Bench Press Shirts Shot Down by Ted Arcidi

[Stor Mand]

Maybe there should be separate classes at a meet - a class for those who need to wear the "shirt" and a class those that do not. Sure, it makes a meet more complicated to run but that would eliminate the whining . Personally, I think it has no place in a meet.

 

[Mesofreaky]

why can't Powerlifting be sponsored by barbell companies and shoe manufacturers. why does it have to be sponsored by something that destroys the sport. also if the drive to make powerlifting an olympic event succeeds don't think for a second they'll be able to wear more than a belt and a singlet like the weightlifters and the singlets will be colesly regulated.

 

[1-dawg]

I could really care less if powerlifting makes it into the olympics. I will tell you exactly why barbell comanies and shoe companies really can't do much sponsoring of powerlifting. How often do you need to replace a new bar or plates -- about once every 10 years at most for the plates, bars -- maybe 2 years depending on the quality of the bars. IF youa re talking about nike, reebok etc -- that my friend will never happen. Powerlifting is a way too small and unprofitable for these guys to put anything into it. Gear companies on the other hand can and should. I know plentyof guys who buy a new squat suit for every meet, or at least 1 per year. the same goes for bench shirts. These are the guys who also sponsor lifters, meets etc. WHy people bite the hands that feed their sport I will never understand.

 

[brianmincher]

Ultimate Raw Federation

I have a wonderful idea for a new raw organization. It will be the ultimatew test of man vs. bar. The organization will be called BALA or boring ass lifting association. The rules are as follows:

Squats must be performed with no equipment at all, not even a belt. And certainly nothing as supportive as knee wraps or a suit. I would hate to prevent any injuries or add 5 lbs to someone's squat! Also all squats must be done to the floor. Anyone caught squatting and not reaching the legal depth of their butt hitting the floor will be disqualified from competing any further in the competition. This includes second and third attempts.

Bench must be performed with no equipment, not even wrist wraps or a belt. You must also bring the bar down to your neck, none of this penny ante arching either. The bar must remain on the neck for one full minute timed by a stop watch, so there is noworry of touch and go records being set.

Deadlifts must be performed with the weights in a trench so that the olympic bar is setting just high enough off of the ground to get your fingers under the bar for lifting. No belts or any other supportive gear allowed.

General rules include lifetime drug free. If anyone ever accuses you of having done any performance enhancing drugs, or taking in any more than 50 grams of protein per day, will be banned from the organization for life. Additionally since we are only concerned about what a person can do naturally, we will also ban anyone accused of training for the events.

We only want people to show up and do the event, no training is allowed!!! There will be a constant vigil kept by all BALA officials to make sure that none of these rules are broken, and that for God's sake none of the lifters ever improve their lifts or set a new record, as those are sacred and can never be broken .

 

[strongestsurvive]

I like most of your ideas for lifting, it is about time it is man vs. bar. In my last bench meet I did in March I hit 550 raw and jsut missed 570. No shirt, No belt, No writst wraps, but I did train my ass off for it for about 3 weeks before the meet.

strongestsurvive

 

[1-dawg]

Good for you, but you know what, no one cares about what you lifted in or out of a shirt. AMOF, no one hardly remembers what anyone does at a meet with the exception of the lifters. If yo don't care for the equipment, then don't wear it, but by all means, do not try adn rip into the lifters that also bust their asses and out bench you by a couple hundred pounds wearing a shirt. 550 is good with or without a shirt, period -- be happy with what you got instead of trying to demean others for lifting in what is allowed.

 

[solidj55]

Well the bottom line is this. If everyone else is wearing a shirt, I sure as hell am going to as well. Im not going to be beaten by a guy wearing a shirt just because I thought it was stupid to wear one and that I didnt lift the weight raw. Who fucking cares??? If you want to see what you can do raw, then bench your ass off raw in the gym(just like every other shirt wearing guy on this board including myself does)and see how much weight you can throw up. Then go to the meets and put on a shirt like every one else and bench your ass off in the shirt and win your weight class.
Now you have killed two birds with one stone. You have won your weight class under the same rules as everyone else and you have also shown your self how much you can do raw while training in the gym. No one ever hears about raw meets, raw meets will not get you any money, raw meets will not get you up on stage at the Arnold with Halbert and all the other beasts. Stop fucking crying. I dont give a rats ass what anyone can do except for myself. Personally my best max raw was 335 and my best with a shirt(Single Ply Poly) in a meet was 350. Im proud of both. All I can say is that when I hit over 400 in the 165's with a shirt on Ill be happy as hell, Ill also know that I can do probably 20lbs less than that without the shirt. Oh well I got a little bit of weight out of the shirt, so what. Ill still be able to know deep down that I can out bench most people in the 165's without a shirt. Damn, I hate to be an asshole, I hate to even talk about what I have done because I dont brag but I just wish people would grow the fuck up.