Equipment

[Deciever]

As of now i compete raw, and i will be buying some equipment (bench shirt, squat suit, belt, and maybe squat breifs).

the thing is im not sure of which to get..

I'll most likely get the double Z suit as my squat suit. and if i get briefs, the extra heavy duty ones.

For belt, im not sure which one is better, the classic 2 prong competition belt, or the new lever belt. I need some input on these to base my decision on.

and for bench shirt, shuld i get a single ply poly, or double ply poly (i dont think im ready for denim yet). and after i decide which ply toget, which one should i get (the standard blast, HD, EHPHD, high performance.. etc)

any opinions would help

 

[TheFng]

I think a lot of this depends on the fed you are lifting in. The USAPL only allows single ply for instance. On the other hand, if you lift in a fed that is more liberal, you may buy a shirt for instance, that will not allow you to touch your chest if you aren't strong enough to pull it down.

I'm like you, I've always lifted raw so all of this is new to me too. Someone more knowledgable than I would have a better opinion.

 

[Adam MacKinnon]

I just bought new equipment too, I lift in the IPF (CPU) so i cant wear a bunch of stuff like double ply. If your going the single ply route then the EHPHD shirt is really good. I ordered a titan centaurion but have not recieved it yet so i can't say how it preforms yet. I got the inzer lever belt and i love it. I used to have a double prong and it was a pain to get the prongs in the holes but with this its a snap.

 

[Deciever]

thanks. the inzer lever looks like a great belt and i talked to some guy who had it, who said it wasnt any better than the double prong, just easier to get on

 

[sguthrie]

This may sound radical, but why not just get stronger and not worry about artificial aids to increase your lifts?

IMHO, support gear has made a joke out of the sport of powerlifting.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Your opinion isn't going to go very far on this board. If you are competing against equipped competitors, you want to be equipped with the best.

If you want to compete raw, go ahead. It's not like we are getting this equipment to go and brag about our benches to some chest/bicep beach fags. Almost everyone on this board already competes or is going to in the near future.


BTW, the process isn't quite as simple as getting good equipment and allowing it to increase your lifts. You still get in that gym everyday and bust your ass without the equipment, making yourself stronger.

 

[brianmincher]

IMHO, we mostly lift in equipped organizations on this board, and if you show up to a meet that allows double denim, but compete without a shirt, you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage.

I would not go to a track meet where everyone else is wearing state of the art spikes, and running on an artificial, engineered surface, and offer to run the 100 meters barefoot, and in the grass, without the benefit of starting blocks.

We train without the equipment on, for the most part, and wear the equipment to compete.

B

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Nice analogy Brian. I like it!

 

[b fold the truth]

sguthrie: I respect your opinion a lot. Please understand that when I get to a strongman contest and they tell us that we can use knee wraps, elbow sleeves, cleats, etc...and I see my competition using them...I will too. I am not going to train as hard as I do and get to a contest and be beaten by someone who plays by the rules of that organization. I do understand where you are comming from though.

I have had a few friends say that they do not like the lever belts for one reason or another...as well as the double prong ones. I have an inzer single prong and love it!!!!!!

B True

 

[Deciever]

i wish there was a store that sold them around me so i oculd try them on and see how they feel and stuff...

 

[sguthrie]

Your opinion isn't going to go very far on this board. If you are competing against equipped competitors, you want to be equipped with the best.

If you want to compete raw, go ahead. It's not like we are getting this equipment to go and brag about our benches to some chest/bicep beach fags. Almost everyone on this board already competes or is going to in the near future.


BTW, the process isn't quite as simple as getting good equipment and allowing it to increase your lifts. You still get in that gym everyday and bust your ass without the equipment, making yourself stronger.

I understand my view isn't popular, but I honestly think that if you want powerlifting to be an accepted sport as it was in the 80's then the equipment must go. You should have heard the comments the people in the crowd were making about the shirts at the Arnold. Even Kaz made a snide remark about them last year.

As for the "we only use them when we compete" argument, why not only use a forklift when you compete? NASA has suits that allow you to move many times you normal strength. Let's use those.

What about guys who can lift more than you raw, but you get more out of the equipment than he does? He loses the meet despite being stronger.

 

[brianmincher]

It is just like the guy who can outrun me barefoot. I can't bench worth a shit raw (375ish) but my shoulders are beat all to Hell from other sports. I get a lot out of my shirts because the bottom part of the lift is bad for me because of injuries. Kim Brownfield only gets like 30 lbs out of his shirt, but has the WABDL world record at 220 and 242 with a 625, and 613 respectively. He could be damn near that without a shirt, while I get 100 or more out of mine. Guess what, we are both lifting in the same organization under the same rules. Double layer shirts. Now Kim could beat me the day after shoulder surgery, with the flu, no shirt, in the rain with a bar dripping in baby oil. But the point is that in an organization that allows a certain type of equipment, it doesn't matter what you can do without that equipment.

It doesn't matter how high you can pole vault with a metal pole, when everyone else is using carbon fiber, it doesn't matter how well you can throw a lead discus when everyone else is throwing a wooden one. You play by the rules as they are given. If you want to compete raw, there are places to do that. I will never do it. I like the shirts. They allow me to lift bigger weights with a less chance of blowing a pec, or tearing up my shoulder. I like squatting in a squat suit. It allows me to go to legal depth without feeling like I am tearing my hips and groin muscles up.

And I don't make a living from this, it is my hobby of choice. I could give a rat's ass what the general public thinks of it. The general public doesn't think much of Ronnie Coleman's physique, but I don't see him shrinking down to the size of Frank Zane because that is what the public wants. He is doing what he can to win at his chosen sport. Just like me.

My 2 cents.

B

 

[powerlifterjay]

sguthrie

It is simple you like raw compete raw. You dont well dont. I have a respectable bench raw. But there are not raw meets here. Everyone uses shirts. ya i could go to a meet and bench raw and hell probably do ok, but you will go no where with the lift. For instance you go to the Bench bash raw you wont win any money. I only train in my shirt 3 weeks out. I love raw benching probably more then you do. And i do it well...but its hard as hell on your joints, but most people that rage about raw lifting dont lift enough to feel this discomfort. They are usually clean lifters that dont own equipment, or hear of guys getting 100lbs ou tof there shirts and basically are jealous. Unless you TRAIN your lockout, you will not get shit from a shirt. The shirt aids the bottom 3 to 4 inches. Period. Hell they oughta have meets that see who lifts the most off a 3 brd. Same thing. But you must be strong to push with the shirt. I amnot saying anyting against raw competetrs but unless you are a competetor you shouldnt really care who uses what. Did George Halbert , Or kenny Patterson , or Jason Keene win your money in a contest? Did they cost you 1000 Dollars in prize money cause they had there shirts on?

Sorry had to throw in that Jason Keene! LOL.

No flame new guy to the board. Cause i do see your point. I do. But the thing is everyone wears what they want it is an even playing field. I have done a total of 25 meets and rarely are there raw lifters there. And they bench so little anyway it doesnt really matter what they hit anyway. Usually its a new guy to the sport just getting his competetive feet wet.

So save your flames on me, i mean no harm! BUt one thing for sure if shirts became outlawed in every fed, i would still be ranked what i am right now. Cause yes ican throw soem weight around in a shirt, but also can without.

 

[brianmincher]

Don't kid yourself, Jason Keene belongs in that group you mentioned. And even though he is a Hell of a raw bencher, he would be foolish to compete against guys wearing a shirt.

B.