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When to switch to geared lifting

puckett26

puckett26

New Member
Apr 17, 2012
6
0
A few weeks ago I signed up and paid for a meet on May 19th and my boss decided to tell me today that I cant have the day off. So my competition prep is pretty much done and I guess Ill start a new training cycle. My goal was to do 350 in bench at the meet (always has been my weakest lift). Well the other day I was doing some heavy triples an at the end i decided to toss some extra weight on there for a single and see how it went and I got 375 relatively easy with no leg drive. My goal was to hit 405 by the end of the year then think about gear. Being that I am nearly there in only 4 months of training do you think it would be beneficial to start training in a bench shirt or possibly get a sling shot? Or should I just keep keep training and get a complete year of powerlifting training up my belt?
 
porky little keg

porky little keg

MuscleHead
May 21, 2011
1,225
647
I, like most guys, did my first contest raw... but there are plenty of guys who compete for the first time in gear.

Switching to gear is less about how long you have been powerlifting and more about how much of a foundation you have already built up. If your form sucks squatting raw, then when you have the suit there trying to push you around it's only going to get uglier..... With that said, my team has taken more than a few new lifters and had them being successful in gear within a few months.

When I made the switch I had hit 425-350-540 in a powerlifting meet and was hitting ~500-385-550 in the gym. I switched in the fall, and my the following March I competed in gear and went ~745-450-600. I had a great time switching in to gear, never any problems. But I had a good foundation and I had a really good team to help me.

My suggestion..... find a team to help you out. If you go to any local meet you'll see the same guys there every year lifting half of what they should because they try to train alone and have no ****ing clue what they are doing.

If you decide to go for it yourself I'd say to start in a poly squat suit. Start with the straps down then as you get used to it start getting the straps up loose, then eventually tighter. Once you feel comfortable there most guys just cut off the straps and use the suit as briefs under a heavier poly or canvas suit. For shirts, start out with a LOOSE 2-ply. Once you get good at working the shirt you can start tightening it up. If you are benching with just one spotter please do it in the cage with safety pins set so you don't smash your face.


Either way, good luck. PM me if you need any help finding a team to train with. I know EVERYONE.
 
alpha

alpha

VIP Member
May 1, 2012
119
42
Great advice from PLK. My recommendation would be to do your first show RAW. That doesnt mean you cant get the feel for some gear. If you have other PL'ers around you, my suggestion is to try out their suits first. Start with a squat suit and get the feel for how they fit and how it feels to get yourself into a low squat in a suit. It is a much different feel then doing it raw. The stronger the suit, the more you need to maintain the correct form as much as possible.
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

VIP Member
Mar 6, 2011
10,717
2,808
You can have so-so form when you lift raw but that isn't the case when you lift equipped. Also, your technique is different when you lift raw than when you lift equipped. Personally and this is just my opinion but, I don't think you can successfully train equipped without a team there to guide, educate, and of course spot you in your training.
 
S

SpartanLabs

Member
Dec 13, 2012
30
0
Brother is correct, a team is a must have and people that you are comfortable with spotting the heavyweights and holding the boards for you. It is also a good idea to have people around you that are familiar with geared training to help set your shirt.
 
Mini Forklift Ⓥ

Mini Forklift Ⓥ

The Veganator
Dec 23, 2012
4,313
730
Interesting, I had asked this very same question on another forum. Personally I don't have a problem with equipped guys like some powerlifters do, I respect that they train hard and there's certainly a lot of extra stuff involved that you don't have to worry about when you lift raw. You definately have to learn your gear, isn't a case of just throwing a suit on a few weeks before a meet and 'breaking it in'. The elite guys spend a lot of time in their gear and I guess that's something to consider as well ~ the workouts take a lot longer and even more so if there's a few of you training together.

I guess what I have an issue with is about being 'strong'. Brandon Lilly says this a lot and I agree, STRONG IS STRONG. It's all very well having a good total but if you can squat 700 with a suit on and then you take it off and you struggle to get 405 raw you probably need to get back to basics; ditch the gear, start squatting for reps and then go back to the suit when you have some solid base strength. So that's where I see the problem, guys that are posting big totals but out of the gear I'm as strong or stronger than them ?! That bothers me a bit in the sense that these guys are getting numbers directly as a result of their equipment, and to me powerlifting should first and foremost always be about strength rather than using everything to your advantage so you can shortcut your way to the top.

I have a squat suit but I'd like to predominantly stay as a raw lifter. At some point I'm probably going to take the time to learn the suit but not until I've taken my raw squat as far as I can. So to answer the question, for me it will be when I feel like I have maxed out on my raw total or I achieve one that I am really content with (if that will ever happen lol).
 
PillarofBalance

PillarofBalance

Strength Pimp
Feb 27, 2011
17,066
4,640
Interesting, I had asked this very same question on another forum. Personally I don't have a problem with equipped guys like some powerlifters do, I respect that they train hard and there's certainly a lot of extra stuff involved that you don't have to worry about when you lift raw. You definately have to learn your gear, isn't a case of just throwing a suit on a few weeks before a meet and 'breaking it in'. The elite guys spend a lot of time in their gear and I guess that's something to consider as well ~ the workouts take a lot longer and even more so if there's a few of you training together.

I guess what I have an issue with is about being 'strong'. Brandon Lilly says this a lot and I agree, STRONG IS STRONG. It's all very well having a good total but if you can squat 700 with a suit on and then you take it off and you struggle to get 405 raw you probably need to get back to basics; ditch the gear, start squatting for reps and then go back to the suit when you have some solid base strength. So that's where I see the problem, guys that are posting big totals but out of the gear I'm as strong or stronger than them ?! That bothers me a bit in the sense that these guys are getting numbers directly as a result of their equipment, and to me powerlifting should first and foremost always be about strength rather than using everything to your advantage so you can shortcut your way to the top.

I have a squat suit but I'd like to predominantly stay as a raw lifter. At some point I'm probably going to take the time to learn the suit but not until I've taken my raw squat as far as I can. So to answer the question, for me it will be when I feel like I have maxed out on my raw total or I achieve one that I am really content with (if that will ever happen lol).

Lifting in gear isn't a short cut or advantage to cheat your way to the top. Do a meet in gear... Train in it. It's almost like a different sport. You're not just fighting the weight, but the equipment too. A bench shirt will squeeze the life out of you. A dead suit makes your head feel like its going to explode.

But their totals don't overshadow yours. Theirs are recorded as single/multiply and yours as raw.

Having said that I compete raw :D

Just finally got in with a team though so I can start lifting equipped. October 2013 will be my first equipped meet I think.
 
Mini Forklift Ⓥ

Mini Forklift Ⓥ

The Veganator
Dec 23, 2012
4,313
730
I do agree with you, maybe the way I wrote that came out wrong. Some of the guys I get the privilege to train bench with use shirts, they're still animals and impress the hell out of me just as the guys in the squat suits do.

When I wrote 'shortcut' I simply meant the guys that are able to add hundreds to their total but without the suit they struggle. I dunno, maybe that just implies that know how to get the most out of what they wear and use; but to me I'm more impressed by the guys that are strong IN AND OUT of the gear.
 
blubbard

blubbard

TID Lady Member
May 31, 2012
78
11
I don't think it matters much so long as you continue to get stronger out of your gear. I started in gear and then went raw and will get back in gear after I finish off a couple goals I have. Geared lifting requires very strong lockout strength so if your three board is only 40 lbs more than your raw bench don't expect to get 200 + lbs out of your shirt right off the bat. Raw lifting you can musclefuck weights up. If you try that in gear expect to eat a few bars and floors I will disagree about the need to have great squat form raw. You need great squat form in gear and the technique is totally different. I tend to fall forward raw. In gear with a wider stance I rarely get forward.
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

VIP Member
Mar 6, 2011
10,717
2,808
It's harder, not easier to lift in equipment. If you can't sit back raw you're going to have serious problems when you through on briefs and a suit. Seen it happen time and time again. Knee's shooting forward and other issues.

I won't lie, I used to have a problem with equipment a long time ago but over time I came to realization it's 2 totally different beasts that you have to tame. Most people who don't lift, won't understand that so they'll see it as cheating.
 
Last edited:
Turbolag

Turbolag

TID's Official Donut Tester
Oct 14, 2012
7,400
1,255
It's harder, not easier to lift in equipment. If you can't sit back raw you're going to have serious problems when you through on briefs and a suit. Seen it happen time and time again. Knee's shooting forward and other issues.

I won't lie, I used to have a problem with equipment a long time ago but over time I came to realization it's 2 totally different beasts that you have to tame. Most people who don't lift, won't understand that so they'll see it as cheating.

Totally agree. The PRESSURE involved with geared lifting is tremendous. It's exhausting.

I love both un equipped and geared. I'd like to do an un equipped meet.

But training in gear is a lot of fun also.
 
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