it's like if you had a bunch of small springs sitting on your chest that you dropped the weight down on.
And yes, you can just put the thing on and it works like magic. As I said, you take any random lifter in the gym and throw a shirt on them and their max will go up immediately.
Posted on 8/7/21 at 10:57 am to Fe_Mike
Lol you ever tried one?
Posted on 8/7/21 at 12:09 pm to Hu_Flung_Pu
Yes, I used them in high school powerlifting.
Haven’t used them since, I think it’s silly. I understand why people use them (because you’re at a huge disadvantage if you don’t use it in a comp where they are legal). I just don’t understand why they’re legal.
But if you’re denying that you can throw one on and immediately increase your bench max maybe you’re the one that hasn’t used one.
Haven’t used them since, I think it’s silly. I understand why people use them (because you’re at a huge disadvantage if you don’t use it in a comp where they are legal). I just don’t understand why they’re legal.
But if you’re denying that you can throw one on and immediately increase your bench max maybe you’re the one that hasn’t used one.
Posted on 8/7/21 at 12:10 pm to Fe_Mike
There’s a learning curve especially when you try to wear the double ply ones
I’ve only wore the single ply polyester ones and even then you have to lower the bar (eccentric portion) a lot different then you would without wearing it.
I’ve only wore the single ply polyester ones and even then you have to lower the bar (eccentric portion) a lot different then you would without wearing it.
Posted on 8/7/21 at 12:13 pm to lsucoonass
Yes there is a learning curve to get the most out of it possible.
But it will give you gains immediately even if you’ve not the slightest clue what to do, I promise. The shirts are naturally intuitive to an extent.
But it will give you gains immediately even if you’ve not the slightest clue what to do, I promise. The shirts are naturally intuitive to an extent.
Posted on 8/8/21 at 11:45 pm to Fe_Mike
It's just a different style of lifting. Why do they allow straps in strongman? Why do they allow wraps on the knees in weightlifting? Why do they allow butterfly pullups in Crossfit? Why do they allow chalk in gymnastics? Why can you use a belt in powerlifting?
Gear powerlifting is a different event than traditional.
Gear powerlifting is a different event than traditional.
Posted on 8/9/21 at 3:31 pm to Jim Rockford
(no message)
This post was edited on 6/23/22 at 7:03 am
Posted on 8/10/21 at 12:09 pm to Hu_Flung_Pu
That's a fair argument.
IMO, most of those examples are aids that assist you in a way to encourage that what is being tested is the point of failure.
For strongman, in deadlifting for example, the grip is generally an artificially early failure at an unfair weak point. At its core, the deadlift is really not supposed to be a movement testing your grip strength. So that aspect is effectively eliminated from the movement by allowing straps. I realize that is my opinion. Gymnastics pretty much the same, because gymnastics is not supposed to be a competition of grip strength.
Knee wraps I agree is the same basic principal; they create an elastic moment that artificially assists the overall lift at a crucial hinge.
Powerlifting belt, meh. That's more safety related IMO and therefore more justified.
Crossfit pullups are just weird to me but if that's how they they wanna do it more power to them; they aren't being assisted by equipment.
The shirt for me doesn't really serve to decrease the focus on a weak point that isn't what is being tested. It assists a weak point that should be the focal point of the bench press; the bottom of the lift.
I know it's an opinion, and I guess I understand that geared lifting is just a different type of sport. The suits just seem oddly out of place to me in the world of competitive weightlifting.
"I can bench press 345 lbs; but, if I put this super suit on, I can bench press 405 lbs"
....okay....so you can bench press 345 lbs.
IMO, most of those examples are aids that assist you in a way to encourage that what is being tested is the point of failure.
For strongman, in deadlifting for example, the grip is generally an artificially early failure at an unfair weak point. At its core, the deadlift is really not supposed to be a movement testing your grip strength. So that aspect is effectively eliminated from the movement by allowing straps. I realize that is my opinion. Gymnastics pretty much the same, because gymnastics is not supposed to be a competition of grip strength.
Knee wraps I agree is the same basic principal; they create an elastic moment that artificially assists the overall lift at a crucial hinge.
Powerlifting belt, meh. That's more safety related IMO and therefore more justified.
Crossfit pullups are just weird to me but if that's how they they wanna do it more power to them; they aren't being assisted by equipment.
The shirt for me doesn't really serve to decrease the focus on a weak point that isn't what is being tested. It assists a weak point that should be the focal point of the bench press; the bottom of the lift.
I know it's an opinion, and I guess I understand that geared lifting is just a different type of sport. The suits just seem oddly out of place to me in the world of competitive weightlifting.
"I can bench press 345 lbs; but, if I put this super suit on, I can bench press 405 lbs"
....okay....so you can bench press 345 lbs.
This post was edited on 8/10/21 at 12:18 pm
Posted on 8/10/21 at 12:16 pm to Fe_Mike
It’s not my cup of tea but people like to lift in various different ways. It’s just a means to get higher totals. I guess they limit to non mechanical devices so it doesn’t get too out of hand.
Still have to have a tremendous base to achieve high totals and it requires different techniques to master than traditional powerlifting.
I was trained under Gary Frank (totals 2800+ LBs) and his other geared lifters squatted over 700lbs raw to be able to get in the 8-900s.
Still have to have a tremendous base to achieve high totals and it requires different techniques to master than traditional powerlifting.
I was trained under Gary Frank (totals 2800+ LBs) and his other geared lifters squatted over 700lbs raw to be able to get in the 8-900s.
This post was edited on 8/10/21 at 12:19 pm
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