French Contrast Training in Rehab
Muscles 101
An individual muscle is made up of many different fibers. These fibers are grouped together within motor units and each unit is innervated by a single motor nerve. The motor motor units we can recruit, the more force that muscle will produce. Your body has a remarkable ability to vary the amount of force it generates by activating different numbers of motor units as required for a given task. When faced with the need to lift a heavy object, your body activates a substantial number of motor units. Conversely, when dealing with lighter resistance, it recruits a much smaller number of motor units.
The maximum force you can exert is determined by your capacity to engage motor units. For instance, individuals who lack training can only activate a relatively limited number of motor units, while those who are trained can recruit a greater quantity. Over time, you can “train” your body to activate more motor units, thereby increasing your capacity to generate force.
So athletic qualities like power, speed, strength; are not just mechanical; they are skilled and driven by the nervous system.
We all use training to develop certain qualities. And we can bias or prioritize certain athletic qualities with how we train, the load we use, and how those are moved.
If you have been around training you may have heard of Post Activation Potentiation which is the phenomenon by which “the contractile history of a muscle influences the mechanical performance of subsequent muscle contractions.”
In simpler terms this means that by exposing a muscle to heavy loads prior to an explosive movement, we can elicit greater fast-twitch fiber recruitment and a higher degree of nervous system stimulation. The nervous system plays a major role in strength and force production with motor unit recruitment.
What is French Contrast?
The French Contrast method is straightforward. It involves a combination of complex and contrast training. Complex training consists of performing a heavy compound lift at approximately 85% of your one-rep max (1RM), followed by a plyometric exercise that closely mimics the same movement pattern.
On the other hand, contrast training pairs a maximal or nearly maximal compound lift with a “back-off” lift, typically at 50-60% of the initial lift weight or a movement that replicates the initial lift’s motor pattern.
In both cases, the heavy lift creates a Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) effect that enhances the subsequent movement. The French Contrast method adds its own unique twist to these two techniques to create a distinct training stimulus.
Here is a general outline of French Contrast is programmed.
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A heavy compound lift: This is a big strength movement whose purpose is to recruit as many relevant motor units as possible.
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A force-oriented plyometric movement: This typically involves a relatively longer ground contact/stretch reflex time. At this point, you should just try to produce the maximum amount of force possible on each repetition.
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A speed-strength movement: Speed-strength is all about moving at high speed with the maximum load possible.
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A speed-oriented plyometric movement: An accelerated/overspeed exercise is performed here, usually by utilizing a band to provide that extra speed boost.
French-Contrast Applied
1A: Trap Bar Deadlift (90%) x3 reps
1B: Empty Trap Bar Jumps x 3 reps
1C: Hatfield Squat x 5 reps @80%
1D: Broad Jumps x 5reps
Ideally, each exercise should affect the same muscles or involve similar movement patterns. The exercises are done back-to-back, which, as well as training the muscles and nervous system will have a positive impact on overall fitness.
How to Program
4 difference exercises performed in a superset with 20 seconds rest between each exercise. 3-5 sets for each movement with longer rest periods of 3-5 minutes taken between each of those sets.
Who Should Be Using French Contrast?
Training is stress on the body. We are trying to stimulate the body to get the desired adaptations to increase performance. If you are new to training, this is an advanced concept that isn’t necessary to achieve the results you are aiming for. You don’t want to overcomplicate positive adaptations that will happen organically with consistency and progressive overload. You need a basic level of strength and power first; so work on building those qualities with the right programming and intent of training.
- French-Contrast Training can be used in competitive athletes looking to improve speed, vertical, agility, force absorption and deceleration, first step, and more.
- F-C Training can be used for Crossfit Athletes, Powerlifters, and Fitness Athletes to overcome plateaus within their main lifts: bench, squat, deadlift, weightlifting.
- F-C Training can be used within a rehab setting to regain athletic qualities that were lost in the injury-rehab timeline more effectively.
Common Flaws with French Contrast
Novice Training Age
As we stated above, this is an advanced concept. Athletes need to have a basic understanding of rate of force development. They need to already have some developed strength and power within their training history. If not, this is like putting NASCAR tires on a 1989 Honda Civic.
Improper Rest Periods
Rest is very intentional for the within set rest and between set rest periods. You can’t rest too long because you negate the “potentiation of the nervous system and you can’t under rest because fatigue is the enemy of force production.
Improper Exercise Selection
Exercises should use similar muscle groups of the same pattern. Looking at knee bend, hip flexion, plane of motion, horizontal and vertical forces, internal and external moment arms, etc. For maximal benefit exercise selection needs to be symbiotic.
Going Too Heavy
I won’t get into the force-velocity curve, but intent matters with F-C method. If we are overdosing the weights used we won’t be able to move them quickly. We also start to build up fatigue which makes moving explosively too difficult.
Programmed Too Often
F-C should account for a small percentage of your training style. The rest needs to be normal strength volume, hypertrophy volume/accessories, mobility work, and very specific approaches like this.
References
Arogoncillo, M. (November, 29, 2014). Get Stronger and Faster with the French Contrast Method. Juggernaut Training Systems. Retrieved on May, 01, 2020 from https://www.jtsstrength.com/get-stronger-faster-french-contrast-method/
DeRenne, C. (2010) Effects of Postactivation Potentiation Warm-up in Male and Female Sport Performances: A Brief Review. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 32, 58-64 doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181f412c4
Hodgson, M., Docherty, D. & Robbins, D. (2005). Post-Activation Potentiation. Sports Med 35, 585 595) https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535070-00004
Robbins, DW. (2005). Postactivation potentiation and its practical applicability: a brief review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19, 453 45
