Powerlifting has the "big 3"
-Deadlift
-Squat
-Benchpress
(See thread on best exercises for mass/strength to look at these
exercises)
Shirts are used to lift a maximal load thus creating
controvesy
as quoted from wikipedia
"One of the greatest controversies is over the use of assistance
clothing/gear. Many purists believe that assistance equipment
reduces powerlifting as a pure limit strength sport. Others feel
equipment companies bring money into the sport in the form of
sponsorship of lifters and events plus equipment use reduces
injuries. Furthering the complication is not only the use of gear
itself, but the stance the main powerlifting organizations take on
its use. For example, some federations such as the IPF allow the
use of single ply polyester squat and deadlift suits, and single
ply polyester bench shirts, while the WPO allows multi ply squat
and deadlift suits and multi ply bench shirts made from anything
from canvas to denim. Another is over the growing use of
performance enhancing drugs and the inconsistencies between
federations testing for them. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics nine
powerlifters were ejected from the Games after positive tests in
one of the worst cases of cheating at the Paralympic Games. In
addition to these larger problems are small issues with technique
such as how long the bar should pause at the bottom of the bench
press or the depth that a lifter must squat a weight."
Bench press shirt
http://www.hickoksports.com/rules/rpowerlift.shtml#costume
Powerlifting rules- too long to be listed here
