This won't answer your question but I am old school power lifter-RAW-and don't believe in all the gear.The federations I compete in have raw classes and they are separate from the equipped.I want to know how much i can lift not how much my gear can lift.I bench 425 raw and I have seen numerous guys bench 500 with gear that can't bench 300 without it.That doesn't impress me.My opinion for whatever it's worth-STAY RAW! And they didn't blow you out of the water,their gear did!

Stay raw, man! Raw powerlifting is the best.

Last meet I lifted in I did bench body weight for reps just for fun after my raw bench lifts.I did 245 17 reps and another guy did 242 for 18 reps but has a 600 bench with a shirt and I have a 425 raw bench.He isn't stronger than me but his shirt is.I see guys all the time at meets that are putting shirts on to bench what I am warming up with and many bomb on all 3 lifts on bench because they can't get the bar down to their chest.Gear is crazy.My grown sons play softball-legal- but many come every weekend with their shaved bats and hot softballs just to hit a home run 285 ft. because they aren't strong enough to do it otherwise.Stay RAW-MIND OVER MATTER-YOU AND THE WEIGHT

Originally Posted by Big Guns

This won't answer your question but I am old school power lifter-RAW-and don't believe in all the gear.The federations I compete in have raw classes and they are separate from the equipped.I want to know how much i can lift not how much my gear can lift.I bench 425 raw and I have seen numerous guys bench 500 with gear that can't bench 300 without it.That doesn't impress me.My opinion for whatever it's worth-STAY RAW! And they didn't blow you out of the water,their gear did!

This ^^^^^^^^^is the only way to lift. Ive trained alongside ED Coan for yrs at Quads in Calumet City Ill, have seen guys bench 850 in a shirt that couldnt do 450 raw. I dont get the shirt / suit thing either hell it takes em15 mins to get em on sometimes...WTF

I've Never trained in gear but geared powerlifters claim it is better on their body.
It obviously allows you to lift hundreds of pounds more then your raw lifts once you learn how to use the suits.

Its a completely different thing and since its separated from raw in comps thats fine.

Personally I would flip out trying to squeeze into that tight ass gear. You look like a phag in bondage.
And what happens when you have to go to the bathroom in a hurry?

Originally Posted by jayisk

I've Never trained in gear but geared powerlifters claim it is better on their body.
It obviously allows you to lift hundreds of pounds more then your raw lifts once you learn how to use the suits.

Its a completely different thing and since its separated from raw in comps thats fine.

Personally I would flip out trying to squeeze into that tight ass gear. You look like a phag in bondage.
And what happens when you have to go to the bathroom in a hurry?

LMFAO, thats why i stopped benching with Ed Coans crew at Quads, we dont even train the same way.Id be finished with chest and tris in 90 mins and some of the shirted guys bench for 3 hrs. Still friends with all of em just got tired of pulling 45 pound plates off

Before I left the last meet I saw one of the other lifters taking off his gear and it was unbelievable how many pinch marks,bloodblisters,and bruises he had on him from lifting in all 3 lifts for the day.He and his gear put up some huge numbers but I just don't get it.Last year I saw a big guy squat 1035 lbs and he had on so much gear it seemed like it took him 5 mins to get to the bottom and when he came up it looked like it was 100 lbs. and actually bounced at the top like a rubber band.

Originally Posted by Big Guns

Before I left the last meet I saw one of the other lifters taking off his gear and it was unbelievable how many pinch marks,bloodblisters,and bruises he had on him from lifting in all 3 lifts for the day.He and his gear put up some huge numbers but I just don't get it.Last year I saw a big guy squat 1035 lbs and he had on so much gear it seemed like it took him 5 mins to get to the bottom and when he came up it looked like it was 100 lbs. and actually bounced at the top like a rubber band.

Yep they are literally bruised and bleeding , saw a guy at Quads put on a new shirt and they couldnt get it off his left arm took 3 guys approx 30 mins to get it off. Hes put up 800 bench but cant get 500 raw, oh yeah i love the bench only guys, theyve all got the same lie for an excuse. Ive got a bad back ok youve got a bad back but youve got a hell of an an arch and you aint benchin 800 with a bad back and an arch like that...LMAO just tell the truth you suck at the deadlift and squat cause you never done em so you can bench 3 times a week....lol ill be the first to admit even when 100% healthy the best bench ive done is 385 but im 50( still sucks) , but very close to 600 squat and should pull 700 ( conventional no girlie sumo...lol)by the end of the yr at 220. Cant wait to get this next surgery out of the way and get back on track

I am with you on this one.Hope your surgery goes well.I had neck,c5 and c6 fused in 08,then left shoulder done in april 2010(rt shoulder and both knees in 06) and I am glad to be back on track.Bench is great but deadlift and squat isn't coming back as fast.Last meet I was next to the oldest person lifting, a 60yr old,me 48 and everyone else in their 20's and I am still hanging with them raw.Don't count out the old man!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Big Guns

I am with you on this one.Hope your surgery goes well.I had neck,c5 and c6 fused in 08,then left shoulder done in april 2010(rt shoulder and both knees in 06) and I am glad to be back on track.Bench is great but deadlift and squat isn't coming back as fast.Last meet I was next to the oldest person lifting, a 60yr old,me 48 and everyone else in their 20's and I am still hanging with them raw.Don't count out the old man!!!!!!

Dam your a wreck too....lol
Ive had torn both pecs in early 2008 but Orttho called em micro tears and no surgery, then tore left abductor in Feb 2009 ( no surgery) then tri tendon Oct 2011 had surgery Dec 14th and 2 weeks ago tore left Bi tendon. Im generally one of the oldest but i more than hold my own @ 220 i had a 1565 total last April at UPA Nationals and was lookin at 1635-1650 til i started to fall apart...lol...ill get that and more soon enough , generally a pretty quick healer even for an old f u c k......lol I had guys make me show them my liscence cause they never believe im 50, then they get real mad when they get beat by the old man...LMAO
Poweriftig is also one of my biggest tools to stay sober next to AA. i was off and runnin real hard for 20+ yrs til 2005.

I pulled a 675 deadlift the day before my tri tendon surgery last Dec. I hit 585 for a double last week with torn bi tendon. Ill train til they operate again

The new "double layer" squat suit has become pretty popular in my area

have seen a few you tube vids of how strong those shirts are- guys were holding up 300lb/400lb completely incapable of lowering it to their chest because the shirt was so stiff & that was not enough weight to even bend it. The shirt was just holding the whole thimg up, the guys were just talking like normal. The shirt wasn't even done up, just open loose.

No way I would compete in an event where they were allowed if I didn't have one/know how to use it.

Just went to a powerlifting competition last weekend. "Equipped lifting" as they call it is the gayest thing I've seen in my life. The point is to see how strong YOUR muscles are.

Guys must have to make up for their 2 inch penors by saying "I can bench 500lbs".

The other thing is that geared lifters are allowed to squat high. It's definitively not below parallel.

I'm Raw for life. When I compete, its not really against other competitors, but really against myself, to do bigger and better before. To push myself where I thought I could never go.. without the aid of any equipment (belts, wraps, straps, shorts, suits, shirts). I don't want help, I want to do it myself!

Adrenolin I couldn't have said it better myself.My competiton is with myself,get bigger,get stronger,1 more rep ,1 more plate.

Originally Posted by Alcatraz

Just went to a powerlifting competition last weekend. "Equipped lifting" as they call it is the gayest thing I've seen in my life. The point is to see how strong YOUR muscles are.

Guys must have to make up for their 2 inch penors by saying "I can bench 500lbs".

Originally Posted by jayisk

The other thing is that geared lifters are allowed to squat high. It's definitively not below parallel.

Originally Posted by Adrenolin

I'm Raw for life. When I compete, its not really against other competitors, but really against myself, to do bigger and better before. To push myself where I thought I could never go.. without the aid of any equipment (belts, wraps, straps, shorts, suits, shirts). I don't want help, I want to do it myself!

Originally Posted by Big Guns

Adrenolin I couldn't have said it better myself.My competiton is with myself,get bigger,get stronger,1 more rep ,1 more plate.

All good points and why ill never use a shirt or suit, you wanna watch some pathetic suitd squats watch any of the SPF videos at powerliftingatch.com, the scarecrow squatters are 4-6 inces from breaking parallel...Its bcome PATHETIC, now dont get me wrong there are quite a few who can break parallel in a suit but it seems like more than 60% cant or dont even come close, this is why i never look at the single ply or multiply rankings. Its making a mockery of Powerlfting, i also love the 4 in belly bench by some of the SHW bench only guys who dont even look like they lock out. Thats why ill stick with APC and UPA even though they have plied lifters they get more Raw lifters at their meets ALWAYS

If it isn't RAW it isn't a powerlifting contest but the equivalent of a formula 1 car race - the drivers are just along for the ride most the time and the car does all the work.
I could deal with eqipped if everyone even had the same equipment, but even that isn't the case.
I mean I respect guys like Andy Bolton etc who are strong RAW, but lift equipped, it's more the mid level guys who are chasing a number for themselves rather than actual strength.

By the way OP 1135lb total is nothing to be anything but proud of

You might as well take this thread to BB.com. Lifting in a shirt and suit is a whole different animal. I've started training in gear and will continue. People who think the gear is lifting for them has it completely wrong and have probably never lifted in gear.

Originally Posted by bighappy

You might as well take this thread to BB.com. Lifting in a shirt and suit is a whole different animal. I've started training in gear and will continue. People who think the gear is lifting for them has it completely wrong and have probably never lifted in gear.

It assists you. I've used bench shirts,, wraps, sleeves, and briefs.. It takes some time to get accustomed to it, it changes the mechanics of the lift somewhat, but if you believe it isn't assisting you in any way, try removing it and lifting the same poundage. I look at it the same as when people lift a weight with a spotters hands on the bar... it's assisted.

You live by the choices you make,good or bad.

A guy who works out in my gym can do nearly 200lbs more with his gear. He is strong as hell without it, but gained 200lb on bench just by putting his gear on. So if you say it does not help you, then learns me on that.

Originally Posted by bighappy

You might as well take this thread to BB.com. Lifting in a shirt and suit is a whole different animal. I've started training in gear and will continue. People who think the gear is lifting for them has it completely wrong and have probably never lifted in gear.

Seriously broyour delusional. The shirt is ABSOLUTELY lifting for you as well as the squat suit since 40% of you dont even break parallel and last but not leat the dealift suit is lifting for you as well. Ive seen guys hit 800+ that cant get 500 raw so WTF are you talking about. Ive trained with some BIG TIME lifers over the yrs, including ED Coan, Lance Karabel and a few others. You have no clue to what your talking about. Lance Karabel squats over 1000 single ply. He just did a raw meet in England two wees ago and he did better than ithought he would. He totaled over 2000 raw SHW, he gets 2400 plus as a sigle ply lifter ( and hes using old single ply equip the new single ply equip out there is dam near as good as double ply). Please comre back when you know WTF your talking about. I train on Sat Quads in Calumet City on occasion have benched with Ed Coan and his crew 100s of times, deadlife\ted along side Ed 100s of times etc, or lately ive been hittin Lances Gym in bridgeport Chicago, otherwise i train and at home with my 16 yr oild neighbor and my 2 young sons . I have over over 15 k invested in my personal gym. Ill get back to after my surgery Wed to reattach right bicep tendon and show you how to pull 685- 700 at 220 RAW witih 10-12 weeks as a 50 yr old with a video( after 2 major surgeries with a six month span) til then id suggest your learn a liitel about suits and shirts...yeah im a dickhead BUT I LIFT RAW and routinely beat guys your age

Well said!! You and I are on the same page.My old school mate is in the top records in powerlifting USA and did work out with bill kazmaier and other strong men years ago and there was no gear involved period,just raw strength.In 94 he had 615 bench,over 800 squat and over 800 deadlift raw at 275 bw.And there was no touching or wrapping arms around the lifter,or holding the bar by spotters.