Spectrum Squat™ Workout
The idea behind this workout is to move across the spectrum of muscle actions and to take advantage of the size principle of muscle fiber recruitment to target the fast twitch muscle fibers. The spectrum of muscle actions is as follows:Isometric>>>>Resisted>>>>Dynamic>>>> Ballistic. The workout has it’s genesis with a video of Wernor Gunthor, the Swiss shot putter, doing a similar workout and by a presentation I attended in 1987 by Giles Cometti, a French sport scientist (just rediscovered the notes) who helped to design Gunthor’s workouts. I have been playing with this concept for several years, mainly experimenting on myself, not real sure of the results because I am not sure where this fits in the whole system and where in the training plan. It is a very tough workout, “big Burn” I know that from personal experience. That is not good enough; just getting a burn is not enough, I want to know if the concept of recruitment of fast twitch fiber is correct and where this best fits in a program. Also based on some current reading if I am interpreting the literature correctly it should significantly raise GH levels. In some ways this is like the leg circuit that I have been using for twenty years. I know that it works and I know where that fits in the plan. Yet no one has been able to give a scientific answer yet as to why we get the vertical jump improvements from the leg circuit, I want to try to get some reasons before going farther down the path with the spectrum concept. Any ideas or thoughts on this would be appreciated. (Please note the ™ on the Spectrum Squats™ – That means if you use it give credit to the originator – a message to you intellectual vampires out there)
Spectrum Squat™
Isometric Squat – Hold 30 seconds
Sandbag Squat (25 – 30 % Bodyweight) – 6 reps
Unloaded Fast Bodyweight Squat (1 rep per second) – 6 reps
Unloaded Jump Squats – 8 reps
This is performed continuous, with no rest between the various squats. I have used three sets, that is all I can handle, probably a function of age. I think a young fit athlete could probably work up to five sets in a progression.
posted by Vern Gambetta @ 11/27/2007 05:53:00 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
A similar idea is discussed here:
http://p069.ezboard.com/ftheironworksfrm7.showMessage?topicID=1667.topic
From my unscientific point of view, your leg circuit makes improvements in vertical jump by getting rid of nagging lower extremity orthopedic injuries. Along the same lines, it improves the "sequencing" of body parts that is the precursor to a good vertical jump. By the way, Vern used to show the video of the Swedish lifter as part of his Building/Rebuilding seminars back in the day. So, I pilfered his squat spectrum concept and now own the rights. In the future, please refer to this squat sequence as the "Przytula Plyometabolic Quadblaster Series".
P.S. Vern- Could you and the Iron Maven switch to Times New Roman font to make it easier to cut and paste your ideas into our own web sites? It is really annoying. Thanks.
Vern:
What sort of depth do you feel is appropriate for the Isometric Squat and Sandbag Squat?
And would you consider this workout as a high or lower intensity to your "standard" leg circuit? (Which by the way is really a great early/pre season workout prior to some of the more load intensive jump work we do)
is this a program that you would be using for all athletes or it is something that is geared towards one sport? What kind of improvements are we talking about? Are we strictly talking about VJ or is there improvements in sprinting and agility? Becca-
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