I’m not a great fan of the shirt at all, it often upsets my groove. I’ve read that it favours those with strong triceps (or that it needs strong tris to be effective - I don’t remember which), and that ain’t me. I don’t need help off the bottom, I need help locking out! If only there was a shirt for that…
I think there is a place for naked training, though. Here’s a quick story from last week:
I was doing my deadlift singles, working up to a max, with suit and belt, and the old coach comes up to me and dares me to lift it without them - he thinks their benefit is mostly psychological, he thinks I’m afraid of heavy weights without all that “armour” on. Afraid?! Me!? So I had to prove him wrong.
I take off the belt and suit, standing there in my briefs and a t-shirt, totally psyched up, drawing a crowd (ok, only three people), and I approach the bar on 385. It flies up. After a rest, We go to 395, a new pb, clear my head of that feeling that this is a good way to get an injury (or a reputation), and I get it up (the weight, perverts, not the snake).
Finally, I get 400, slow, just barely. It wouldn’t pass in competition. BIG scrapes up my thighs, but full of pride, I finish my workout. The coach was surprised, and felt he had made his point. But really I was the surprised one. Two pbs, no gear. Sure, the adrenaline helped, but I underestimated myself.
And boy was my back sore the next day - my erectors took a real pounding! And that is the benefit - core training beltless is WAY harder.
I wonder if I could strip off in competition?