Vern Gambetta

The Spectrum Squat™ Workout

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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 Günthör, 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 Günthör’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, a “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).

Here is the Spectrum Squat™ Workout:

  • 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.