The Lafay method is a training technique invented by the French Olivier Lafay and described in the text: The Lafay method, 110 muscle exercises without tools; the Lafay method was coined thinking of all athletes who want to get the maximum muscle without resorting to the use of overloads, tools or isokinetic machines.
LAFAY method protocol and tools
The protocol of the Lafay method takes place in an out-door style, allowing all the outcasts of the gyms to be able to work effectively even outside the usual 4 walls. The material is simple, cheap and has all the charm of "old fashioned" sport (gloves, handles, bars, bars, etc.); the training principle of the Lafay method is developed on a single salient point: managing the weight of your body as resistance in the exercises. The Lafay method can be effectively practiced 3 times a week, with training sessions ranging from 40 "to 50".
Taking a very simple example, the Lafay method can effectively train the muscles of the brachial triceps and pectorals both in beginners and in highly trained subjects, simply by varying the posture, the inclinations, then the levers of a single exercise: the thrusts or arm stretches. According to the Lafay method, this execution can be carried out lightly (useful for a neophyte) simply by maintaining an inclined position (upwards) of the body and pushing with the hands resting on the back of a bench; parallel; on the contrary, a sportsman is more muscular. trained and with an optimal weight / power ratio (a decisive characteristic in free body executions) can derive the same benefits from the same exercise by exploiting the load of the whole body suspended between two parallels, or by placing the feet on the bench seat and extending the arms with hands on the ground (body tilted down).
The number of sets and repetitions included in the Lafay protocol essentially depends on the level of preparation of the person performing them; this might seem a common feature of the other methods, but it is not quite similar to them. The Lafay manages the series and repetitions (increasing one and decreasing the other or vice versa) based on the progression and abilities of the athlete; for example, citing the pushes or pressures described above, if the subject does NOT use a weight ratio / power that allows him to perform a certain number of repetitions, the table proportionally increases the number of series by shortening them.
It must be borne in mind that the Lafay method significantly and predominantly develops lactic acid tolerance, since the recoveries between series (albeit short) are always VERY short (about 25 "); to be clear, compared to traditional weightlifting techniques, the Lafay method could be technically interpreted as the "splitting" of a "single large series:
Lafay method example - Pushes / stretches at parallels:
- 16 series TOT
- 6 repetitions each
- 25 "recovery
- 6 repetitions each
Lafay method physiology
By making use of short sets and high loads, the Lafay method takes full advantage of the metabolism anaerobic alactacid (substrate: creatin phosphate - CP) working consistently on strength (especially in the beginner and much less in the advanced athlete); however, as the series continues, the Lafay method intervenes on energy production by promoting the solicitation of the anaerobic lactacid metabolism (substrate: glucose; with production of lactic acid) and consequently improving the tolerance to the catabolite, therefore the capacity of resistant strength (short and medium duration).
Positive and negative aspects of the Lafay method
The strength of this protocol is the compromise between high energy expenditure (which is suitable for weight loss), short training time (which perfectly fits the concept of moderation of cortisol), development of strength and resistant strength, economy of the program; in my opinion, it is recommended above all for newcomers to physical culture and for those who approach muscles in a more "sporty" and less ... "fitness" way.
On the other hand, the Lafay method can be ineffective or even counterproductive on the specific search for "hypertrophy (not the basic one, common to all strength activities and better known as" toning "), especially against bodybuilders with good seniority in training. by overloads; this derives from the fact that the Lafay method, by definition, works with high muscular tensions and quite short contraction times (TUT), all typical aspects of "HIT (High Intensity Training) BUT opposite to" HVT (High Volume Training - essential training for gaining muscle mass).
The Lafay method is a good training protocol and constitutes a valid alternative to the engine room, even if (as often happens) the relative characteristics of intensity, simplicity and difficulty are expressed by the Lafayents with a certain "arrogance" and tone of "sufficiency" towards other disciplines; many of them belittle both traditional bodybuilding and weightlifting, making fun (for free) about "long recovery times", and ignoring the fact that the other techniques in question follow completely different physiological principles as they DO NOT share the same hunting goals. Obviously, none of the three is incorrect, provided it is contextualized and used appropriately.
What arouses the greatest perplexity of the Lafay method is the "do it yourself"; the absence of a Trainer physically present during training sessions favors the onset of 4 problems:
- Distortion and incompleteness of executions due to advanced fatigue (technical drawback)
- Increased risk of technically incorrect executions and the probability of injury (technical and health problem)
- Possibility of the absence of help or first aid in case of serious injury or illness during the training session (individual safety inconvenience)
- Absence of a "sports insurance against death or disability" (inconvenience of economic-legislative protection).
