Bench Shirt Blues

Posted By: Nick
Date: Tuesday, 21 January 2003, at 9:32 p.m.

Hey everybody. I have posted a couple messages before. I have a EHPHD Double Ply shirt. I am haveing problems though. I dont know how to say this in the write words. It seems like I cant get the bar down mabye. I mean It hurts bad, but I am trying to fight the pain. The pain is only the first problem, the second problem is its hard for me to even touch heavy weights. Take today for example.

1. 405 got it down 3inches from the rack.
2. 445 got it to come down, but lost groove, and it went to my stomach.
3. 455 got it to come close to chest but i dont think it could touch.
4. 470 I told my spotters to take the ends, I wanted it to come to my chest no matter what. I got it to mabye half an inch off my chest, and I dont know if it was my imagination or what, but i think it couldnt touch.

I am using a grip with my middle finger on the ring. Mabye this is too narrow, preventing me from bringing it down all the way? I am thinking of mabye doing a wider grip, thus makeing it easier to touch mabye? I also have a litte dusting of water on the shirt thinking it will help. I am getting a little frustrated with the shirt, I no that will pass, but my arm pits cant wait to get used to the shirt. Give me any advice if you have it. Thanks

NICK

Ok here it is Nick because I have been in this boat before.

1. Index fingers in the rings will help more than anything else you do!!!!

2. Make sure your elbows are pointed to your lats.

3. More water on the pectoral and anterior deltoid area, but not soaked. You should be able to feel the dampness through the shirt.

4. Arch your lower back up to help drive your lower pecs top ab region higher

5. Your touch should be at the bottom of your pecs to the top of your first ab.

6. This helped me more than any thing else when you get to with in an inch or two pull your head up off the bench and look to the bar. Then to start the press rotate the head back down and slam the weight up.

7. This is the last ditch way for touch and I will tell you it is hard on the shirt and has caused me to blow out one shirt, but you gotta do what you gotta do. When the bar locks up pull your elbows in, shrug your lats together tight and pull the bar to the chest.

You might want to practice some of this in a looser shirt to get it down pat then try it in the double.

Another option and I know we are talking bucks here by the same shirt one size larger and you will grow into the one you are struggling with right now, but you will still make some big lifts with the bigger shirt.

At some point you will learn to block the pain out during the lift. It will always hurt afterward. Just remmeber pain is tempoary and pride in forever.

Best of Luck

Rodney

Hi Nick,
What we usually do to help someone break in a new shirt or if they are trying a shirt for the first time, is to have them do board presses. We will start around a 4-5 board height, depending on how tight the shirt is, and have them bring the bar down to the boards, pause and press it back up. We drop a board a set until the bar is at the chest. We find that this allows the lifter to learn the groove of the shirt and also gives them a chance to get used to the pain so it's not so overwhelming. It also seems to cause less blowouts on extremely tight shirts due to the gradual stretch. As far as spraying a poly shirt with water, I’m not sold on the effectiveness of this. Poly fibers don’t absorb water like a denim shirt’s cotton fibers do. I can’t see it making a difference but I haven’t personally tried it on a poly. If it does work, I think it’ll take more than a light mist. You will have to wet it down pretty well. Try Eric’s form suggestions and if you still find you are an inch or so from touching, raise your head. That should get you that extra inch.

D.

Bring the bar a bit lower on the chest, bring the elbows in, widen out the grip a bit, get a bigger arch and puff up your chest (shorten the distance), and maybe spray a little water on it. I tell you what, if you can lock out 470 @ 165, that will be one hell of a bench!