A few questions regarding squat technique

[Supraspinatus]

Hello coach!
First of all, I've lately been watching the live streams of the IPF world championship and I've got some questions about it.

1. I've read the whole Squat chapter in the book + watched the DVD and few of the youtube videos. I'm curious to why every squat in the IPF is completely different from anything I've read in the book, starting from head position and grip to stance and foot position. Why does no professional IPF powerlifter use your squatting technique?

2. Do you think that the squat you explain in the book is better than Ed Coan's version of the squat? If so, in what way? And what is your opinion of Ed Coan's squatting tutorial?

3. In the IPF I've seen people who start the squat with one leg being ahead of the other. My guess is that it was in order to push more weight with the dominant leg. Should I use this tactic in PL meets if I see a clear distinction in strength between my legs?

Thanks in advance!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Very insightful questions. Upon reflection, we have decided to stop teaching the squat.

[risepmj]

So surprised that he joined the forum 5 years ago.

[Austin Baraki]

1. OP, you realize that the IPF world championships happening right now are for equipped (i.e. not raw) powerlifting, correct?

2. So you're asking a guy if he thinks another guy's "version" of the squat is better than his own, which is detailed at length with supporting rationale in multiple published editions of the book and taught monthly at seminars around the country? Okay.

3. This is a terrible idea.

[John Watson]

Hello coach!
First of all, I've lately been watching the live streams of the IPF world championship and I've got some questions about it.

1. I've read the whole Squat chapter in the book + watched the DVD and few of the youtube videos. I'm curious to why every squat in the IPF is completely different from anything I've read in the book, starting from head position and grip to stance and foot position. Why does no professional IPF powerlifter use your squatting technique?

2. Do you think that the squat you explain in the book is better than Ed Coan's version of the squat? If so, in what way? And what is your opinion of Ed Coan's squatting tutorial?

3. In the IPF I've seen people who start the squat with one leg being ahead of the other. My guess is that it was in order to push more weight with the dominant leg. Should I use this tactic in PL meets if I see a clear distinction in strength between my legs?

Thanks in advance!

Five years here? Congratulations!

A few questions;

What are the key differences you've seen in the IPF vs SS?
Have you seen Mike Tuscherer's IPF lifts?

What are the key differences you've seen in the Ed Coan video compared to SS?

Have you tried to open your taint during squats?

What were the results?

[Supraspinatus]

1. OP, you realize that the IPF world championships happening right now are for equipped (i.e. not raw) powerlifting, correct?

2. So you're asking a guy if he thinks another guy's "version" of the squat is better than his own, which is detailed at length with supporting rationale in multiple published editions of the book and taught monthly at seminars around the country? Okay.

3. This is a terrible idea.

1. I don't really know the difference between raw and equipped technique. I thought it was pretty much the same.

[Supraspinatus]

Five years here? Congratulations!

A few questions;

What are the key differences you've seen in the IPF vs SS?
Have you seen Mike Tuscherer's IPF lifts?

What are the key differences you've seen in the Ed Coan video compared to SS?

Have you tried to open your taint during squats?

What were the results?

I don't think that me creating this account 5 years ago has anything to do with the questions I ask. There were circumstances due to which I was unable to lift for a long time, so you shouldn't be expecting a 5 year wisdom out of me. Especially when I got 50 posts here overall.

The key differences I've noticed in IPF vs SS are head position (watching the front instead of watching down 1.5m in front to an imaginary point), grip (instead of hand over the bar and thumbless I think many used thumbs and all of them used wrist wraps). The hip drive part was similar to what I learned in the book but some people were squatting with different knee angles.
I don't think I remember the name you mentioned. I haven't watched all of the weight categories.

Ed coan teaches a similar technique to squat but the main differences are also grip and head position. Also in the book I haven't seen much talk about the importance of the valsalva maneuver and how important it is to keep your lower back healthy (maybe I've missed it? or maybe it was just written in a small chapter and didn't seem too important at the time). I've got all these questions because I was disappointed with the results I've gotten from squatting by Rippetoe's book, while switching my technique over to a different style has shown me quite the weight growth in my LB squat, especially due to the fact that thumbless overhand grip is terrible for me and I keep losing the bar and having it "move around" no matter what I try.

Open my taint? I'm sorry I'm not following you.

[mrflibble]

Open my taint? I'm sorry I'm not following you.

So it seems you didn't even watch the video you linked, but can somehow deduce it demonstrates a squat different to the SS squat. Interesting.

1. I don't really know the difference between raw and equipped technique. I thought it was pretty much the same.

Funnily enough this difference was also mentioned in the video you linked but didn't watch.

[John Watson]

Open my taint? I'm sorry I'm not following you.

If you can't be bothered to watch a video that you yourself posted, why bother to respond to your questions?

[manveer]

The key differences I've noticed in IPF vs SS are head position (watching the front instead of watching down 1.5m in front to an imaginary point), grip (instead of hand over the bar and thumbless I think many used thumbs and all of them used wrist wraps). The hip drive part was similar to what I learned in the book but some people were squatting with different knee angles.
I don't think I remember the name you mentioned. I haven't watched all of the weight categories.

You realize that Starting Strength is a book for novice trainees interested in learning the barbell lifts, right? 99+% of the readers won't go on to compete in powerlifting at any level. It's not a book on how to get the highest total in powerlifting. The technique used for general strength training isn't going to be identical to the technique used by someone whose primary goal is to win a powerlifting meet. Plus, if you are an elite lifter you've developed your own technique modifications to suit what you have found to work better for you.

As mentioned above, Mike Tuchscherer's squat looks pretty damn close to the Starting Strength model: https://youtu.be/k9Mc7nHhCUg

Ed coan teaches a similar technique to squat but the main differences are also grip and head position. Also in the book I haven't seen much talk about the importance of the valsalva maneuver and how important it is to keep your lower back healthy (maybe I've missed it? or maybe it was just written in a small chapter and didn't seem too important at the time).

The Valsalva maneuver is discussed at length in the chapter on the squat. It's also mentioned in every other chapter describing the proper execution of a primary lift.