Benching More Than Squat...

I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I’ve seen it come up a few times lately…what are your feelings about people using bench shirts to be able to bench more than they can squat?

I think its a bunch of crap and not real lifting. If you have to load the bar so damn heavy just to touch your chest, you don’t have any business trying to lift so much.

Being able to add 50-100 pounds, or more, to your bench doesn’t say anything about your strength, it merely reflects the quality of the shirt you’re wearing.

Anyway, I’m sure this will chap some hides, but I’m just curious to see what other people think about it.

I don’t want to use a shirt, so I don’t use one. Simple as that. I have no problem if another person wants to use one. This is why different federations have different rules about shirts/Raw/etc. Just do your thing and let other people do theirs.

What are your feelings about talking about something that you really don’t know anything about???

Just wanted to know!

Well how about you just pick a side and stay with it.

I wear a bench shirt that any of my competitors are allowed to wear so I’m not sure how it is I’m a cheater. If you prefer raw lifting then go ahead and support it. I prefer geared lifting so that’s what I support.

This post accomplishes nothing. It’s about the equivalent of farting in a crowded room.

One more thing the all time biggest raw bench is owned by a lifter who competes in a shirt. That speaks for itself.

[quote]halfpintdd wrote:
…what are your feelings about people using bench shirts to be able to bench more than they can squat?

[/quote]

I think they need a better squat suit.

[quote]dead_lifter5000 wrote:
What are your feelings about talking about something that you really don’t know anything about???

Just wanted to know![/quote]

Asking questions is a great way to learn…so if I don’t know anything about it, why don’t you teach me?

I didn’t ask to piss people off, I was just seeking a little insight into the world of geared lifting. I won’t lie, obviously I am still a beginner and don’t know a whole lot about it. So why don’t you guys enlighten me?

Guys who bench shirted, please answer a question for me. When you get to heavy numbers in bench, 500 or whatever, is it “safer” to bench shirted? I’ve heard the arguement that your shoulder is at huge risk with heavy loads and you can handle a lot more from a structural standpoint proportionally with a shirt.

just curious if that is a factor, or if its just pushing bigger numbers.

[quote]reconyah wrote:
Guys who bench shirted, please answer a question for me. When you get to heavy numbers in bench, 500 or whatever, is it “safer” to bench shirted? I’ve heard the arguement that your shoulder is at huge risk with heavy loads and you can handle a lot more from a structural standpoint proportionally with a shirt.

just curious if that is a factor, or if its just pushing bigger numbers.[/quote]

I think the shirts were better for your shoulders back before they got out of hand.

The more people realised they could get more weight with better shirts, the more engineering went into them, and eventually federations had to make limits on the ones that were allowed and which ones weren’t.

I think this caused more separation in powerlifting federations, but the ones who allowed the better shirts were getting more sponsorships by the companies making the shirts, which lead to more money for the federation, and more money for the sponsors.

There has since become a lot of technique in using the better shirts, so it’s not as easy as putting on the shirt and adding 50lbs.

Now a big part of the competition is learning how to get the most out of the shirt, along with being strong enough to support what the shirt can give you. So, if you have 2 people with the same strength, one may know more about how to use the shirt to get more out of it, and win the competition. That doesn’t mean he cheated, since the both were allowed to use the shirt, it just means the guy who won took more time to learn the shirt.

Ultimately, the guy who put in more work will probably end up beating the guy who put in less work, both in the gym hitting the weights, and in the gym learning the shirt.

does anyone have a picture of someone who can bench more than they squat, cuz i could use a good laugh right now.

[quote]halfpintdd wrote:
I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I’ve seen it come up a few times lately…what are your feelings about people using bench shirts to be able to bench more than they can squat?

I think its a bunch of crap and not real lifting. If you have to load the bar so damn heavy just to touch your chest, you don’t have any business trying to lift so much.

Being able to add 50-100 pounds, or more, to your bench doesn’t say anything about your strength, it merely reflects the quality of the shirt you’re wearing.

[/quote]
Ok, you didn’t mean to piss anyone off, but you call it crap and you say it has nothing to do with strength. Maybe next time you should think about the way in which you try to expand your knowledge. Additionally, I would recommend you to buy a shirt and put that 50-100 lbs you claim it will give you magically.

“If they could, they would, since they can’t, they rant.”
-Dave Tate

[quote]dead_lifter5000 wrote:
halfpintdd wrote:
I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I’ve seen it come up a few times lately…what are your feelings about people using bench shirts to be able to bench more than they can squat?

I think its a bunch of crap and not real lifting. If you have to load the bar so damn heavy just to touch your chest, you don’t have any business trying to lift so much.

Being able to add 50-100 pounds, or more, to your bench doesn’t say anything about your strength, it merely reflects the quality of the shirt you’re wearing.

Ok, you didn’t mean to piss anyone off, but you call it crap and you say it has nothing to do with strength. Maybe next time you should think about the way in which you try to expand your knowledge. Additionally, I would recommend you to buy a shirt and put that 50-100 lbs you claim it will give you magically.

“If they could, they would, since they can’t, they rant.”
-Dave Tate

[/quote]

Agree completely. Your post was meant for nothing more than to piss off.
Someone looking to learn would not have posted like that.

[quote]evansmi wrote:
does anyone have a picture of someone who can bench more than they squat, cuz i could use a good laugh right now.[/quote]

just look at your avatar, that should have you rolling…

[quote]dead_lifter5000 wrote:
halfpintdd wrote:
I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I’ve seen it come up a few times lately…what are your feelings about people using bench shirts to be able to bench more than they can squat?

I think its a bunch of crap and not real lifting. If you have to load the bar so damn heavy just to touch your chest, you don’t have any business trying to lift so much.

Being able to add 50-100 pounds, or more, to your bench doesn’t say anything about your strength, it merely reflects the quality of the shirt you’re wearing.

Ok, you didn’t mean to piss anyone off, but you call it crap and you say it has nothing to do with strength. Maybe next time you should think about the way in which you try to expand your knowledge. Additionally, I would recommend you to buy a shirt and put that 50-100 lbs you claim it will give you magically.

“If they could, they would, since they can’t, they rant.”
-Dave Tate

[/quote]

well said.

[quote]jlesk68 wrote:
evansmi wrote:
does anyone have a picture of someone who can bench more than they squat, cuz i could use a good laugh right now.

just look at your avatar, that should have you rolling…[/quote]

Come on…That’s funny

Can anyone show me a picture of skinny? You can!

[quote]jlesk68 wrote:
evansmi wrote:
does anyone have a picture of someone who can bench more than they squat, cuz i could use a good laugh right now.

just look at your avatar, that should have you rolling…[/quote]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[quote]dead_lifter5000 wrote:
Additionally, I would recommend you to buy a shirt and put that 50-100 lbs you claim it will give you magically.

“If they could, they would, since they can’t, they rant.”
-Dave Tate

[/quote]

Honestly I have no desire to use a bench shirt. I’m merely trying to understand why so many people are hooked on them. My husband was the only one at his last powerlifting meet not wearing a shirt. It amazed me…especially seeing the 16 year olds wearing them.

By 16, most guys don’t have a solid base to work with, so how is adding a shirt helping them? I can fully understand why someone who has reached their full benching potential raw would be interested in adding a shirt…it could be a great way to add more weight and get past a sticking point. However, it seems to me that this is not whats happening with most shirt users.

Sorry if I’ve pissed some of you off, I realize I could have used better word choices. And thank you SWR for actually giving a well thought out and informative post.

[quote]jlesk68 wrote:
evansmi wrote:
does anyone have a picture of someone who can bench more than they squat, cuz i could use a good laugh right now.

just look at your avatar, that should have you rolling…[/quote]

zing!

[quote]halfpintdd wrote:
dead_lifter5000 wrote:
Additionally, I would recommend you to buy a shirt and put that 50-100 lbs you claim it will give you magically.

“If they could, they would, since they can’t, they rant.”
-Dave Tate

Honestly I have no desire to use a bench shirt. I’m merely trying to understand why so many people are hooked on them. My husband was the only one at his last powerlifting meet not wearing a shirt.

I bet he was outbenched.

It amazed me…especially seeing the 16 year olds wearing them.

Why? That someone could actually be motivated about competetive powerlifting at that age?

By 16, most guys don’t have a solid base to work with, so how is adding a shirt helping them?

By giving them the same advantage that everyone else has. This is COMPETITION. YOU GO TO WIN.
I can fully understand why someone who has reached their full benching potential raw would be interested in adding a shirt…it could be a great way to add more weight and get past a sticking point.

I don’t think any competetive powerlifter puts on a shirt because they have reached their best potential raw. Powerlifters wear shirts to stay healthy and compete with everyone else who is wearing a shirt.
Putting on a shirt is a horrible reason to get past a sticking point. They are uncomfortable, expensive, time consuming, difficult, etc. There are easier ways to get past a RAW sticking point. It never ceases to amaze me how easy people think it is. Most people bench less the first time they wear a shirt. I don’t mean first time as in a workout. I mean first time as in months.

However, it seems to me that this is not whats happening with most shirt users.

Nope, it isn’t.

Sorry if I’ve pissed some of you off, I realize I could have used better word choices. And thank you SWR for actually giving a well thought out and informative post. [/quote]

[quote]dead_lifter5000 wrote:

I bet he was outbenched. [/quote]
No, actually he wasn’t outbenched, and he won best overall lifter.

No, I think its great that teens have the opportunity to get into powerlifting. Hell, if I had the chance, I would have been all over it. I wish I had the chance and learned about the great sport of powerlifting years ago. It just seems like so many of these guys are not benching for the sake of benching anymore, they’re benching to see what kind of numbers they can put up with a shirt…but I guess if thats what intersts them, then so be it. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that.

But, once again, i was looking for some insight into the world of lifting with gear.
Obviously, I’m not getting that from you, dead_lifter, because rather than giving me actual reasons and explanations, you are merely attacking what I type. Like I said, I’m sorry if I pissed you off or hit a sore spot, my word choices were not the best.