Hey, a little background: I will be in a powerlifting contest December 8th, planning on competing all raw, 165 lb open class, aiming for a 345+ narrow stance ass to grass squat, 260+ bench and a 545+ deadlift (just hit 530 in gym, thanks to anybody who has given me advice on deadlifting on here).
Well, anyways, like I said that was all raw and I have always been a raw lifter, saying things like shirts are all cheating, i could do such and such a weight if i threw on a shirt, etc… etc… Well, I still kinda feel that way but I decided to back up my sh$t talking and go geared, see what I can do.
My plan is to do the beginning elitefts training cycle one time, still training raw, really hoping to hit a 315 paused bench and 405 squat raw before I gear up (figure i don’t have any business in a shirt if i cant bench 315), but after that I plan on throwing a little cash down, buying some gear, doing a training cycle to get used to it and competing again.
Long story short, at this strength level: what kind of gear should I be using? This is coming from a college kid who is somewhat financially burdened and a total beginner to lifting gear. Also: what gear should I use, as in; should I spend money on knee wraps, briefs and a squat suit, or spend the combined total on a better suit and forget the briefs?
What are some good brands to buy/where can i find them for cheap? Also I generally see WABDL, USAPL and USPF contests around where I live here in Norcal, what gear is allowable? Random questions like that… Any help would be appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read this long post.