Official Bench Shirt Thread

[Arlecchino]

This thread is to review various types of bench shirts. If you do not wear a bench shirt, like me, do not bash them. This is for those who use a shirt, or would like to use one, to provide and receive information. Please review gear in a clear and concise manner. This thread can be one of the best in terms of answering questions that frequently arise, and you never know when you might need a new shirt yourself.

Example of good reviews:



One thing I would really like to see is people rating the gear for Novice, Intermediate, or Advance lifters. We have some elite benchers here, and if some of us, like me, tried to do the same things with the same gear, it would probably cause me a severe injury somewhere on the high side of my colon. So when reviewing a shirt, please perform this simple service.

Warning:

Do not start a raw vs. gear debate.
Do not spam this thread.

The gear threads will probably be the most heavily moderated threads on bb.com, and if you screw one of them up by failing to observe painfully simple rules, you will be banned so thoroughly it wipes out your ability to post on another board somewhere else.

An example of what types of shirts are allowed in each federation can be found here.

[Jason2459]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Titan Super Katana
Ply's: Single
My Experience level in a shirt: Novice/Beginner
Suggested Experience level: Intermediate to Advanced
Rating (1-10): 10
Link: http://www.andersonpowerlifting.com/...ench-Shirt.php or http://www.liftinglarge.com/index.as...ATS&Category=2
Vids in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbK7qKTLsQA
Review:

They really pushed the IPF standard and most people didn't think that it was going to get passed. Some people don't think it should have. But I guess enough sponsor dollars goes a long way. It's an awesome shirt. Much thicker neck seam and scooped neck. I'd say a good 2" scoop and if you are familiar with a custom RageX with a super scooped neck line it is slightly narrower seam but very close to the seam and scoop.

The back is also brought down a little so those that need to keep it closed back will have some more upper back exposed to the bench to help prevent sliding which is good. They use their reinforced seam technique they use with all their singleply gear which makes the best single ply maker in most peoples eyes. The seam along the back of the arm can be worked with and tweaked out as you go for heavier attempts. The more you rotate it around the harder it is to touch and more rebound you get on the bottom.

I got the A/S for arched benchers and the groove is very low and needs a really tight tuck. Much narrower grove then the RageX. The RageX had a more forgiving grove. The Super Katana also uses their newer super nxg+ material which is a slight thicker, much tighter and stronger weave. This all makes the shirt REALLY NASTY when you make it into a double ply and some have even grid stitched it. Super hard to touch with that from what I hear.

I still need a lot more training in the shirt and know I can get a lot more out of it. In another thread I compared my experience in it with the first shirt I ever tried out for a couple weeks which was a dbleply RageX super scoop neck, grid stitched, open back, and 2in off the arms.

I got up to 385 on 2-3 board with the RageX. I was at about 285 unequipped at that time.

Went with out a shirt for a while, stopped training for a long time, 7months because of a flood, and got a lot weaker. I went to a UPA meet and meet up with Ken Anderson and he fitted me into a stock Super Katana. In the Super Katana I was able to hit 385 to a one board and I was around 275 unequipped at that time.

So, not being super experienced in either shirt, just a really good team that I worked with, I got about the same carry over.

More recently I have been able to work 385 down to touching and I hit 285 in training as well around the same time as doing that. So about 100lbs carry over there. I know there's a lot more in that shirt.

Most people would say this shirt is NOT for someone that has never used a shirt because of the narrow grove and steep learning curve. Only reason I went with this shirt is because of it's great potential and I have a really good team that can help me out with it.

For sizing a off the shelf check out http://www.liftinglarge.com/index.as...on=Custom&ID=1

Otherwise call in and get a custom fit. Measured under the arms at widest part of chest, arms at sides and relaxed I measured just over 47" and got a size 48 which would be considered a meet fit for a 46" measurement or a competition fit for a 48" measurement. Needless to say it is a tight fit but could be tighter. Still gives some really good bite marks every time I use it.

[burningNun]

Shirt: Titan F6
Experience in shirt: Novice

Good first shirt, can be tweaked easily to get an easy touch or more support, and there's enough scoop that if you bench with the collar high it won't choke you too much. Not terribly difficult to get on, or mine isn't at least (it is pretty hard to get off though). It's for arched benchers but my arch isn't very big and I do fine with it, so I suppose it's fairly forgiving. Probably not for advanced lifters who can get more out of a Katana, but fine for intermediates and novices (I suppose that depends on your definition of novice and intermediate, which might bear clarifying in the original post).

[UHCougar05]

Formatting shamelessly stolen from Jason:

Shirt: Metal Pro Bencher
Experience Level Needed: Intermediate to Advanced (depending on fit)
Rating (1-10): 8
Link to Shirt: http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...id=204&pid=783
Videos in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-_5...e=channel_page and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7sh1coqJ8I
Gear Experience: Inzer Blue DD, Inzer Blast, Inzer HPHD
Review of said shirt:

Good pop off of the chest and follow through to lockout. The sleeves are also very comfortable and the open back gives the option to alter the touch points in the shirt depending on how high or low you have the collar. With the collar high, I can touch 315 and I can pull it down to where 455 will hover 1" off my chest.

The sleeves are quite long on these, and unfortunately, unlike Inzer you cannot have 1"-2" taken off the sleeves before you order, unless you custom order it from Metal in Finland, which kinda sucks.

If you go with a Metal shirt, I would recommend that you try the shirt first and if it works for you, use it, but here are some of the custom additions to the shirt I use:

-Scooped Neck Collar
-Reinforced Collar
-Denim insert on Chest Plate inside shirt
-Grid Stitched Chest plate
-1" taken out of the Chest plate.

[Assassin]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Rage X
Ply's: Double
My Experience level in a shirt: Advanced/Elite
Suggested Experience level: Advanced (see mods/review below)
Rating (1-10): 10
Link: http://www.houseofpain.com/product-d...145&tsccat=145
Vids in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnC73JKKeSU
Review:

My Rage X is modified just like the guys at BIG Iron have, as well as other top names in the sport. 2" scooped superneck, grid-stitched, sleeves shortened 2", super floppy back (you can do full open as well to jack it up properly), round-stitched sleeves, and reinforced shoulders. (The seam is about 3-4" wide, ridiculously reinforced)

I get at least 600 lbs out of this shirt, and can barely bench the bar!

The groove on this shirt is around upper abs, depending on your setup. I have a pretty big arch, so the 'sweet spot' seems to be in that area. If you try benching like a bodybuilder with elbows out and touch in the xyphoid process area, you WILL blow the shirt out. This is a shirt you reeeeally need to bench Metal Militia style to get the most out of it. Long story short: you start the descent with elbows out like a bodybuilder until you can't move the bar down anymore. Then and ONLY then, you start cutting the elbows (tucking them in) and bring it down to touch. Coming out of the bottom, you HAVE to flare up and back at he same time. If you come straight up and then try to flare, you'll be lucky if you can muscle it up but most likely will fail. Think Superman when he's about to takeoff. Tuck and flare. If done properly, the bar will basically float up to lockout.

It provides support in the triceps throughout the lift, plenty of 'pop' off the chest, but can be a pain to touch with how tight the chest is due to grid-stitching.

You SHOULD have a problem getting your index finger out to the rings. Your liftoff person should have to help you get one of your hands out to the rings. This is going to really suck at first, and make it harder than ever to push the elbows out. This is why you break this shirt in with high boards and gradually work your way down as the weeks go on.

The sleeves should be leaving quite the bite marks coming across the lower portion of the medial deltoid and across your triceps. My last meet was in September last year and I still have the outlines/scars from the shirt across both shoulders. I'm not kidding.

I will get into how to jack this shirt properly later on.

-Ryan

[Assassin]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Rage X
Ply's: Double
My Experience level in a shirt: Advanced/Elite
Suggested Experience level: Beginner to Elite
Rating (1-10): 10
Link: http://www.houseofpain.com/product-d...145&tsccat=145
Vids in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN8Z-7xev_A
Review:

This was my Rage X from years ago. It was double ply, scooped neck, floppy back, and sleeves shortened 2". This was the shirt I started using when I got into the sport.

Notice my sweet Mr. T. haircut.

The main difference between this shirt and my jacked up Rage X is a few things:

-This shirt has more 'pop' out of the bottom than the jacked version. I've heard this from several pros face-to-face. It is also a lot easier to touch without the grid-stitching. However, this also makes the shirt wear out a bit faster, and once you're pushing some serious weight you can burn through it in one training cycle. At someone like Frankl's level, probably 2 shirts. If you're sponsored, it's not an issue at all. For the rest of us normal people, it's a decision you have to make.

-Non-reinforced shoulders make things a lot easier to touch. However, if you're not careful you can have a shoulder blowout as well. Again, read below as to how to bring it down/wear to touch, and you should be able to avoid this.

The groove on this shirt is around upper abs, depending on your setup. I have a pretty big arch, so the 'sweet spot' seems to be in that area. If you try benching like a bodybuilder with elbows out and touch in the xyphoid process area, you WILL blow the shirt out. This is a shirt you reeeeally need to bench Metal Militia style to get the most out of it. Long story short: you start the descent with elbows out like a bodybuilder until you can't move the bar down anymore. Then and ONLY then, you start cutting the elbows (tucking them in) and bring it down to touch. Coming out of the bottom, you HAVE to flare up and back at he same time. If you come straight up and then try to flare, you'll be lucky if you can muscle it up but most likely will fail. Think Superman when he's about to takeoff. Tuck and flare. If done properly, the bar will basically float up to lockout.

It provides support in the triceps throughout the lift, plenty of 'pop' off the chest, but can be a pain to touch with how tight the chest is due to grid-stitching.

You SHOULD have a problem getting your index finger out to the rings. Your liftoff person should have to help you get one of your hands out to the rings. This is going to really suck at first, and make it harder than ever to push the elbows out. This is why you break this shirt in with high boards and gradually work your way down as the weeks go on.

The sleeves should be leaving quite the bite marks coming across the lower portion of the medial deltoid and across your triceps. My last meet was in September last year and I still have the outlines/scars from the shirt across both shoulders. I'm not kidding.

I will get into how to jack this shirt properly later on.

-Ryan

[Assassin]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Phenom
Ply's: Double
My Experience level in a shirt: Advanced/Elite
Suggested Experience level: Beginner to Elite
Rating (1-10): 10
Link: http://www.houseofpain.com/product-d...145&tsccat=145
Vids in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B4Oia-ksx8
Review:

This is the weapon of choice for my training partner. This is just a double Phenom, 2" scooped superneck, grid-stitched, round-stitched sleeves. This is NOT the Super Phenom, which I will get into more detail in the next post.

This shirt is very forgiving. As you can see, my training partner isn't as flexible as me and brings the bar a lot higher than I do. This is perfectly fine with this shirt as it's a lot more 'springy' and a much broader range of motion.

It's still crucial to use the Metal Militia bench style when using this, or any poly shirt, to get the most out of it.

You want this shirt a little tighter than a Rage X, because it's going to stretch more. Some guys start off with POR, and work their fingers out one finger each week until it's comp grip. There's another way to break it in, but I'll get to that with the Super Phenom in the next post.

Bottom line: this shirt can be tweaked to the 10th degree. This makes it a great shirt for beginners, and a shirt that a lot of pros are still using when jacked properly. If you don't have a large arch, this is a shirt definitely worth checking out.

I will get into how to jack this shirt properly later on.

-Ryan

[Assassin]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Super Phenom
Ply's: Double Hardcore (Super Phenom)
My Experience level in a shirt: Advanced/Elite
Suggested Experience level: Elite
Rating (1-10): 10
Link: http://www.houseofpain.com/product-d...145&tsccat=145 <-- CALL HOUSE OF PAIN AND TALK WITH JASON
Vids in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7NRwF9KWIY
Review:

Shirt mods: 2" scooped superneck, grid-stitched, round-stitched sleeves, open back, reinforced shoulders, and possibly 3-ply in this video. A lot of debate on that, but I personally have owned a 3-ply Super Phenom. It's a beast.

This is the big dog shirt, the Super Phenom. This shirt has two plies of Hardcore material, whereas most double ply Phenoms are one ply Hardcore and another Heavy Duty. This is info from John Inzer himself. (Note: this shirt can be triple-ply upon request. Be VERY careful what you wish for...)

This shirt is somewhat forgiving, but a higher learning curve as the plies are a bit more stiff compared to the regular double.

It's still crucial to use the Metal Militia bench style when using this, or any poly shirt, to get the most out of it.

You want this shirt a little tighter than a Rage X, because it's going to stretch more. Some guys start off with POR, and work their fingers out one finger each week until it's comp grip. There's another way to break it in, but I'll get to that with the Super Phenom in the next post.

Another method is getting the shirt one size larger than you actually want it. You break it in for a few weeks, and then send it back in to get tightened back to one size smaller. This way the material is stretched out, and basically prevents any blowouts. This is what Carpenter and his crew swear by and haven't had a blowout yet. One of my training partners that has this shirt has done the same thing, and no blowouts either.

Bottom line: this shirt can be tweaked to the 10th degree. However, due to the break-in period and the weights needed, it's not for everyone. The groove is still a lot more forgiving than the Rage X or jacked Rage X, but still a PITA.

I will get into how to jack this shirt properly later on.

-Ryan

[Assassin]

How to Jack Up A Rage X

I'm going to do my best to explain how to jack up a Rage X. This isn't the end-all by any means, but just things I've picked up over the years of using one, tricks my training partner has showed me, tricks BIG Iron uses, tricks Rhodes taught me years ago, the list goes on and on.

Open or Closed Back:

There are a few trains of thought on this. Floppy back vs. open back

Floppy Back:
This is what I use. I get the super floppy back so I can still jack the collar around as low as I want. I compete APF, and will probably compete UPA and/or IPA if they throw another Pro/Am, so I don't use a closed back due to a federation restriction. If you have that, and still want to jack your shirt to the max, this is the way to go.

The idea is something I learned from Rhodes thanks to his training partner Vinnie Dizenzo. Vinnie said that the shirts are designed to be worn closed back, and you get more tricep support this way. For whatever reason it doesn't matter what type of closed back, just as long as it's closed. I've done this with the past few shirts I've used, and swear by my Rage X. I figure it can't hurt, so I ran with it.

Open Back:
The other argument is that there's no way you can pull the front down as much as you need to with a closed back. I'm not going to split hairs on this. If you feel you want an open back so you can pull your collar down to your belly button, have at it! The main idea here is to make sure you have the ability to jack that thing down as far as you want. Some people like the open back because they say they stick to the bench better, while others like the closed back for the same reason. Find what works and run with it!

Putting the Shirt On
Start off by grabbing a barbell/object at around shoulder to chin level, double underhand grip (palms facing the ceiling) with your hands about 6-8" apart. We like using a barbell in the monolift as it seems to be the perfect height. Also make sure your belt is on, but very loose. You are going to want to pull the sleeves on about mid-forearm at this point. Now here's a key part: make sure the seam on the tricep area is just outside your elbow. Once you have that seam set, have your training partner start pulling the shirt straight back as far as possible, keeping that seam just outside the elbow.

Once you can't get the shirt up any higher on your arm (you should NOT be able to get it all the way up like this, otherwise it's too loose in the sleeves), you get to punch into it. Grab a monolift j-hook, side of a squat cage, something vertical with the arm you're not going to be punching with. With your training partner behind you, with one hand on the upper part of your shoulder seam and the other in your armpit seam, you start punching. Make sure you lead with your elbow and power through, if that makes sense. You want to punch across your body a bit as well. Also make sure whoever is helping you set your shirt has a strong grip. You really want to lay into these punches, but in a controlled manner, to really get that arm/sleeve set. Once that is set, switch to the other arm and repeat. It may take a few times, or 'punching sessions' to make sure it's set properly. Sometimes I have to wait a few minutes before punching again. I do this until the bottom of the sleeve is just above my elbow so there's basically no room to spare in terms of my elbow showing.

Jacking the Collar
Now comes the fun part, yanking the collar down! (Again, make sure your training partner is helping you with this)

Just like putting the sleeves on, assume an underhand grip with palms facing upwards and rest them on your training partners traps just outside his/her neck. You are going to want to bend your arms a bit, like a mini curl, and lean forward. Your training partner should get his/her hands on the collar and pull it down a bit, move down halfway on the shirt and continue to pull the slack out, and then get both hands to the bottom of the shirt just outside hip width and PULL it all down. At this point you're going to want to arch back a bit, and this should create some nice shirt cleavage. Once this slack is taken out, your training partner is going to want to crank your belt pretty tight. Figure out what works best, but make sure it's tight enough to stay in place but just loose enough to pull down when you're setup on the bench.

This whole process may take a few tries to hammer down. Once you and your training partner get all the steps down, it's a pretty quick process. Be patient, as it can take some time to get this down fluidly.

Wrist Wrapping
Once your shirt is set, now is the time to put the wraps on. This way your hands don't get numb as you're setting your shirt, and all you have to do is lay down and bench. I prefer cranking these on AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE, so they feel like a cast. This is also why I use the 36" Convicts. Find a wrap that works best for you, gradually work your way as tight as possible (as you don't want your wrists to cock back) and go.

Bench Setup
This is a whole topic for another thread. I setup Metal Militia style, arch and all. If using a Rage X, arching is what helps you get the most out of your shirt. Work on arching more and more every rep of every workout, raw or shirted.

For videos on how to setup MM style, check out the MM DVDs or the Elite Benching DVD. Both have the setup on how to arch properly.

Other Random Tips
-Wet the sleeve seams and/or collar/chest panel in the early part of the workout. This will allow the shirt to stretch just a bit to make touching a little easier, but not enough to stretch out the shirt like the days of denim. Under the tricep helps as well. Again, something to mess around with and figure out what (if any) works best for you.

-Pull the pecs up/out of the shirt. While this might seem kind of weird having another guy pull your pecs up, it can help a lot for shirt jacking. Keep in mind, the more cleavage you create, the more it will take to touch and a potentially lower touching point. Have your training partner reach from behind and literally grab your pec and pull it up. Spraying Stickum on the chest can help keep the collar set when you pull the pecs out. Experiment, see if this is for you and if it works.

-Keep in mind for every half inch to inch you pull the collar down, it can range from 50-100+ extra pounds needed to touch. Again, everyone is different and has to figure out what works best for them. Some don't like the collar low, others swear by it. I, personally, am somewhere in-between.

Hopefully this made sense on how to get the most out of your Rage X!

-Ryan

[Assassin]

How to Jack Up A Phenom/Super Phenom

I'm going to do my best to explain how to jack up a Phenom/Super Phenom. This isn't the end-all by any means, but just things I've picked up over the years of using one, tricks my training partner has showed me, tricks BIG Iron uses, tricks Rhodes taught me years ago, the list goes on and on.

Open or Closed Back:

There are a few trains of thought on this. Floppy back vs. open back

Floppy Back:
This is what I use. I get the super floppy back so I can still jack the collar around as low as I want. I compete APF, and will probably compete UPA and/or IPA if they throw another Pro/Am, so I don't use a closed back due to a federation restriction. If you have that, and still want to jack your shirt to the max, this is the way to go.

The idea is something I learned from Rhodes thanks to his training partner Vinnie Dizenzo. Vinnie said that the shirts are designed to be worn closed back, and you get more tricep support this way. For whatever reason it doesn't matter what type of closed back, just as long as it's closed. I figure it can't hurt, so I ran with it.

Open Back:
The other argument is that there's no way you can pull the front down as much as you need to with a closed back. I'm not going to split hairs on this. If you feel you want an open back so you can pull your collar down to your belly button, have at it! The main idea here is to make sure you have the ability to jack that thing down as far as you want. Some people like the open back because they say they stick to the bench better, while others like the closed back for the same reason. Find what works and run with it!

Putting the Shirt On
Start off by grabbing a barbell/object at around shoulder to chin level, double underhand grip (palms facing the ceiling) with your hands about 6-8" apart. We like using a barbell in the monolift as it seems to be the perfect height. Also make sure your belt is on, but very loose. You are going to want to pull the sleeves on about mid-forearm at this point. Now here's a key part: make sure the seam on the tricep area is just outside your elbow. Once you have that seam set, have your training partner start pulling the shirt straight back as far as possible, keeping that seam just outside the elbow.

Once you can't get the shirt up any higher on your arm (you should NOT be able to get it all the way up like this, otherwise it's too loose in the sleeves), you get to punch into it. Grab a monolift j-hook, side of a squat cage, something vertical with the arm you're not going to be punching with. With your training partner behind you, with one hand on the upper part of your shoulder seam and the other in your armpit seam, you start punching. Make sure you lead with your elbow and power through, if that makes sense. You want to punch across your body a bit as well. Also make sure whoever is helping you set your shirt has a strong grip. You really want to lay into these punches, but in a controlled manner, to really get that arm/sleeve set. Once that is set, switch to the other arm and repeat. It may take a few times, or 'punching sessions' to make sure it's set properly. Sometimes I have to wait a few minutes before punching again. I do this until the bottom of the sleeve is just above my elbow so there's basically no room to spare in terms of my elbow showing.

Jacking the Collar
Now comes the fun part, yanking the collar down! (Again, make sure your training partner is helping you with this)

Just like putting the sleeves on, assume an underhand grip with palms facing upwards and rest them on your training partners traps just outside his/her neck. You are going to want to bend your arms a bit, like a mini curl, and lean forward. Your training partner should get his/her hands on the collar and pull it down a bit, move down halfway on the shirt and continue to pull the slack out, and then get both hands to the bottom of the shirt just outside hip width and PULL it all down. At this point you're going to want to arch back a bit, and this should create some nice shirt cleavage. Once this slack is taken out, your training partner is going to want to crank your belt pretty tight. Figure out what works best, but make sure it's tight enough to stay in place but just loose enough to pull down when you're setup on the bench.

This whole process may take a few tries to hammer down. Once you and your training partner get all the steps down, it's a pretty quick process. Be patient, as it can take some time to get this down fluidly.

The big difference between a Rage X and Phenom/Super Phenom is how much support is place on the chest. When you get a superneck collar on a Phenom/Super Phenom, it's as thick if not thicker than a dog collar. The reason is because of how much stress this thing takes. You want the collar riding low on this shirt, and should really feel that pressure from the collar against your body during the lift. It can take some time to get used to, and your pecs might actually be sore after a bench workout in this shirt. That's perfectly normal! Without the superneck collar, the shirt will blow really easily.

Wrist Wrapping
Once your shirt is set, now is the time to put the wraps on. This way your hands don't get numb as you're setting your shirt, and all you have to do is lay down and bench. I prefer cranking these on AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE, so they feel like a cast. This is also why I use the 36" Convicts. Find a wrap that works best for you, gradually work your way as tight as possible (as you don't want your wrists to cock back) and go.

Bench Setup
This is a whole topic for another thread. I setup Metal Militia style, arch and all. If using a Rage X, arching is what helps you get the most out of your shirt. Work on arching more and more every rep of every workout, raw or shirted.

For videos on how to setup MM style, check out the MM DVDs or the Elite Benching DVD. Both have the setup on how to arch properly.

Other Random Tips
-Wet the sleeve seams and/or collar/chest panel in the early part of the workout. This will allow the shirt to stretch just a bit to make touching a little easier, but not enough to stretch out the shirt like the days of denim. Under the tricep helps as well. Again, something to mess around with and figure out what (if any) works best for you.

-Pull the pecs up/out of the shirt. While this might seem kind of weird having another guy pull your pecs up, it can help a lot for shirt jacking. Keep in mind, the more cleavage you create, the more it will take to touch and a potentially lower touching point. Have your training partner reach from behind and literally grab your pec and pull it up. Spraying Stickum on the chest can help keep the collar set when you pull the pecs out. Experiment, see if this is for you and if it works.

-Keep in mind for every half inch to inch you pull the collar down, it can range from 50-100+ extra pounds needed to touch. Again, everyone is different and has to figure out what works best for them. Some don't like the collar low, others swear by it. I, personally, am somewhere in-between.

-If using the Super Phenom, please please please make sure you take the time to break it in properly before loading some ridiculous weight in your hands. Get the shirt a size bigger than normal, stretch it out over about 2-3 decent workouts, and then send it back to either get the same size (if that was tight enough) or the size smaller. You can get one mod like this for free, (or $25, I can't remember) and your shirt is ready to go and help you SFW. Like I said in the above posts, Carpenter and his crew do this and have yet to have a blowout in the SP.

Hopefully this made sense on how to get the most out of your Phenom/Super Phenom!

-Ryan

[Assassin]

How to Jack Up A Katana

I'm going to do my best to explain how to jack up a Katana. This isn't the end-all by any means, but just things I've picked up over the years of using one, tricks my training partner has showed me, tricks BIG Iron uses, tricks Rhodes taught me years ago, the list goes on and on.

Open or Closed Back:

There are a few trains of thought on this. Floppy back vs. open back

Floppy Back:
This is my training partners use. They get the floppy back so they can still jack the collar around as low as they want. They compete APF, UPA, IPA, WABDL. If you have that, and still want to jack your shirt to the max, this is the way to go.

Open Back:
The other argument is that there's no way you can pull the front down as much as you need to with a closed back. I'm not going to split hairs on this. If you feel you want an open back so you can pull your collar down to your belly button, have at it! The main idea here is to make sure you have the ability to jack that thing down as far as you want. Some people like the open back because they say they stick to the bench better, while others like the closed back for the same reason. Find what works and run with it!

Putting the Shirt On
Start off by grabbing a barbell/object at around shoulder to chin level, double underhand grip (palms facing the ceiling) with your hands about 6-8" apart. We like using a barbell in the monolift as it seems to be the perfect height. Also make sure your belt is on, but very loose. You are going to want to pull the sleeves on about mid-forearm at this point. Now here's a key part: make sure the seam on the bicep area is pointing down the middle of your bicep where it meets your forearm. Once you have that seam set, have your training partner start pulling the shirt straight back as far as possible, keeping that seam just outside the elbow.

Once you can't get the shirt up any higher on your arm (you should NOT be able to get it all the way up like this, otherwise it's too loose in the sleeves), you get to punch into it. Grab a monolift j-hook, side of a squat cage, something vertical with the arm you're not going to be punching with. With your training partner behind you, with one hand on the upper part of your shoulder seam and the other in your armpit seam, you start punching. Make sure you lead with your elbow and power through, if that makes sense. You want to punch across your body a bit as well. Also make sure whoever is helping you set your shirt has a strong grip. You really want to lay into these punches, but in a controlled manner, to really get that arm/sleeve set. Once that is set, switch to the other arm and repeat. It may take a few times, or 'punching sessions' to make sure it's set properly. Sometimes I have to wait a few minutes before punching again. I do this until the bottom of the sleeve is just above my elbow so there's basically no room to spare in terms of my elbow showing.

Jacking the Collar
Now comes the fun part, yanking the collar down! (Again, make sure your training partner is helping you with this)

Just like putting the sleeves on, assume an underhand grip with palms facing upwards and rest them on your training partners traps just outside his/her neck. You are going to want to bend your arms a bit, like a mini curl, and lean forward. Your training partner should get his/her hands on the collar and pull it down a bit, move down halfway on the shirt and continue to pull the slack out, and then get both hands to the bottom of the shirt just outside hip width and PULL it all down. At this point you're going to want to arch back a bit, and this should create some nice shirt cleavage. Once this slack is taken out, your training partner is going to want to crank your belt pretty tight. Figure out what works best, but make sure it's tight enough to stay in place but just loose enough to pull down when you're setup on the bench.

If you watch Mark Bell and the Super Training crew, they yank their collars lower than anyone I've ever seen. And you know what? Mark Bell benches 800, so clearly it works for him!

This whole process may take a few tries to hammer down. Once you and your training partner get all the steps down, it's a pretty quick process. Be patient, as it can take some time to get this down fluidly.

Wrist Wrapping
Once your shirt is set, now is the time to put the wraps on. This way your hands don't get numb as you're setting your shirt, and all you have to do is lay down and bench. I prefer cranking these on AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE, so they feel like a cast. This is also why I use the 36" Convicts. Find a wrap that works best for you, gradually work your way as tight as possible (as you don't want your wrists to cock back) and go.

Bench Setup
This is a whole topic for another thread. I setup Metal Militia style, arch and all. If using a Rage X, arching is what helps you get the most out of your shirt. Work on arching more and more every rep of every workout, raw or shirted.

For videos on how to setup MM style, check out the MM DVDs or the Elite Benching DVD. Both have the setup on how to arch properly.

Other Random Tips
-Wet the sleeve seams and/or collar/chest panel in the early part of the workout. This will allow the shirt to stretch just a bit to make touching a little easier, but not enough to stretch out the shirt like the days of denim. Under the tricep helps as well. Again, something to mess around with and figure out what (if any) works best for you.

-Pull the pecs up/out of the shirt. While this might seem kind of weird having another guy pull your pecs up, it can help a lot for shirt jacking. Keep in mind, the more cleavage you create, the more it will take to touch and a potentially lower touching point. Have your training partner reach from behind and literally grab your pec and pull it up. Spraying Stickum on the chest can help keep the collar set when you pull the pecs out. Experiment, see if this is for you and if it works.

-Keep in mind for every half inch to inch you pull the collar down, it can range from 50-100+ extra pounds needed to touch. Again, everyone is different and has to figure out what works best for them. Some don't like the collar low, others swear by it. I, personally, am somewhere in-between.

-Notice the difference between where to align the sleeves on a Rage X/Phenom vs. the Katana! The Katana seams are pre-twisted, so make sure the part that comes around your bicep is what you line up down the center of your bicep. This is a trick my training partner figured out, and it works wonders for all that try it. His shirt ninjitsu is known all throughout Minnesota at this point!

Hopefully this made sense and will help you get the most out of your Katana!

-Ryan

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Inzer Extra High Performance HD Blast
Ply?s: Single
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Beginner (my opinion) Experienced (according to Inzer)
Rating (1-10): 1

Review:
This is almost the bottom of the barrel in bench shirt technology. This was my first shirt and I may have got 10 to 15 lbs out of it. At the time I was a beginner and really did not know anybody with the knowledge about shirts. This shirt, like all the other shirts really bite you in the arm pits and chest. I would not recommend this shirt to anybody. The price is $100 and for a few dollars more, you can get a much better shirt from Inzer.

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Inzer Phenom
Ply?s: Single and double
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Intermediate (my opinion) Experienced (according to Inzer)
Rating (1-10): 1 on stock shirt, 8 on double ply with alterations.

Review:

I did not like this shirt as a stock shirt off the shelf in single ply. I got this shirt and started training with a few lifters that I knew from a few pl meets. IMO this shirt is crap. I did not get the ?pop? off the chest and maybe only got 30 lbs out of it. Keep in mind that mine was stock with no alterations.

DOUBLE PLY Phenom

Review:

After talking and training with a couple of guys from team Kennelly, I got a double ply, re-enforced scooped collar. This shirt was jacked! I got over 130 lbs out of it on the first go. The only down fall of this shirt is the price. There are several single ply shirts you can get for half the price that are better. Both of these shirts were pretty easy to learn how to use. I found the groove pretty naturally and it is a pretty forgiving shirt if you get out of the groove a little.

[dumdum4gumgum]

nice thread

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: RageX
Ply?s: Single
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Beginner to Elite (my opinion) Experienced (according to Inzer)
Rating (1-10): 10

Review:

I got the first version of the RageX when it came out. This shirt is the ****. You will get a lot of ?pop? off the chest. The groove on this shirt was really easy to find and it provided me almost 180lbs to my raw. I am sure that if I would have stuck with this shirt, in either the single or double ply, I would have got a lot more out of the shirt. NOW for the problem with this shirt and why I went to Titan is that I went thru 4 shirts in about 4 months of training. Every one of them got runners in them from the collar to the seam on the arm sleeve at the top of the chest plate. Keep in mind that this was the early version of the shirt and I hear the Inzer addressed this problem and has since fixed this problem. (How I don?t have a clue) Biased on this, I would recommend this shirt to anybody who is looking for a good shirt no matter you level of expierence.

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Titan Fury
Ply?s: Single
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Beginner to Elite (my opinion)
Rating (1-10): 7

Review:

I went to this shirt after having problems with my RageX shirts. I found this shirt identical as the RageX performance wise. The fit, groove and durability of the shirt were about the same as the RageX. The only problem with this shirt is that when you press the weight up, the shirt likes to force the weight over your face. I had a lot of problems with the bar slamming into the uprights when benching. I used this shirt for about 2 years before switching to the F6. I am on the fence on recommending this shirt to anybody. I would go with the RageX or F6 over this shirt.

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Titan F6
Ply?s: Single
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Beginner to Elite (my opinion)
Rating (1-10): 10

Review:

Read my review on the Fury and I say the same exact thing about this shirt except for the fact that I have not had the problems with the bar hitting the uprights with the angle sleeve version of this shirt. I did try the straight sleeve F6 but had the same problem I had with the Fury. I switched to the F-6 and problem solved. I am a flat backed bencher and use the A/S version of this shirt. I love this shirt and would recommend it to anybody at any level. The warranty that Titan gives can?t be beat?this is off their website:
What you get is a rock solid guarantee set right here in writing.
1. We guarantee you will bench more in Titan shirts (with the correct fit) or your money back. (Thirty day trial period)

2. Your shirts are guaranteed for an entire year against blowouts, tears or rips. If it happens, you get a new one - not a repair

3. Your shirts are guaranteed against runners for 18 months! Again, if it happens, you get a new one - not a repair.


I pick this over the RageX mostly due to price. $99 for this shirt vs $135 for the RagX?and IMO, you will get the same performance out of both shirts.

[jmt92]

Does someone have a review for a titan f-6 other then burningnun.Just would like another reveiw(his was great just looking for more than one)

I'm buying it from someone so some reviews would be nice, heard nothing but good things.

[powerlifter70]

Shirts that I have used:

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand: Karin?s Extreme Double Denim (Matt Larmaque version)
Ply?s: Double
My experience level in a shirt: Advanced
Suggested Experience level: Advanced to Elite (my opinion)
Rating (1-10): see my review

Review:

This is the only Denim shirt that I have used. I bought this shirt after watching Matt Larmaque compete in the 220 class and hit 771.5 and the 242 class and hit an 802. I did not dedicate the time to really learn this shirt. I spent 4 years in poly shirts before I decided to try denim and my groove did not mesh with this shirt. I bench at the nipple line and her shirts are not made for this type of bencher. I can?t really give a proper review of this shirt as I only trained in it about 5 times and decided it was not for me. If you are a denim guy, then check out her site. Karin gives great customer service. You can?t order the shirt over the internet, you have to call her so she can talk with you and guide you thru the measuring process to ensure you get what you want. Here is her site: http://www.karinsxtremepower.com/index.html

[Retardo-pex]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand:Inzer blast/ Titan Katana
Ply's: Single
My Experience level in a shirt: Novice/Beginner
Suggested Experience level: Beginner/ Intermediate- Advanced
Rating (1-10): 3/10

Review: First I will talk about the blast shirt and my experiences with it. For those of you unsure about geared lifting, whether or not you will end up competing more then once etc, an Inzer blast shirt and Z-suit are great for gear introductions. They are not nearly as extreme as some gear, but teach you how to put gear on and set it, while aiding in the lifts slightly as well. For $45 or so you can get enough support to aide with your raw touch and go max with a pause, and even add a bit more weight. When I used it the first time, I didn't really get any actual training in it beforehand. I still got a 285 bench (275 raw max at the time) under meet conditions, and will still throw it on time to time if my shoulders are bugging me. Other then offering very little support, a negative aspect of this shirt is that it seems to lose its effect very quickly. I only wore it to 2 meets, spaced about 5 months apart and by the second meet it was very stretched out. It is not like most shirts where your tris get a ton of support, but I would describe it as being tight around the rear delt/armpit which helps with the first inch or so of the lift and the pause, but not much else. I would recommend this shirt to a novice lifter who is interested in gear, but would recommend training in it for a while, then trying to get your hands on a rage x or katana from friends/coaches/etc, even if its just to try and see the difference. It is better then nothing, but in no way mimics the feel or training style a "real" shirt has.

Titan Katana: This is my first real shirt. I had worn a loose rage x in training before and thought it was great, then i put on a katana and the difference was immediate. At a time where I was struggling to bench 250+ raw due to shoulder issues, I used this shirt for a few weeks of training and was 2 board pressing 345. I got it in January and brought it to a feb 1st meet. I pr'd in bench with 308, and just missed my lockout of 330. Being a gear novice, along with several of my teammates, it was nice to see the learning curve of the katana seems a bit more forgiving than a rage x. There were people who just couldn't get weights to touch with rages that weren't all that tight on them, while all I really have to do is not superjack the katana right away and get a few triples in it and I can touch as low as 245. Another great thing about this shirt is I can almost put it on myself. It is not super loose, maybe a size bigger then optimal competition fit, but I can jam my arms in the sleeves and get it over my head and almost have it on all the way already. My experience with a same size rage x seems to require a lot more work to set up. I feel like I will be able to continue wearing this shirt up through 198 and possibly heavier, as many people have told me they tend to last. If I continue geared lifting, my next purchase will most likely be a super katana as well. Titan support systems also seems to have very good customer service when compared to Inzer, I received everything less then 2 weeks after ordering, while Inzer took a good month and a half to send up a blast shirt and z-suit.

Overall I would recommend the Titan Katana to someone who is new to gear, but knows enough to make it work. If you are like me, and always had a poor bench, chances are you will need to work your lockout extra hard to get the most out of this shirt, but if you know a little bit about form differences with shirted lifting, then it is very easy to put this shirt on and get to work.

[burningNun]

Does someone have a review for a titan f-6 other then burningnun.Just would like another reveiw(his was great just looking for more than one)

I'm buying it from someone so some reviews would be nice, heard nothing but good things.

The post above yours.

[cupcakekid]

Equipment: Bench Shirt
Brand:Inzer Rage X
Ply's: double
My Experience level in a shirt: novice
Suggested Experience level: Intermediate- Advanced
Rating (1-10): 9/10

Review: Excellent shirt. I have it custom fit, 2 inch scoop, very small chest plate. pretty much top of the line equipment wise. When benching it takes 405 to touch with a decent arch. The shirt loads up very well. with 405+ ive found it stops the weight at a 2-3 baord level, from here the shirt allows you to gradually tuck. As im not experience enough with the shirt i dont get enough at the chest, plus my chest plate is real damn small. however, it does provide real good pop at the bottom and keeps you in control throughout the lift and can provide some push at lockout. my shirt used to take 10-15 minutes to take off. I raw bench around 280 maybe and shirt bench 415 for a double, so i get about 120-140 out of it. i wish it would help bring my wrists back, sometimes i find thaat i go straight up with the weight instead of locking it out back towards the racks. Pretty easy to get off if i have applied baby powder to my arms prior to putting it on. I can stand having it on for 90 mins or so. i have it very tight and like it that way. i feel i get more out of it. To open the arms, i inflate a football inside the sleeve and leave it in there a few hours.

[Iceman1800]

I've used both poly and denim. My first 500# bench was denim but my best at 567# was a double ply phenom. I've used the rage-X but found I had to go lower than I like to get the best groove out of the shift. The phenom lets me stay higher on my chest. I'm probably one of the few that gets a better lockout out of denim, most like denim due to better explosion off the chest. I also feel the tighter arm sleeves are more important than a tighter chest panel. I switched to poly once they got to the same type of carryover demin gave me. This was mostly due to dumping the bar on my chest which I avoid with the more forgiving poly.

[powerlifter70]

So nobody else has an opinion on shirts here? I know a bunch of you have used shirts so post up what you like/dislike about a certian shirt.

[endymion88]

i'd like to see some super katana reviews

[benbriz]

Working on my reviews now guys. Will have them up shortly.

[Poppy83]

So nobody else has an opinion on shirts here? I know a bunch of you have used shirts so post up what you like/dislike about a certian shirt.

I ordered an Inzer Phenom the other day. I'll definitely post a review in due time.

Also - Why are these threads not stickied?

[Jason2459]

I ordered an Inzer Phenom the other day. I'll definitely post a review in due time.

Also - Why are these threads not stickied?

Unless popular demand wants another sticky with these three review threads (I do) it has been put in as a link to these three reviews under the

FAQ,Reviews,Programs, and Links sticky

I think about 3/4 of the way down.

[Poppy83]

Unless popular demand wants another sticky with these three review threads (I do) it has been put in as a link to these three reviews under the

FAQ,Reviews,Programs, and Links sticky

I think about 3/4 of the way down.

Ahhh. Thanks, Jason. That works as well.

[AFstud066]

I ordered an Inzer Phenom the other day. I'll definitely post a review in due time.

Also - Why are these threads not stickied?

Have fun waiting a month for it to come in the mail ...if its from Inzer