first meet with a denim almost killed me

[musclehed275]

We just went to a APA meet in west palm...it was the first time I used a denim in a meet..I had practiced with the denim for 4 weeks, was looking for a 600..had done a 2 board press with 600, popped 535 a couple of times with the shirt practicing, went to the meet, for some reason got nervous about openning with 550, so i opened with 520. I brought the weight down, couldnt get it down , flared my elbows, started to press up, the weight shot straight over my face! It was coming down fast, so i figured push straight back and pray that the weight will miss my face and the spotters will catch it! Well, the spotters caught it, but not after it bounced off the top of my head, knocking me sensless, pinning my finger to the upright, busting it all to hell! I got my senses, went for my second attempt, head throbbing, mind not clear, and finger throbbing, pushed towrds my stomach and almost dumped it that way...well, I didnt want to go out like that..especially knowing 520 is usually rep weight, just layed down and blasted it! Rediculously easy! Positive side, I won and got best lifter!! My fiancee, Iron maiden181, got a state record 275@198 and had 300 to lockout and just couldnt finish it! I learned my lesson, stay with the game plan!! DONT CHANGE THINGS!! If i would have just opened with 550, i would have got the weight down, went 600 second and had 2 shots at it, i was well capable of hitting 600!!

 

[powerlifterjay]

Well congrats bro first of all. But not to try to tell you how to use denim, but i can offere some advice. I can tell you exactly why the weight did what it did at first.

1st off when lower weight as it hits the stopping point and you still have a bit to get it too touch. Dont change your groove. You did. Meaning when your within an inch or so you let your elbows flare back just to get it down. What happens is in order to getthe last inch down your body starts contorting to get it too touch. You MUST stay in YOUR bench groove. If it doesnt touch, push it up, or do what i do and abandon the lift at the bottom. Go up a little , keeping inmind you have strecthed the shirt a little bit. BUt dont let your elbows or the bar go in a diretion where you will lose power. Cause what happens is it will still spring off your chest but the original groove of the shirt wants to take the bar back up so when your elbows come back in to the game the bar is heading right toward your face. I did that on my opener at the bench bash for cash and didnt realize how hurt i was, came back and got it but i knew i was hurt.

#2 the more experinced you get with the shirt you will realize the importance of this tip. Remeber in St Pete if you watched my 605 and 620, i couldnt get the weight down, now if was to contort to get it down and you knwo when you are out of benching groove, to avoid what happen to you in West Palm abandon the lift at the bottom. Dont try to push it up. That way you wont get hurt from the bar doing what it did. Truth is you dont really knwo what the shirt and bar are gonna do. I have found from two serious injuries that denim is very dangerous.

So basically its liek this i have 3 shirts i cant really use. ya i can bring weight down to the 2 and 3 board but below that forget it. It will take 675 to touch 2 of them. There good shirts i am just not ready for them yet. If the weight doesnt come down it aint comin down. If your shirts fit like mine do, you couldnt get anything under 600 down. But when it does come down, you'd better have some tri's to push it back up.

Just think as this week as a lesson. Dont compensate another groove to get weight down. The shirt has one groove. When you can lockout 600 plus easily then you have a loose ahirt that 545 wil touch i can toy with it and sling it even a bit out of groove. But when your deadling with a real max. Forget it. You need to be 100% in your groove. Sorry this is so long but me and my crew are ALL having the exact same problem. Good job this weekend and congrats on the best lifter. Your wife is awesome. Get her tri's even stronger and get her to qualify for the arnold. What a couple you guys are! Both strong as hell!