Metal Viking bench shirt

Paul Bunyan · Feb 25, 2005

I received my new Metal Viking bench shirt last week. Man, that thing is wicked. I thought my head was gonna pop off the first time I used it. It is alot different than my Inzer Dbl Denim.

PB

Masscycle · Feb 25, 2005

off the rack

Hey bro, did you order yours off their sizing chart, or did you have it custom made. Also how does the groove and support compare to your inzer dbl denim. I was thinking about getting one myself. I have used both the inzer dbl denim and also karins. I actually had better results with an old Frantz dbl denim, which I altered the hell out of.

Paul Bunyan · Feb 25, 2005

I ordered an off the rack size. The sleeves are a bit loose but that can be fixed. I was told to break the shirt in and then have alterations done. I have to have someone push one of my hands under the bar when I set up.

The groove is a bit different than the Inzer. I haven't even tried to pull the front down yet.

PB

btmagnus · Feb 25, 2005

Just curious. How much poundage did it add to your bench?

Paul Bunyan · Feb 26, 2005

The first time I used it I got 585 off 2 boards. It was very difficult to touch. The second time I hit 635 off 2 boards. The 3rd time I went 675 off the 2 boards. All went up easily. I was told to use it 4 times in training to break it in and then have 1 inch taken out of the chest panel. It also looks like I'll need to have the sleeves taken in about 1/2 inch. Next time I'll see if 635 will touch my chest. The numbers are similar to the ones I hit in my Inzer.

I've also noticed that the groove on the Metal is more forgiving. By this I mean that the sweet spot is a bit higher on my chest. This works well for me. My upper arms are fairly short and when I try to hit my belly my elbows get behind the bar. Not a good situation. The denim forces me to go too far out to touch and sometimes I just lose it at the bottom. With the Metal you want to keep the bar where the shirt feels tight. The denim forces you to work around the tight spot.

The material is bullet proof. If you order one, go with the size they recommend. Break it in. Then have it altered.

PB