massiveman99 suggested 'boiling' the dbl phenom?? I never heard of this....what's the idea & how is it done?

I am a 216lb. male competing at 220. Best lift was this weekend in PA. I lifted 468 and probably had another 7-8 pounds left in me. My raw lifts are about 380 for a double. I have used Inzer and Titan, but it has been a while since I put an Inzer shirt on. I have used F6 and Fury.

Shirt being reviewed: Titan Fury size 50.

This shirt has a really good groove and as others have said, it goes on easy. I have not modified this shirt and I wear it really low in the front, which i guess is how it's supposed to be worn. Anyway, great results. It probably gave me 70 or so pounds. Next shirt to try is the Katana.

19, 265ish lbs, Lifting 6 years, Shirt experience about a month. borrowed old Inzer Phenom 2 ply and A/S Katana (Both a minimum of 2 sizes too large)

Predominantly training in the Phenom

Pros
Easy to learn. with some slight adjustments to my raw form, was able to get about 110lbs carryover on first night, 130 ish now. Shirt started life as a 68, has been altered countless times. Doesn't leave any sort of discernible bruising, just some redness (shows how loose it is :P)

Cons
Not enough experience to compare yet.

Notes:
3 sessions in the Phenom was enough for me to decide to order my own shirt, a 58 Dbl Phenom with a 2 inch scoop. Hopefully the new shirt will give me a better idea of what this thing is really capable of...

when does anyone think you should start using a shirt in training?

i dont plan on competing in a meet for at least a year so should i wait til few months out to practise the shirt or is it better to get used to using it now rather than later.

kerley

24, ~296lb... competing 3 years

have used 2-ply F-6, 2 ply rage X grid stitch and -1 inch in the arms, Frantz Denim and double poly, Titan BOSS...

equipment being reviewed: Overkill brand shirts

these shirts are the business man, more pop than my boss but with carry over in to the top end.....

cons are that they are really hard to get ( handmade right now) until the guy making them gets set up for mass production

Never heard of 'Overkill brand shirts"....Where'd you get it?

You can only get Overkill shirts from the guy that makes them, his name is Rudy (he also makes the TP-5000 knee wraps). He used to train at Frantz Gym, but now he trains at Jakked, I think he's going to have a website up sometime in the near future, but as of now the only way is to get in contact with him in person

Gear Experience: Metal, Inzer HPHD, Inzer Phenom, Titan Katana A/S (All single ply)

Equipment being reviewed: Titan Super Katana A/S (Single Ply)

Pros: Very good carryover, good support through the whole lift, comfortable and adjustable. Very durable. The cut keeps shoulders more stable.

Cons: Harder to touch in than anything else I've ever tried. Very stiff, and extremely hard to lower weight quickly in once it locks up. Gives very little outside of the groove compared to in it.

Comparison:
The neck size and arm position have been changed over the regular Katana. It's much easier to get an IPF legal touch in than the Katana, and much MUCH easier to keep your shoulderblades and shoulders in position. The flip side of this is that since you are locked in a better position to get more out of the shirt, it's harder to touch. Also, it's much harder to drift the bar, compounding the problems of a bad touch, since it gives even less than a Katana outside of the groove.
It's easier to use *properly* and get maximum carryover than the Katana, but you don't have the same leeway with dumping the bar at the bottom portion that you once had.
More expensive than Inzer shirts, but still cheaper than the better Metal offerings.

Thoughts:
Not a beginners shirt. And I'll say it again; not a beginners shirt!
It is a really good shirt - addresses all the problems with the original Katana that made it so hard to touch a bit higher, tweaked the sleeve angle and neck so you can hold your shoulder and elbow position without having the back strength of a silverback gorilla, and seems to give 10-20lbs more carryover vs the same size Katana. It'd probably be a dead heat in terms of carryover if you can use your Katana perfectly, but it is still easier to use and will save your shoulders getting trashed when you struggle to touch.

That said, if you're an inconsistent bencher it is not the best choice. Nothing seems to touch quickly or easily, and if you fuck up the touch the rebound is absymal. Drifting the bar up or down once you've gone too far in either direction is either slow or impossible, even with relatively light weight.
It's not as bleak as it may seem. For me there's roughly a 4 inch area where I can touch and get really good support, and it is very easy to adjust by lifting or lowering the shirt. Top end support is directly related to how close the sleeves are to my elbow.
This isn't bad. To be honest, it's probably as good if not better than most shirts I've tried in terms of sweet spot.

I'd recommend it. It's definitely not a first shirt, and probably not a second shirt unless you've got a few experienced people around to guide you, but I think it's worth a try at some stage for anyone who considers themselves a serious single ply bencher. For IPF guys using regular Katana's, making it easier to control while touching higher makes it worth the price of admission in my book.

I honestly think this is the best single ply shirt on the market.

(Most people I know have been going one size up over their normal Katana and transitioned fine without losing anything on their bench, whereas the harder touches have caught out a few who kept the same size.)

^^Great write up... ya nearly have me sold on one!!

Best bench raw: 305

Lifting for 3 years powerlifting for about 1 1/2

Gear being reviewed: Titan F6 size 44

pros: VERY easy to learn, I would recommend this shirt to anyone, its is my first shirt, and I absolutely love benching in it. I is also very forgiving on your body, The Katana marks me up worse than anything I have ever seen, and the F^ is a triceps beater, but not as bad as the katana

Cons: Its a close back shirt, and the neck digs into my back when I pick my head up. I don't think Ill get 400 in it in carryover, but I haven't touched in it yet, only 2 boards, so we'll see how it goes.

Has anyone here tried the Metal Ace shirt yet?

My Overkill shirt is coming soon!!!, will post review, super psyched about the shirt.

You should like it, everyone I know that uses it loves it.

I plan to compete in powerlifting and have heard a lot of great things about metal gear. Specifically the metal ipf bencher and metal ipf v-type squatter.I am completely new to shirts/suits. would this gear be too advanced for someone new? (stats : 5'6 165 bench:255;squat : 345;deadlift 365)Thanks

Thanks Hanley. I will do some more research on titan gear.