Joe DeFranco's Industrial Strength Show #566 You're Doing Contrast Training WRONG! [Do THIS Instead To Improve Power/Speed]
Mar 26, 2026
A deep dive into doing contrast training the right way, not as a sloppy circuit. Clear rules for rep ranges, timing, and recovery to protect power and mechanics. Walkthroughs of French contrast sequences for vertical, horizontal, and upper-body power work. Common mistakes to avoid so athletes leave sessions energized, not fatigued.
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Viral Reel Exposed Widespread Contrast Training Mistakes
- Joe reacted to an Instagram reel of a man doing sloppy contrast/French contrast and provided constructive criticism instead of mocking him.
- That reaction got high engagement and revealed widespread interest and misunderstanding of contrast training.
Specific Pairings Give Bigger Speed Gains
- Specificity matters: the closer the resisted movement mimics the unresisted movement, the greater the performance carryover.
- Example: heavy sled drives (horizontal) produced better 10-yard sprint PRs than box squats (vertical) for seven athletes.
Seven Athletes PR Twice With Contrast Training
- Joe ran an in-house test where seven college/NFL-level athletes PR'd their 10-yard sprints pairing heavy squats with sprints.
- Later, the same seven all PR'd again when heavy sled drives were used, proving specificity improved transfer.