shirt work in katana

[minotaur70]

howdy
I thought I'd throw up videos from my last two sessions in hope that I get some useful pointers.
The last 3 weeks I have worked to get a decent touch in my single ply katana. I lift IPF- I have a meet now in two weeks.
The first week I went 572lbs for no touch, then 594lbs for no touch, then 616lbs to about 1" off then went again with the same weight after wetting the shirt and got about half an inch off.

The next week I went 572lb for a double, 605lbs and 616- again no touch.
Here is the video of that session:
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At this stage I had only really used the shirt with the collar pulled down some, so in the next session let the collar ride up and benched with my belt undone- went 528 and got close, then went 572lb touched but got choked out by the collar and pretty much blacked out. I then took 5 mins and let the blood get back into my skull and went 583 with the collar just pulled down enough so I didn't get choked out- with the belt done up. This was so close to touching one spotter said it touched the other said quarter of an inch. I then touched 594 twice- but I was fried and it was tough (my camera also was fried- so I didn't manage to get videos of the last two sets.
Here is the video of that session:
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I still need to lose 4-5 pounds- so I guess the shirt should be a little looser. I don't really want to work to touch again from here as I am now pretty beat down. From the feedback I have had so far I can see the groove isn't ideal- I definitely bench better when the bar grooves back toward my head and in the video it looks like I press more up than back. I am working hard on my setup and pulling the bar into my chest. Over the last 3 weeks I have felt more and more beat down- so I am hoping that explains why 3 weeks ago 616 to half an inch from touching flew up like a rocket, but last session 594 was hard.
I'm also a little worried about my opener. Like I said 594 touched easy- 583 was practically there- but feeling so beat down I can't help feeling a little worried about a 594 opener.
Any observations/suggestions welcomed.

[ct67_72]

you have to link the html, not the direct link from youtube

[minotaur70]

ah- thanks! Fixed now.

[barbell01]

all of those weights will touch if you tuck. you are not tucking at all.

[minotaur70]

I think the angle may be deceiving- I am tucking- certainly not a lot though. I think the thing with tucking hard is that I m conscious of where I am aiming to touch as well as trying to keep the wrists and elbows moving together. Here we get killed if we touch anywhere near the belly.
I agree- tucking will make things easier. Thanks for the feedback- I'll give it a go next session.

[Morgan McPherson]

Ya, this shirt is all about how you set it. The lower the collar, the more weight it is going to take to touch. We crank my shirt so far down my pecs it is ridiculous. Luckily I have a tattoo on my chest, so I can gauge where the shirt is set. But ease up on the collar and the weight will touch easier.

[george okunev]

how long have you been using your shirt for? katanas do loosen up over time. we have a few guys who compete in IPF. you guys have to touch alot higher. i benched ones in an ipf comp and my raw lifts were all failed due to touching low. If the shirt is 5 sessions or less old then it will stretch still and you will touch.

[minotaur70]

Ya, this shirt is all about how you set it. The lower the collar, the more weight it is going to take to touch. We crank my shirt so far down my pecs it is ridiculous. Luckily I have a tattoo on my chest, so I can gauge where the shirt is set. But ease up on the collar and the weight will touch easier.

thanks- yeah I am figuring out that the position of the collar makes a huge difference. That tattoo idea is tempting! This might be a dumb question- raising the collar makes it easy to touch, but do you notice that you get a lot more carryover with the shirt jacked down?

[minotaur70]

how long have you been using your shirt for? katanas do loosen up over time. we have a few guys who compete in IPF. you guys have to touch alot higher. i benched ones in an ipf comp and my raw lifts were all failed due to touching low. If the shirt is 5 sessions or less old then it will stretch still and you will touch.

thanks- thats good to know. The videos are of my 2nd and 3rd session in that shirt, so I guess there is some stretching still to come.

[robchris]

Katana's are great shirts but very hard to touch w/ it jacked down. Let the collar ride high like you've been doin' and it will touch just be patient... I think I touched on my 5th session!

I know you dont have time before your meet, but consider in the future getting the collar scooped or going w/ a super katana. That would help a lot w/ the choking prodlem... SK already have the scooped collar and can be adjusted more easily.

[george okunev]

you will find that every session for the first 5 or 6 sessions the shirt will go on better and will be easier to work in. katanas are famous for locking up in that last inch. but that also gives them that huge pop from the chest. no easy fix, just more work. best of luck in your meet.

[minotaur70]

Katana's are great shirts but very hard to touch w/ it jacked down. Let the collar ride high like you've been doin' and it will touch just be patient... I think I touched on my 5th session!

I know you dont have time before your meet, but consider in the future getting the collar scooped or going w/ a super katana. That would help a lot w/ the choking prodlem... SK already have the scooped collar and can be adjusted more easily.

thanks for the advice. I'm planning on lifting at the IPF world bench in May- so I think I'll try to hook up a custom super katana.

[minotaur70]

you will find that every session for the first 5 or 6 sessions the shirt will go on better and will be easier to work in. katanas are famous for locking up in that last inch. but that also gives them that huge pop from the chest. no easy fix, just more work. best of luck in your meet.

thanks for the help. I went again today with 550 for three triples and got within half an inch, which is a huge improvement with that weight, so the shirt is stretching. Fingers crossed for meet day. I think I'll open 594, then jump to 616 assuming all goes well.

[george okunev]

Great news. hope all goes well for you. Please dont forget to post the results. It would be great to get videos to. good luck

[Ben F Burgess]

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I'm also a little worried about my opener. Like I said 594 touched easy- 583 was practically there- but feeling so beat down I can't help feeling a little worried about a 594 opener.
Any observations/suggestions welcomed.
Mate as you know i aint one to be handing out benching advice but looking at that i would say you could tuck more if you need to an still get it passed...it looks like if you tucked and touched it would have ended up at the bottom of the logo - that should be high enough eh?

Dont worry too much about 594 feeling heavy and you feeling beat up - at this point in the cycle the fatigue accumulation is massive, after you've deloaded and that you'll smash the granny out of 594.