Between 2 Racks
Between 2 Racks is a strength training podcast from KILO, a coach-led education company built to support personal trainers and strength coaches who want a deeper, more durable understanding of training.
The goal is simple: create a home for sound knowledge. Not trends, not shortcuts, and not recycled talking points.
Each episode explores program design, loading, periodization, and coaching decisions through real-world application. We focus on what holds up over time, where theory breaks down in practice, and how coaches can make better decisions for the people they train.
Hosted by experienced coaches with decades spent in private training, performance settings, and long-term athlete development, the conversations are practical, honest, and grounded in principle.
If you are a coach looking for clarity, depth, and a place to think critically about training, Between 2 Racks is that space.
Let’s kick it!
Between 2 Racks
The Intermediate Trap: Why Most Lifters Stall After the First Few Years
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Most lifters stall after the first few years because the strategies that work early stop driving progress. The intermediate phase is where technique is more consistent, load selection becomes more accurate, and improvements slow down fast unless training evolves.
In this episode, the KILO Crew defines what “intermediate” really means, beyond training age. We break down why progress stalls, how the shift from skill development to higher intensity work changes programming, and why tracking, compliance, and load management start to matter more than ever. We also discuss strength ratios, weak link remedials, when to introduce specialty techniques, and how monotony and strain can combine to create plateaus and setbacks.
This episode is for lifters and coaches who feel stuck in the in-between stage and want a clearer roadmap for what comes next.
0:00 Introduction
0:23 What is Intermediate
2:25 Relative Strength Ratios
6:11 Why Progress Slows
8:05 Periodization for Intermediates
13:34 Exercise Selection
18:50 Specialty Techniques
21:19 Recognizing Plateaus
23:46 Monotony and Strain
27:43 Volume Tolerance
32:40 Remedial Work Strategy
45:18 Tips for Success
48:32 Compliance Matters
50:12 Closing
Stay Connected with KILO:
- Have Questions? Send them to us here and we will answer in our Rapid Fire Episodes!
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- Follow the Crew: Kelsey, Stephane, Pauric & Alexandra
- Want to Contact us?: Reach out to us at info@kilostrengthsociety.com