Gary Miller Fitness

Sometimes a very small change can make a very big difference.

Lately I’ve been dealing with some knee discomfort from patellar tendinitis, so instead of forcing the issue and pretending it would magically go away, I took a step back and started looking for a better solution.

That meant more sled drags, more TKEs, and more work focused on actually improving the knee instead of just training around pain.

Then today I made another adjustment — I brought my squat stance in a little closer to see if changing the angle would reduce some of the discomfort.

Did it feel a little different?
Yes.

Did it feel a little awkward at first?
Also yes.

But it actually felt better on my knees.

And that’s the lesson.

Sometimes the answer isn’t to push harder.
Sometimes it’s to change the angle, adjust the approach, and look at the problem from a different perspective.

A small shift in stance…
a different setup…
a different accessory exercise…
a better warm-up…

Those little adjustments can be the difference between constantly fighting pain and finally finding a way to keep progressing.

Training isn’t always about doing more.

Sometimes it’s about doing things smarter.

Have you ever made one small change in your training that made a huge difference?

Want a Bigger Deadlift? Stop Ignoring Your Rows.

One of the biggest mistakes I see lifters make is thinking the deadlift is built by deadlifting alone.

It’s not.

Today we hit 225-pound barbell rows, and there was one goal: stability.

A heavy row teaches you how to maintain a strong hinge position, brace your core, lock in your lats, and build the upper-back strength needed to keep the bar close to your body. Those are the exact qualities that carry over to a stronger deadlift.

Then we moved on to 625 pounds for a beltless triple.

Why train beltless?

Because when you take the belt away, your body becomes the belt.

Your core has to brace harder.
Your spinal erectors have to work harder.
Your obliques have to stabilize harder.
Your entire trunk has to produce and transfer force without outside assistance.

That’s how you build true strength.

The belt isn’t a crutch—it’s a tool. But if you rely on it all the time, you miss the opportunity to develop the raw stability and bracing that make you stronger.

Build your foundation first. Then when it’s time to put the belt back on, you’ll create even more pressure, more stability, and ultimately move more weight.

Build the engine before you add the turbo.

Train with purpose. Build stability. Build strength. POWERBUILD. 💪