My Review of the Metal Ace Pro Bench Shirt
By
Vincent Dizenzo
I have to be honest, when I joined team EliteFTS, it wasn’t
for the
Metal Gear. I knew nothing of Metal at all. I joined because
of the guys. I had gone out to a few of the Underground Strength
Sessions and I loved the atmosphere and camaraderie. I was sponsored
by a few gear companies over the years and deep in my soul, I
figured it was more about the magician than the wand.
I must preface my review by stating that I never hit a shirted
personal record in the four and a half years prior to joining Elite.
I may never hit another PR and I may just compete in my rightful
place as a master. Fortunately, I reached a point in my lifting
career that I was both comfortable and proud of what I had
accomplished. By joining EFS, I could give back to the sport with
more than just my numbers.
The best thing about joining the team was that I knew exactly
what shirt I was going to get, the
Metal Ace Pro Bench Shirt. There
was no doubt that was their best shirt. The other nice thing was I
didn’t have to worry about customization. It wasn’t an option. The
great thing about a stock-size shirt is that you know you can get
the same shirt if you need to replace it. Also, I don’t think most
of us are good enough benchers to really need a custom shirt, myself
included.
So, my shirt arrived in a nice prompt manner. I don’t care if
people think I’m just “pimpin” Elite here, but I’ve never heard
anyone complain about their customer service. After I ripped open
the box, the first thing I did was have my wife give it a tug - the
shirt you filthy animals. Man, I couldn’t believe the thickness and
strength of the material. I figured I’d need a thousand pounds or so
to touch. The only problem with the shirt for me was that the
sleeves were too long. Fortunately, the Ace plies are laminated
together, and I was able to trim the sleeves with a pair of
scissors. It was certainly a nice bonus to not have to send my shirt
out and lose it for a few weeks to get that alteration done.
I was giddy with anticipation. I wanted to get to the gym and try
my shirt out with some weight. I put it on for a couple dozen air
benching sessions over the week and I was ready to go. For the first
session at the gym, I wet the collar, chest plate and the sleeves.
We loaded 605 onto the bar and I began my work with triples. These
suck, but they’re the perfect way to break in a shirt and get
stronger. The Ace barely made a crackle and I nearly touched the
third rep. The shirt had great stopping power and incredible
carryover to lockout. It provided a nice consistent low groove, and
each rep felt identical. I was really impressed with the shirt from
day one.
Now anyone can talk the talk, but I walked the walk. I competed
on January 30, at the IPA Jersey State Meet and had a very good day.
Wearing that same Ace bench shirt I broke in with 605, I hit an 810
and an 820 bench. Both of which were PRs and world records. The 810
broke the IPA 308 Master world record and the 820 broke the Open.
Not bad for one training cycle using the
Metal Ace Pro Bench Shirt.
I guess this old magician has a few tricks up his sleeve, especially
when he’s using the right wand.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the
strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength
training products and services while providing the highest level of
customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment,
information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.
Get your Metal Ace Pro Bench Shirt
here
