Cutting/open back bench shirts.

[Clifford Gillmore]

How many of you guys use open back shirts, were they stock open back? Or did you have them altered? And for a rather specific question on the matter, how much lower do you touch with an open back?


Thanks in advanced guys! This has been one of those questions that have been floating around in my head for a little while, and I can't seem to get much information about it!

[Sean S]

My training partner has a bunch of old shirts he turned into open back. Just cut it up the back of the shirt. You can sew a strip of velcro on the lower back area to keep the shirt on. It doesn't take any real special alternations to turn a shirt into open back.
You may not necessarily touch any lower in an open back. Alot of it depends on how much you pull the shirt down and where the collar is positioned.

[NickAus]

My training partner has a bunch of old shirts he turned into open back. Just cut it up the back of the shirt. You can sew a strip of velcro on the lower back area to keep the shirt on. It doesn't take any real special alternations to turn a shirt into open back.
You may not necessarily touch any lower in an open back. Alot of it depends on how much you pull the shirt down and where the collar is positioned.

Yeah just cut it.
You will be able to adjust the shirt more and pull it down more to get a little more out of it, I did this with a single ply King Bencher.
I prefer it open back but to be honest I did not get much more out of it lbs wise.

[Brian Hopper]

How many of you guys use open back shirts, were they stock open back? Or did you have them altered? And for a rather specific question on the matter, how much lower do you touch with an open back?


Thanks in advanced guys! This has been one of those questions that have been floating around in my head for a little while, and I can't seem to get much information about it!

I am using a METAL Double Denim and it came already with an open back. As far as touching goes, it has been a VERY long time since I have used a closed back shirt. Alot of it for me has to do with how jacked the shirt is.

[Niko_El_Piko]

I believe the open back is not approved by the IPF, correct?

[mastermonster]

I leave mine closed the last 9 inches or so at the bottom. Then you don't have to worry about velcro to keep it in place around your waist. Just cut from the back of the neck and stop 9 inches from the tail bottom. You can't effectively touch and press beyond the 'groove' of the shirt. How low you can pull the collar down will determine how low that will be. If the collar is closed, that is clearly limited.

[Travis Bell]

I believe the open back is not approved by the IPF, correct?

correct, but many here do not lift in the IPF

[Travis Bell]

I leave mine closed the last 9 inches or so at the bottom. Then you don't have to worry about velcro to keep it in place around your waist. Just cut from the back of the neck and stop 9 inches from the tail bottom. You can't effectively touch and press beyond the 'groove' of the shirt. How low you can pull the collar down will determine how low that will be. If the collar is closed, that is clearly limited.

^this

It's the adjustability of the collar placement that will determine how high or low you need to touch. You're just going to have to get used to the feel of the shirt as to where you're going to need to touch given where you pulled the collar down to.

[mattdunkin]

I believe the open back is not approved by the IPF, correct?

Not much is...