Gear Guide Discussion

This thread is for discussion and questions relating to the gear guide threads.

This is the place for: “Has anyone tried this shirt?” and “What gear would be best for me?”

Please, please, PLEASE keep these questions out of the other threads. Also, if you’re only posting to say equipment sucks, don’t!

You can find the threads here:
Shirts: http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2415636
Suits & Briefs: http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2415588
Wraps etc: http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2415648

I’ve my fingers crossed that this will work as well as I hope it should.

This is a GREAT idea.

STICKY!!!

Where the hell have I been? Sorry for missing this for so long. I’ll jump in where I can.

Hooray! The threads got a sticky!

I’m interested in anyones experiences with the APT Convicts and Strangulators vs. the Metal All-Blacks?

Also, anyones experiences with conventional deadlift suits? I have little experience with them since everyone I train with does sumo…

Anyhow, thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far, and keep 'em coming!

[quote]smokotime wrote:
Hooray! The threads got a sticky!

I’m interested in anyones experiences with the APT Convicts and Strangulators vs. the Metal All-Blacks?

Also, anyones experiences with conventional deadlift suits? I have little experience with them since everyone I train with does sumo…

Anyhow, thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far, and keep 'em coming!

[/quote]

I just purchase the strangulators. I wore them once to just test them out and break them in. I squatted 225lb (my max with titan knee wraps is 235lb). I will review them after a few sessions.

I purchased a Metal Pro king deadlifter with velcro straps. I am new to deadlift suits so am still learning the suit. My first session, I had the straps too tight and the suit not up high enough. I could not reach the bar without messing up my form. Second session went better with the straps looser but not tight enough to add to my deadlift. I will review it after a couple more sessions. I am still learning.

smokotime (and everyone else),

Thanks for contributing to these threads, great info here.

I tried to use the link provided for “wraps etc” questions and queries… and it kept kicking me back to this location, three times… so I do not know if this is the proper forum… hope I don’t piss anyone off.

My question/ problem…

I have always lifted raw, but have just purchased a bunch of product from “Inzer”… knee wraps, wrist wraps and elbow sleeves.

I used the fitting guide provided by Inzer, but the elbow sleeves are loose when I put them on… then when I tighten the 3 velcro straps on the side… they tighten, but there is a fold in the material that runs the length of the sleeve.

They are pretty tight at this point, but are they supposed to do this… fold?

I wonder if they sent me knee sleeves instead of elbow sleeves… they look identical on the web site…

Help?

[quote]bunny7568 wrote:
I tried to use the link provided for “wraps etc” questions and queries… and it kept kicking me back to this location, three times… so I do not know if this is the proper forum… hope I don’t piss anyone off.

My question/ problem…

I have always lifted raw, but have just purchased a bunch of product from “Inzer”… knee wraps, wrist wraps and elbow sleeves.

I used the fitting guide provided by Inzer, but the elbow sleeves are loose when I put them on… then when I tighten the 3 velcro straps on the side… they tighten, but there is a fold in the material that runs the length of the sleeve.

They are pretty tight at this point, but are they supposed to do this… fold?

I wonder if they sent me knee sleeves instead of elbow sleeves… they look identical on the web site…

Help?[/quote]

The idea was for the link to kick you back to hear so questions can be asked away from the review threads. I believe the idea behind the pinned threads was to keep them for reviews ONLY and have all questions here.

Try pm’n marudermeat (sp on the screen name) who posts on here. He uses the inzer sleeves.

[quote]Hanley wrote:

The idea was for the link to kick you back to hear so questions can be asked away from the review threads.

[/quote]

I hope people still check this thread. Let the stupid questions begin!

I’ve got a hefty amount of pounds to put on my Raw Bench before I buy a shirt, but I need to know some things that are probably pretty obvious.

(1) Can you put on a closed-back single ply shirt by yourself? Something like the Katana or Metal IPF King Presser? It’s pretty obvious to me that you can’t put on a Multi-Ply Shirt without quite a bit of help but with these thinner shirts is there that much to it besides slipping it over your head and tugging up the shoulders?

(2) Both me and my training partner have no experience with bench shirts. Could we learn how to bench in a shirt just with ourselves as our own coaches? I get that we won’t develop Rob Luyando-eque form between ourselves but is this even possible? I assume it had to be done at one point in time when Bench Shirts first came out.

(3) Can I put on Squat Briefs by myself and learn them by myself?

(1) Yes, but it’s really bloody hard. You’ve a training partner, use him :wink:

(2) Yes, start off with something like a Titan F6. Place the seem just above the boney part of your elbow, make sure the sleeve is pulled up so that there’s a 3 finger gap bewteen the end of it and the back of your elbow with your arm bent.

Pull it over your head once that’s done. Pull the shirt down, stick an elbow in the side and give it a yank down to pull it out of your arm pits, repeat on the other side. Put your elbow at the bottom of the shirt and give it a yank down to get it away from your throat. Should be nicely set there.

Put a belt around your waist, have someone pull down the front of the shirt so there’s no wrinkles. Put your arms straight out in front of you and lift them up. Belt up. Doing that pulls the collar up towards your neck and keeps the front of the shirt smooth, making it easier to touch. Once you get the hang of that, start to pull the shirt down instead of lifitng your arms up. The more you pull it down, the harder it is to touch, the more carryover you should get.

A good tip with the F6 is to aim to touch where the “IPF approved” logo is.

(3) Yup. Handy enoguh job. Get some suit slippers as well tho to make it easier. Oh and with the shirt, get some plastic carrier bags, cut/rip the end of them open and put your arms in. Put the handle of the bag between your index finger and thumb and use that to slide the sleeves of the shirt up over your forearms.

[quote]Hanley wrote:
(1) Yes, but it’s really bloody hard. You’ve a training partner, use him :wink:

(2) Yes, start off with something like a Titan F6. Place the seem just above the boney part of your elbow, make sure the sleeve is pulled up so that there’s a 3 finger gap bewteen the end of it and the back of your elbow with your arm bent.

Pull it over your head once that’s done. Pull the shirt down, stick an elbow in the side and give it a yank down to pull it out of your arm pits, repeat on the other side. Put your elbow at the bottom of the shirt and give it a yank down to get it away from your throat. Should be nicely set there.

Put a belt around your waist, have someone pull down the front of the shirt so there’s no wrinkles. Put your arms straight out in front of you and lift them up. Belt up. Doing that pulls the collar up towards your neck and keeps the front of the shirt smooth, making it easier to touch. Once you get the hang of that, start to pull the shirt down instead of lifitng your arms up. The more you pull it down, the harder it is to touch, the more carryover you should get.

A good tip with the F6 is to aim to touch where the “IPF approved” logo is.

(3) Yup. Handy enoguh job. Get some suit slippers as well tho to make it easier. Oh and with the shirt, get some plastic carrier bags, cut/rip the end of them open and put your arms in. Put the handle of the bag between your index finger and thumb and use that to slide the sleeves of the shirt up over your forearms.[/quote]

Thanks a ton Hanley. Should I get any Baby Powder?

Unless you go crazy tight, baby powder isn’t really necessary. Plastic bags for bench shirts and suit slippers for briefs/suits seems to do the trick.

If you have a loose enough shirt, you can get it on yourself too. I was under the impression open-back multi-ply shirts were easier to get into since you don’t need to pull it on over your head.

hi folks!
I just ordered a Titan Superior Suit NXG+. This will be my first squat suit. Has anybody tried this suit and what did you think about it?

Many people seem to love the centurion, how do these two suits compare to eachother?

[quote]smokotime wrote:
Unless you go crazy tight, baby powder isn’t really necessary. Plastic bags for bench shirts and suit slippers for briefs/suits seems to do the trick.

If you have a loose enough shirt, you can get it on yourself too. I was under the impression open-back multi-ply shirts were easier to get into since you don’t need to pull it on over your head.[/quote]

I agree, no baby powder. It may help you to get it on, but once you do get it on, it’s still there. So it’s hard to set your shirt/suit properly and stop it from moving about.

I woulda said the same about multiply shirts and putting them on too… the open back’s a big help. I cut half way down the back of my old shirts to use in training and it made it so much easier to put on.

[quote]Hanley wrote:
smokotime wrote:
Unless you go crazy tight, baby powder isn’t really necessary. Plastic bags for bench shirts and suit slippers for briefs/suits seems to do the trick.

If you have a loose enough shirt, you can get it on yourself too. I was under the impression open-back multi-ply shirts were easier to get into since you don’t need to pull it on over your head.

I agree, no baby powder. It may help you to get it on, but once you do get it on, it’s still there. So it’s hard to set your shirt/suit properly and stop it from moving about.

I woulda said the same about multiply shirts and putting them on too… the open back’s a big help. I cut half way down the back of my old shirts to use in training and it made it so much easier to put on.[/quote]

If open back shirts are easier to put on, what are your thoughts about the Metal Bash Single Ply Bencher? Or maybe there’s another good beginner’s shirt made by someone besides metal with an open back. I’ve looked through the reviews but I really don’t know what to look for.

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
Hanley wrote:
smokotime wrote:
Unless you go crazy tight, baby powder isn’t really necessary. Plastic bags for bench shirts and suit slippers for briefs/suits seems to do the trick.

If you have a loose enough shirt, you can get it on yourself too. I was under the impression open-back multi-ply shirts were easier to get into since you don’t need to pull it on over your head.

I agree, no baby powder. It may help you to get it on, but once you do get it on, it’s still there. So it’s hard to set your shirt/suit properly and stop it from moving about.

I woulda said the same about multiply shirts and putting them on too… the open back’s a big help. I cut half way down the back of my old shirts to use in training and it made it so much easier to put on.

If open back shirts are easier to put on, what are your thoughts about the Metal Bash Single Ply Bencher? Or maybe there’s another good beginner’s shirt made by someone besides metal with an open back. I’ve looked through the reviews but I really don’t know what to look for.[/quote]

Man just buy an F6 and slice the back of that fucker up. Much easier!! An open back shirt is the exact same as a closed back, except the back is open!!

The F6 comes with a stretchy back anyway so even cutting it half way is loads. I actually cut the back of mine half way and then stapled the end of the cut wth a couple of staples to stop the end of it running any further.

[quote]smokotime wrote:
Unless you go crazy tight, baby powder isn’t really necessary. Plastic bags for bench shirts and suit slippers for briefs/suits seems to do the trick.

If you have a loose enough shirt, you can get it on yourself too. I was under the impression open-back multi-ply shirts were easier to get into since you don’t need to pull it on over your head.[/quote]

Instead of plastic bags, I like using ladies’ dress socks with the toes cut out- the ones that are real thin panty-hose fabric. The sleeves slide right up just like with plastic grocery bags.

Do belts fall under “wraps etc”?

Never used a belt before, so have no idea what I want, but I do like the look of the inzer lever belt http://www.inzernet.com/detail_belt.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FOREVERBELT_LEVER13

Any good? Any ideas where I can source one in the UK relatively cheaply?