[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
On another post, somebody talks about boiling the dbl phenom…have you ever heard of this? what’s the benefit & how is it done?[/quote]
Yes----once the shirt stretches out, you can boil it to shrink it back down. You can get away with this a couple of times.
[quote]buckeye girl wrote:
slattimer wrote:
buckeye girl wrote:
slattimer,
What exactly is a Super (Duper) Phenom? Is that what the triple ply Phenom is actually called?
The SDP is a Phenom, available in 2 or 3 ply, standard is open back with Velcro.
It has a scooped neck, and shoulders are also scooped so you can keep the crease of the armpit covered. The fabric is an upgraded, thicker version of what is used in the standard Phenom shirts. Its has an 8 or 12 layer neck reinforcement called the superneck. It also has a radical cut, or in other words, a much more aggressive sleeve angle.
People say the super phenoms stretch a lot and wear out quick. They do stretch a lot, but you have to get it sized extra small to account for the stretch. If the shirt is broken in properly, it will stop stretching out and maintain its size after a few workouts.
I have been using a 2-ply SDP for about 2 years or so. It blows away any other shirt I have ever used. I can touch with 495 in the same shirt I use to bench 900. I never have to worry about touching, and the shirt is actually pretty forgiving if you miss your groove a little.
It does take patience and good technique at belly benching to use the shirt. It also work best if you use a lot of speed to bench. People who tend to grind through a lift generally don’t like it.
Over the years, I have used a few different Titan shirts, Rage X, Double denims from both Inzer and Karins, Inzer Ultimate Denim, Phenom, and the SDP. The SDP blows every single one of them away.
Thanks for the explanation.[/quote]
No problem.
Thanks also!
A quick question for slattimer:
I use a dbl phenom & bench in the fives. I’ve been doing band work & upper end work & making great gains, but notice my left side is dragging on lock-out. also, my left elbow has been aching lately…any suggestions?
[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
Thanks also!
A quick question for slattimer:
I use a dbl phenom & bench in the fives. I’ve been doing band work & upper end work & making great gains, but notice my left side is dragging on lock-out. also, my left elbow has been aching lately…any suggestions?[/quote]
Let it heal. If it hurts, its telling you to stop doing whatever you are doing. Loss of strength indicates injury or overtraining. Back off and see if it comes back to where it should be.
Thanks again!
Lat: what did your workout look like leading up to your 900#? what kind of assist work?
i’m new here and new to the sport of p/lifting although not to athletic endeavours requiring strength. what i love about strength is that you get out what you put in ie you don’t have to rely on opponents, trainers, managers, etc. the weight is always constant and there to make or break you. slattimer, i have a q, how the hell do i purchase a super duper phenom? inzer site only has basics.
i know i’m going to get flamed for this but i already have some decent strength base (got a couple of odd lifts on youtube that don’t mean shit but at least indicates that i’ve got some potential) and i haven’t benched in 7 years (only do weighted dip lockouts) due to rotator probs from combo of sport and heavy bbing style benching (i know better now)so i have an advantage of being fresh putty and a willingness to dedicate myself like a son of a bitch purely to technique work (with the suit).
i just want to get one suit and work the groove, technique to that suit so i figured i’d start with the best. i live in australia, do i need to ring inzer and give measurements? what measurements?? i’m a complete novice (although i helped my daughter when she wanted to have a go at plifting) so any help or flame would be greatly appreciated. ps i have no interest in bbing, just want to get some numbers up in plifting
[quote]feins1 wrote:
i’m new here and new to the sport of p/lifting although not to athletic endeavours requiring strength. what i love about strength is that you get out what you put in ie you don’t have to rely on opponents, trainers, managers, etc. the weight is always constant and there to make or break you. slattimer, i have a q, how the hell do i purchase a super duper phenom? inzer site only has basics.
i know i’m going to get flamed for this but i already have some decent strength base (got a couple of odd lifts on youtube that don’t mean shit but at least indicates that i’ve got some potential) and i haven’t benched in 7 years (only do weighted dip lockouts) due to rotator probs from combo of sport and heavy bbing style benching (i know better now)so i have an advantage of being fresh putty and a willingness to dedicate myself like a son of a bitch purely to technique work (with the suit).
i just want to get one suit and work the groove, technique to that suit so i figured i’d start with the best. i live in australia, do i need to ring inzer and give measurements? what measurements?? i’m a complete novice (although i helped my daughter when she wanted to have a go at plifting) so any help or flame would be greatly appreciated. ps i have no interest in bbing, just want to get some numbers up in plifting[/quote]
Call Inzer. Contact info is on the site.
However------if you have never used a shirt before, and you are not being coached by a shirt expert----and I mean a real expert----go with less of a shirt to start out.
[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
Lat: what did your workout look like leading up to your 900#? what kind of assist work?[/quote]
Let’s see-----I took about 6 months off and trained raw. Got back in the shirt about 4 months before the meet and just worked full range in the shirt. I did almost no assistance work, a few lockouts but not much else. Shirt work was doubles and singles, always touching, working on explosion. I never worked above 750 in the gym.
Went to a local meet hoping to just hit 800 and put up 875 with a narrow miss at 905. Went to another meet 1 month later and hit the 905.
well it’s hard to argue plifting with a guy that’s benched 905 but this bench shirt thing is killing me. didn’t know lifting heavy weights could be so complicated. i love the idea of shirts, much better than raw heavy bench (for me anyway).
the ozzie exchange rate is a killer and i’ve signed myself up for some plifting comps this year. since there’s no money (for novices anyway) in plifting i didn’t want to outlay too much money.
a $150 shirt leaves me out of pocket nearly $500 aus by the time i’ve paid shipping etc which is why i wanted to get all my equipment in one hit, break it all in etc and work the equipment like a mutha fuka. seems to me all the shirts have their issues anyway and the fed i’m competing in allows multi-ply etc. what shirt do you suggest for me?
[quote]feins1 wrote:
well it’s hard to argue plifting with a guy that’s benched 905 but this bench shirt thing is killing me. didn’t know lifting heavy weights could be so complicated. i love the idea of shirts, much better than raw heavy bench (for me anyway).
the ozzie exchange rate is a killer and i’ve signed myself up for some plifting comps this year. since there’s no money (for novices anyway) in plifting i didn’t want to outlay too much money.
a $150 shirt leaves me out of pocket nearly $500 aus by the time i’ve paid shipping etc which is why i wanted to get all my equipment in one hit, break it all in etc and work the equipment like a mutha fuka. seems to me all the shirts have their issues anyway and the fed i’m competing in allows multi-ply etc. what shirt do you suggest for me? [/quote]
Well, the SDP is $300 US, so if you don’t want to spend a lot, then its not for you.
Realistically, for someone just starting out, you need a less aggressive shirt. If you get the best shirt out there, you will fight forever getting to use it, and you will be disgusted for months. If you don’t have someone who is familiar with the technique and the shirts, and understands Multi-Ply lifting (i.e., non-IPF people) you will not make out well.
For a beginner, I typically recommend getting a Rage X, single ply. Order it one size bigger than your chest measurement—in other words, if your chest is 48 inches, you need a size 50. If you measure 49 inches, get a 52.
I remember there was an Inzer distributor in New Zealand that might be more cost effective for you, but I can’t remember the name. I used to get emails from another Aussie lifter every now and then and he mentioned it.
Best bet is for you to find some other powerlifters in your area and ask them where they get their gear.
Latt, I’ve always heard that raw benching has no carry-over to shirted benching, yet you say that it’s all you did leading up to your 900#'er…what kind of set & rep scheme did you do, & how did that change when you went to shirted work.
was the shirt you went to a sd phenom? did you do board or band work at all? also, do you think you’ll reach a grand?
sorry if I ask alot of questions…but I just realized who you were…I thought I was asking the Juggernaut…haha.
thanx shawn. i do know some plifters down here but they’re using metal and titan (i think). the point about the money is, why fuck around knowing i’ll only have to go dply later. i know how to pull the bar to the upper abs, catch the inner tri in the lat, etc etc etc.
i just don’t see the point in purchasing a brand, getting used to it and then having to totally revamp my technique later. i couldn’t care less about ego lifting and i couldn’t care less about what i’m putting up in the gym.
i’m happy to sacrifice poundages for the longterm goal. having said that i will take your advice and get an easy shirt to get used to. maybe i can get a second hand one from the lifters over here. thanx very much for taking the time to help me out.
[quote]feins1 wrote:
thanx shawn. i do know some plifters down here but they’re using metal and titan (i think). the point about the money is, why fuck around knowing i’ll only have to go dply later. i know how to pull the bar to the upper abs, catch the inner tri in the lat, etc etc etc.
i just don’t see the point in purchasing a brand, getting used to it and then having to totally revamp my technique later. i couldn’t care less about ego lifting and i couldn’t care less about what i’m putting up in the gym.
i’m happy to sacrifice poundages for the longterm goal. having said that i will take your advice and get an easy shirt to get used to. maybe i can get a second hand one from the lifters over here. thanx very much for taking the time to help me out.[/quote]
No problem. I just don’t want you to spend a top of cash on equipment to get nothing but frustration. I understand your logic, but unfortunately most people just can’t go directly from raw to extreme equipment without some middle steps.
I coach a lot of benchers, and you would be amazed at how many of them struggle with simple areas of technique. Multi-ply lifting involves much more technique than anything else, and small items can make or break a lift.
I competed for the last 12 years. I went through about 9 different shirt designs before arriving at the SDP, and I was coached by Bill Crawford----who basically invented the technique for belly benching. None of it is easy or fast.
[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
Latt, I’ve always heard that raw benching has no carry-over to shirted benching, yet you say that it’s all you did leading up to your 900#'er…what kind of set & rep scheme did you do, & how did that change when you went to shirted work.
was the shirt you went to a sd phenom? did you do board or band work at all? also, do you think you’ll reach a grand?[/quote]
I wouldn’t say “no” carry over. Stronger is stronger. However, 3 weeks before the 905 I maxed raw and barely got 455 for a paused single. My best raw press ever was 550 in comp, back in 2002.
I was using the Inzer double denims for a few years, but I lost some weight and had trouble getting them to work. John Inzer suggested I try out the SDP, and once I got it to fit right I loved it.
Raw work I typically just did the up side of a pyramid workout. In the shirt I would do 2-3 sets of triples, 2 sets of doubles, and work up 2 or 3 singles.
I had a lot of elbow issues (still do), so I could only do straight weight, bands hurt too much. When I could, I would do rack lockouts or 5-board presses (raw), but realistically I only did one or the other of those about every 2-3 weeks. Working around injuries sucks.
Along the way, I have gotten my technique down really well. So as long as I am marginally strong, I can hit a heavy bench with relatively little training.
Right now I haven’t benched heavy since early October. Last time I really had a shirt on was at the Olympia. I think the heaviest weight I’ve had in my hands since is 455. If I put my shirt back on, I know I can hit 700 in training in 3 weeks, which for me means 800 in a comp.
I don’t think I will ever bench a grand. I’m not willing to put my body through the wringer that bad to get there. Plus—I’m on hiatus----I’m taking at least a year off powerlifting. Right now I’m training for armwrestling—my first meet is next Saturday. I needed to do something different for a while. I’m bored with benching.
[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
sorry if I ask alot of questions…but I just realized who you were…I thought I was asking the Juggernaut…haha. [/quote]
No problem.
What do you attribute your elbow problems to?
[quote]quagmeyer wrote:
What do you attribute your elbow problems to?[/quote]
Benching.
I have bone spurs in both elbows from all the heavy pressing. I also have developed a serious muscle imbalance from ignoring my biceps all these years. I’m probably halfway to fixing the imbalance, but the only cure for the spurs is surgery, and I’m not ready to go down that road yet.
Avoid surgery at all costs!
As I posted before, my elbows have been aching away, my left side is dragging, and I took your advice & gave them a rest from benching. I think i’ll stay away from heavy shirt work for a while & concentrate on raw benching.
what were some of the things you did to increase your raw bench? any direct tricep work at all? I’m leaving bands alone for the time being, as well as any rack work…so what’s really left?