Sports Performance: Tapering, Power, Plyos & In-Season Decisions

Send us Fan MailIn this follow-up episode of Between 2 Racks, the KILO Crew continues the sports performance conversation by moving from off-season structure into the decisions coaches have to make as the season gets closer.The episode starts with a student question on tapering, and whether athletes need a formal taper at the end of the off-season or if the reduction in training volume happens naturally once preseason and in-season demands begin. From there, Steph, Pauric, and Kelsey break down the difference between a true taper, a descending mesocycle load, and the shift from off-season development to preseason performance.They also discuss how to reduce fatigue without detraining the athlete, why maintenance loads matter, and why not every phase of training needs to be a stimulating load. The conversation then moves into power development, including the practical differences between starting strength, explosive strength, and reactive strength, and why most athletes need to earn the right to train higher-level power qualities.The episode also covers how KILO uses plyometric warm-ups to build tissue quality, foot strength, reactive ability, and progressive exposure to higher-impact work without turning every session into a full plyometric day.Finally, the crew discusses in-season programming, where the goal shifts from building qualities to maintaining strength, power, mobility, and tissue integrity without interfering with sport performance.The closer the season gets, the more precise the coaching decisions need to become.0:00 Introduction0:22 Listener Q&A: Tapering in Off-Season Programming3:20 Taper vs. In-Season Training Reduction (Clarification)17:55 Maintaining Fitness Without Detraining (Zatsiorsky's Fitness-Fatigue Paradigm)18:13 Starting, Explosive & Reactive Strength Explained28:42 Plyometric Warmup Protocol39:14 In-Season Programming42:32 Using Assessments In-Season52:20 Final Thoughts & ResourcesStay Connected with KILO: Have a question? ⁠Submit it for a Rapid Fire episode⁠.Learn more at ⁠trainkilo.com⁠Follow KILO on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠.