Huge RAW benches in Boston today!

**Power76** · 05-22-2005, 04:57 PM

Just heard that Scot Mendelson hit 715, Brian Siders hit 650 and Josh Bryant hit 620 at a RAW bench meet today. These are some sick numbers to be putting up WITH a bench shirt and these guys took of the gear and did them raw. If I hear of anymore numbers I will post them.

**RJstrong** · 05-22-2005, 05:28 PM

Hmmmmm.... no Rychlak? Did you see the add for it in the back of powerlifting USA april '05? they called him out big time. I was wondering if he would show up and prove the skeptics wrong. Anyway, those #'s you have up so far are simply amazing! True strongmen. I have nothing against bench shirts, but there is something special about guys who put up a big raw bench!

**Power76** · 05-22-2005, 05:36 PM

haha yea I seen the ad. He really got called out. There was a pic on Gene's website of Gene holding the ad up and giving it the finger.

**RJstrong** · 05-22-2005, 05:46 PM

Gene's a monster, no doubt about it. I'm as curious as everyone else is on how much he can push raw. I have been training with shirts for 2 1/2 years now and I'm just starting to figure them out. I just wonder how much he really gets out of his gear? Oh, but at least he sounds like he has a good sense of humor!

***Doc.Sust*** · 06-13-2005, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by RJstrong

Gene's a monster, no doubt about it. I'm as curious as everyone else is on how much he can push raw. I have been training with shirts for 2 1/2 years now and I'm just starting to figure them out. I just wonder how much he really gets out of his gear? Oh, but at least he sounds like he has a good sense of humor!

i met gene twice, he is a decent guy, and he does have a sense of humor. i think no one should give him grief about his press or call him out, he doesn't press raw leave him alone, but he does have a hell of a press with a shirt. sure i would like to know how much he gets out of the gear, but it may then ruin the illusion of how strong he is. i am sure he doesn't want to put that on the line, that would effect his sponsors, and believe me, gene needs those sponsors more than you would think! but think of it like this, gene has pressed a 100 more pounds more than any other human on the planet(kenellys 900 was the second higest bench next to genes 1005. big gap between the two.) and NOBODY is even coming close to catch him. if he is that much ahead of the pack i am sure his raw would be probably better than mendelsons or in the same range, it would have to be. i don't care who you are and what equipment you use, nobody is getting 300 to 400lbs out of any bench shirt.

**Power76** · 06-13-2005, 06:13 PM

I get 200 easily out of my double denim. I have no doubt in my mind if someone trained the lockout enough and had a shirt perfect for them that they could get 300-400 out of it. I have guys in my gym that get around 250.

**power65** · 06-14-2005, 08:12 AM

Getting 200 lbs. out of a shirt is pretty huge to me!!!! I honestly don't get much out of a bench shirt, any shirt. I get at most about 60 lbs. It's not because I don't know how to use the shirt, it has to do with how I'm built I think. I have extremely long arms. So even though the shirt helps be blast out of the hole, the bar still has a long ride to the top. Plus, due to some shoulder injuries, I really can't bench wide at all. I have a very narrow grip for what is considered my competition bench. Luckily I've been blessed with extremely strong triceps. I know I can out bench anyone I know tight grip (meaning index fingers where the grip starts toward the center of the bar. I only wt. about 230 and I can tight grip bench 400+ on a good day. (Thats a raw bench with my thumbs about 12" apart. I'm thinking of driving up to Inzer or Titan and have them look me over for a custom shirt because of my tricep strength my arms are much bigger than what they should be compared to my chest. So I never really get a good fitting shirt either. Maybe why I don't get much out of the shirt????? You think?????

***Doc.Sust*** · 06-14-2005, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by power65

Getting 200 lbs. out of a shirt is pretty huge to me!!!! I honestly don't get much out of a bench shirt, any shirt. I get at most about 60 lbs. It's not because I don't know how to use the shirt, it has to do with how I'm built I think. I have extremely long arms. So even though the shirt helps be blast out of the hole, the bar still has a long ride to the top. Plus, due to some shoulder injuries, I really can't bench wide at all. I have a very narrow grip for what is considered my competition bench. Luckily I've been blessed with extremely strong triceps. I know I can out bench anyone I know tight grip (meaning index fingers where the grip starts toward the center of the bar. I only wt. about 230 and I can tight grip bench 400+ on a good day. (Thats a raw bench with my thumbs about 12" apart. I'm thinking of driving up to Inzer or Titan and have them look me over for a custom shirt because of my tricep strength my arms are much bigger than what they should be compared to my chest. So I never really get a good fitting shirt either. Maybe why I don't get much out of the shirt????? You think?????

it could be, i am not sure how a close grip would effect a shirt press. maybe you can get them to make a shirt with mega tri support to help your long travel distance. they may have some ideas.

**power65** · 06-14-2005, 03:03 PM

Yhea. My normal bench grip isn't too narrow..(I have my little finger just inside the marks on the bar, but most people getting huge numbers out of their shirts bench much wider than that. But you are right. I do need a shirt with more tricep support. But I guess I've im ever having a rough day, I could always take my bench shirt off, move my grip way the hell in and do a good "Raw 410-420# Tight bench. May not be what I'd regular bench, but better than bombing out.

**Power76** · 06-14-2005, 03:38 PM

Your build and the type of shirt makes a huge difference. I have short arms and a decent sized belly so when I belly bench with my grip maxed out in the open back shirt I get a huge carry over. When I bench to my chest with a closed back shirt I don't get near as much.