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I do not and dont plan to buy a bench shirt, so would bands really help if I was going to be a natural bencher? Or would they still be beneficial?
Well I am not real familar with the shirt all I really know about it is it makes it easier to go from your chest to around half way or so. I have never used one though have seen plenty of guys use them. As far as bands go, well they help with your final last half of your bench. Say you are benching 280 and you place bands on with an extra 20 pounds of tension on the end. This means you will be doing 280 for the first half of your rep and 300 for the last half. I think I explained that ok. Understand?
The band makes a lot of sense if to break sticking points!
But, from what I understand, the shirt is a rigid device that assists in "powering" the resistance up (a cheat). What function does it serve in making your unassisted bench more powerful? The same? If so how?
A bench shirt enables the lifter to bench more weight. It doesn't make him stronger. I would doubt there would be much carryover to benching raw either, but can't say for sure. Maybe P-funk or CP can help here.
Shirts not only allow the lifter to put up more weight, but they also help avoid injury under extreme weight. They can do this because they're so tight they basically keep the joint locked in place... Most Benchers can't even get the bar to their chest with a shirt until they have a fair amount of weight on the bar.
Same thing goes with squat suits and briefs.
On the topic of bands, I've only used them a couple times and it's a very different feel from free weight... Free weights feel a lot more "floaty" after you use bands. They more or less pull the weight towards you. I noticed it put a far amount more pressure on my shoulders than free benching, so most people that use bands cycle them with chains and free weight, the joints can't take a whole lot of that.
So, the lifts are getting so extreme... they have exceeded the natural limits of bone, tendon, etc. In otherwords, the human skeleton can no longer support such extreme weights? But, as an aid... is this a hedge against injury (muscle growth exceeding skeletal adaptation) for someone that doesn't do a 700BP?
I guess I still don't see the reasoning.
Is that accurate?
What weight class is he in and is it raw or equiped?I have a buddy that constantly uses bands and he is a 500 lbs plus "natural" bench presser. However, be careful because band work really tears down the muscle and you dont want to over do it. Only use the bands for a excercise or two! Also bands are a great way to stun the muscle and change your routine up.
What weight class is he in and is it raw or equiped?