Intro to Bench Shirts (part I)

I tried to explain as simply as possible how a bench shirt works using a regular t-shirt

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• bench
• press
• shirt
• powerlifting

[breezeman199]

How is using a bench shirt different from using steroids? Your introducing a foreign object to increase athletic performance.

[johnnymnemonic2]

@breezeman199 You can use a bench shirt without a doctor's prescription.

[Ericbranson3]

so how much more on average will a shirt increase your bench?-sorry if you said this and i missed it

[johnnymnemonic2]

I think I might have mentioned it in the video. It really depends on the shirt and the lifter. Could be 100-200lbs, could be 10-50lbs. Ridiculously large range, I know, but that's the best answer I can give.

[hotboy123456789]

how iz dat not cheatin yourself???

[johnnymnemonic2]

It's only cheating yourself if you bench in a shirt and somehow believe that your "shirted" numbers are anything close to the same thing.

Bench shirts are a part of the powerlifting game and if you're going to compete in equipped PL, you better get with the times or just plan on getting your arse handed to you regularly.

[UAphenix]

exactly, for instance I'm a prime canidate for a bench shirt. I have chronic shoulder pain from a car accident 2 years ago and I can train in a bench shirt pain free as it keeps my shoulder compressed. Plus my shoulder is too loose when I try and max raw, for instance I barely got 225 a little while ago, but have hit 335 with a single polyshirt. The shirt allows me to keep getting stronger where as without it one small part of the chain would hold me back...

[Robertthebob]

And thats how a bench shit works.

[RobBurtonGuitar]

So the only purpose of the shirt is to enable you to bench more? Well jesus why not go a little further and just have someone else bench it for you!! Shirt benching sounds pretty lame to me....

[12inweiner]

@breezeman199 ur a dumbass

[mankillsquare]

@johnnymnemonic2 I thought you'd say 'ass' Boris! But it's good to see arse in usage over the pond :)

[KrimeMater]

@breezeman199 that is quite an assinine comment.... Bench shirts dont let you do Chest exercises 3 times a week due to fast recovery because of increased testosterone

[jtoregan]

so does it help isolate the chest or put more weight on the shoulders or what?

[BenchPressObsession]

@MrFirestorm102 well why don't you post vids of your raw bench and shirted bench, I've seen dudes do that, just to prove they actually are strong without the shirt as well

[BenchPressObsession]

one thing you failed to mention is HOW MUCH EXTRA might I expect to get out of the shirt in terms of poundages? I can bench 330 with absolutely no assistance, one thing I've heard is that with practice you can get up to 100lbs out of the shirt, so in effect I should be able to bench 400lbs with the right shirt on, correct?

[TimpBizkit]

I always thought bench shirts seemed like cheating, as is attaching a spring between your elbows.