first bench shirt

[wic2111]

what is a good "first" bench shirt? I was thinking about getting a High Performance Heavy Duty Double ply Blast from Inzer. Is this too much shirt for a first shirt. I am entering a push/pull in a few mothes and it will be my first time out at a meet competing.

 

[Freddy]

what is a good "first" bench shirt? I was thinking about getting a High Performance Heavy Duty Double ply Blast from Inzer. Is this too much shirt for a first shirt. I am entering a push/pull in a few mothes and it will be my first time out at a meet competing.

AnimalMass will disagree with me here, and he'll have his reasons, so you'll have to decide who is right.

But I feel everyone's first bench shirt should be a traditional Inzer HPHD SINGLE POLY close back shirt. Its what I did on JS's advice, and I'm glad I did.

These are my reasons:
1.) You won't have trouble touching weight. Even if you get it really, really tight, you'll be able to touch weight your first workout. I believe this is important for a beginner, because you will DEFINITELY hit a clean PR in your first workout. My second shirt was my Titan Fury, which I LOVE...but it took me 5 weeks to touch weight in it. I think that might be overwhelming to the beginner.

2.) Its legal everywhere. No matter where you compete, this shirt is legal. You will likely end up competing in meets that are convenient and nearby, so its good to have a shirt that you can take into any federation.

3.) You will have a reliable back up shirt. Unlike todays more advanced bench shirts, this shirt will probably not blow out on you. Once you get into higher performance shirts, this will be a constant worry, and its nice to have an old shirt that you can always rely on in case your new shirt explodes on you.

For your second shirt (and there is no reason not to have a second) you could get anything else. But I think an easy beginner shirt is an excellent first shirt.

 

[Phreezer]

I have a differant take on this than Freddy (Which I am in no way saying Freddy is wrong...I'm simply stating my own PERSONAL oppinion) Because we are all differant..and we all have slightly differant training styles.. I do a hybrid MM and WS training routine.. I prefer the Inzer Double Denim.. Or a Karin's Double Denim.. Personaly, I think you should just go ahead and jump in with both feet.. Most guys eventually work there way up to a double denim, so why spend time trying to learn Poly's and single ply denim shirts.. and just go ahead and learn on the top from the beginning..

A lot of it has to do with technique and personal training preferences..You simply learn as you go.. When I first started using my shirt (which is an Inzer DD) I could barely get 405 to touch.. Now I can regulary touch 335 for sets of 5...

I love denim shirts.. I've used Poly shirts and for me they are too much trouble to get in and out of.

But Freddy does make some very good points about ease of use.. and the difficulty of the learning curve with DD shirts is a bit sharper. Luckily for me, I had AM to personaly show me how to bench in my shirt... Both My lifting partner and AM have been to the MM seminars and therefore I've been able to benefit from them.....

I guess the bottom line on my oppinion is this.. If you have someone with some knowledge and experience with shirts to help you learn..then by all means get the DD and jump right in..but if it's just you by yourself learning this.. perhaps it would be best to go with a poly...

I DO NOT RECOMMEND SHIRTS FOR EVERYONE... THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO LEARN AND IMPROPER USE CAN RESULT IN INJURY.

 

[wic2111]

Thanks Pheezer

 

[FacialGiver]

I'm just curious, what are these shirts for exactly? And what does the term "to touch" mean?

 

[Freddy]

I'm just curious, what are these shirts for exactly? And what does the term "to touch" mean?

They are ultra tight shirts specially designed for powerlifting competitions that allow us to bench more weight. "To touch" means to touch your chest with the bar.

 

[AnimalMass]

Both Fred and Phreezer have made good points here, so I will tell you this...

Figure out where you want to compete first. (ie. - what Federation - then find out what that fed allows (or just ask on here, we all know what allows what stuff.).

If you are going to compete in the APF, or IPA then just get a double denim Karin's or Double denim Inzer (they are both comperable, but Karin has much better service - so i'd go with her.)

If you are going to compete in the USAPL, NASA, USPF, etc. then get a single-ply Inzer Phenom or Titan Fury (i prefer the fury). These are really good poly shirts and are legal in your feds. Anything less is total shit IMHO.

BTW, if you use drugs, you MUST compete in the APF or the IPA. Don't be cheating and beating drug tests in the other feds. We all compete in the APF and IPA both because it's non-drug tested AND because they are the funnest.

If you tell me what area of the country you are in, I can point you to some good people.

AM

 

[wic2111]

cool what about apa is that a bad organization??????? I know Metal Militia doesn't prefer them.

 

[Freddy]

cool what about apa is that a bad organization??????? I know Metal Militia doesn't prefer them.

They've had some personal issues with a few of the APA guys that really turned them off to that federation....BUT I know a lot of people who really like them. Try them out, I guess.

 

[wic2111]

sounds good thanks for the advice. Whats your view on erector shirts, sqaut suits and deadlift suits??????

 

[Freddy]

sounds good thanks for the advice. Whats your view on erector shirts, sqaut suits and deadlift suits??????

Squats suits are an absolute necessity for competition. You will get a lot of performance out of them, as well as support where you could get injured.

I've only talked to a few people who have had any luck raising their lifts with erector shirts. Give it a try if you are curious, but don't hold your breath.

People who pull sumo tend to get a bit of performance out of deadlift suits, but not a whole lot. I know of a few guys that get a bit of added pounds on their conventional pull as well. Be prepared...they will crush your balls...you might need a cup. AnimalMass and I don't get anything from them. I pull in my singlet.

 

[musclebobbuffpants]

This is probably a dumb question, but why can't a guy pull in a squat suit?

MBBP

 

[Freddy]

This is probably a dumb question, but why can't a guy pull in a squat suit?

MBBP

You can, and in fact, some guys swear by it. Again, its another option and something that you could try out. Many who pull sumo prefer the placement of the groin seam on the deadlift suit better though.

 

[wic2111]

Thanks agian for the advice. There are no powerlifters at my gym. I think me and my brother are the only guys who even deadlift. Its great to be able to get some insight on things.