Shirt Work

Today was my first day ever using a bench shirt. I recently got a double poly, but I should have listened to other advice (i.e. Steve Coppola) and just got a damn double denim. I got a double poly from Inzer that would not go on me whatsoever. I had two experienced (1 elite) powerlifters trying to put this thing on me and it just wouldn’t go. It was closed back.

So they dredged up an Inzer double denim that one of the guys use to wear. Open, velcro back. Below is how things went.

4 board - 275
3 board - 335
2 board - 365
1 board - 405
405xdumpx2

All the board presses went up like it was my damn job, but the 405 without the boards ended up giving me a good ab workout, as I missed the groove, and that is where it got dumped. Better abs than neck.

All the lifts were harder to get to touch than to lift back up, so that is good. Not bad for my first shirt workout, but I am pissed about missing the ones I did.

I’ve got my first push/pull coming up on October 11th, so I have to see what kind of shirts they’ll allow. If I can use this double denim, I might do that. If not that, then I’ll probably go raw.

irondoc’s suggestion was more air. He’s right. I didn’t get enough air. Dammit.

What are those lifts like compared to your raw ones?

And did you enjoy having 2 guys attempt to help you into your shirt… :stuck_out_tongue:

Well, I hit a 335 raw bench a couple of weeks ago and missed 350, but that was with a bit different form. I also hit the 335 after only hitting 315 a month before, so my bench is going up nearly every week.

Needless to say, the denim was fun. We may find out my raw max if they don’t allow the shirt in the push/pull.

anti - he likes guys touching him. Just ask him, he’ll say yes.

Yeah, Jared, what are your raw numbers.

Oh, and they have to be cute guys.

Jared what power lifting org is behind this push/pull meet? Is it a WABDL?

If so, I posted the rules in that Westside Questions 2 thread (I think). It was from a PM discussion between Steve Coppola and I.

Patricia, it’s an APA meet. :frowning: But thanks for offering the assistance. I just went ahead and emailed the meet coordinator, so hopefully I’ll get an answer soon.

Heh. That was going to be my next suggestion.

And don’t most of the power lifting orgs allow double denim? Even WABDL allows double denim with velcro/open back.

my first attempt at a DD i could not get anything to touch at all. it was frustrating as fuck

6 months later i still suck with it, but it’s getting there

Patricia, they do allow double denim, but I was wondering about the back issue. I don’t see why they’d allow double denims without allowing open backs, but feds will be feds, you know?

They do allow DD w/open back velcro. (That looks like I’m describing a bra. Weird.)

Depending on how well I can learn the shirt over the next 2 weeks or so, I might open up raw just to make sure I don’t bomb out. You know, open with like 315 raw, then put the shirt on and go 385, then sac up and go for broke. I’m going for the experience, and I want the experience deadlifting too.

Any suggestions on opening up raw if that’s the way I feel I should go? (Even suggestions of, “that’s stupid”.) How would one warm up for that? Warm up to 275-300, and then go with the lifts? How about warming up in the shirt? I really don’t think I could touch 300 in that shirt.

I am very confused what is the lightest weight you can get to touch??? Are you going to have your poly in time???My biggst comp bench is in double denim but at first I was much better at using a poly and could get more out of it because I had to bring up my tris to accomedate the denim shirt, you may get more out of the poly at first, with your bech numbers and if the poly is very tight you should be around 365-385 in the poly, so you could open in that for your first lifts then switch to the denim and go for broke with 405 or so…Big Martin

big martin, I’m actually not sure what I’m going to do, so you’re not the only one confused. At first, I thought to just send the poly back and get a larger one. I doubt that’d be ready in time, but you never know (I also have to think about the future). After benching in the double denim, I’m not too far from getting it to work, I don’t believe, and I think I’m good for at least the 405. I would have hit it if I had found the groove.

Would Inzer let me send the poly back and apply the cost of it towards a double denim? I don’t see the difference in doing that and sending it back for a larger poly. That’s what I’d like to do, because I really think I could take advantage of the denim pretty soon. I could be wrong, though.

Would you suggest I try to get a larger poly or just try to work on getting a double denim? Any ideas are appreciated.

This depends where you plan to compete, I do SLP meets for fun bench meets where I wear a denim shirt, I also compete in the USAPL 3 event where I wear a single ply poly, I am also thinking about switching to IPA so then I will use just Denim…So if you plan to compete in a denim org then just use denim, and really bring up those tricpes those are the keys for denmim shirt…But depending on where you live and if you want to do a USAPL full meet or NASA or something like that you will need a poly also, but it really depends on your plans, i also now some 600-700 pound bechers that still love and use inzer 2 ply poly shirts like Oan basson of the LA lifting club who has 618 bench at 22 yers old, so you may want to give the poly a shot …desicion desicions …Big Martin

Oh shit I just saw your meet is early October, If I was you I would use the poly based on there easier to learn to use and you wont have to use as much weight to touch so you will not bomb, based on your numbers you could easily open with a easy 340 with a tight poly and then hit 375, then try 400 for broke, It took me a year to get comfortable with a denim but it took my training partner just a few weeks, but i found it so much easier to lean in a poly, so it may be your best bet for this first meet, but it is completely up to you…Good Luck Big Martin

As for the fed thing, the APA has a lot of meets around here, and they allow denim, and it’s looking like I’ll be doing a couple of APF meets over the next year as well, so I think denim will be the long term choice.

I got all my reps over 315 to touch today. Almost got 385 but missed it right at the top. My tricps were shot at that point. The 385 was after 45 minutes of shirt work with boards and then off the chest. It felt really good tonight. Im pretty sure i could have gotten 400 had i been fresh. This is exciting. Its fun now that i have a shirt i can actually work with instead of against.

Good job Goldberg. And you suck for getting it to touch. Did you try any board work?

Good job Goldberg. I’m getting mine in a few weeks. It’ll be like Christmas in october.