Could someone explain to me how exactly squat briefs work? I could not find a satisfying answer. Also how much do squat briefs help your squat and what type of lifter/ squatter benefits from briefs? As always - thanks in advance.
I assume you’re aware of this, but in case you’re not… briefs are not allowed in raw lifting. So the type of squatter who benefits from them would necessarily be one who competes in equipped competition.
Generally speaking, someone with a wider squat stance and shins that stay mostly vertical will benefit more from briefs than someone who squats narrow, although any style will likely see pounds added to their squat max. The briefs will give you additional power at the hip joint, but obviously will not aid at the knees.
I have no idea if this adequately answers your question, but I feel like it should for any practical purposes…
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I assume you’re aware of this, but in case you’re not… briefs are not allowed in raw lifting. So the type of squatter who benefits from them would necessarily be one who competes in equipped competition.
Generally speaking, someone with a wider squat stance and shins that stay mostly vertical will benefit more from briefs than someone who squats narrow, although any style will likely see pounds added to their squat max. The briefs will give you additional power at the hip joint, but obviously will not aid at the knees.
I have no idea if this adequately answers your question, but I feel like it should for any practical purposes…[/quote]
Yes I am aware that you can’t wear them in raw competitions but wouldn’t you squat in a squat suit in an equipped meet? Why would some choose just briefs?
So briefs would benefit people with weak hips/glutes. Would it be beneficial or detrimental for a raw squatter to squat in briefs from time to time/ as an overload? For example I use ligthly (by competitive standards) wrapped knee wraps to push a little more weight after my main working sets but my actual weakness is the hip. It has gotten better after I followed advice that was given to me by lift206 along with some extra glute training but it still is not where I want it to be and it holds my squat back.
I would say NOT to use briefs if you’re goal is stronger hips. The briefs would simply mask the hip weakness, allowing you to squat more but with still-weak hips. Your idea of using knee wraps in the manner you describe is more logical.
[quote]Koestrizer wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I assume you’re aware of this, but in case you’re not… briefs are not allowed in raw lifting. So the type of squatter who benefits from them would necessarily be one who competes in equipped competition.
Generally speaking, someone with a wider squat stance and shins that stay mostly vertical will benefit more from briefs than someone who squats narrow, although any style will likely see pounds added to their squat max. The briefs will give you additional power at the hip joint, but obviously will not aid at the knees.
I have no idea if this adequately answers your question, but I feel like it should for any practical purposes…[/quote]
Yes I am aware that you can’t wear them in raw competitions but wouldn’t you squat in a squat suit in an equipped meet? Why would some choose just briefs?
So briefs would benefit people with weak hips/glutes. Would it be beneficial or detrimental for a raw squatter to squat in briefs from time to time/ as an overload? For example I use ligthly (by competitive standards) wrapped knee wraps to push a little more weight after my main working sets but my actual weakness is the hip. It has gotten better after I followed advice that was given to me by lift206 along with some extra glute training but it still is not where I want it to be and it holds my squat back.
[/quote]
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
For training purposes, an equipped lifter may wear just briefs sometimes just because they don’t want to put on the full suit.
As has been mentioned, wearing briefs is NOT the way to go if you want your hips to get stronger. That’s backward thinking. The overload would be on the knee joint, not the hip joint.
Bottom line is, if you’re a raw competitor, training in briefs is probably not a good idea, ever. Unless you compete in strongman as well. Or for some reason you just like wearing briefs…
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
[/quote]
To clarify, that would only be acceptable in a multiply meet as far as I’m aware (as that’s technically 2 plies of material). I’ve known of some folks that prefer briefs to deadlift suits and for yoke walks as well, but otherwise yeah, not a whole lot of other times to wear just briefs in competition. You’ll see it in training cycles for geared lifters.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
[/quote]
To clarify, that would only be acceptable in a multiply meet as far as I’m aware (as that’s technically 2 plies of material). I’ve known of some folks that prefer briefs to deadlift suits and for yoke walks as well, but otherwise yeah, not a whole lot of other times to wear just briefs in competition. You’ll see it in training cycles for geared lifters.
[/quote]
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed this was the case, but I wasn’t sure if it was universal across federations, so I was intentionally vague. I felt like the real issue here was that the OP is under the impression that ‘just briefs’ is a common thing either in competition or in training programs for raw lifters, and I don’t believe either to be the case.
EDIT: Just did a quick rule book search. The USPF allows briefs to be worn under a singly ply suit in single ply competition. This is the only rule book I looked up. Rule 5.2.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
[/quote]
To clarify, that would only be acceptable in a multiply meet as far as I’m aware (as that’s technically 2 plies of material). I’ve known of some folks that prefer briefs to deadlift suits and for yoke walks as well, but otherwise yeah, not a whole lot of other times to wear just briefs in competition. You’ll see it in training cycles for geared lifters.
[/quote]
This. Single ply would be a single ply suit only. Multi ply may or may not include briefs.
Alternatively, they make a marginally more comfortable alternative to spanx if you require that type of thing.
With the approximately 4 million feds out there, I’m sure there is one where briefs and suit is still single ply, haha. It’s getting silly.
I remember StormTheBeach’s thread on the westside method talked about using briefs for DE day even for a raw lifter, but it’s definitely not something common like you’ve mentioned.
Guys who pull sumo, or train box squats with wide, exaggerated stances wear briefs in training to support their hips.
Reed is wearing briefs, not volley ball shorts in his videos, right?
If you want to challenge and build your hips, you could try some box squats or sumo deadlifts without the crazy wide stance.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
[/quote]
To clarify, that would only be acceptable in a multiply meet as far as I’m aware (as that’s technically 2 plies of material). I’ve known of some folks that prefer briefs to deadlift suits and for yoke walks as well, but otherwise yeah, not a whole lot of other times to wear just briefs in competition. You’ll see it in training cycles for geared lifters.
[/quote]
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed this was the case, but I wasn’t sure if it was universal across federations, so I was intentionally vague. I felt like the real issue here was that the OP is under the impression that ‘just briefs’ is a common thing either in competition or in training programs for raw lifters, and I don’t believe either to be the case.
EDIT: Just did a quick rule book search. The USPF allows briefs to be worn under a singly ply suit in single ply competition. This is the only rule book I looked up. Rule 5.2.[/quote]
You are right, I was confused about that.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]Koestrizer wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I assume you’re aware of this, but in case you’re not… briefs are not allowed in raw lifting. So the type of squatter who benefits from them would necessarily be one who competes in equipped competition.
Generally speaking, someone with a wider squat stance and shins that stay mostly vertical will benefit more from briefs than someone who squats narrow, although any style will likely see pounds added to their squat max. The briefs will give you additional power at the hip joint, but obviously will not aid at the knees.
I have no idea if this adequately answers your question, but I feel like it should for any practical purposes…[/quote]
Yes I am aware that you can’t wear them in raw competitions but wouldn’t you squat in a squat suit in an equipped meet? Why would some choose just briefs?
So briefs would benefit people with weak hips/glutes. Would it be beneficial or detrimental for a raw squatter to squat in briefs from time to time/ as an overload? For example I use ligthly (by competitive standards) wrapped knee wraps to push a little more weight after my main working sets but my actual weakness is the hip. It has gotten better after I followed advice that was given to me by lift206 along with some extra glute training but it still is not where I want it to be and it holds my squat back.
[/quote]
Yes, in an equipped meet, one would wear briefs AND a squat suit. I’m not sure where your confusion is on this aspect. I have no idea why someone would choose just briefs, outside of financial considerations. There may be circumstances in Strongman where just briefs might be used. I’ve seen events where briefs were allowed but not full suits.
For training purposes, an equipped lifter may wear just briefs sometimes just because they don’t want to put on the full suit.
As has been mentioned, wearing briefs is NOT the way to go if you want your hips to get stronger. That’s backward thinking. The overload would be on the knee joint, not the hip joint.
Bottom line is, if you’re a raw competitor, training in briefs is probably not a good idea, ever. Unless you compete in strongman as well. Or for some reason you just like wearing briefs…
[/quote]
Actually I looked up, I would not be allowed to wear briefs or suits in the strongman contests I want to participate in. Didn’t think about it as an overload for the knee joint but it makes sense!