DADAWG
Community Veteran
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/bench_shirt_101.htm
for those who are interested in bench shirts heres some info
for those who are interested in bench shirts heres some info
bench shirt 101
- Thread starter DADAWG
- Start date
DADAWG
Community Veteran
another one . if theres someone here who can paste those here instead of links i would appreciate it . dawg aint no computer genius 
http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-shirts.htm
http://www.criticalbench.com/bench-press-shirts.htm
blackbeard
New member
It is no secret that Bill Crawford and the Metal Militia are the undisputed kings of the bench press. They have taken the bench shirt to new levels. Not only have they revolutionized how to put the shirt on, but they have learned how to correctly bench with a shirt. The bench shirt is a difficult thing to master and is probably the most frustrating piece of equipment in the powerlifter’s arsenal. I am by no means a master of the bench shirt. In fact, I’m in the same boat as most of you. I can’t count the number conversations that I’ve had with other powerlifters on how to use a shirt and (more importantly) how to use it correctly.
Earlier this year, I had the chance to attend a seminar given at Nazareth Barbell by Mike Miller and Bill Crawford. This was a great experience and I came away with a ton of great information and a new gym PR. Coming home, I was excited to begin teaching myself and others what I’ve learned. Unfortunately, there was a lot of information and a lot to go over and digest. With the help of Bill, Mike, Dave Tate and Bob Youngs, I started trying some of the new techniques. Here is a brief overview on what I learned. Remember that this is second hand information. Some of it may be slightly skewed but this should help you get started.
Putting the Bench Shirt on
1. Put your shirt on and have someone pull the shoulders on as tight and high as possible. Do this one shoulder at a time. The best way to do this is to have your partner pull on the back of the shirt while you lean forward. If the arms of your shirt are tight, it would benefit you to wiggle your arms back and forth. This will help pull the shirt on and place it in the correct position. Your partner may have to brace one of his arms on your middle back to give him better leverage.
2. Now that your shoulders are in the shirt, attach the Velcro straps on the back of the shirt very lightly. You do not want these to be tight. Usually, the bottom two straps are the only ones that are fastened.
3. Put your belt on. It should be loose at this point.
4. Have your partner stand in front of you. With your arms out in front of you, cross them so that the chest plate of your shirt develops “shirt cleavage”.
5. With your arms crossed, have your partner tug on the bottom of your shirt. This will eliminate the “shirt cleavage”.
6. Once the cleavage is gone, your partner should hold the bottom of your shirt taut. At this point, arch your lower and upper back and uncross your arms. The shirt should be very tight in your chest and shoulders. With your partner holding the bottom of your shirt, have someone tightened your belt. This will keep the shirt in place. Make sure the belt is very tight. You will have to suck your stomach in to achieve this.
7. Once the shirt is in position, have your partner adjust the shoulders again. You do not want to pull them as high as they were in the beginning, but just enough to be comfortable. This will vary from person to person and in time, you will know exactly where you want the shirt.
Technique
1. When setting up underneath the bar (setting your upper back, lats and your low back arch), the shirt will have a tendency to ride up and lose position. In order to combat this, set yourself up using an underhand close grip. This will keep your shirt in perfect place. Once your body position is perfect, grab the bar at your competition grip. I personally like to pull myself up (like an underhand pull-up), tuck my feet underneath me, pull my upper back together and push myself into position. This is what I’ve always done, but was reinforced over and over again at Nazareth Barbell by Mike Miller and Bill Crawford. Your upper back should feel spring loaded. If you do this correctly, you will probably be sore the next day.
2. Once you receive your handoff, hold the bar for a second or two. This will accomplish two things. One, it will allow you to start the bar where you want it. Too many times people will rush the descent and thus lose their groove. Two, it will allow you to let the bar sink and reduce the distance the bar has to travel. When you hold the bar, push your shoulder blades/upper back into the bench and push your stomach up. I’ve seen a lifter take more than 3” off his stroke by simply mastering this technique. To learn how to do this, put your shirt on and practice this with light weights. You’ll be surprised at how much this helps.
3. When you begin lowering the bar, do not tuck your elbows in the beginning. Keep your elbows out during the first inch or so. This will help lock your shirt into your triceps. Once the back of your shirt sleeves lock, begin tucking your elbows. This is one that needs to be practiced over and over again. You will develop the feel of when to begin tucking your elbows over time. Again, this is very individualistic.
4. When you are lowering the bar, keep your head on the bench and keep pushing your chest and stomach up as high as possible. This will reduce the distance that you have to push the bar. Having someone yell, “Big stomach!” or something similar will help. Make sure you are keeping your upper back and lats tight and pulled together.
5. Keep tucking your elbows as hard as you can. Once the bar touches your chest/stomach and you receive the press command, drive your feet into the ground and your upper back into the bench.
6. At about ¾ of the way up, begin turning your elbows out. This will ensure for a stronger lockout and a more advantageous pressing position. In order to see how to do this, I highly recommend going to a seminar by Bill Crawford or Mike Miller. Also, the Nazareth Bench Video is a great way to see this technique. This has to be practiced over and over again. You will not get this down on the first try so don’t get frustrated. There is an incredible amount of timing involved.
7. Once you lockout the weight, hold it and wait for the rack command.
8. Some of the key points such as pushing your belly out, tucking your elbows, holding the bar at the top, keeping your head down, etc. are things that need to be coached throughout the lift. This is what training partners are for. They need to be coaching you throughout the entire lift. I also recommend trying these new techniques one at a time. Trying all of these things at once will result in sensory overload.
I realize that it is difficult to “see” some of these things in an article, but you should get an idea of what most of this means. The best way to learn is to get out and do it! Even if you don’t get it right the first time, you may stumble onto something. Again, I highly suggest trying to go to a seminar with Mike Miller and/or Bill Crawford. Call EliteFTS @ 888 854 8806 if you are interested in the Nazareth Barbell Bench Video. Also, I will not answer any question such as, “What does Louie Simmons think of all of this?” If you want to know, ask him yourself. EliteFTS is not a messenger for Louie Simmons. Now go get some chalk on your hands and learn how to bench.
Earlier this year, I had the chance to attend a seminar given at Nazareth Barbell by Mike Miller and Bill Crawford. This was a great experience and I came away with a ton of great information and a new gym PR. Coming home, I was excited to begin teaching myself and others what I’ve learned. Unfortunately, there was a lot of information and a lot to go over and digest. With the help of Bill, Mike, Dave Tate and Bob Youngs, I started trying some of the new techniques. Here is a brief overview on what I learned. Remember that this is second hand information. Some of it may be slightly skewed but this should help you get started.
Putting the Bench Shirt on
1. Put your shirt on and have someone pull the shoulders on as tight and high as possible. Do this one shoulder at a time. The best way to do this is to have your partner pull on the back of the shirt while you lean forward. If the arms of your shirt are tight, it would benefit you to wiggle your arms back and forth. This will help pull the shirt on and place it in the correct position. Your partner may have to brace one of his arms on your middle back to give him better leverage.
2. Now that your shoulders are in the shirt, attach the Velcro straps on the back of the shirt very lightly. You do not want these to be tight. Usually, the bottom two straps are the only ones that are fastened.
3. Put your belt on. It should be loose at this point.
4. Have your partner stand in front of you. With your arms out in front of you, cross them so that the chest plate of your shirt develops “shirt cleavage”.
5. With your arms crossed, have your partner tug on the bottom of your shirt. This will eliminate the “shirt cleavage”.
6. Once the cleavage is gone, your partner should hold the bottom of your shirt taut. At this point, arch your lower and upper back and uncross your arms. The shirt should be very tight in your chest and shoulders. With your partner holding the bottom of your shirt, have someone tightened your belt. This will keep the shirt in place. Make sure the belt is very tight. You will have to suck your stomach in to achieve this.
7. Once the shirt is in position, have your partner adjust the shoulders again. You do not want to pull them as high as they were in the beginning, but just enough to be comfortable. This will vary from person to person and in time, you will know exactly where you want the shirt.
Technique
1. When setting up underneath the bar (setting your upper back, lats and your low back arch), the shirt will have a tendency to ride up and lose position. In order to combat this, set yourself up using an underhand close grip. This will keep your shirt in perfect place. Once your body position is perfect, grab the bar at your competition grip. I personally like to pull myself up (like an underhand pull-up), tuck my feet underneath me, pull my upper back together and push myself into position. This is what I’ve always done, but was reinforced over and over again at Nazareth Barbell by Mike Miller and Bill Crawford. Your upper back should feel spring loaded. If you do this correctly, you will probably be sore the next day.
2. Once you receive your handoff, hold the bar for a second or two. This will accomplish two things. One, it will allow you to start the bar where you want it. Too many times people will rush the descent and thus lose their groove. Two, it will allow you to let the bar sink and reduce the distance the bar has to travel. When you hold the bar, push your shoulder blades/upper back into the bench and push your stomach up. I’ve seen a lifter take more than 3” off his stroke by simply mastering this technique. To learn how to do this, put your shirt on and practice this with light weights. You’ll be surprised at how much this helps.
3. When you begin lowering the bar, do not tuck your elbows in the beginning. Keep your elbows out during the first inch or so. This will help lock your shirt into your triceps. Once the back of your shirt sleeves lock, begin tucking your elbows. This is one that needs to be practiced over and over again. You will develop the feel of when to begin tucking your elbows over time. Again, this is very individualistic.
4. When you are lowering the bar, keep your head on the bench and keep pushing your chest and stomach up as high as possible. This will reduce the distance that you have to push the bar. Having someone yell, “Big stomach!” or something similar will help. Make sure you are keeping your upper back and lats tight and pulled together.
5. Keep tucking your elbows as hard as you can. Once the bar touches your chest/stomach and you receive the press command, drive your feet into the ground and your upper back into the bench.
6. At about ¾ of the way up, begin turning your elbows out. This will ensure for a stronger lockout and a more advantageous pressing position. In order to see how to do this, I highly recommend going to a seminar by Bill Crawford or Mike Miller. Also, the Nazareth Bench Video is a great way to see this technique. This has to be practiced over and over again. You will not get this down on the first try so don’t get frustrated. There is an incredible amount of timing involved.
7. Once you lockout the weight, hold it and wait for the rack command.
8. Some of the key points such as pushing your belly out, tucking your elbows, holding the bar at the top, keeping your head down, etc. are things that need to be coached throughout the lift. This is what training partners are for. They need to be coaching you throughout the entire lift. I also recommend trying these new techniques one at a time. Trying all of these things at once will result in sensory overload.
I realize that it is difficult to “see” some of these things in an article, but you should get an idea of what most of this means. The best way to learn is to get out and do it! Even if you don’t get it right the first time, you may stumble onto something. Again, I highly suggest trying to go to a seminar with Mike Miller and/or Bill Crawford. Call EliteFTS @ 888 854 8806 if you are interested in the Nazareth Barbell Bench Video. Also, I will not answer any question such as, “What does Louie Simmons think of all of this?” If you want to know, ask him yourself. EliteFTS is not a messenger for Louie Simmons. Now go get some chalk on your hands and learn how to bench.
blackbeard
New member
By Shawn Lattimer
Many people are always asking me questions about bench shirts. Which one I use, and which one I think is best are a couple of the most common questions I get from other lifters. Beginners often ask the question, what is that thing? Hopefully, the following article will help educate many, and dispel some of the rumors that seem to hover around bench shirts.
The Basics
Bench shirts were originally brought to the market as a protective device, much like a lifting belt. The original shirts were a tight polyester material that helped protect the shoulders and pectorals during heavy benching, such as during a competition. Somewhere in the 1980's, lifters discovered that these bench shirts also could be used to provide an increase in the weight a lifter could move.
While the use of bench shirts has been hotly debated on the Internet, it is a fact that the majority of lifters use them. In particular, the vast majority of elite and famous lifters use some form of bench shirt. Today's shirts are highly evolved, purpose built garments designed with the intent of lifting more weight. While some powerlifters take offense to this, and feel that the purity of Powerlifting is negatively effected by bench shirts, it is very clear that the shirts are here to stay and have been solidly ingrained in the sport.
In the beginning, there was only one type of bench shirt available. Now, several companies sell varying levels of shirts, in various materials, ranging in price from less than $40 to well over $200. While I have not worn every shirt on the market, I have worn several of each type, and I can comment from personal knowledge on the characteristics of each type. I have worn at least 10 different bench shirts in the last 5 years. For the sake of generalization, there are basically two main categories of bench shirts, polyester and denim.
Poly Shirts
Polyester (poly) shirts were some of the first designs on the market, and are essentially the standard equipment choice of powerlifters from beginners to world record holders. The poly shirt consists of one or more layers of polyester or similar fabric sewn into a tight fitting garment. In general, the sleeves of the shirt are angled in such a way as to require stretching the fabric to move the arms toward the chest when holding the bar, such that the stretch of the shirt adds to the force a lifter's muscles can provide.
Poly shirts are made by several manufacturers in many different designs. Some shirts are made entirely of the same material throughout, others have a different material for the back of the shirt, and still other have the back of the shirt split open and fastened with Velcro, or even left completely open. In general, poly shirts must fit the wearer very tight. They are extremely uncomfortable, and are known to chaff the underarms severely. If a poly shirt doesn't hurt, it is much too loose. Different lifters like their shirts to fit differently, but it is universally accepted that tighter is usually better.
Each type and brand of poly shirt has its own unique characteristics. Some work very well benching high on the chest, such as the Inzer Blast Shirts and the closed back Phenom. Others such as the Titan Fury, or the open back version of Inzer's Phenom, seem to work best in a low groove where the bar touches below the pecs. The poly bench shirt changes the way in which weight is lifted. For example, the Inzer EHPHD Blast Shirt tends to drive the bar path over the lifter's face. The lifter has to compensate for this by purposely forcing the bar path lower. Each individual shirt has its own unique groove, which must be learned in order to achieve maximum performance.
The additional benching power of the poly shirt comes from the stretching of the shirt material and the compression of the lifter's body. This power can make it difficult to make the bar touch the chest. For advanced lifters, thicker shirts built from multiple layers of material can make touching the bar even more difficult. The multiple layers do add additional resistance, and therefore power to the shirt.
Incidentally, since the poly shirt is meant to be so tight, it can be very difficult to get on. Shirts made entirely from one type of material with a fully closed back are especially difficult, and may require several helpers to place the shirt on the lifter. Shirts with Velcro backs, stretchy back material, and completely open backs have become much more common simply because they are easier to get on the lifter. Some lifters use liberal amounts of baby powder to help the shirt slide onto their bodies.
All poly shirts must be pulled up the lifter's arms as far as possible first. It is always important to make certain the shirt is straight. If the sleeve is twisted, it can very negatively affect a lift. The seams of the shirt can be used as an indicator of straightness and positioning of the shirt. Once the shirt is in position on the arms, it must be pulled over the head, or pulled around the shoulders for an open back model. The shirt must be pulled down the torso, and all of the wrinkles worked out of the fabric. If the shirt is a Velcro design, the Velcro should now be fastened. At this point, final adjustments to straighten and position the shirt must be made. Typically, the seams around the deltoid and under the armpit need adjustment. This can be a painstaking process, but patience and attention to detail will prevail. I have often spent over 20 minutes putting a very tight poly shirt on a lifter.
Denim Shirts
Many lifters find denim shirts intimidating. I spent two years deciding if I was "ready" to move up to a denim shirt. Only after taking the plunge did I find that the denim shirt suits me much better. Denim shirts provide more support than poly shirts, and are considered to be the top of the line. There are also shirts made of canvas, but those work on basically the same principle as denim shirts. I have no personal experience with canvas, but from stories I have heard, they are even more supportive than denim.
Denim shirts are sewn from one or more layers of denim material (basically the same material as blue jeans), into a shape very similar to a poly shirt. Most denim shirts have at least a mostly split back, making them significantly easier to put on. I prefer to use completely open back denim shirts, which are simply slipped up the arms, and tugged into place. Denim shirts are not required to be as tight as a poly shirt, making them infinitely more comfortable. I can wear my shirt for over an hour without any real discomfort.
In general, denim shirts all perform better when used in a low groove. Open back denim shirts work best when the bar is actually touched on the lifter's stomach. A denim shirt does require a great deal of very refined technique to use properly. I have spent a great deal of time with the best coaches in the world, and I have yet to reach proficiency, let alone perfection.
The denim shirt creates its power by twisting and straining the fabric, and by compressing the lifter's body. Because of the tenacity of the fabric, the denim shirt can support much more weight than a comparable poly shirt. The stress placed on a lifter's body by a denim shirt can be severe. In many cases, a lifter will not be able to even touch the bar to his or her chest with weight he or she could bench without the shirt.
Because of this, precise technique becomes very important in a denim shirt. Some lifters will see "hit or miss" results, and that is because of technique. Everything has to come together perfectly for the denim shirt to perform. What would normally be an off day can easily become a complete disaster in a denim. Everyone has seen meet results where a normally flawless lifter not only performed sub-par on the bench, but bombed miserably. Technique is paramount.
Single Ply vs. Double Ply
This is a simple concept that improved shirts by leaps and bounds. A single ply shirt is just that, one layer of poly or denim sewn into a shirt. A double (or more) ply has multiple layers of material in critical areas. For example, a double ply poly shirt will be two layers of polyester material sewn together for the front and the arms of the shirt. Especially in poly shirts, a double ply shirt will increase the weight a lifter can move. Double ply is essentially a standard in denim shirts, as the extra layer prevents ripping of the material under extreme loads.
How to Choose a Bench Shirt
With all the choices available, how does a lifter decide which shirt to use?? Start off with the rule book of your chosen federation. Each governing body has a set of regulations pertaining to the bench shirt. WABDL allows single or double ply, poly or denim, but the neck must be closed. WNPF allows single or double ply, poly or denim, open or closed back, but no canvas. USAPL allows single ply poly only. IPF requires individual brands to pay a fee for approval of shirts, so individual brands may or may not be legal, even though they must al be single ply poly.
So, once you are familiar with the rules of the federation you intend to lift in, and you know which shirts conform, how do you choose? The best way is to find lifters who use the various shirts, and find out how they bench. Do they bench elbows out, high on the chest? Or do they bench elbows in, touching the stomach? Different shirts all have different characteristics. Do some research, compare your budget against the price of the available choices, and pick the highest performance shirt you can use in your federation.
Conclusion
Once you have done the research, picked the shirt you want to use, and you are ready to go, be ready to do some real work. You can not simply put a bench shirt on and add 50 or 100 pounds to your bench. A shirt requires technique, special training methods, and extensive practice. I spent 4 years teaching myself to use a poly shirt effectively. I spent the entire year of 2003 learning my denim shirt under the best coach in the world, and I'm not entirely proficient yet. Train in your shirt as often as possible, and keep practicing technique.
Lift big, and stay strong.
And always remember, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Shawn Lattimer
810 Bench
slattimer@yahoo.com
Many people are always asking me questions about bench shirts. Which one I use, and which one I think is best are a couple of the most common questions I get from other lifters. Beginners often ask the question, what is that thing? Hopefully, the following article will help educate many, and dispel some of the rumors that seem to hover around bench shirts.
The Basics
Bench shirts were originally brought to the market as a protective device, much like a lifting belt. The original shirts were a tight polyester material that helped protect the shoulders and pectorals during heavy benching, such as during a competition. Somewhere in the 1980's, lifters discovered that these bench shirts also could be used to provide an increase in the weight a lifter could move.
While the use of bench shirts has been hotly debated on the Internet, it is a fact that the majority of lifters use them. In particular, the vast majority of elite and famous lifters use some form of bench shirt. Today's shirts are highly evolved, purpose built garments designed with the intent of lifting more weight. While some powerlifters take offense to this, and feel that the purity of Powerlifting is negatively effected by bench shirts, it is very clear that the shirts are here to stay and have been solidly ingrained in the sport.
In the beginning, there was only one type of bench shirt available. Now, several companies sell varying levels of shirts, in various materials, ranging in price from less than $40 to well over $200. While I have not worn every shirt on the market, I have worn several of each type, and I can comment from personal knowledge on the characteristics of each type. I have worn at least 10 different bench shirts in the last 5 years. For the sake of generalization, there are basically two main categories of bench shirts, polyester and denim.
Poly Shirts
Polyester (poly) shirts were some of the first designs on the market, and are essentially the standard equipment choice of powerlifters from beginners to world record holders. The poly shirt consists of one or more layers of polyester or similar fabric sewn into a tight fitting garment. In general, the sleeves of the shirt are angled in such a way as to require stretching the fabric to move the arms toward the chest when holding the bar, such that the stretch of the shirt adds to the force a lifter's muscles can provide.
Poly shirts are made by several manufacturers in many different designs. Some shirts are made entirely of the same material throughout, others have a different material for the back of the shirt, and still other have the back of the shirt split open and fastened with Velcro, or even left completely open. In general, poly shirts must fit the wearer very tight. They are extremely uncomfortable, and are known to chaff the underarms severely. If a poly shirt doesn't hurt, it is much too loose. Different lifters like their shirts to fit differently, but it is universally accepted that tighter is usually better.
Each type and brand of poly shirt has its own unique characteristics. Some work very well benching high on the chest, such as the Inzer Blast Shirts and the closed back Phenom. Others such as the Titan Fury, or the open back version of Inzer's Phenom, seem to work best in a low groove where the bar touches below the pecs. The poly bench shirt changes the way in which weight is lifted. For example, the Inzer EHPHD Blast Shirt tends to drive the bar path over the lifter's face. The lifter has to compensate for this by purposely forcing the bar path lower. Each individual shirt has its own unique groove, which must be learned in order to achieve maximum performance.
The additional benching power of the poly shirt comes from the stretching of the shirt material and the compression of the lifter's body. This power can make it difficult to make the bar touch the chest. For advanced lifters, thicker shirts built from multiple layers of material can make touching the bar even more difficult. The multiple layers do add additional resistance, and therefore power to the shirt.
Incidentally, since the poly shirt is meant to be so tight, it can be very difficult to get on. Shirts made entirely from one type of material with a fully closed back are especially difficult, and may require several helpers to place the shirt on the lifter. Shirts with Velcro backs, stretchy back material, and completely open backs have become much more common simply because they are easier to get on the lifter. Some lifters use liberal amounts of baby powder to help the shirt slide onto their bodies.
All poly shirts must be pulled up the lifter's arms as far as possible first. It is always important to make certain the shirt is straight. If the sleeve is twisted, it can very negatively affect a lift. The seams of the shirt can be used as an indicator of straightness and positioning of the shirt. Once the shirt is in position on the arms, it must be pulled over the head, or pulled around the shoulders for an open back model. The shirt must be pulled down the torso, and all of the wrinkles worked out of the fabric. If the shirt is a Velcro design, the Velcro should now be fastened. At this point, final adjustments to straighten and position the shirt must be made. Typically, the seams around the deltoid and under the armpit need adjustment. This can be a painstaking process, but patience and attention to detail will prevail. I have often spent over 20 minutes putting a very tight poly shirt on a lifter.
Denim Shirts
Many lifters find denim shirts intimidating. I spent two years deciding if I was "ready" to move up to a denim shirt. Only after taking the plunge did I find that the denim shirt suits me much better. Denim shirts provide more support than poly shirts, and are considered to be the top of the line. There are also shirts made of canvas, but those work on basically the same principle as denim shirts. I have no personal experience with canvas, but from stories I have heard, they are even more supportive than denim.
Denim shirts are sewn from one or more layers of denim material (basically the same material as blue jeans), into a shape very similar to a poly shirt. Most denim shirts have at least a mostly split back, making them significantly easier to put on. I prefer to use completely open back denim shirts, which are simply slipped up the arms, and tugged into place. Denim shirts are not required to be as tight as a poly shirt, making them infinitely more comfortable. I can wear my shirt for over an hour without any real discomfort.
In general, denim shirts all perform better when used in a low groove. Open back denim shirts work best when the bar is actually touched on the lifter's stomach. A denim shirt does require a great deal of very refined technique to use properly. I have spent a great deal of time with the best coaches in the world, and I have yet to reach proficiency, let alone perfection.
The denim shirt creates its power by twisting and straining the fabric, and by compressing the lifter's body. Because of the tenacity of the fabric, the denim shirt can support much more weight than a comparable poly shirt. The stress placed on a lifter's body by a denim shirt can be severe. In many cases, a lifter will not be able to even touch the bar to his or her chest with weight he or she could bench without the shirt.
Because of this, precise technique becomes very important in a denim shirt. Some lifters will see "hit or miss" results, and that is because of technique. Everything has to come together perfectly for the denim shirt to perform. What would normally be an off day can easily become a complete disaster in a denim. Everyone has seen meet results where a normally flawless lifter not only performed sub-par on the bench, but bombed miserably. Technique is paramount.
Single Ply vs. Double Ply
This is a simple concept that improved shirts by leaps and bounds. A single ply shirt is just that, one layer of poly or denim sewn into a shirt. A double (or more) ply has multiple layers of material in critical areas. For example, a double ply poly shirt will be two layers of polyester material sewn together for the front and the arms of the shirt. Especially in poly shirts, a double ply shirt will increase the weight a lifter can move. Double ply is essentially a standard in denim shirts, as the extra layer prevents ripping of the material under extreme loads.
How to Choose a Bench Shirt
With all the choices available, how does a lifter decide which shirt to use?? Start off with the rule book of your chosen federation. Each governing body has a set of regulations pertaining to the bench shirt. WABDL allows single or double ply, poly or denim, but the neck must be closed. WNPF allows single or double ply, poly or denim, open or closed back, but no canvas. USAPL allows single ply poly only. IPF requires individual brands to pay a fee for approval of shirts, so individual brands may or may not be legal, even though they must al be single ply poly.
So, once you are familiar with the rules of the federation you intend to lift in, and you know which shirts conform, how do you choose? The best way is to find lifters who use the various shirts, and find out how they bench. Do they bench elbows out, high on the chest? Or do they bench elbows in, touching the stomach? Different shirts all have different characteristics. Do some research, compare your budget against the price of the available choices, and pick the highest performance shirt you can use in your federation.
Conclusion
Once you have done the research, picked the shirt you want to use, and you are ready to go, be ready to do some real work. You can not simply put a bench shirt on and add 50 or 100 pounds to your bench. A shirt requires technique, special training methods, and extensive practice. I spent 4 years teaching myself to use a poly shirt effectively. I spent the entire year of 2003 learning my denim shirt under the best coach in the world, and I'm not entirely proficient yet. Train in your shirt as often as possible, and keep practicing technique.
Lift big, and stay strong.
And always remember, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Shawn Lattimer
810 Bench
slattimer@yahoo.com
blackbeard
New member
took care of it for ya Dawg 
good reads..the second you posted before right? so many people think you jsut put this shirt on and bam your benching 700+..it takes practice to be able to push big numbers even with technology on your side..
good reads..the second you posted before right? so many people think you jsut put this shirt on and bam your benching 700+..it takes practice to be able to push big numbers even with technology on your side..
DADAWG
Community Veteran
throwing on a shirt and loading up the bar with big weight is a recipe for eating the bar . the bench shirt is a fickle mistress and many experienced lifters still have trouble with it . anyone who thinks they can just throw on a shirt and bench big is a accident waiting to happen . even if they know someone who did it they were just lucky and if they tried it a few more times the odds would be against them .blackbeard said:took care of it for ya Dawg
good reads..the second you posted before right? so many people think you jsut put this shirt on and bam your benching 700+..it takes practice to be able to push big numbers even with technology on your side..
thanks for the technical help BB
grafixLSUalum
New member
the best man i have ever seen with a bench shirt is Jesse Kellum, he can utilize the damn thing like nobody i ever met, and if i told you his PR raw and PR with bench shirt, you wouldnt believe me cause of the difference
the big boys get well over 200lbs out of thier shirts. i get 180lbs or so out of mine. course its not fair to compare as i dont train my raw bench. but 100-150 out of a dbl denim if you learn how to touch with the damn thing on is a good number. those shirts got one groove. if you hit it you smoke the weight. if you miss it "say hello to my wittle friend". larynx just asking to be crushed without good spotters.
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