So I have done a few meets, finally getting semi happy with my raw totals but my buddy i normally compete with used a bench shirt the past meet. We have been talking and wanted to dip our toes in the geared side of the sport. Now before anyone jumps down my throat about gear as i have seen many do on here it isn’t an ego thing. I don’t want to go around screaming my total or how my gear added 100 pounds on my first day. Just have an interest into the other side of the sport. So with that out of the way I have a gym back home that i visit on the weekends or a few times a month that has geared lifters and a monolift. Moving to a new area i dont have a monolift so looking single ply gear, would i be able to walk out my squats if i started trying out gear? I have looked all over and cant find an answer to this question. Still not dead set on making the investment but i am interested and this would be a big factor based on where i can train throughout the week.
Gear is great. I actually never trained “raw” to start. I went straight into multi ply. In college though single ply ruled the land, so I transitioned and then ultimately wound up back in multiply.
Walking out squats in single ply is no problem. Some folks even do it in multiply. Definitely only poly though. Walking out in canvas would be tough. Where is your home gym with a mono?
What other questions do you have?
Well it’s more of a group of guys that bought out an older gym. They just got the monolift attachment for the rogue rack. I’m from around Harrisburg pa, Carlisle to be exact. I did lift at Albany strength for a summer and that’s how I got into powerlifting. I’m in the west Chester area now and would love to get to iron sport but an hour drive with traffic just doesn’t fit my schedule right now. I guess any recommendations for some beginner gear to get the feel of it. I have a few guys back home who can help me out when I make it home but mostly it’s lifting with my roommate who has only done raw as well. So any recommendations on what gear I should lean towards or even what I would need for a basic bag of gear. I plan on doing piece by piece for a little bit (college loans really put a damper on my spending haha). I’m running the cube predator for my bench right now and a 5-3-1 for my squat. how drastic is the training style from raw to geared? Really anything that helped you guys as beginners getting into the geared side is greatly appreciated
So if you go single ply, 100% Titan. They also give a nice student discount which makes it the most affordable. If you are planning to compete USAPL they don’t allow briefs in Single Ply so that is perfect. Do not buy titan single ply, no matter what anyone tells you.
Squat Suit:
If you go multiply, Boss by Titan is in my opinion, the best for non Canvas.
Canvas suit, the new Metal I have been wearing and is awesome.
Also for poly gear I recommend Metal. Ace would be more aggressive and Jack being less.
Bench Shirt:
Metal Jack is not too aggressive, I personally am using a single ply katana and it works well much more forgiving and performs as well as a lot of multi ply shirts.
For
Deadlift:
If you pull conventional, the new inzer fusion is pretty awesome.
If you pull sumo, the Metal King, is single ply front multi back and works very well. Don’t forget in deadlift Suits, tight straps gives alot of the pop.
Briefs:
Titan Super Boss are amazing, like the squat suit the metal briefs are the same. Boss on Boss is very aggressive. Ace on Ace as well. Jack on Jack may be good too.
You need the following to be ready for a geared meet:
Squat Suit
Briefs if Multi ply or single ply fed allows such as APF
Bench Shirt
Deadlift Suit if needed you can always pull raw to start.
Knee Wraps
Wrist Wraps
Suit Slippers to get on
Shirt Slippers depending which you go with.
Hope this helps. I’d be happy to go into more detail and specifics if you have specific questions.
Training is a whole other beast. Board work, accommodating resistance, straps up/ straps down etc.
First choose a fed
Then decide on Gear
Brian Schwab’s M2 Method is awesome.
Could you reconcile those two thoughts for me by chance? I don’t have much gear experience (just dorking around in a Metal Jack deadlifter and an Inzer Champion), so I’d love to hear more.
curious about the same thing haha. So do or don’t buy Titan single ply? great information. There are a lot of RPS meets around my area but i know albany hosts a few usapl meets. I have been thinking about getting briefs for raw squatting anyway. Just a nice overload tool and save my body during training. Very good information and i can’t thank you enough. Really makes me want to start training for a geared meet haha.
Sorry Typo Long Post. I meant Metal Single Ply**** (Never use) Definitely Titan for Single Ply.
There was a Inzer TRX single ply squat suit back in the day that was mediocre. I wouldn’t try it though.
Cliff Notes:
Single Ply = TITAN ONLY 
@275AngryFoodie Appreciate the clarification dude!