The right way to put on a bench shirt
A lot of people think bench shirts are complicated. They're really not. The problem is most lifters never learn how to set one correctly.
Here's how to do it.
Have the lifter extend their arms straight out in front of them with their palms facing down. This creates the loosest sleeve position possible.
Want more tension in the sleeves? Start with the palms up and then rotate the arms over after the shirt is in place.
Once the shirt is on, have the lifter turn around.
Grab the top of the shirt, place your forearm into their upper back, and have them "swim" one arm across their body. Then repeat on the other side.
From there, you can start in on smaller adjustments to get the shirt tighter. Have them get their chest up as you pull the shirt down to remove any wrinkles.
If the sleeves are sitting below the elbows, roll them up above the joint. Then secure the back straps.
Want the shirt tighter?
Have the athlete relax their arms, lean toward you, and then come back upright while you're pulling down on the shirt.
You can also fold the sleeves down and then back over themselves to increase tension even further.
Get the setup right and the rest becomes a lot easier.
