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Stephane isn't done yet.

We're back with Part 2 of Strength Training Pet Peeves, and Kelsey has another round of listener submissions ready to get Stephane worked up.

The conversation picks up with their experiences visiting commercial gyms and quickly moves into the decisions that shape effective strength training.

Stephane explains why training volume is far from the enemy, how it develops movement proficiency and work capacity, and why its application must evolve as trainees become stronger. They also dig into the relationship between scientific research and practical coaching experience, including why the context and design of a study matter when interpreting its findings.

Other topics include home gym essentials, neutral-grip dumbbell pressing, lifting belts, mixed-grip deadlifts, and the importance of training movements rather than focusing exclusively on individual muscles.

Stephane also pushes back on intuitive training, and the two talk through client compliance and communication between coaches and trainees. A realistic program performed consistently beats an elaborate plan a client rarely follows.

They wrap up with a discussion on flexibility and mobility, and why full-range strength training alone isn't enough to develop the range of motion a trainee lacks.

Volume isn't the enemy. A poorly planned program is.

0:00 Intro: round two of pet peeves

0:58 Gym reviews: Amped and Crunch

6:09 Current gym complaints

7:59 At-home workouts

10:15 Building a home gym

11:51 Pronated vs neutral grip presses

15:32 Study-loving coaches

22:44 Volume as the enemy

33:23 Belts and mixed-grip deadlifts

37:21 False grip vs full grip

39:57 Intuition in training

41:16 Not following the program

42:02 Lack of communication

47:10 Minimalist shoes and barefoot work

50:08 Proper training shoes

54:05 Afrobeats and music tastes

55:49 Mobility vs flexibility

1:01:20 Youth training and flexibility first

1:06:33 Outro

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Kelsey comes into this episode with a list of pet peeves, a few of her own and several she knows will get Steph talking. Steph has no idea what's coming, and their recent return to training in a commercial gym provides plenty of material.

They start with uncontrolled repetitions, undertraining, and exercise selection driven more by social media than training needs. That opens a larger conversation about why beginners copy professional bodybuilders and elite athletes without considering the years of development behind their training.

Steph discusses why building a foundation of strength remains central to his approach, why hypertrophy training doesn't require abandoning compound movements, and why so many trainees overlook the fundamentals.

The conversation also covers the distinction between controlled eccentric tempos and dedicated eccentric overload, the broader application of progressive overload, and why increasing training stress requires more thought than simply adding weight to the bar.

For strength coaches, the discussion eventually reaches an important point: knowing when to depart from the program.

Tracking data, following periodization models, and maintaining a systematic approach are valuable. But what happens when the numbers don't reflect the person standing in front of you? Steph shares practical examples of adjusting exercises, loading, and training structure based on individual limitations and performance.

There are strong opinions, commercial gym frustrations, and plenty of discussion about what productive strength training should look like.

A system provides the framework. You still have to coach.

00:00 Intro: Steph doesn't know what's coming
00:30 Guys training too fast
04:26 The hypertrophy misunderstanding
08:23 Kids copying pro athletes
13:25 Why NFL injuries are spiking
18:40 Eccentric training vs controlled eccentrics
21:57 Progressive overload: don't forget the overload
30:13 Regress, don't remove
34:22 Women, output and gym etiquette
40:32 Drop sets that make no sense
43:13 Data nerd vs real coaching
53:39 Real strength training vs resistance training
1:00:10 Why Steph still coaches
1:01:27 Trends come and go + wrap-up

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Submit Your Questions!

How often should a beginner-to-intermediate powerlifter bench? What determines when a coach should rotate microcycle structures? And when does advanced programming become unnecessary complexity?

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, Kelsey DeSanctis and Stephane Cazeault answer five listener-submitted questions covering pressing frequency, strength ratios, program design, long-term periodization, and specialized training methods.

The discussion begins with bench press frequency for powerlifting, including the role of movement-specific practice, managing weekly training volume, and incorporating higher frequencies within a four-day training schedule.

From there, they examine how accumulation and intensification microcycles should rotate across macrocycles, how strength ratios can guide those decisions, and why individual biomechanics and training history influence the interpretation of limiting lifts.

They also explore the application of Body Recomposition splits within long-term periodization, including when to introduce Fat Loss, Hypertrophy, or Body Recomposition specializations and when to return to foundational programming.

The episode concludes with complex rep schemes, variable mesocycle loading structures, and exercise selection for quadriceps hypertrophy in athletes where sprinting performance is a priority.

Throughout the conversation, Stephane emphasizes the importance of understanding when advanced training methods are appropriate, rather than applying them simply because they're available.

For strength coaches, the underlying lesson is clear: effective programming requires understanding the trainee, selecting appropriate methods, and making decisions that support long-term progress.

Explore KILO's strength education, courses, and resources at trainkilo.com.

Have a question for a future Rapid Fire episode? Submit it through the link below.

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0:00 Welcome Back & KILO Crew Update
1:06 Q1: Bench Press Frequency for Powerlifting
5:30 Preparing Clients for Powerlifting Competitions
9:00 Strength Ratios for Team Sport Athletes
11:24 Why Strength Ratios Matter for Long-Term Clients
15:53 Reflections on Olympic Weightlifting
17:29 Increasing Bench Frequency on a Four-Day Split
19:23 Q2: Rotating Microcycle Split Hierarchies
24:12 Individualizing Microcycles Using Strength Ratios
28:17 Q3: Body Recomposition Splits & Long-Term Periodization
35:25 When to Introduce Body Composition Specializations
39:55 Hypertrophy vs. Fat Loss vs. Body Recomposition
44:00 Q4: Complex Rep Schemes & Variable Loading
49:20 When to Use Advanced Rep Schemes
52:30 Q5: Upper vs. Lower Thigh Hypertrophy for Sprinting

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In this Rapid Fire Q&A, Stéphane and Pauric break down how coaches can progress training without introducing complexity before it is needed.

The episode begins with squat frequency and how training age should influence the structure. For novice trainees, repeating the same rep scheme twice per week can provide the rehearsal needed to improve the lift. As strength increases, heavy-light loading, smaller progressions, and planned reductions in volume can help preserve frequency while managing recovery.

They also discuss when direct shoulder work can replace arm or remedial exercises, why foundational program design structures prioritize certain movements, and how to organize two microcycle structures across a 12-week macrocycle.

The conversation then moves into chin-up progression. Rather than forcing repetitions to failure, coaches should use frequent exposure, leave repetitions in reserve, and gradually increase total volume. This approach produces more high-quality work and protects performance in the next session.

Finally, the crew covers how to introduce hypertrophy methods, how much to increase a beginner’s load, and where wave loading fits within a training year. The central principle is simple: methods should reflect the trainee’s conditioning, training age, recovery capacity, and the specific goal of the phase.

Complexity has value when it solves the right programming problem.

0:00 Intro
0:18 Squat frequency and rep scheme programming for beginners
10:17 Shoulder, delt, and arm work placement in program design
13:54 Building a 12-week macro with two microcycle structures
20:32 Why the chin-up isn't a featured OSR lift
28:12 Choosing hypertrophy training methods for new clients
33:07 Progressing load with constant loading standard sets
36:14 Best time to use wave rep schemes
44:18 Wrap up and outro

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A 12-week macrocycle is more than three months of workouts. It is a defined training period built around one outcome, with every block, mesocycle, microcycle, and training session organized to support it.

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, Kelsey, Stéphane, and Pauric break down KILO’s approach to building a 12-week macrocycle for personal training and strength coaching clients. They explain why KILO commonly uses a 12-week timeframe, when shorter or longer macrocycles may be appropriate, and how the plan changes when a client commits to three months versus a full year.

The conversation follows the decisions a coach must make when constructing the plan. First, determine the primary training goal. Then identify the intensity range required to produce that adaptation, select the appropriate periodization model, establish the block loading and structure, assign specific strength qualities to each mesocycle, and organize the weekly training split.

They also discuss phase undulating and linear periodization, progressive, extensive, and intensive blocks, fixed and variable structures, upper-lower and body-part splits, training frequency, recovery capacity, client preferences, training age, and previous training experience.

The central principle is simple: periodization does not end when a coach names the goal. The intensity, sequencing, and structure of the training must be capable of producing it.

Build the outcome first. Then make every layer of the plan support it.

0:00 Introduction and episode overview
0:47 What a macrocycle really means
1:56 Why gen pop clients use 12 week macrocycles
2:39 The four macrocycle goals
3:47 Blocks mesocycles and microcycles explained
9:50 Fitting macrocycles into a full year
10:36 3-week mesocycles and periodization models
11:53 Undulating vs linear periodization
13:22 Comprehensive periodization and program design
18:06 How to determine the macrocycle goal
20:39 Choosing relative vs absolute strength
21:42 Why training age matters
22:37 Relative strength ratios explained
27:54 Choosing a periodization model
28:45 Fixed variable and integrated block structures
30:08 Determining mesocycle strength qualities
30:55 Building the microcycle structure
33:40 Training splits at three sessions per week
35:56 Body part splits for advanced trainees
45:14 Final tip on intensity and goal setting

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In this Rapid Fire Q&A, the KILO Crew works through a wide range of programming questions that all point back to the same coaching responsibility: selecting the right tool for the trainee, the phase, and the training environment.

The episode opens with step loading for specialty squats and deadlifts in the B Series. Stéphane and Pauric explain why heavy standalone multi-joint lifts often need to be treated more like primary exercises, including the need for additional warm-up sets when the loading demands change significantly.

They also cover ankle mobility, why frequency and joint mechanics need to be considered beyond loaded stretching, and when a lat pulldown is a better starting point than the chin-up progression. For novice trainees, the priority is building upper-back strength, elbow flexor strength, torso control, work capacity, and an improved strength-to-bodyweight ratio before dedicating a large portion of the session to chin-up-specific work.

Additional questions include incline bench angles within the 90° principle, structuring two strength days around CrossFit, keeping higher-repetition assistance work in a novice fat-loss phase, selecting performance markers for defensive linemen, and choosing pressing variations for trainees with limited overhead mobility.

The episode closes with a direct discussion of speed, agility, and quickness drills. The crew separates quick feet from true quickness, explains the roles of reaction time and maximal strength, and questions training methods that cannot be measured or transferred clearly to sport.

Choose the right tool for the athlete in front of you.

00:00 Intro and rapid fire Q&A setup

00:19 Step loading vs constant loading for specialty squats and deadlifts

08:19 Improving ankle mobility beyond calf raise holds

10:44 Lat pulldown vs chin up progression for new clients

20:45 Choosing incline bench angle with the 90 degree principle

24:32 Programming strength days around CrossFit training

30:10 Rep schemes for assistance work in a novice fat loss phase

34:15 Indicator lifts for defensive linemen

39:02 Alternatives to overhead press for limited shoulder mobility

42:11 The value of SAQ and quickness training drills

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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Coaches often use “strength training” as though it describes one objective. In practice, the training required to build greater force potential is not the same as the training used to express that potential at the highest possible level.

In this episode, the KILO Crew breaks down the difference between building strength and displaying strength through the principles of program design, periodization, intensity, volume, neural adaptation, and fatigue management.

They explain why many classic strength-building rep schemes fall between 80-90% of 1RM, with enough volume to develop both neural qualities and muscular cross-sectional area. They then examine what changes when the goal becomes strength expression: higher average intensities, lower total volume, greater specificity, and enough fatigue reduction for fitness to become visible.

The discussion covers the fitness-fatigue paradigm, step loading, standard versus complex rep schemes, rate coding, motor unit recruitment, disinhibition, and the recurring 40% reduction in volume seen across deloads and peaking strategies.

The crew also explains why hypertrophy phases, lower-intensity training, exercise selection, and multi-joint skill development remain essential to long-term strength development. Machines can help build the muscular qualities that support a lift, but coaches must still train the movement through which strength will eventually be displayed.

The question is not simply how heavy the program looks. It is whether the current phase is designed to create more strength potential or reveal the strength that has already been built.

Build the quality first. Display it when the timing is right.

0:00 Intro building strength vs displaying strength
0:38 Defining building strength
2:22 Defining displaying strength
3:00 The fitness fatigue paradigm
3:51 Program design and periodization frequency
6:03 Rep scheme trends for building strength
9:42 Loading strategies for building strength
13:44 Rep scheme trends for displaying strength
24:56 Hypertrophy vs strength development
29:11 Intramuscular vs intermuscular coordination
34:52 Volume limits for strength training
37:57 Why the 70 to 80% zone matters
40:46 Long term periodization models
45:19 Outro and resources

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How should coaches load giant sets, tri-sets, and advanced German Body Composition methods when fatigue begins to accumulate? The answer starts with understanding what the method is designed to develop.

Submit your questions https://form.typeform.com/to/R7JfaTZS

In this Rapid Fire Q&A, the KILO Crew explains why metabolic hypertrophy methods should initially be loaded around maintaining the prescribed repetitions and total time under tension. When coaches prioritize load too early, repetition quality and training duration fall, changing the adaptation the session was written to produce.

The discussion then moves into transition phases and active recovery training, including how coaches can bridge the gap between complete rest and productive training without creating unnecessary fatigue.

The Crew also presents a progression for eccentric training methods based on a client’s exposure, training age, and the specific response being developed. Extended eccentrics, accentuated eccentrics, concentric-eccentric combinations, and eccentric-only work each have a place, but personal preference is not a programming framework.

Additional questions cover how the intensity spread of step loading changes as set volume increases, how to structure a three-day fat-loss program, and when the bent-over barbell row fits better than supported rowing variations.

This episode is about selecting and loading training methods according to their purpose, the trainee’s current level, and the structure of the complete program.

Program the adaptation you are trying to build.

0:00 Introduction and rapid fire Q&A kickoff

0:19 Loading strategies for giant sets and tri-sets

1:22 Neural hypertrophy vs metabolic hypertrophy

2:31 Why undershooting load matters early on

5:16 Progressing load as work capacity improves

7:47 Cellular efficiency and time under tension

14:12 Regular GBC vs advanced GBC

17:00 Transition phases explained

19:40 Active recovery weeks and vacation training

21:22 Choosing eccentric methods for clients

26:02 Coaching based on client needs, not personal preference

29:32 Spotting technique and safety

31:32 Step loading percentage ranges

38:24 Structuring training weeks for fat loss clients

44:56 Why barbell bent over row isn't a bigger staple

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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Strength is not only a movement skill. It is also the nervous system’s ability to recruit, fire, and coordinate motor units within the muscles producing force.

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO team breaks down intramuscular coordination and clearly separates it from intermuscular coordination. They explain the three main neural factors, motor-unit recruitment, rate coding, and synchronization, and discuss how each contributes to force production as training intensity rises.

The conversation then moves from theory to coaching application: why loads above roughly 80% of 1RM place greater demand on intramuscular coordination, why rate coding becomes increasingly important at very high intensities, and how heavy strength work can build qualities that transfer to sport without trying to imitate the sport in the weight room.

The team also examines when advanced methods such as static-overcome-by-dynamic work, concentric pauses, wave loading, and stage systems can target recruitment, sticking points, or force expression. Just as importantly, they explain why these tools are often introduced too early. Advanced programming is valuable only when an athlete or client has earned the need for it through sound movement, connective-tissue preparation, consistent training, and continued progress on the basics.

For trainers and strength coaches, this episode offers a practical framework for deciding when to build the lift, when to load it, and when a specialized method is actually justified. As a coach-led education company, KILO is not here to give you more methods to collect, but to help you understand which adaptation you are training and why.

Build the foundation. Then earn the complexity.

0:00 Introduction to intramuscular coordination

0:16 Defining intramuscular coordination

1:17 Three main factors overview

3:52 Bench press example explained

7:02 Recruitment and the all-or-nothing principle

7:31 High threshold vs low threshold motor units

7:54 Slow twitch fiber characteristics

9:04 Fast twitch fibers and training implications

10:13 Heavy vs light load rep example

14:10 Rate coding introduced

18:40 Building tendon and joint resiliency

22:35 Static overcome by dynamic technique

23:38 Concentric pauses technique

26:35 Running back example

32:05 Angle-specific isometric limitations

32:55 Russian weightlifting isometric use

38:40 Accumulation vs intensification phases

40:22 Advanced periodization example

45:50 Wave loading and potentiation

49:52 Why advanced methods exist

51:36 Don't rush into advanced methods

55:46 Wrap up and final thoughts

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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Intermuscular coordination is the skill of becoming more efficient at a specific lift, and it plays a major role in long-term strength development.

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO team breaks down how the nervous system organizes the muscles involved in a movement so each repetition becomes more stable, repeatable, and efficient. They explain why this quality is highly specific to the exercise, why beginners need frequent exposure rather than constant variation, and why carryover depends on how similar two movement patterns truly are.

The discussion then moves from theory to programming. You’ll learn why most intermuscular coordination work belongs below 80% of 1RM, why 70-80% is often the most productive range, and how KILO’s buffer system preserves total volume while reducing fatigue within each set. 

The team compares a traditional 3x12 approach with a 6x6 structure, explains the value of constant loading, and shows how high-quality repetitions can improve motor learning, concentric speed, and recovery.

They also cover how this approach applies differently to beginners, intermediate trainees, and advanced lifters approaching a plateau, and why it can be useful when recovery is limited without abandoning productive training. The planned discussion of intramuscular coordination continues in the next episode.

This is not about making training easier.

Before you ask for more force, build a better way to express it.

0:00 Introduction

0:36 Why intermuscular coordination matters for strength training

1:15 Defining intermuscular coordination in simple terms

3:37 Does intermuscular coordination carry over between exercises

9:10 Central factors and the nervous system connection

12:14 Why intermuscular coordination matters for advanced lifters

14:39 How to train intermuscular coordination

17:56 Volume, hypertrophy and neural adaptation working together

19:37 Training intensities and the 70% to 80% sweet spot

22:34 Applying this to assistance and accessory lifts

23:56 Explaining the buffer system

26:41 Why constant loading beats step loading here

28:07 How the buffer increases concentric speed and motor unit recruitment

31:27 Why this benefits both beginners and advanced lifters

34:12 Programming across accumulation and intensification mesocycles

36:24 Knowing when to move on from this training style

38:22 Applying this method with true beginners

43:02 Using the buffer system for deload and recovery

45:47 Applying the buffer to primary lifts like deadlift and front squat

49:08 Final thoughts and preview of next episode

Stay Connected with KILO: 

Have a question? ⁠Submit it for a Rapid Fire episode⁠.

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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