Leaving powerlifting for good!

[b fold the truth]

Pick another federation!!!! If you do not like the rules...don't put it down...just pick another federation.

It is very simple. If they allow something in my sport of strongman...you better dang well believe that I am going to use it when competitions come around. If I look over and people are wrapping their elbows...you better believe that I will to.

If the rules allow it and you choose not to use it...well...you made the choice.

B True

 

[Sebass67]

Hey, i agree,

This really ain't my place to argue. I haven't done any meets. All i am saying is that i think the true test of someones bench is raw.
Throwing shirts in seems to make it more complicated...

Instead of persons strength ====> max bench

It is persons stength + shirt ====> max bench

The shirt is variable...like other people said. It varies whereas i think a persons strenth does not vary so much. Why should a competition be tainted by a variable.

 

[flapwrlftr]

Cheesepuss,
We train in my garage. I just couldn't stand working out in a commercial gym, it almost sucked the life out of me. We have ten men and two women. One of the guys lives off of Pine Island and he comes up four days a week. It takes him about 45 minutes on the weekends and about an hour during the week. Let me know when you will be moving down.

 

[cheesePuss]

Cool man, I'm not sure when or if I will be moving back down there ...but I will let you know if I do.

thanks

 

[flex-mb]

BigPhysicsBastard - It's good to hear that I am not the only Engineer on this board. I am in Telecommunications and you?

It seems as if bench shirts have gone way, way beyond their original purpose. Now you need nearly half the max weight on the bar just to push the it down to the chest! If it is TRULY a safety concern than it is 'UNSAFE' to wear a bench shirt if it allows one to go 10 - 35 percent beyond their max (rough estimates of safety limits)! A bench shirt that is designed for safety should not allow one to bench more than a few percent beyond their 'raw max', correct?!?!? I mean apply logic consistently people! As far as the shirt returning to its original weave/structure, BigPhysicsBastard is correct. It is just like a spring!

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If one can't work on the weakest link and make it stronger, than it will be the limiting factor in one's max bench. The bench shirt instantly strengthens the weakest link. That is not a true test of 'raw strength'. Go work on the weakest link in the gym, without a bench shirt and bring it up to strength; focus on that and get rid of the bench shirts once and for all!

Now here is the problem - what Bill Crawford has done in the past really doesn't matter today. I read a recent interview of him in PowerliftingUSA and he seems like a good guy.

I think it would be a good show in the sport if all benchers rotated contests whereby they would compete once in a while (notice I said 'once in a while') WITHOUT bench shirts. It would be a good grass roots motion on their part to return to where benching was (and should be by some opinions) 15 years ago. I understand strongestsurvive's point. He feels that the equipment is skewing the results of who is really the strongest. He may only get 10 percent out of his shirt where Bill Crawford gets 25 - 30 percent. Don't knock the guy. He is only venting. He seems like a really, really strong guy' he is just tired of all the equipment. Maybe they should implement a new rule. If you cannot put on your bench shirt without assistance, than you cannot wear one!

 

[BigPhysicsBastard]

Look.....I dont' have a problem with meets that allow bench shirts, if it's legal....hell why not??? But there shouldn't be any talk of "I got the biggest bench".......and no records from these meets should be recorded. Or at least put a big fat fucking asterix next to it with an explanation of bench shirts. The problem is, is that the money is to be had at the meets where the shirts are allowed.......so I don't blame anyone for putting one on, money is at stake after all.

flex......I'm going for Mechanical E.

 

[PowFit]

I say, If you don't enter powerlifting contests it is no business of yours what we do and if you don't wear a bench shirt you can't comment on what they do for people because you don't know squat.

flex-mb - What is your evidence that bench shirts are 'UNSAFE'? Is this something they cover in engineering school? I am sure you are aware of the survey taken with powerlifting promoters that showed the fact that injuries have sharply declined since bench shirt became popular. Not to mention the popularity jump of the sport. Have you even wore a shirt? Why would someone need to apply your logic? We have hands on proof that proves YOUR logic to be wrong.

Oh, and for the record.. Clay getting 250 pounds out of his shirt is bull shit. He has lifted over 600 without a shirt. He probably gets more out of his shirt than anybody, but nobody gets near that much. I don't care what your 'engineering' degree tells you about bench shirts. If you don't know what you are talking about you should not talk. There are people on this board with 100 times more experience than you and can personally comment on the use of bench shirts. Your engineering theories mean squat to us.

 

[The mann]

it's bad enough when felow powerlifters go at each other with this debate,but it makes me laugh when you have someone that doesn't even where a shirt or probaly doesn't even compete ,that ads there comments.i have no problem if people don't like the shirts and frankly i don't give a rat's ass what the next man gets froma shirt.i use them,i will always use them and i'll try to get the most i can from one.if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.have a great day.

 

[flex-mb]

Please read the post again PowFit. I am asking a 'question' which is why the sentence begins with 'Is it'. The statement is a question. One can ask a quesiton in the form of a statement.

As far as aplying logic is concerned, is it not logical that when a bench press shirt allows one to go beyond their 'raw max' that they are beyond the strength limits of their rotator cuffs, triceps, ligaments, tendons, etc.? Quite obviously they are. Bench press shirt = higher 'max' than with no bench press shirt. Higher than 'raw max' = more weight than the body can move on its own = more stress than than the joints can handle under the 'raw max' effort. This can lead to injury. I am not saying that there is empirical evidence out there that would not suggest otherwise. I was only making a point by asking a question.

I will never wear a bench shirt. I lift the weight with my body, not with a bench shirt mashing the heads of my humerous's into the glenoid fossa on the ends of my clavicle. I alone lift the weight! Occasionally I will use straps when the tendonitus in my forearms flares up to give them time to recover, but that is the only equipment that I use.

I am not going to digress and start attacking others in this thread. I already suggested starting a new thread so that people won't start attacking others and making this issue personal.

 

[Hannibal]

Powerlfiting is a sport. Just like every other sport there is equipment. In college baseball they allow aluminum bats...does anyone complain when they dont allow them in the majors? Does anyone in college basball use a wooden bat....because using an aluminum gives them an advantage...hell no. They use the best equipment available. Does it make them any less of a hitter that they use aluminum and not wood...no because everyone uses aluminum in college. As long as every one is allowed to use the same equipment...then it is a level playing ground...whats the big deal?

Equipment is part of any sport. If you dont like the double and triple denims....find another federation. Don't bash other people saying that there accomplishments are a joke...when they worked to get where they are....equipment or not. Nothing but hard work is gonna give you a 2200 total.