Thread: Bench shirts?

They say that the bench shirt protects the shoulders during the benchpress. They also say it will add 20lbs or much more to your one rep max. The guys I know who have these shirts only use it when they are close to maxing out on their benchpress AND they are in benchpress competitions where EVERYONE wears them. U jealous or something?

Originally Posted by BiggerNstronger

They say that the bench shirt protects the shoulders during the benchpress. They also say it will add 20lbs or much more to your one rep max. The guys I know who have these shirts only use it when they are close to maxing out on their benchpress AND they are in benchpress competitions where EVERYONE wears them. U jealous or something?

Extremely jealous.

When you say close to maxing out do you mean theyve peaked and that the bench shirt might get them past a plateau?

I was actually thinking about buying one in order to prevent shoulder injuries. I have injured my right shoulder before and had a slight twinge in in after my 1RM during my last workout, has anyone used one?

I know 5 guys at my gym that have them and use them when the weights get heavy...my cousin doesnt even bother putting his bench-shirt on till he has 5 plates on each side! YES, it is designed to save your shoulders because when you put alot of weight on the bar for flat bench it puts alot of stress on the shoulder joints. Some guys have tremendous results from using the bench shirt, others not so much. One guy I know could put up 385 (with a pause at the bottom) but could NOT put 405 up with the shirt. Another guy could one rep 465 and put up over 500 with the shirt. The shirt virtually eliminates the shoulders from the benchpress so it turns into alot of the TRI-ceps doing the work. There are SEVERAL types and brands available. I told myself I wouldnt bother with a bench-shirt till I put up 375 without it...Im very close.

if you are benching to stimulate hypertrophy in the chest there is no reason to wear a bench shirt.

what is a bench shirt??

Originally Posted by vegman

what is a bench shirt??

Google is your friend.

if you are benching to stimulate hypertrophy in the chest there is no reason to wear a bench shirt.


I may be dumb but can you explain this

Bodybuilding (in an esthetic sense) has a different goal than powerlifting (where you would really need the shirt).

In powerlifting you go for max weight, in bodybuilding you go for max muscle use. As a powerlifter, you do what ever it takes (cheating) to get the weight up, in bodybuilding it's all about proper, hypertrophy-stimulating, form.

In other words, for bodybuilding, it's not how big the weight is, it's how you use it.

He is trying to make something very simple sound complicated: If your training dont use a bench-shirt. The bench shirt is basically like a full upper body "wrap" that gives support to all the spots that need it while benching heavy weights. NO, the guys I know dont use it while TRAINING, only when maxing or competing (also maxing). Its function is the same as any other wrap/belt...gives support where needed and most only need it when they lift the heavier weights.

Originally Posted by cfs3

Bodybuilding (in an esthetic sense) has a different goal than powerlifting (where you would really need the shirt).

In powerlifting you go for max weight, in bodybuilding you go for max muscle use. As a powerlifter, you do what ever it takes (cheating) to get the weight up, in bodybuilding it's all about proper, hypertrophy-stimulating, form.

In other words, for bodybuilding, it's not how big the weight is, it's how you use it.

Now THAT is funny! It takes more than CHEATING to bench 500lbs son!

I only use a bench shirt during competition. Occassionaly in practice (1-2 weeks out). I've heard of single ply shirts adding upto 50 pds. on a 1RM depending on the type of shirt. As they get more expensive there's more resistance with the shirt, and you're going to have to have a shit load of weight on the bar to even get it down to your chest lol.

I, for one, hate using shirts. I was supposed to use one of the best single ply Titans for competition this year, but I hated it. It barely added 5+ pds to my natural bench and bruised the shit out of my triceps and arm pits. No fun. But, like I said, some people just react naturally to the shirts and are able to have great gains.

As far as helping your bench press overall, I don't believe training with the shirts will do anything. In fact, I think it will do more harm to your overall workout than anything as the shirt will be assisting throughout your lifts (kind of like a spotter helping you lift the bar every rep). I say, if you're just seriously working out stick to benching the natural way.

Originally Posted by BiggerNstronger

Now THAT is funny! It takes more than CHEATING to bench 500lbs son!

I know, but you know what I meant.

The fact that when anyone posts you need to describe every jot and tittle, makes me think that Nazi lawyers have taken over the board...

Thanks for clearing that up, gues I wont be buying a shirt for now any way. Still hoping to compete in the natural raw Uk British powerlifting championships next year.The qualifying total of 510kg is for the upto 82.5kg bodyweight class which I have done in training. (only allowed to use straps). Will see how I get on, current record is 610kg

Hey Deeznuts whats your weight in lbs and what is your total?

Originally Posted by cfs3

I know, but you know what I meant.

Yeah. Bodybuilders and powerlifters are seperated by this one thing: Powerlifters CARE how much they can lift! LOL In a recent interview of WWE star John Cina (sp.?) he can "only" bench around 315lbs but he has an incredible physique!

As for cheating, in the last benchpress contest I attended there were over 50 competitors in ALL age groups (teen up to masters) and both men and women. Out of all these competitors only ONE guy did NOT wear a bench-shirt. If your in a powerlifting competition you BETTER have a shirt! By they way, they make lifting suits/shirts for deadlifting too. Cheaters!

I think its about the most retarded thing ive ever heard of. (allowing people to wear shirts in competition)

Maybe sprinters should start using rocketpacks.

Originally Posted by njc

I think its about the most retarded thing ive ever heard of. (allowing people to wear shirts in competition)

Maybe sprinters should start using rocketpacks.

Why

Originally Posted by APG

Why

So they can run faster.

I don't think you should say its retarded when you have little or no knowledge of power-lifting (assumption made on your previous posts, correct me if I am wrong)

All associations allow them: http://www.houseofpainironwear.com/a..._equipment.htm

Its as much a safety thing as anything else. If knee wraps allowed you squat an extra 50lbs would that be cheating too?

Originally Posted by APG

I don't think you should say its retarded when you have little or no knowledge of power-lifting (assumption made on your previous posts, correct me if I am wrong)

Explain to me why bench shirts are beneficial to powerlifting if you would.

We use bench shirts (denim, double denim, poly, etc) to get more out of our lifts... In competition meets We must have our shoulders on the bench, and we must have our butts on the bench also we must also have our toes on the floor (some federations require that your feet be completely flat on the floor)..these are the rules, if your but, feet or shoulders ever leave the bench during a lift you are disqualified.. Now, basic knowledge tells us that when we are moving heavier weight the best way to do this succesfuly is to move it the shortest distance possible... the longer the distance the longer we have to maintain the weight, and the longer the distance the more effort it takes to move the weight..and thus increases our chances of NOT making the lift..so in this case..shorter is better...

This is where the Big arch comes into play... We try to get as big an arch as possible, Like sticking our stomachs up as high as we can.. We actualy bench off of our stomach's not our chests... And this is where shirts come into play.. We use our triceps more in our benching than we do our pecs... So when the weight is at the bottom (on our stomachs) we don't reallly have a lot of recruitment from our pecs (we still use them, just not as much) so the shirts help get the weight off of our stomachs...basicaly the shirts are so tight that they help reduce the weight a bit at the bottom....so by taking off that little bit of weight (the tighter and denser the shirt, the more weight it helps take off at the bottom) It allows us to be More explosive, and get the weight moving a little faster than we would be able to normaly (the extra momentum we get from this speed burst helps us move heavier weights... The shirt helps in the lower 1/4 movement of the lift, other than that, it's mostly just raw tricep strength...

Does this answer your question?

by the way this is not my answer found it on a PL board

Originally Posted by APG

We use bench shirts (denim, double denim, poly, etc) to get more out of our lifts... In competition meets We must have our shoulders on the bench, and we must have our butts on the bench also we must also have our toes on the floor (some federations require that your feet be completely flat on the floor)..these are the rules, if your but, feet or shoulders ever leave the bench during a lift you are disqualified.. Now, basic knowledge tells us that when we are moving heavier weight the best way to do this succesfuly is to move it the shortest distance possible... the longer the distance the longer we have to maintain the weight, and the longer the distance the more effort it takes to move the weight..and thus increases our chances of NOT making the lift..so in this case..shorter is better...

This is where the Big arch comes into play... We try to get as big an arch as possible, Like sticking our stomachs up as high as we can.. We actualy bench off of our stomach's not our chests... And this is where shirts come into play.. We use our triceps more in our benching than we do our pecs... So when the weight is at the bottom (on our stomachs) we don't reallly have a lot of recruitment from our pecs (we still use them, just not as much) so the shirts help get the weight off of our stomachs...basicaly the shirts are so tight that they help reduce the weight a bit at the bottom....so by taking off that little bit of weight (the tighter and denser the shirt, the more weight it helps take off at the bottom) It allows us to be More explosive, and get the weight moving a little faster than we would be able to normaly (the extra momentum we get from this speed burst helps us move heavier weights... The shirt helps in the lower 1/4 movement of the lift, other than that, it's mostly just raw tricep strength...

Does this answer your question?

Well yeah but why cant it just be done normally?
Thats what I was saying with the sprinters using rocket packs. You ask why should the sprinters use rocket packs, i say to make them faster.
I ask why to use bench shirts and you say to make your lifts stronger.
So shouldnt sprinters be able touse rocket packs? Shouldnt High Jumpers be able to use springs?

I suppose it could be done totally raw but thats just the way it is

Originally Posted by APG

Hey Deeznuts whats your weight in lbs and what is your total?

I compete in the 123.5 weight class. Check out my journal! I'll be competing at the THSPA Championship this Saturday. Going for around 1050.

I understand the purpose of the shirt and reguardless the method used its still pretty impressive (mainly cause the weight power lifters can lift without a shirt is still well over my max). But on the same token I agree with njc to a point, if you can't do it without "help" then is it really somthing to be proud of? Not really, or I least I wouldn't make it my thing to talk about until I could do it shirtless. And if I were a judge or in some sort of a position to award a lifter I wouldn't be awarding "help" thats for damn sure.

And allthough this is a completely different situation its comparable.
**It would be like MLB patting the a few baseball players of recent times on the back for hitting all those home runs, yeah it was amazing while it was happening till the truth of their "help" became public.

But enough of my opinion, I'm sure there's a lot more to power lifting that's justified that I'm not educated on.