[quote]jonlandau wrote:
they are cheating gear that allow you to cheat and lift more weight, more weight then you can actually do without a shirt and thats why they are considered cheating, but allowed at virtually every power meet in one material or another.[/quote]
Does the mental institution know you are using the computer?
To answer some of the legitimate questions on this thread, there is really no reason for anyone who is not a competitive powerlifter to use a bench shirt. Perhaps if you have certain injuries (typically pec or shoulder injuries) that keep you from benching and you want to bench, then a very low end shirt would be fine (that’s all you need for protection), but most people would just do other movements if benching is a problem for them.
My 2 cents worth here.
I competed in my first powerlifting meet a couple of months ago. One of the lessons I learned was, and this applies to life in general, the only person I have to be better than is myself. I’m not worried about what everyone else is doing. I want to beat my last total. Improve MYSELF. I don’t care if someone uses a shirt or not. When I’m able to afford it and get to a gym other than the Y where I can get some quality help, I might try a squat suit and a bench shirt myself. Its disheartening to hear brothers in iron at each others throats. That is my humble opinion.
[quote]btm62 wrote:
My 2 cents worth here.
I competed in my first powerlifting meet a couple of months ago. One of the lessons I learned was, and this applies to life in general, the only person I have to be better than is myself. I’m not worried about what everyone else is doing. I want to beat my last total. Improve MYSELF. I don’t care if someone uses a shirt or not. When I’m able to afford it and get to a gym other than the Y where I can get some quality help, I might try a squat suit and a bench shirt myself. Its disheartening to hear brothers in iron at each others throats. That is my humble opinion.[/quote]
This is exactly the way it should be. Wish more people would think like this.
[quote]btm62 wrote:
My 2 cents worth here.
I competed in my first powerlifting meet a couple of months ago. One of the lessons I learned was, and this applies to life in general, the only person I have to be better than is myself. I’m not worried about what everyone else is doing. I want to beat my last total. Improve MYSELF. I don’t care if someone uses a shirt or not. When I’m able to afford it and get to a gym other than the Y where I can get some quality help, I might try a squat suit and a bench shirt myself. Its disheartening to hear brothers in iron at each others throats. That is my humble opinion.[/quote]
Amen
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
The difference is this…
A belt is a tool to enable you to lift heavy without getting severly injured. I don’t think its possible to really gain any stregnth increase from putting a belt on.[quote]
Not entirely true. Yes, it aids in injury prevention at maximum exertion levels. However, if you know how to use a belt properly, it CAN and WILL increase your squat and deadlift.
Right, but we are talking about a few pounds tops, maybe add a 5 on each side or something. The bench shirt literally makes these guys who bench 650 (which is ridiculous) magically start turning out a 900 pound bench press…a lttle differnt.
My point was that a belt is a safety tool and a shirt was an enhancement tool.
Really bench shirt is shirt, that keeps your ass up that bench or couch;) Powerlifting bench shirt is something that skinny basatrds like me, can actually benching 400lb someday in future. But I still don’t want put that “swimmingsuite” on - and working raw bench (400 lbs raw bench - maybe in 10 years, maybe never…)
Yet another enlightened discussion on gear. Since this seems to be a lightning rod for people who have no interest in discussion, only in name calling, and we’ve heard most of the points on this debate, is there any reason for it to be brought up again?
Anytime anyone has any question on powerlifting, someone decides to turn it into an argument about gear. It brings down the level of the whole strength sports forums because of this.
All your radical ideas about how gear is ruining powerlifting have already occurred to others, stop beating a dead horse.