Between 2 Racks

KILO Education

Between 2 Racks is a strength training podcast on program design, periodization and coaching decisions, made for personal trainers and strength coaches.Hosted by Kelsey DeSanctis and Stephane Cazeault, co-founders of KILO Strength Society, the show is built on one idea: coaches deserve a home for sound knowledge, with a focus on what holds up over time and where theory breaks down in practice.Each episode covers how to build and adjust programs, how to manage loading and progression, and how to make better decisions for the people you train. Stephane brings decades of experience in private training, performance settings and long-term athlete development, and together they keep the conversation practical, honest and grounded in principle.If you want clarity, depth and a place to think critically about strength training, Between 2 Racks is that space.Learn more about KILO's coach education at trainkilo.com.

  1. 18h ago

    How to Use the 1RM Continuum for Strength Training

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Between 2 Racks, Kelsey and Stephane break down the 1RM continuum and how coaches can use it to make better decisions about loading, programming, and long-term strength development. Stephane explains the origins of the continuum, how different intensity ranges relate to strength qualities, and why intensity should guide repetition prescriptions rather than the other way around. They discuss how to estimate a client's 1RM from training data, select appropriate loads when moving between phases, and recognize when the standard relationship between repetitions and percentages no longer reflects an individual's capabilities. The conversation also covers the limitations of the continuum, particularly with single-joint exercises, advanced trainees, and training methods where the primary objective isn't maximal strength development. They examine the differences between RM-based loading, percentage-based prescriptions, power training, and metabolic specialization. For coaches working with beginners, they also explore why a set can feel difficult long before a client approaches muscular failure. The 1RM continuum isn't an absolute rule. It's a framework that becomes more valuable when coaches understand how to apply, evaluate, and individualize it. Track the data. Analyze the trends. Adjust the prescription. 0:00 Introduction to the 1RM Continuum 2:20 Why Load Dictates the Training Response 3:59 How Léger and Poliquin Developed Their 1RM Continuum 5:54 Understanding Strength Qualities and Intensity Zones 8:35 Choosing the Best Numbers to Estimate 1RM 9:36 Why the Continuum Applies to Compound Movements 10:50 Minimum Training Intensity for Strength Gains 12:25 Matching Percentages and Reps to Your Training Goal 15:20 The Limitations of Always Training at RM Loads 19:49 Calculating Loads for a New Phase and Using Step Loading 22:03 How Training Age Changes the Rep and Percentage Relationship 26:42 Teaching Beginners to Train Close to Failure 30:31 When to Prescribe Percentages in TrainHeroic 33:45 Adjusting Loads for Fat Loss and Metabolic Training 39:10 Choose Intensity First, Then Reps and Sets 42:43 Testing and Customizing the 1RM Continuum 44:22 Track Your Data, Analyze It, and Adjust Your Programming 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.

  2. Nov 2

    Let's Get Steph Worked Up (Part 2): Volume, Research and Mobility

    Send us Fan Mail 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 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.

  3. Oct 26

    Strength Training Pet Peeves: Let’s Get Steph Worked Up

    Send us Fan Mail 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 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.

  4. Oct 19

    Rapid Fire Q&A: Bench Frequency, Strength Ratios & Program Design

    Send us Fan Mail 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. https://whz5fnwa1ab.typeform.com/rapidfire 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 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.

  5. Oct 12

    Rapid Fire Q&A: Squat Frequency, Chin-Up Progression & Wave Loading

    Send us Fan Mail 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 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.

  6. Oct 5

    Building a 12-Week Macrocycle: Goal, Intensity, Structure

    Send us Fan Mail 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 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.

  7. Sep 28

    Rapid Fire Q&A: Chin-Up Decisions, Step Loading, and Quickness Training

    Send us Fan Mail 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:  Have a question? ⁠Submit it for a Rapid Fire episode⁠. Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠ Follow KILO on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.

  8. Sep 21

    Building Strength vs Displaying Strength: Managing Volume, Intensity, and Fatigue

    Send us Fan Mail 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 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.

See All (131)

5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Between 2 Racks is a strength training podcast on program design, periodization and coaching decisions, made for personal trainers and strength coaches.Hosted by Kelsey DeSanctis and Stephane Cazeault, co-founders of KILO Strength Society, the show is built on one idea: coaches deserve a home for sound knowledge, with a focus on what holds up over time and where theory breaks down in practice.Each episode covers how to build and adjust programs, how to manage loading and progression, and how to make better decisions for the people you train. Stephane brings decades of experience in private training, performance settings and long-term athlete development, and together they keep the conversation practical, honest and grounded in principle.If you want clarity, depth and a place to think critically about strength training, Between 2 Racks is that space.Learn more about KILO's coach education at trainkilo.com.

Information

  • Creator
    KILO Education
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Between 2 Racks
  • Show Website
    Between 2 Racks

You Might Also Like