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 Missing Layer of Programming: How to Load Across Phases
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Loading doesn’t stop at the session level. It has to be structured across phases, blocks, and entire training cycles.
In this episode, we break down how to apply loading over time. We define mesocycles, block structures, and macrocycles, and explain how volume and intensity should be distributed to drive specific training outcomes.
We cover ascending, descending, constant, step, peaking, and concentrated mesocycle loading, and when each approach should be used. We also discuss how these strategies fit into accumulation and intensification phases, and how different block models shape long-term development.
Finally, we zoom out to macrocycle planning, where loading is organized across months and years, not just weeks. This is where most coaches fall short, relying on reactive programming instead of structured progression.
This episode is about building a system, not just writing workouts.
Because progression isn’t random, it’s planned.
0:00 Introduction
0:43 What Is a Mesocycle
4:04 Ascending Mesocycle Loading
10:00 Descending Mesocycle Loading
11:22 Constant Loading
14:43 Step Loading
18:18 Peaking Load
21:15 Concentrated Loading
23:54 What Is a Block
24:21 Extensive Blocks
27:05 Intensive Blocks
27:23 Progressive Blocks
29:42 Macrocycle Loading
44:36 Loading for Power
44:52 Max Effort Lift
46:03 Speed Strength
48:47 Loading the Chin-Up
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