I Benched 107.5 kg in Competition 3-16-08

[ripitupbaby]

What kind of room are you in? Doesn't look like a gym. Also, are you you familiar with Gary Sinise? He cut off his legs for the role of Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump. He had them sewed back on after the movie was filmed, just something to think about.  225 at a BW of 70 would be pretty sweet!

LOL  The meets are held in hotel conference rooms because it's easier to deal with an audience and the set-up (speakers, etc).  There were about 60-75 people in the audience for that one, actually.

[davidpaul]

What kind of room are you in? Doesn't look like a gym. Also, are you you familiar with Gary Sinise? He cut off his legs for the role of Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump. He had them sewed back on after the movie was filmed, just something to think about.  225 at a BW of 70 would be pretty sweet!

He didnt have them sewn back on, if you remember at the end of the film, he has prosthetic lower limbs, and forrest is all like, yo dan wtf, you got your wheels back, crazy shit.

[danielson]

He didnt have them sewn back on, if you remember at the end of the film, he has prosthetic lower limbs, and forrest is all like, yo dan wtf, you got your wheels back, crazy shit.

He had titanium alloy legs in the film(same as the stuff used on the space shuttle), but he has real flesh and blood legs now

[Hedgehog]

Here's a pic from my last comp, Feb 2007, 175, which I got easily.  You can see my technique, or lack thereof.  I don't think I am using my legs at all lol.
I'll practice the arch, but it seems awkward and uncomfortable.

Should I still use the plates under my feet? 

Best case scenario: Get even bigger platforms under your feet.

But if not, stick with at least those plates.

You clearly need to get your feet up a little.

[Vet]

Best case scenario: Get even bigger platforms under your feet.

But if not, stick with at least those plates.

You clearly need to get your feet up a little.

I dont' know Hedge. 

If you look at her form, she looks like she's benching very similar to how my wife does (who's by the way working on a 215-225 RAW at 132  for her next contest  ).   She sets up with that low arch and heels high, but if she drives her heels down into the floor, her arch improves drammatically and she keeps her hips on the bench.   I tried having her raise her feet up and what ended up happening was she'd raise her hips up off the bench every time.  What weve ended up doing is setting up like that, then as she lowers the bar, pushing down with her heels until they are flat (or nearly flat), which leads to her arching up to the bar.  To me it looks a bit strange, but she feels as if she can get really good leg drive that way and her benchs are going up steadily. 

It depends on what her flexibility is like, but its something to consider. 

[ripitupbaby]

If you look at her form, she looks like she's benching very similar to how my wife does (who's by the way working on a 215-225 RAW at 132  for her next contest  ). 

Very impressive!!   

[Overload]

I dont' know Hedge. 

If you look at her form, she looks like she's benching very similar to how my wife does (who's by the way working on a 215-225 RAW at 132  for her next contest  ).   She sets up with that low arch and heels high, but if she drives her heels down into the floor, her arch improves drammatically and she keeps her hips on the bench.   I tried having her raise her feet up and what ended up happening was she'd raise her hips up off the bench every time.  What weve ended up doing is setting up like that, then as she lowers the bar, pushing down with her heels until they are flat (or nearly flat), which leads to her arching up to the bar.  To me it looks a bit strange, but she feels as if she can get really good leg drive that way and her benchs are going up steadily. 

It depends on what her flexibility is like, but its something to consider. 

Good points but does your wife use a shirt? the arch and tucking of the elbows is the most important part when using a shirt. judging by rips picture she needs more arch, better elbow tuck and needs to get her feet further back towards her hips.

the way your wife benches is fine but remember once your feet are set and the bar is unracked you cannot move your feet. driving the heals down can cause the feet to move and that's an instant redlight.

[Vet]

Good points but does your wife use a shirt? the arch and tucking of the elbows is the most important part when using a shirt. judging by rips picture she needs more arch, better elbow tuck and needs to get her feet further back towards her hips.

the way your wife benches is fine but remember once your feet are set and the bar is unracked you cannot move your feet. driving the heals down can cause the feet to move and that's an instant redlight.

She's just really gettting into shirted benching--which I'm sort of pushing her to do it because I think she may have a good shot at single ply state records.  The only contests she's done have been RAW. 

We've been experimenting quite a bit on technique for trying to find her best groove---for me I'm a relatively short, very, very thick torsoed guy with a big arch and a short stroke.  Bascially because of that, I bench just about the same in a shirt as I do raw.  She on the other hand is relatively tall (5'9") and thinner framed.   She doesn't have the chest depth I've got, so we've been really trying to push up her arch to shorten her stroke. 

As far as elbow tuck..... I don't feel comfortable commenting on it with the picture that RIP posted.  Her shoulder is partially obscured by the plate and she's halfway through the movement AND she's doing this bench raw (in which case I think her elbows look about where they are supposed to be in the lift).  I'd assume she knows to get that elbow tuck at the bottom with a shirt---or hopefully she's got someone to help her find her groove with the shirt, including the elbow tuck. 

Your points about getting the feet set and being redlighted are SO important..... I bombed out of a local contest because I absolutely couldn't get my feet set on the carpet.   I slipped my right foot the first attempt, tried to clean off my shoes, came back to slip with the eft foot the second and then just flat out missed the weight on the third.  It was a bad day.   Wearing shoes with good traction is something I won't overlook again for a bench contest. 

[ripitupbaby]

Good points but does your wife use a shirt? the arch and tucking of the elbows is the most important part when using a shirt. judging by rips picture she needs more arch, better elbow tuck and needs to get her feet further back towards her hips.

the way your wife benches is fine but remember once your feet are set and the bar is unracked you cannot move your feet. driving the heals down can cause the feet to move and that's an instant redlight.

She's just really gettting into shirted benching--which I'm sort of pushing her to do it because I think she may have a good shot at single ply state records.  The only contests she's done have been RAW. 

We've been experimenting quite a bit on technique for trying to find her best groove---for me I'm a relatively short, very, very thick torsoed guy with a big arch and a short stroke.  Bascially because of that, I bench just about the same in a shirt as I do raw.  She on the other hand is relatively tall (5'9") and thinner framed.   She doesn't have the chest depth I've got, so we've been really trying to push up her arch to shorten her stroke. 

As far as elbow tuck..... I don't feel comfortable commenting on it with the picture that RIP posted.  Her shoulder is partially obscured by the plate and she's halfway through the movement AND she's doing this bench raw (in which case I think her elbows look about where they are supposed to be in the lift).  I'd assume she knows to get that elbow tuck at the bottom with a shirt---or hopefully she's got someone to help her find her groove with the shirt, including the elbow tuck. 

Your points about getting the feet set and being redlighted are SO important..... I bombed out of a local contest because I absolutely couldn't get my feet set on the carpet.   I slipped my right foot the first attempt, tried to clean off my shoes, came back to slip with the eft foot the second and then just flat out missed the weight on the third.  It was a bad day.   Wearing shoes with good traction is something I won't overlook again for a bench contest. 

The only thing I did for that meet was concentrate on keeping my feet still, and from the looks of that pic, I am not really pushing with my legs at all.  My elbows are not tucked at all when I bench.  I gotta work on my elbow tuck and arch, but it is SO awkward feeling, as I have never done it before.  It's hard to believe it's gonna improve my bench cuz it feels weird and uncomfortable.  I guess it's just a matter of practice. 
Thanks to those of you who have sent me links to videos, etc.

I'm gonna take my measurements this weekend and look into the shirt, I will call Titan.

 

[Overload]

The arch and tuck will feel very weird at first but after a month or two you will feel more comfortable with it. once i got it down i was making very good improvements in short period of time. you will feel weaker at first just because it's a new form of benching.

[ripitupbaby]

OK, I did practice the arch and tuck over the weekend....I am not doing the specific workouts yet because I am still training alone.  There was NO ONE in the gym yesterday to spot me or give me a lift off or anything...I mean NO ONE.  But I managed to get 135 for three sets of seven on my own, relatively easily, while practicing the form. 

SO ANYWAY, I took my measurements and called Titan about the F6 shirt.  Here's the deal...
There are three versions of this shirt:
---Regular Fit - snug for new lifters, passive support
---Meet Fit - tight for training and contests
---Competition Fit - Extremely tight

I am just under 5-2", around 135 pounds give or take a few.
My chest measurement at the thickest part (boobs included) is 40 inches.   
My flexed arm measurement is 13.5 inches.

The woman on the phone said they usually recommend one size up from the chest measurement for females. 
She told me she would go with either a Competition Fit 42, Meet Fit 44, or Regular Fit 46.
Then she said that a Size 40 usually goes up to about a 14.5 inch arm for a guy, so she said that the shirt could end up loose in my arms.

They have a 30 day exchange policy and I can exchange the shirt twice if I need to.

What do you think I should go with?   

[Hedgehog]

OK, I did practice the arch and tuck over the weekend....I am not doing the specific workouts yet because I am still training alone.  There was NO ONE in the gym yesterday to spot me or give me a lift off or anything...I mean NO ONE.  But I managed to get 135 for three sets of seven on my own, relatively easily, while practicing the form. 

SO ANYWAY, I took my measurements and called Titan about the F6 shirt.  Here's the deal...
There are three versions of this shirt:
---Regular Fit - snug for new lifters, passive support
---Meet Fit - tight for training and contests
---Competition Fit - Extremely tight

I am just under 5-2", around 135 pounds give or take a few.
My chest measurement at the thickest part (boobs included) is 40 inches.   
My flexed arm measurement is 13.5 inches.

The woman on the phone said they usually recommend one size up from the chest measurement for females. 
She told me she would go with either a Competition Fit 42, Meet Fit 44, or Regular Fit 46.
Then she said that a Size 40 usually goes up to about a 14.5 inch arm for a guy, so she said that the shirt could end up loose in my arms.

They have a 30 day exchange policy and I can exchange the shirt twice if I need to.

What do you think I should go with?   

She's obviously smoking some good shit.

Guys in the 198 lbs division usually wears 42-44. A tall female lifter at my club, who wears really big shirts, and is 5'9'', wears a 40. She weighs 175 lbs or so. Not fat.

If you order a 36, it won't be too big, I am sure of that.

You probably won't be able to touch your chest with anything less than 200-210 lbs, but that's kind of the idea.

Also, the shirt will get slightly bigger after used awhile. You need to break it in.

Rule of thumb: If you have no problem touching the chest with your Raw max, the shirt is too big.

Just from hearing the suggestions from Titan, I say go with a 36 competition fit.

Remember the plastic bags when putting it on though, and make sure to pull it far back on the shoulders too.

Rule of thumb to check if sleeves are far enough up on the shoulders: There shouldn't be any room between your armpit and the shirt.

[Overload]

I agree with hedge on all points.

You need a 36-38 comp fit.

i wear a 48 and i'm over 220 pounds but it's insanely tight. the lady must be high. if you have 13.5 arms you MUST wear a shirt that is tight around the arms, if the arms are loose you won't get anything out of the shirt.

[ripitupbaby]

OK that's two votes for a 36 Competition Fit.  I'll order it this weekend.

Yikes...this is gonna hurt.   

[Overload]

I usually have marks on the back of my triceps after using a shirt. it's going to be tight and you will feel alot of pressure across your chest as you lower the bar.

[Hedgehog]

OK that's two votes for a 36 Competition Fit.  I'll order it this weekend.

Yikes...this is gonna hurt.   

Yes, as Overload point out, you should have marks under your arms, and you should also feel a lot of pain the first couple of times lifting in the shirt.

But if the shirt is tight enough, the pain is less, for some reason.

The discomfort of the shirt, at least the lifting part, is a thing of the past after the first few workouts IMO.

[ripitupbaby]

Yes, as Overload point out, you should have marks under your arms, and you should also feel a lot of pain the first couple of times lifting in the shirt.

But if the shirt is tight enough, the pain is less, for some reason.

The discomfort of the shirt, at least the lifting part, is a thing of the past after the first few workouts IMO.

OK This is sounding better and better.   

[Hedgehog]

OK This is sounding better and better.   

After using the shirt for awhile, you probably will get the sleeves tighened up a bit, get a saddlemaker or a shoemaker, someone with a sturdy sewing machine, to sew a plain stitch where the original stitch is, but a but tighter.

But as I said, that comes after a few weeks.

[ripitupbaby]

After using the shirt for awhile, you probably will get the sleeves tighened up a bit, get a saddlemaker or a shoemaker, someone with a sturdy sewing machine, to sew a plain stitch where the original stitch is, but a but tighter.

But as I said, that comes after a few weeks.

We have an industrial strength sewing machine that is used to make designer carpets. 
My hubby can take care of that too, after he makes the wooden blocks for under my feet.   

[Hedgehog]

We have an industrial strength sewing machine that is used to make designer carpets. 
My hubby can take care of that too, after he makes the wooden blocks for under my feet.   

You were destined to become a benchpresser apparently.

[Vet]

Yes, as Overload point out, you should have marks under your arms, and you should also feel a lot of pain the first couple of times lifting in the shirt.

But if the shirt is tight enough, the pain is less, for some reason.

The discomfort of the shirt, at least the lifting part, is a thing of the past after the first few workouts IMO.

marks hell, I've got bruises on my shoulders and under my arms, even across my chest with some shirts (my old double denim was BAD for chest bruises)..... but they do seem to get better once the shirt is broken in.  You can try wetting the seams a bit, that seems to help me quite a bit in getting the shirt on the first couple of times.   Also dampen the neck so you can touch easier the first couple of times you use the shirt until its broken in. 

[ripitupbaby]

I ordered my bench press shirt today.    I ordered a Titan F6, size 36.   Red of course.   

The people on the phone at Titan confuse me.  When I called to order the shirt, she told me that they do not have the various fits for a size 36 (regular, meet, competition).  She said it's a straight 36 and that they don't make the different fits for the smaller sizes.  She also said that it would have been 4-6 weeks if I had ordered it over the internet and submitted my measurements (in which case they would have sized me at a 42 competition), but since I ordered a specific size over the phone, it should take 2-3 weeks max. 

I have a 30 day window to exchange it if the size is wrong, so I just figured what the hell, I went ahead and ordered it, so we shall see.  Timing should be good, as I plan on having my workout partner/spotter back in the gym with me in about 3 weeks or so.

[Overload]

I ordered my bench press shirt today.    I ordered a Titan F6, size 36.   Red of course.   

The people on the phone at Titan confuse me.  When I called to order the shirt, she told me that they do not have the various fits for a size 36 (regular, meet, competition).  She said it's a straight 36 and that they don't make the different fits for the smaller sizes.  She also said that it would have been 4-6 weeks if I had ordered it over the internet and submitted my measurements (in which case they would have sized me at a 42 competition), but since I ordered a specific size over the phone, it should take 2-3 weeks max. 

I have a 30 day window to exchange it if the size is wrong, so I just figured what the hell, I went ahead and ordered it, so we shall see.  Timing should be good, as I plan on having my workout partner/spotter back in the gym with me in about 3 weeks or so.

Awesome...i have 2 black shirts and a blue/red shirt. about 5 years ago i ordered my first shirt and it was purple and orange...yuck! they now keep the colors very basic.

i've never heard of the 3 different types ever when i talked to them. i thought this was something new because i haven't ordered a shirt from them in over a year. glad to hear you got it figured out.

Good luck!

[ripitupbaby]

Awesome...i have 2 black shirts and a blue/red shirt. about 5 years ago i ordered my first shirt and it was purple and orange...yuck! they now keep the colors very basic.

i've never heard of the 3 different types ever when i talked to them. i thought this was something new because i haven't ordered a shirt from them in over a year. glad to hear you got it figured out.

Good luck!

haha  Purple would be sweet.  I almost went with a red/black combo.  I think I can work the whole red shirt blonde hair thing, although I spose it's not going to make much difference in my bench.  It's not like a figure suit lol.

I guess Titan only has the three different fits for larger sizes, over 40.  This should be interesting since she was suggesting a Size 46 regular (or 42 competition) for me and I ordered a 36.

Next on my list are boards and wooden blocks for my feet...I'm gonna try to get those together in the next week or two, and then I will be ready to rock and roll.   

I think I'm going with 2" boards for starters, BTW.

[Hedgehog]

Awesome...i have 2 black shirts and a blue/red shirt. about 5 years ago i ordered my first shirt and it was purple and orange...yuck! they now keep the colors very basic.

i've never heard of the 3 different types ever when i talked to them. i thought this was something new because i haven't ordered a shirt from them in over a year. glad to hear you got it figured out.

Good luck!

That "3 different types" thing was a suprise to me too.

Must be something they just put on their website for show, and then they'll just figure out from the measurements what size to send?

Anyway, seems like ripitup's got things moving on well now.

Next thing we'll hear from her, are the complaints of how tight the shirt was and how much it hurted. 

We've all been there, and all thought it was impossible to lift in those fcuking strait jackets.


I remember on a few occasions panicking, not being able to remove the shirt, the fingers numbing up.

...ah, what a sweet sport.