Between 2 Racks

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Loading is one of the most important variables in strength training, yet most coaches and lifters misunderstand how to apply it.

In this episode, we break down what proper loading actually looks like across different contexts, from primary compound movements to assistance work and metabolic training methods.

We cover RM-based loading, estimated 1RM usage, step loading, complex rep schemes, and buffer strategies, along with the common mistakes that lead to stalled progress. We also address why relying on feel, failing to track data, and mismanaging load over time limits long-term development.

This episode is about precision. Not just lifting heavier, but applying load with intent, structure, and consistency.

If you don’t understand loading, you don’t understand training.

0:00 Introduction

0:20 Why Loading is Crucial

0:57 Episode Overview

1:49 Loading Science & Research

7:08 1RM Continuum Explained

8:19 RM Loads Breakdown

12:57 Importance of Tracking

15:34 Session Loading Overview

19:40 Step Loading

30:00 Complex Rep Schemes

36:05 Buffers

40:56 B Series & Assistance Exercises

48:33 Remedial Exercise Loading

52:27 Metabolic-Based Training Methods

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

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Episode 100 breaks down how we actually individualize training, and why systems are only the starting point.

We walk through assessment, volume, periodization, and exercise selection, and how these decisions evolve with real client data over time.

If you’re a coach looking to move beyond templates and make better programming decisions, this episode will give you clarity.

0:00 Introduction - Episode 100

2:15 Systems vs. Individualization

4:44 Assessment and Initial Evaluation

9:37 Frequency, Volume, and Split Design

17:31 Periodization Models

21:55 Wave Periodization and Block Structure

44:41 Exercise Selection and Variation

51:20 Work Capacity Considerations

59:57 Phase Duration and Loading

1:10:56 Final Thoughts

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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In this Rapid Fire Q&A episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO coaches break down key programming and coaching questions submitted by listeners.

The conversation opens with influential coaches and researchers who shaped their approach, including Charles Poliquin, Tudor Bompa, Mike Stone, Bryan Mann, and Dan Baker, and how these ideas still influence program design today.

From there, the episode moves into practical coaching decisions, including:

• How to introduce novelty without losing structure
• How to assess limiting factors and technical breakdown
• What to look at when a client plateaus
• Why Achilles injuries may be increasing in sport
• How training load spikes impact injury risk
• Programming for inconsistent gen pop clients
• When to move from linear to undulating periodization

Throughout the episode, the focus remains the same: strong coaching is built on principles, observation, and consistent decision-making, not trends.

If you're a personal trainer or strength coach looking to think more clearly about program design and athlete development, this episode will help sharpen your approach.

0:00 Intro
0:21 Influencing coaches and researchers
17:46 Training clients with 5 to 7+ years experience
27:10 How to assess limiting factors
34:00 When an athlete or client plateaus
38:06 Achilles tears in sports
44:58 Rate of force development exercises
45:50 Weight cutting stress management
47:10 Training inconsistent gen pop clients
49:36 Linear vs undulating periodization for beginners

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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In this Rapid Fire Q&A episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO coaches tackle a wide range of programming questions submitted by coaches and listeners.

First, we want to take a moment to wish Alexandra the best. Alex has been part of KILO since the very beginning, back in 2016 when it first started as a gym in California. As she moves into a new chapter focused on building her own brand, we want to thank her deeply for the years we spent building together and wish her nothing but success.

If you’ve enjoyed hearing Alex on the podcast over the years, you can continue following her journey on Instagram at @alexandra.bernardin.

The conversation opens with a deep dive into load buffers and how they can be used to manage fatigue, improve intermuscular coordination, and maintain training quality across a block. The coaches explain the difference between traditional loading and buffer-based approaches.

From there, the discussion moves into exercise selection, specifically how coaches should approach choosing Squat 2 variations. The team explains why exercise selection is rarely a simple decision and how context, training phase, athlete strength levels, and program progression all influence the choice.

The episode also explores topics like:

• When challenge sets and intensifiers can help drive hypertrophy
• Whether specialty techniques are useful or simply time-efficient tools
• How coaches should approach squat training with young athletes
• The growing use of isometrics in youth training
• Why experienced coaches often move away from trendy methods over time

Throughout the conversation, the focus remains on coaching decisions, not shortcuts. The goal is to clarify the principles behind programming choices so coaches can better understand why certain tools are used and when they actually make sense.

This episode is another reminder that strong programming isn’t about chasing methods. It’s about applying principles with consistency and judgment.

Let’s kick it.

0:00 Welcome & Introduction
0:54 Alex's Departure Announcement
1:45 Rapid Fire Q&A Begins
1:50 Training Buffers for Absolute Strength
17:13 Choosing Squat Variations
22:21 Running Specific Training & Isometric Drills
34:13 Challenge Sets & Hypertrophy
39:12 Youth Athletes & Isometric Training
42:07 Beliefs That Have Changed Over Time
50:39 Wrap Up & Episode 100 Teaser

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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In this episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO Crew breaks down why power training deserves a place in long-term development, even for lifters who are not competitive athletes.

We clarify what power actually is, what it is not, and how it differs from maximal strength. The conversation explores force-velocity relationships, starting strength, explosive strength, and how velocity-based work can complement traditional strain-focused training.

We also discuss who benefits from power phases, where they fit inside a structured training year, and when they make sense within different periodization models. From absolute strength blocks to balanced years, we examine how power can be sequenced intelligently rather than randomly inserted.

Beyond performance, we address overlooked benefits: joint stress reduction, neural refresh, novelty stimulus, and long-term resilience. We explain how power work can serve as both a performance driver and a strategic shift in training emphasis.

For coaches, this episode reinforces an important principle: training quality should not become one-dimensional. Exposure to velocity, when programmed properly, expands capacity rather than distracting from it.

Power is not a trend. It is a tool. The key is knowing when and how to use it.

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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In this episode of Between 2 Racks, we break down what actually changes in training as you get older and what does not.

There is a growing conversation around strength training for longevity, especially for those in their forties and beyond. But much of the discussion lacks context. Blanket statements about rep ranges, intensity, or “age appropriate” training miss the bigger picture.

We explore the real factors that influence performance as you age: recovery capacity, life stress, hormonal changes, mobility limitations, and accumulated training history. More importantly, we clarify the difference between age as a number and age as a reflection of lifestyle.

We discuss how volume tolerance may shift, why intensity should not disappear, and why mobility and movement quality become non-negotiable. We also address the role of external stressors, chronic load, and the long-term consequences of detraining.

For coaches, this episode reinforces an important principle: you do not program for age. You program for the person in front of you. The fundamentals of progressive overload, consistency, and movement quality do not expire at 40.

Train well early. Stay consistent. Adapt intelligently.

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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In this episode of Between 2 Racks, we finally give the squat the attention it deserves.

We break down why the squat remains one of the most versatile and scalable movement patterns in strength training. From high bar vs low bar positioning to stance width and foot angle, this conversation moves beyond dogma and into application. The goal is not to argue preferences, but to understand leverage, anatomy, and context.

We discuss when to front load, when to back load, and how to choose between goblet, Zercher, safety bar, cambered bar, quad squat, cyclist squat, hack squat, box squat, and wide stance variations. More importantly, we explain why those decisions should reflect the person in front of you, not ideology.

The episode also explores sticking points in the squat, technical breakdown patterns, and how programming adjustments differ for novice, intermediate, and advanced trainees. Whether you are addressing bottom range weakness, mid-range stalls, or upper back collapse, the solution lies in structured progression, not random variation.

If you coach strength athletes, general population clients, or yourself, this episode is a deep dive into one of the most fundamental patterns in training.

The squat is simple. Coaching it well is not.

0:00 Welcome and Introduction to the Squat Episode

1:00 Why the Squat is So Important

3:42 Squat as a Primal Movement Pattern

7:00 High Bar vs Low Bar Squat Discussion

12:41 Pauric's Experience with Low Bar Squat

16:00 Squat Stance and Foot Position

22:27 Breathing Techniques During Squats

28:48 Goblet Squat and Front Squat Variations

31:51 Quad Squat and Cyclist Squat Explained

39:31 Hack Squat Technique and Common Mistakes

42:21 Safety Bar and Camber Bar Squats

50:26 Box Squat vs Squat to Box

55:33 Wide Stance Squat Applications

60:10 Optimizing Squat Macrocycle Resource

65:49 Closing Announcements and Upcoming Events

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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In this Rapid Fire Q&A episode of Between Two Racks, the KILO Crew answers advanced coaching questions around isometrics, contrast training, chin-up progressions, and programming decision-making.

The conversation covers when and why to use yielding isometrics to exhaustion, how to properly load extended eccentrics and contrast methods, and how grip, variation, and angle selection influence long-term strength development.

You’ll also hear nuanced discussions on Peterson step-ups, chin-up variations, the 90-degree principle for pressing, and when finishers actually make sense for fat loss clients.

This episode is built for coaches who want clarity, not trends, and for lifters who care about why something is programmed, not just what’s written on the sheet.

0:00 Introduction and Rapid Fire Q&A

0:32 Yielding Isometric to Exhaustion

7:46 Extended Eccentric Methods

12:52 Why Vary Chin-Up Grips

16:55 Advanced Chin Up Variations

22:40 Peterson Step Up Rep Limits

31:12 Contrast Training Load Guidelines

40:00 90° Principle for Bench Press Macrocycles

45:25 Metabolic Finishers for Fat Loss 

46:56 Closing Remarks

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

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Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO Crew breaks down what a deload actually is, how it differs from active recovery, and why it is so often misunderstood in strength programming.

We discuss deloads through the lens of volume management, intensity preservation, and long-term program design, including when deloads make sense, when they are unnecessary, and when they are simply covering up poor loading decisions.

The conversation explores deloads in different periodization models, why general population clients rarely need planned deloads, and how mesocycle loading, exercise selection, and session structure can manage fatigue more effectively than defaulting to time-based deloads.

This episode provides practical context for coaches looking to understand deloads as a tool, not a rule, and how to make better recovery decisions without disrupting long-term progress.

0:00 Welcome & What is a Deload?
2:40 Deload vs Active Recovery
6:54 How to Structure a Deload Session
10:23 Common Deload Mistakes
12:37 Why We Use 3-Week Mesocycles
22:20 Which Exercises to Deload
27:50 When Do You Actually Need a Deload?
33:37 Different Periodization Models
42:22 Pre-Planned vs Reactive Deloads
45:44 Key Takeaways
48:00 Upcoming Courses & Wrap-Up

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

Follow KILO on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO Crew breaks down what coaches tend to outgrow with experience, and why those shifts matter more than new methods or trends.

From letting go of perfection, novelty, and short-term thinking to rethinking hypertrophy, nutrition, and “perfect programs,” this conversation explores how real coaching priorities change after years on the gym floor.

We discuss why confidence comes from results, not constant change, how principles outlast trends, and why consistency, recovery, and long-term thinking matter more than advanced methods used too early.

This episode is a reminder that experience doesn’t add complexity, it removes noise, and that good coaching is built through patience, repetition, and learning what actually matters over time.

0:00 Introduction
0:26 What Coaches Outgrow Early in Their Careers
8:30 Why New Coaches Feel Pressure to Constantly Change
16:30 Going Too Heavy on Advanced Training Methods
21:04 Chasing Short-Term Outcomes vs Long-Term Planning
27:59 How Views on Nutrition Changed with Experience
32:17 The Perfect Program Debate
33:32 The Secret Sauce: Consistency Over Perfection
36:40 Making Clients Fall in Love with Training
41:13 What Coaches Should Care Less About
45:09 Closing Thoughts

Stay Connected with KILO: 

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

Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠

Follow KILO on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.