The shirt which big benchers wear is called Bench Press shirt. It might look funny at times but there are reasons why these people wear them and these shirts do have a history behind them. Here you will find the most general questions related to bench press shirt which will surely remove your doubts.
What is a bench press shirt?
Bench press shirt is a skin tight shirt which huge benchers wear. This shirt provides an added energy to muscles by tightening them and hence it helps in increasing their one rep maximum bench press. These shirts are supplied in many different styles to suit the needs of the lifter. Denim and polyester are some of the well known bench press shirts.
Where did these bench press shirts originate from?
Initially bench press shirts were used in case of heavy benching so as to safeguard the lifter’s body. It was just a matter of chance that suddenly people discovered that those who would wear bench press shirts were actually able to lift more weights than those lifters who were wearing normal shirts. Hence it was in the 80s when the real use of bench press shirts was known.
What one means by single ply bench press shirt or a double ply bench press shirt?
As the name suggests, the single ply bench press shirt will have single layer of clothing material whereas the double ply bench press shirt will have two layers of clothing material. Double ply bench press shirts have extra material on the front portion of the shirt and on the front portion of the arms. This helps the lifter to lift more weight as they get enhanced support due to the double clothing material. The shirts being developed today (denim or polyester) are double ply as per standards.
In these types of shirts the fabric relaxes when the lifter pushes the weight upwards and it stretches when the weight comes down. Polyester was the first bench press shirt which hit the market and still today these are the most famous shirts amongst various lifting champions.
Polyester shirts can be divided in three major categories:
- This one is the hardest to use but the easiest to make. It contains one single fabric throughout and requires around three people so that one can wear it properly.
- The second types of shirts have their backs opened so that the lifters feel easy when they aren’t actually lifting weights. Some are open permanently while others have the option to close them.
- USAPL has some “no open back” rule and hence to cover the open back of second type of shirts a stretchy material was used on the back shirts. The material used is very thin and hence very close to the second kind of shirts.
These shirts are made very tight as tight material helps the body to apply more force on the bar and hence helps the lifters to lift extra weight. The lifters might feel uneasy with tight shirts but it is all about winning NOT comfort!
There is a reason why huge people use very thick bench press shirts. The resistance of the body towards the shirt is directly proportional to the thickness of the shirt. The thicker the shirt is made, the more resistance the shirt will receive and hence the more power will be applied on the bar as that bar also acts as a force on the body. In short all the force which body creates acts on the bar and hence the lifter is able to lift more weight.
I am confused when it comes to denim bench press shirts. What are they?
As the name implies, denim bench press shirts are made of denim. But one must not compare denim shirt with polyester shirt. Denim bench press shirts are totally different from polyester bench press shirts as denim bench press shirts provide higher support when compared to polyester bench press shirts. Mostly the denim bench press shirts are kept open from back or split from back so that it becomes easier for the lifter to remove them after the weight lifting is over.
Denim shirts aren’t as tight as polyester and the reason is the flexibility of denim shirts which matches that of polyester. The material stretches when the weight comes down and hence it becomes easy for the body to repel the weight (same as in case of polyester). Denim shirts are worn for the complete workout session as they aren’t very tight and hence human body can bear with them.
Although after reading above paragraph one might think that denim shirt is the best option for him but people must know that denim shirts DO NOT suit everyone. The person who wears denim shirt will feel heavy pressure because the method of stitching the denim shirts is different from usual. In many cases the bencher won’t be able to bring the bar down very close to their chest and hence fail to complete the lifting process. So, one must first test the denim shirt before finally opting for them.
Which shirt will suit me the most?
The style of your benching will determine the kind of shirt that will suit your body. It won’t be that easy to get the best option without performing some self research. Talk to people in this business and ask them to help you. The way you bench, the way your elbows bench out etc. are some of those many points which have to be considered when one needs to buy a bench press shirt.
If you are fighting in some competition then better read the rules and regulations of the organization which is behind this competition. All federations will have different kinds of rules when it comes to choosing the best shirt for you.
