EVZ Definitions™
If you’re seeing:
• Strong peak output
• Inconsistent performance
• Drop-off across sets
You’re not looking at a strength problem.
You’re looking at a retention problem.
EVZ Definitions Framework™
Purpose
The EVZ Definitions Framework™ establishes a standardized language for evaluating and developing power performance. It defines how output behaves across repeated efforts, enabling coaches to diagnose performance issues, guide programming decisions, and improve transfer to sport.
This framework shifts the focus from isolated peak output to:
• Sustained, repeatable, and transferable performance
Core Principle
Within the EVZ system, Performance is not defined by what an athlete can produce once.
It is defined by:
What they can sustain, re-express, and transfer across repeated efforts.
Core Definitions
1. Output
Definition:
The measurable expression of force, velocity, or power during a single effort.
Context:
Output reflects momentary capability, but does not indicate how performance behaves across repeated efforts.
See → Power Retention Model™
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2. Peak Output
Definition:
The highest recorded output achieved during a single effort.
Context:
Represents maximum capacity, but not repeatability, durability, or transfer.
See → Peak Output Trap™
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3. Capacity
Definition:
The maximum output an athlete can produce under optimal conditions.
Context:
Capacity reflects potential, not sustained performance.
See → Peak Output Trap™
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4. Exposure
Definition:
A single instance of effort within a training sequence.
Context:
Performance must be evaluated across multiple exposures to assess retention and consistency.
See → 3 Sets Diagnostic™
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5. Output Behavior
Definition:
The pattern of how output changes across repeated exposures.
Context:
Output behavior reveals whether performance is stable, declining, or inconsistent.
See → Power Performance System™
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6. Re-Expression
Definition:
The ability to reproduce output after an initial exposure.
Context:
Evaluates how well performance carries from one effort to the next.
See → 3 Sets Diagnostic™
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7. Retention
Definition:
The ability to maintain a high percentage of output across repeated exposures.
Context:
Retention is the primary indicator of performance durability.
See → Output Retention Programming (ORP)™
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8. Retainable Output (Re-attainment)
Definition:
The level of output that can be sustained across repeated exposures without significant decline.
Context:
Represents usable performance, not theoretical maximum.
See → Output Retention Programming (ORP)™
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9. Output Decay Rate
Definition:
The rate at which output declines across repeated exposures.
Context:
Faster decay indicates reduced retention capacity and increased performance risk.
See → Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
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10. Drop-Off
Definition:
The decline in output between exposures.
Context:
Some drop-off is expected; excessive decline signals performance breakdown.
See → Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
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11. Drop-Off Threshold
Definition:
The point at which output decline becomes meaningful enough to require adjustment.
Context:
Distinguishes between normal fatigue and performance breakdown.
See → Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
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12. Output Stability
Definition:
The consistency of output across repeated exposures with minimal fluctuation.
Context:
Indicates strong retention and reliable performance behavior.
See → Power Performance System™
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13. Output Variability
Definition:
The degree of fluctuation in output across repeated exposures.
Context:
High variability indicates inconsistency, even if peak output is high.
See → Power Performance System™
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14. Retention Profile
Definition:
The pattern of how output is maintained, declines, or stabilizes across exposures.
Context:
Provides a diagnostic snapshot of performance behavior.
See → 3 Sets Diagnostic™
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15. Retention Deficit
Definition:
A gap between peak output and the ability to sustain that output.
Context:
Often misinterpreted as a strength limitation.
See → Peak Output Trap™
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16. Durability
Definition:
The ability to sustain output over time and across repeated exposures.
Context:
Practical expression of retention in training and sport.
See → Power Retention Model™
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17. Performance Breakdown
Definition:
A significant and sustained decline in output across exposures.
Context:
Indicates training exceeds the athlete’s retention capacity.
See → Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
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18. Transfer
Definition:
The ability of training output to carry over into sport performance.
Context:
Output that cannot be retained across exposures has limited transfer.
See → Power Performance System™
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19. Translatable Power
Definition:
Power that can be sustained and expressed consistently under sport conditions.
Context:
Reflects both retention and durability.
See → Power Retention Model™
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20. Programming Exposure Control
Definition:
The strategic management of exposure (volume, intensity, sequencing) to optimize output retention.
Context:
Effective programming controls exposure rather than maximizing it.
See → Output Retention Programming (ORP)™
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21. Retention-Driven Programming
Definition:
A programming approach that prioritizes maintaining output across exposures rather than maximizing peak output.
Context:
Guides decisions based on output behavior, not isolated performance.
See → Output Retention Programming (ORP)™
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22. Stability Threshold
Definition:
The acceptable range of output fluctuation before performance is considered unstable.
Context:
Works alongside the Drop-Off Threshold to guide adjustments.
See → Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
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System Integration
These definitions form the foundation of:
• 3 Sets Diagnostic™
• Drop-Off Threshold Rule™
• Output Retention Programming (ORP™)
• Peak Output Trap™
• Power Retention Model™
• Retainable Power Index (RPI™)
They operate as:
• A unified system for diagnosing, interpreting, and improving performance
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Application Layer
If you’re seeing:
• Strong peak output
• Inconsistent performance
• Drop-off across exposures
You are not dealing with a capacity issue.
You are dealing with a:
• Retention problem
