Proper training for powerlifting (in fact, any sport) is based on a set of fundamental training principles. Principles such as specificity, variation, fatigue management, and overload govern the training process. Of these principles, overload is perhaps most important. In order for training gains, especially in strength, to be made at the fastest and most consistent pace possible, overload must be regularly presented in training. In a basic sense, overload is defined by two constraints on training: 

1. Training must be hard. That is, it must be within the maximal threshold of the system being trained. For strength training, this usually means loads in excess of 80% of your 1rep max. This also means that volumes of work have to be challenging as well: multiple sets of 3-5 hard reps are the best way to gain strength. 
2. Training must get harder over time, on average. This means that if your last workout was a tough 315 for 3x5, the next hard workout should be 325 for 3x5 or even 4x5. Even hard training doesn't maximize adaptation it doesn't get HARDER with time. You don't get stronger by lifting the same weights you used to.

BenchBlockz allow a lifter to produce higher forces than usual by limiting the range of motion of the exercise. While this is not an ideal way to train ALL of the time, especially for raw lifters, occasional use of limiting range of motion training can expose the body to forces outside of its normal experience, providing a massive overload. Such training stresses the nervous system particularly, which is an important component of maximal strength production. I'd recommend using BenchBlockz in the last month of training before a powerlifting meet. This will expose your body to forces even higher than those seen on the powerlifting platform, and thus likely enhance strength gains specific to powerlifting performance. To keep training maximally effective, perform several sets of 1-3 reps with BenchBlockz After your sets of bench press form the chest with your competition setup.

Equipped powerlifters can benefit even more from the overload of BenchBlockz. Shirted benching allows for much higher weights to be used, and conditioning the body for such high weights has no replacement... Such weights need to be lifted. BenchBlockz can be used to limit the range of motion and thus allow for super heavy weights to be used... Exactly the kind used in equipped powerlifting competition.

The principle of specificity is next to support the use of BenchBlockz. Equipped powerlifters exert the highest concentric forces close to the lockout of the bench press, as the shirt provides much of the force out of the bottom of the movement. While a good raw, full range of motion bench press is critical as a base for all equipped bench pressers, the reality is that lockout power is king for the equipped bench. By using BenchBlockz to limit the range of motion to just the top end of the press, the movement becomes much more specific to the equipped bench press, and thus enhances the training effect to produce bigger lifting in the future.

Even raw pressers can benefit from the specificity-enhancing potential of BenchBlokz. For those lifters that struggle with lockout problems, more triceps work is often a part of the solution. But while other exercises such as skull crushers and overhead extension can generally strengthen your triceps, the lockout work done on BenchBlockz can offer an added and more specific approach. Integrating BenchBlokz into your training can absolutely help with lockout issues and improve your pressing.

Lastly, BenchBlokz can greatly help employ the principle of variation into your training. The principle of variation states that while any type of training is effective for a month or so, continuous use of the same methods can lead to decreased adaptive response over time. Essentially, training becomes stale and the same methods no longer work as well (or in more advanced lifters, at all). Thus, strategic alterations in training modality can be employed to keep variation high and keep the gains coming.

After a while, different grip widths, chains, and bands may not be enough variation for the training process. The use of BenchBlokz for a month or so (a mesocycle) of training can spur new gains and allow time for the other methods of training to become fresh and effective again. Planned use of BenchBlokz in your training can add to variation while keeping specificity and overload high... A great combination for some serious results.

-Dr. Mike Israetel