Evidence-Based Fitness and Nutrition Information Personalized To You!
Take Back Your Health!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle & Strength, and Build Self Confidence & Self Efficacy.
Take Back Your Health!
Lose Fat, Gain Muscle & Strength, and Build Self Confidence & Self Efficacy.
Here, you will find evidence-based articles spanning a wide variety of topics within health & wellness, including pain management, exercise, nutrition, behavior change, and more!
If you like what you see and would like to work with me and change your life, send me an email and we can set up a complementary consultation
Some of my biggest pet peeves with online fitness, nutrition, and wellness information is that most sources don't provide enough information or nuance, aren't cited enough (if at all), are cited wrong, or cost money to view. I aim to remedy this with FREE easy to read and extensive research backed articles spanning all aspects of wellness. All articles contain a shorter easier to read version and a longer fully referenced version to accommodate all readers/consumers.
“Parker is a talented, knowledgeable, and motivating personal trainer with a commendable level of commitment to his craft and, from everything I've experienced, an individual commitment to his customers/trainees as well. The training methods he uses are rooted in science, research, and his own experience, and I felt the programs he designed for me were dialed-in to help me achieve my goals, and the progression of difficulty kept me challenged and progressing without risking injury or feeling burned out because they got too difficult too quickly.
When I first met with Parker, I told him my goals were to lose weight and to increase strength and general physical fitness. He pointed out that making my goals quantifiable would be more valuable and make progress easier to track, and we decided, again based on his research and previous experience, that I should be able to lose 1 pound per week while still gaining strength. I had more difficulty quantifying a goal for increasing strength because I had no experience with serious weight training up to this point, so we left the decision until I had more experience.
With these goals in mind, Parker developed and tweaked a traditional weight training regimen and helped me develop good form for movements and correctly gauge the intensity of effort I was using so we could increase the work I was able to do efficiently and manageably. Obviously, losing weight required some dieting, but Parker's approach was to start with a calorie deficit that was manageable for me long-term. In the 22 weeks I have been working with Parker, I have lost 30 pounds. On top of that, I have definitely met my goal of increasing strength - from having no real experience lifting weights 22 weeks ago, I am now able to deadlift 425 pounds, bench press 235, and squat 300 - milestones I wouldn't have thought possible when I started. "
Update 8/26/23: Paul has successfully deadlifted 500 pounds for an all time personal best. He has also squatted 315 for an easy single on July 7th. Altogether, Paul has now surpassed the 1,000lb club and is nearing 1,100 pounds for his squat, bench, and deadlift total.
"I recently entered the world of fitness and working alongside Parker has made all the difference for me. Relatively inexperienced, I was quite intimidated by the gym and all the nuances of working out. Parker took the time to explain muscle groups, gym equipment use, correct form, modifications and so much more with me. He took the time to understand my current status and future goals. He was eager to answer any questions I had and would follow up with me on topics discussed. He also meticulously tracks client progress and motivates you to keep reaching for your personal best. It is obvious he is in the right profession as he is a wealth of knowledge and commitment to the wellbeing of his clients. Time flies during sessions and you’ll notice results quite quickly. I highly recommend working with Parker, he is a key partner to have in your journey to health!"
Extra Information:
Because of a non-disclosable medical condition, Ana suffered from reduced muscle endurance, early fatigue, and reduced strength which was evident during standing from a chair and walking quickly. During our first meeting Ana relayed how this impacted her daily life with work and spending time with her young son. At first, Ana had great challenge performing bodyweight squats for a set of 10 and took 6 minutes to walk 540 meters. During our 11th and final week of training, Ana was not only squatting to a lower height, but also added 20 lbs to her squats while performing more reps. Additionally, her 6 minute walk distance significantly improved and added another 238 meters to her walk for a total distance of nearly 800 meters. Lastly, Ana's physical therapist noted how much more quickly she was able to stand from a lying position on the floor taking several seconds off her previous time which undoubtedly contributes to greater quality of life. Ana improved in all aspects of strength and has made tremendous progress in her fitness journey in only 3 months, much of which is owed to her can-do attitude and willingness to push herself.
"Everyone should invest in working with you [Parker]"
"I love the process [training with Parker], it's always a good challenge, and it never wipes me out or leaves me feeling sore"
"Coming in to work with Parker at the middle-end of August, I had just recently began experiencing Achilles tendon pain which severely limited my ability to run, an activity I very much enjoy doing. During our first session, Parker had me doing 2 calf exercises, 1 standing and 1 seated. He would consistently ask me "how does this weight feel?" as we added weight, which really reassured me that he cared about my recovery and that we worked at a difficulty that I felt comfortable with. Fast-forward 2-3 weeks into working with Parker, my tendon pain is gone, and I'm back to running 2+ miles several times per week and still adding distance.
I should also mention I've had chronic back pain for over 15 years, and after working with Parker, I have significantly reduced my back pain. I no longer wake up in the morning feeling stiff or in pain, now I'm close to pain free and I'm able to almost "spring" out of bed and start my day sooner. To recap my experience, I was sort of taken aback when Parker wanted me to deadlift during our first session. We started with an easy progression where we would pick up a kettle-bell from an elevated surface. After seeing how much I could pick up (45lbs) with not much struggle, we progressed to the barbell for the following workout. I was amazed that not only did I not experience any pain during the deadlift, but I have not experienced any back pain afterwards either in the following 2 months.
Parker's approach to pain is life changing. Before I would rely on medication and bed rest in the hopes of feeling better. And now, he's taught me how to become the master of my own pain and how to work around acute instances of pain. I truly couldn't be more thankful.
I was also astonished at how quickly I progressed in my strength! I went from using the kettlebell, to deadlifting 135lbs with the bar for 8 reps. I've tripled my working weight on leg press going from working with 70lbs to 210lbs for sets of 8, my chest press has increased two fold, increasing from 40lbs to 85lbs for 5 reps, and most recently, I've been back squatting with a barbell which I have been enjoying greatly!
I've also lost 10lbs, most of it happened to be from my abdomen, which I'm exceptionally happy with as that was an area I had expressed a desire to reduce size in.
If you're looking for a truly great all-in-one coach to help you reach your goals, Parker has my full endorsement!"
“I trained with Parker for roughly a year, and I can't fit into a single paragraph the things he taught me inside, and outside of the field of physical fitness. Parker got to work within the first five sentences I spoke with him, by simply asking me, “What is your goal?”, where he then thrived in making it easy for me to make challenging, yet obtainable and logical goals for my physical self.
Parker exercises his knowledge on various content, while having a demeanor that remains both professional and friendly. I can honestly say that I am very happy, not only as a customer who was able to gain forty (40) pounds and learn how to lift the right way; not only as a friend where I built trust; but as a student as well, where I now take my own interests into this field.
Aside from making me feel comfortable in the gym and asking questions, building a disciplined routine with me, and getting me to achieve my physical goals; Parker Miller sparked a new passion with me, that is now something I study, practice, and perform every day. I am forever thankful."
“Parker is all you could want in a personal trainer! His depth and breadth of knowledge in the areas of fitness and nutrition are impressive. Any question I had was
thoughtfully answered and backed up with research.
I had not done any strength training for many years and struggle with painful, arthritic knees. I was very hesitant to attempt strength training for fear of injury. Parker put my mind at ease and was very supportive as we worked together. The stiffness in my knees is greatly improved, as is my confidence it doing both upper and lower body strength training. I owe this to Parker's knowledge, enthusiasm, and encouragement! "
Additional information regarding Julie's pre-training values to current training values: Julie began training with doing 5 lbs on the leg extension machine for 10 reps as the discomfort in her knees limited her to just that, but after 4 months increased her strength 5-fold with the same exercise performing 15 reps with 25lbs. Julie was also able to reduce (improve) the height from which she squatted to by 5 inches all the while adding weight (25lbs) to said squats for sets of 12 reps. She reported to me that doing daily activities such as walking the city of Chicago with her sons, gardening, and climbing stairs became immensely easier and less painful.
"Parker is a great trainer!
I hurt my shoulder in 2019, so I got a head start in putting on "pandemic weight" and put on more weight than most. When I finally decided I needed to get back in the gym, I sought Parker's guidance.
Parker taught me exercises to rehabilitate my shoulder. He emphasized form as he coached my weightlifting. He gave me meal plans I can stick to. And he showed me alternative exercises to avoid re-injuring my shoulder (for example the "floor fly" in place of the flat dumbbell fly).
In four months I have lost 22 lbs. I have increased my bench press workout weight by 20 lbs, I have increased my deadlift workout by 30 lbs, and I have increased my squat workout by 50 lbs. I have *not* re-injured my shoulder. And best of all, I am beginning to fit back into my "pre-injury" clothes.
I heartily recommend Parker Miller as a personal trainer."
"I had never had a personal trainer so I didn’t know what to expect. Training with Parker is extremely enjoyable and also an amazing learning opportunity. He teaches me not only what to do but how to do it so that I achieve the best results. I gained a workout coach and friend in Parker. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for results based personal training. "
"I trained with Parker for almost a year, twice a week at the Y [YMCA].
I asked Parker to train me because, observing his style at the Y, he seemed to be serious yet friendly and guided by his research into the latest articles (fact based).
Attitude: He was consistently friendly but serious about his job and willing to spend extra time, when possible, to help me get in more exercises.
Timing: Our half hour sessions were not long enough for a full body workout with lots of sets. Parker concentrated on what I had identified as problems or he noticed as areas requiring more work and left me with a few sets to finish by myself, the simple stuff.
Approach: The letters behind his name mean something to him. He went on several refresher courses during the year to keep his certifications up to date. He would come back and was willing to talk about what he had learned, how difficult the lessons were, etc. At times he would work what he learned into our sessions.
Efficiency: Parker kept a record of my reps/weights in his phone, constantly wanting more weight during our heavy weeks and backing down during our “easy” weeks. I made progress, especially considering the weeks he spent with me following my rotator cuff surgery. While he made sure I got enough rest time between sets, he was usually talking and encouraging me to try more and checking out the next stop (machine) we would go to.
Summary: The sessions with Parker were well worth the time and money, and especially the effort. It was not what I would call 'delightful', but it was enjoyable."
"I had the privilege of working with Parker as my strength and overall wellness coach during a four month period in 2021, at Four Seasons.
During this time Parker educated me on the importance of increasing the amount of protein in my diet to help with muscle growth and recovery, both pre and post workout. Parker also reviewed my diet, list of vitamins and supplements, and made recommendations to help me. A lot of focus was given to my diet, in which I've now incorporated lots of whey protein drinks, fish and vegetables, as well as hemp, flax, and chia seeds.
Being 64 years old, I was hesitant to begin a workout regimen without coach, as I've injured myself in the past not knowing how much to lift or how far to push myself. Basically, doing too much too soon! I met with Parker twice weekly and we worked on various strength and core exercises using both free weights as well as machines. Every workout was different and customized to the way I was feeling (either energy-wise or an ache or a pain I was having in a particular area) or in accord with the progress I was making from a previous session(s). I really liked this because it kept the workouts fresh and different! Every workout included exercises to work on my core.
One of the things I learned and found to be very beneficial was even though I was experiencing pain, I could still do some sort of exercise, whether it was with a lighter weight, fewer reps, or switching from free weights to a machine. I experienced this with the bench press when I was having pain in my left shoulder. Before working with Parker, my previous mindset was to rest it until there was no more pain. In this case, it might be months and which would undo any good I had previously done. Instead, Parker had me do some reps with just the bar or with a very light weight, or using a machine where I would sit up, but replicate the action of the bench press. Thus, reducing the amount of pressure on my shoulders and returning me to a pain free state very quickly.
During the four month period, again I'm 64 years old, I achieved unimaginable results! For example, I progressed from around 200 pounds on the leg press machine, to 608 pounds, with 5 reps. And, maybe one I'm most proud of, is being able to deadlift 200 pounds, my exact weight. When our sessions ended, in addition to these accomplishments, I was overhead pressing 105 pounds, bench pressing 140 pounds (4x), doing the kettlebell carry with 52 pounds (for 3 laps), and doing core side planks for 60 seconds (2 sets).
Parker has equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and techniques I can now carry forward to progress on my own. His positive attitude and encouraging words made him a joy to work with.
Overall, I feel stronger, healthier, have more energy. And, I feel younger!
I'm definitely glad I made this investment in myself and happy Parker made this investment in me. He was very generous with his time! Parker was never hesitant to answer a question or share his knowledge, whether it was in the course of a workout, or during an evening or a weekend email or text, even taking the time to research something on his own if needed.
If you're looking for a good coach to help you with strength and overall wellness, I would not recommend Parker. However, if you're looking for a GREAT coach to help, I would not hesitate to recommend Parker!"
“Working with Parker was perhaps one of the most enjoyable and motivating experiences I’ve ever had. He’s better than any coach I’ve had and I have been an athlete my entire life. Parker’s approach to fitness extends past the gym, he truly is the full package when it comes to getting your fitness right. His meal plans and workouts are both extremely personalized and easy to stick to. I’ve had tremendous success with his guidance. Parker truly invests in his clients, as he made sure to routinely check in with me to ensure I wasn’t getting off track with nutrition.
Weight gain was one of my primary goals, and within 2 months Parker was able to help me gain 15lbs, most of which was muscle. My clothes fit so much better as a result of the weight gain, and my strength and confidence improved immensely. Within the first 2 months, Parker coached me from a 115 lb bench to a 185 lbs (now over 200), a 145 lb squat to 260lbs, and a 160 lb deadlift to 325 lbs. Being a golfer, this massive strength increase has allowed me to hit the ball further than ever before, thus increasing my competitiveness as an athlete.
I was only able to work with Parker for 3 months before moving, but anytime I have questions I ask him and always receive a speedy and thorough response. Parker also taught me how to program for myself because he knew I was leaving and I have since seen further strength and muscle mass gain. Parker truly has transformed my life and I’m incredibly grateful for that."
“Last summer [2021], I started working with Parker as my personal trainer. I am a woman in my fifties and have met with many personal trainers throughout my life, but this time it was different. Parker really took the time to understand and encourage me each week as well as educating me on the different options for weight training. He listened to how I felt each time and adapted our sessions based on how my body was feeling. He helped me understand the need to warm up the body with light weights before doing my typical sets, and educated me on the importance of rest time between each rep.
I was always slightly sore after we trained, but never hurting and always eager to get back at it the next time we met. I think the way he kept some things consistent and changed up other things each time we met, really kept it interesting.
Today, I can weight train on my own. I feel empowered to do the right workouts and adjust my weights and reps accordingly because of all he has taught me.
I highly recommend using Parker as your Personal Trainer – he is so knowledgeable and interested in helping you meet whatever your personal goals are. He enabled me to be better at this than I ever thought possible. Thank you, Parker, for helping me become stronger so I can be the grandparent I wanted to be."
“Parker is an approachable, knowledgeable, and motivational trainer. During the time I trained with him, he was attentive and engaged in my goals and overall plan. He provided weekly programming to me on a timely basis and the workouts were always challenging, but he was also happy to make modifications and adjustments if I needed them.
During one-on-one training sessions he was very dialed-in on my form and helped when adjustments were needed to prevent injury or to enable hitting the lifting goals for the day. I would recommend Parker to anyone regardless of their fitness goals; whether just getting started or if you are more experienced and just looking to up your game. "
Extra Information:
Week 1: Susan began with a notable right dominant hip shift, goblet squatting 50 lbs, and deadlifting 95 lbs for 8 reps.
Week 12: Susan is barbell back squatting 130 lbs for 6 reps with no hip shift and barbell deadlifting 140 lbs for sets of 6 with an extra wide grip variation. Susan states that at home she successfully deadlifted 170 lbs for 2 reps using a trap/hex bar also.
"Parker, my personal trainer for 12 weeks, was great. My goal was to build strength and understand how to accomplish it. I am a senior citizen and was starting at ground zero. Parker was patient with me, but still challenged and encouraged me along the way. Thanks to Parker's knowledge and expertise, I now have a better understanding of what I need to do as I continue to build strength. - Strong Senior Citizen, Ronda"
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*I am not a registered dietician, medical doctor, or physical therapist. I cannot, do not, and will not provide clinical/medical nutrition intervention, and none of my content is medical advice nor is any article content personalized exercise prescription. One should always consult with their doctor before beginning a new exercise program or changing their diet/nutrition habits including the use of supplements, especially if they have a personal or family history of disease(s)/conditions*
While I own no rights to the research I reference in my work, recreation/duplication of my work without permission is prohibited.