Mike,
As Brian mentioned, the Rage X is easier to break in than the SDP, however given your situation, I would break it in exactly the same way as we recommend breaking in the SDP.
Not because the shirt needs it, but because you do!
Here’s what I would do.
- Get used to bringing your hands out further first.
- Start with your normal grip to a 4 or 5 board
- Take a few sets of 3 at this width
- Each week move your hands out a little further, but stay at the high board. Do this over the course of a few weeks with the goal of ending up much wider. How wide will depend on your build, but I would guess it will be somewhere between ring and index finger on the ring
- Once your grip is out and it is a little more natural start coming down the boards
- Same thing as the hand width. 1 board a week, get a few triples at each height, until you get really low (1 board and less). At that height, I’d go to singles since the weight required to touch is going to be quite heavy. Do this over several weeks, deloading often. Once you get to the 1 board, that’s probably enough. Maybe you want to touch just once, but I wouldn’t touch more than once to preserve the shirt and your body (touching in a shirt is pretty brutal).
Breaking in a shirt SUCKS. Learning a shirt SUCKS. You will probably feel like your bones are going to explode at some point in the process.
Again, the Rage X doesn’t take this much to break in typically, however since you are new to it this is what I would do. This way you get to learn slowly over the course of several weeks. Each board height will be more and more challenging.
Give this article a read for reference:
Breaking In An Inzer Advance Designs SDP
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Dan Dalenberg is a pro level raw and equipped powerlifter with elite totals in the 220, 242 and 275 class. Best official raw meet lifts include an 804 squat, 507 bench press, 715 dead lift and 2006 total. Best equipped lifts include an 950 squat, 715 bench, 735 deadlift and 2400 total at 242.
Dan has been training under Brian's guidance using the 10/20/Life methodology since late 2010.
