What are bench press shirts?

Bench press shirts are specialized pieces of powerlifting equipment designed to support the lifter by providing significant resistance when performing a bench press. These shirts are constructed to be extremely tight, often requiring assistance from others to put on. They work by making it physically challenging to lower the bar to the chest due to the tightness of the shirt, effectively adding to the lifter's capability to lift heavier weights once they conquer this initial resistance.

The use of bench press shirts can, in some cases, add up to hundreds of pounds to a lifter's bench press, significantly boosting their total lift capacity. However, this often brings up debates about the authenticity of lifts performed with such assistance, as the shirts can sometimes prevent the bar from touching the chest, which is a requirement for a lift to be considered valid in competition 1 2.