A Flagrant and Repeated Breach of Academic Ethics (Université Libre de Bruxelles and European Journal of Applied Physiology)
For several years now, Jacques Duchâteau and his team at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) have sought to misappropriate the 3/7 Method, a strength-training protocol I independently developed more than 20 years ago. Jean-Pierre Egger revealed the method — while respecting its intellectual property — during seminars and university lectures in 2012. Regardless of this elementary fact, ULB’s claims are contradicted by ample evidence proving my authorship, such as correspondence with Egger dating back to 2008, his documented public presentation at the University of Lausanne in 2012 within the ISSUL Master’s program, and Duchâteau’s recorded presentations at the French National Institute of Sport (INSEP).
THE 3/7 METHOD, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LEGEARD PROTOCOL (Presented by Jean-Pierre Egger at the University of Lausanne in 2012)
(You can download the full .pdf here: (PDF) Emmanuel Legeard Le 3–7 Master en sciences du sport, Université de Lausanne)
Initially, Jacques Duchâteau organized conferences about me — curiously, without my involvement or consent — where the 3/7 Method was even referred to as “Legeard’s Method”. Gradually, Duchâteau resorted to insinuating that the method might not solely be my creation, a claim he knew was false. My method has never been modified by anyone. At the time, I dismissed these rumors as baseless. However, it became clear that this was a calculated strategy to dilute my rights and claim ownership of my work.
2014: DUCHÂTEAU PRESENTS THE “LEGEARD’S METHOD” AT INSEP
Subsequently, Duchâteau’s team — including Séverine Stragier, Stéphane Baudry, and Alain Carpentier — published a 12-page article in the European Journal of Applied Physiology about my method. Shockingly, my name, Emmanuel Legeard, WAS ENTIRELY OMITTED ! This publication, titled “Efficacy of a new strength training design: the 3/7 method”, audaciously describes the method as “new”, a blatant misrepresentation given its development over two decades ago and its public introduction in 2012 by Egger.
European Journal of Applied Physiology’s predatory publishing — Predatory publishing, also write-only publishing or deceptive publishing, is an exploitative academic publishing business model, where the journal or publisher prioritizes self-interest at the expense of scholarship. It is characterized by misleading information, deviates from the standard peer-review process, and is highly opaque.
The misrepresentation has not gone unnoticed. T.C. Luoma, a renowned American sports journalist and editor of T-Nation — a site with over three million monthly visitors — highlighted the issue, stating:
“That’s why reading about the 3/7 method aroused my interest. It’s a set-rep scheme developed by French strength coach Emmanuel Legeard in the early 2000s.”
(Source: T-Nation Forums)
2023: THE DUCHÂTEAU TEAM’S UNABASHED IDEA THEFTLast year, Grigoraș Diaconescu, an international rugby player, shared his outrage after discovering a post by Gaël Deboeck, identified as the head of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at ULB. Deboeck congratulated Alexis Gillet, a doctoral student, for using the 3/7 Method to “prove” what I demonstrated 20 years ago. Unsurprisingly, the publication made no mention of the method’s original creator. It is now evident that ULB intends to mislead the public into believing that their laboratory developed the 3/7 Method. These unethical actions demand accountability.
2023: THE DUCHÂTEAU TEAM’S UNABASHED IDEA THEFT
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
If the Université Libre de Bruxelles believes I will quietly accept the theft of my work, they are mistaken. This scandal, indicative of dishonesty incompatible with academic integrity, must result in sanctions. Public funding cannot continue to support crooked research where my work is falsely attributed to impostors like Jacques Duchâteau, Séverine Stragier, Stéphane Baudry, Alain Carpentier, Gael Deboeck or Alexis Gillet. I have been lenient for years, but my patience as the rightful creator has reached its limit. I have begun publicly correcting this falsehood online, as seen in similar cases — such as one involving the University of Zurich — which have led to severe consequences for academic dishonesty.
Dr Emmanuel Legeard, Ph.D. — Creator, among quite a few others, of the 3/7 Method, also known as the “Legeard Method”.
This article originally appeared on Medium.
