pulling the bar down during descend when benching

[jtteg_x]

I'm wearing a super tight double katana with grid stitching and I have got tremendous support using it. I'm a 44 in single ply and this shirt is a 46. However, I have only gotten down to a 2-board after 6 training sessions in it. I have heard some folks literally pull the bar down when benching to touch and I wanted to see who here uses that technique? I really want to learn this technique but having only one spotter scares me if I end up dumping heavy weight down low. I don't have the luxury of 3 man spotting. I was thinking wearing a looser shirt and practice touching lighter weights. I am open for any suggestions.

edit: I occasionally set up a reverse band bench using light bands with no weight on the bar and practice pulling the bar down using my lats as I have seen in one of Dizenzo's demonstration video.

[MarcusWild]

Very, very few people can wear a double katana and touch weights. It's a board press champion shirt. Unless you have a 6" ROM, then I'd stick with the single-ply, because even guys benching 700 and 800+ are doing it in the single-ply katana.

[IronDiggy]

awwe heck I pull the bar to my chest in a single ply f6.

I think I remember Vinny suggesting setting a bar up for reverse band press but with no weight on it and work on pulling that to your chest. Done it before and it works a rather interesting part in the middle of my back but it helped me pull the bar down better.

[jmccown]

My single ply super katana is EXTREMELY hard to touch in. I cannot imagine trying a double ply SK unless you have a very short ROM.

[ScottYard]

CUT THE BOARDS out and work on touching. It will happen but not with board work. You have to learn how to fight the pressure and work the shirt. Not let the shirt work you. I like doubles. I like 5 sets with 90%

[mastermonster]

CUT THE BOARDS out and work on touching. It will happen but not with board work. You have to learn how to fight the pressure and work the shirt. Not let the shirt work you. I like doubles. I like 5 sets with 90%

This! I have a very short range of motion and still couldn't get this shirt tamed til I ditched the boards. Every other shirt I've ever used I was able to work down with boards. Heavier weight to boards wasn't getting me past one board. I actually lowered the weight and started trying to perfect my touching groove. This finally got me touching in the low 600's. I'd tried as much as 821 to 2 boards but when I'd try to touch 700 or up I'd fall out of the groove and dump it on my belly. Good luck! It's a bear of a shirt!

[jtteg_x]

I'll give it another shot without boards and see how it plays out. Worse comes, I can go back to my double f6. BTW, anyone attending or competing at the UPA show this coming December 5th at Concord, CA?

[Travis Bell]

As others have said, boards are great for breaking in a shirt, but with shirts that are tricky at the bottom, you really have to feel that part of your range of motion on a regular basis.

A double ply grid stitched Katana is a pretty serious shirt though. Best of luck

[drew]

Stop using boards and start doing triples.