Bench Shirt Annihilation- Not The Bruising I'd Expected...

[RickTheDestroyer]

So I'm having an issue with getting shirted up that I haven't heard of before, and I just wanted to see if anyone else had experienced it or had any thoughts. I've done two sessions in a shirt, and although I was expecting to get mangled on my arms/chest/etc., I'm also getting bruises elsewhere that I'm having a hard time figuring out.

Both times that I've used the shirt I've had pretty severe bruising in my lower abdomen- one big bruise on each side about 3-4 inches above my junk. After my most recent session, I noticed swelling an hour or two after training- enough so that I actually went to the doctor yesterday out of fear that I'd given myself a hernia. Luckily, he diagnosed it as a nasty hematoma, but I'm still playing it cautiously until the swelling goes down some. Seriously this thing is a 3 inch by 2 in oval the color that grape kool aid stains your fingers.

In my first session we really cranked the belt on tight when we were getting the shirt set, so this time I specifically left the belt looser... and yet this time the bruising is actually worse on the right side (where the hematoma is), but not nearly as bad (albeit still present) on the left side. I'd think it was just the belt cutting into me, but they're a couple inches below where the belt sits.

Does anyone have any thoughts about what the **** keeps happening? Horror and disgust is not exactly the response I want to get from my girlfriend when I take off my pants. I couldn't give a **** less about my arms and armpits looking like I've been getting flogged, but this **** below the belt has got to stop.
Thanks all.

[deeder]

That makes no sense? Are you sure you weren't wearing a squat suit? :p

[PriestCometh]

the belt should only be snug enough to hold the shirt in place. It shouldnt be as tight as when you are squatting or deadlifting.

[drew]

It sounds like something else is going on here. I don't know what, but I've had the belt on so tight that it's hard to get off afterward and never have had this issue. Never heard of this happening to anyone.

[RickTheDestroyer]

the belt should only be snug enough to hold the shirt in place. It shouldnt be as tight as when you are squatting or deadlifting.
This was my understanding, and although it was on too tight the first time, it was substantially looser the second time. I could squeeze a couple fingers underneath fairly easily.

[smokinHawk]

yes main reason to were a belt while benching with a shirt is to hold it down so it wont ride up.
it shouldnt have to be very tight at all.

[RickTheDestroyer]

My theory at this point is that maybe the belt is holding the skin a little tight when I lean forward to get the shirt pulled tight, and then when I lean back to get the hairy man cleavage it's just yanking those blood vessels below the belt apart. That's all I can figure.

[WillKuenzel]

When someone is pulling the shirt down, are they "punching" you to try and get it down? If it's tight, they could be hitting you as they try to get it into position.

[RickTheDestroyer]

When someone is pulling the shirt down, are they "punching" you to try and get it down? If it's tight, they could be hitting you as they try to get it into position.
Nah- they were just pulling it. And seriously they'd have to be punching me like Wladimir Klitschko to be bruising me like this. That's the thing- I don't feel acute pain or anything when this must be happening... I just see the aftermath.

[jtteg_x]

are you allergic to anything?

[RickTheDestroyer]

are you allergic to anything?
A couple types of antibiotics. I don't think it's allegry related, as it's only happened the two times when I benched with the shirt on. Unless you're thinking I'm allergic to polyester or something.

[RedSpikeyThing]

This was my understanding, and although it was on too tight the first time, it was substantially looser the second time. I could squeeze a couple fingers underneath fairly easily.

Any chance using the belt the second time aggrevated the initial bruises so much that it looks worse than it did the first time?

[RickTheDestroyer]

Any chance using the belt the second time aggrevated the initial bruises so much that it looks worse than it did the first time?
I'm guessing that may have had an impact, even though the sessions were two weeks apart and there wasn't any more visible bruising. I'm probably not going to be in a shirt again for another 4 weeks or so, that ought to give things a good opportunity to heal up completely. And maybe no belt this time.

[Ben Moore]

Have you noticed any pain when squatting and deadlifting? Could be a muscle tear of some sort?

[RickTheDestroyer]

Have you noticed any pain when squatting and deadlifting? Could be a muscle tear of some sort?
I didn't after the first time (even set a PR squat 11 days later :) ), and I'm taking it real easy this time because there is some discomfort involved- but that might just be from my pants pressing on it.
Now that the discoloration is fading I can see that the bruises are in the exact same spots as the time before... so at this point I'm thinking that the belt tore some blood vessels (and possibly a little muscle) the first time around, and this time reopened things despite me trying to be careful.