Testimonials
What people are saying
It strengthens your entire core. Your back core, your arm core, your… The Marine Corps actually uses it. I think that’s how they got "core."
Michael Scott
Regional Manager
Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc.
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Chuck Miller is one of those coaches—rare nowadays—who learned by DOING. Despite being quite well-read and "book smart" in the field of strength & conditioning, his biggest asset is his 30+ years' experience in the weight room, as both a lifter and a trainer. He is open-minded but discerning, the kind of coach who can tell you what to do next week, next month, next year, and next decade in order to stay strong, athletic, and healthy.
Marshall Roy
Founder, Owner, and Trainer
RISE Gym
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
I met Chuck Miller 15 years ago when he called me out of the blue and asked, "Are you the same Marty Gallagher who writes for Powerlifting USA?" From that rather bold beginning sprang a longstanding friendship that has seen me train Chuck to achieve elite powerlifting totals in two weight classes, mentor him as a writer, and coach alongside him at many training clinics.
Chuck is one of my trusted instructors for the work I do with Tier One Special Operations. During the seven years we have been working with this elite group, many others in different disciplines (hand-to-hand combat, rock climbing, marksmanship, etc.) have also been invited to share their expertise. Most are not invited back. We are asked to return because the instruction we provide produces the results they seek - increased strength and durability - with minimal time investment.
Chuck is an expert strength coach who seeks out all-time great lifters like Kirk Karwoski and Brad Gillingham for counsel. He has devoted many years to perfecting his craft and is adept at teaching the lifts and programming for optimal results.
Like me, he advocates a focused training methodology that is stripped of fluff. Every exercise, set, and rep contributes to the goal of measurable improvement in strength and muscle mass. He eliminates extraneous activities like a surgeon excising diseased tissue.
This type of programming, derived from our work with elite military, is perfect for athletes and busy professionals. People with significant demands on their time who care about results and are willing to work hard to achieve them will thrive under Chuck's expert guidance.
Marty Gallagher
Marty Gallagher won the 1992 IPF World Masters Powerlifting title and has taken silver and bronze medals in world championships. He is a six-time National Champion Masters Powerlifter. As a coach, he guided Team USA to the world team powerlifting title in 1991 and coached Black’s gym to five national team titles. Gallagher is considered one of the finest writers in the strength training genre. He has had over 1,000 articles and four books published since 1978. His Ed Coan biography was called “the greatest powerlifting book ever written” by the late Joe Weider. Dr. Jeff Everson described Gallagher’s magnum opus, THE PURPOSEFUL PRIMITIVE, “a literary masterpiece.”
During the fifteen years I published and edited HARDGAINER magazine -- from 1989 to 2004 -- I received a number of articles by Chuck Miller. Chuck has an extraordinary depth and breadth of knowledge about strength training. I set a high standard for the articles I published, and Chuck exceeded that standard.
When I retired HARDGAINER print magazine, Chuck and I continued our friendship and correspondence. Over the last two years or so, we collaborated to write the most comprehensive interview I have ever granted, INSIDE THE MIND OF AN IRON ICON, which is available as a print book and electronically for the Amazon Kindle.
Chuck doesn’t possess just theoretical training know-how. He also has great personal experience “in the trenches” of strength training and powerlifting, and is a fine drug-free powerlifter himself. Chuck knows all the ins and outs of the practical realities of training, and the importance of individualizing training programs in order to maximize each trainee’s progress.
Not only is his knowledge and practical experience exemplary, but he is also a talented writer and 100% punctual when meeting deadlines. He has a fine sense of humor, is always a pleasure to work with, and is a good guy to boot.
I’m confident Chuck will apply his thirty-plus years of training experience and his superb communication skills to excel in his strength-consulting venture, both with individual coaching and imparting his vast knowledge in group settings.
Stuart McRobert
Stuart has over 40 years of training experience, has had about 700 articles published in newsstand training magazines, is the author of BRAWN, BEYOND BRAWN, THE INSIDER’S TELL-ALL HANDBOOK ON WEIGHT-TRAINING TECHNIQUE, and BUILD MUSCLE LOSE FAT LOOK GREAT, and published HARDGAINER magazine for 15 years.
At the end of July 2016, I bought my friend Chuck Miller's book, Inside the Mind of an Iron Icon. I started training in a new and different way based on what I learned from my reading. When I started down this new road, I hadn't lifted in about two years. I had continued kettlebell practice but hadn't squatted, deadlifted, or bench pressed at all. In four months on the new program, I've gained about fifteen pounds of muscle and lost 5 pounds of fat. I've trained intelligently and without pain or injury. I know I will reach many of my goals even before I'm scheduled to based on the plan I mapped out this summer. In fact, I'm already not far off a bench PR and am edging close to former squat levels - all this lifting ONE day a week and at over 50 years old. I can't thank Chuck enough for the nudge in the right direction.
Sandy Sommer
New Orleans, Louisiana
I met Chuck Miller while he was co-instructing a barbell training workshop in Philadelphia along with Marty Gallagher and Brad Gillingham. I was instantly impressed and had to have his information for future reference and help. I had a feeling if I ever wanted to hire someone to help me with taking my powerlifting to the next level he was going to be the guy. Chuck knows his stuff and has been doing all this strength and lifting business for quite some time. He has a broad understanding of programming and knows how to individualize pointers and coaching cues to really be effective and create helpful change. He can meet you where you are and take you to the next level. And a special bonus - he's pretty witty and his sense of humor will make everything a bit more fun than it already is!
Maria Bascetta
Fitness & Nutrition Coach
Nashville, Tennessee
I met Chuck five years ago training in Marty Gallagher's infamous garage. I had recently begun barbell training and was becoming frustrated with my rate of progress. Chuck always new what to say to help me get through the tough spots. Two of my favorite Chuck-isms I share with newbies are "Strength takes time" and "You can't be in a hurry." As a chiropractor and 30-year martial artist I greatly appreciate his attention to detail. He has a great eye for catching form breakdowns and provides the perfect cues to help you perfect your technique. I have also relied on Chuck exclusively for programming my periodized training cycles. With his help, I was able to set a national record for the squat in my age and weight class with a 420-pound effort in the Master's 50-55 age group and 220-pound weight class.
Donald Berry
DC, CK-FMS
Frederick, Maryland
I've known Chuck for almost 15 years now. In that time we've discussed and often edited each other's articles, talked a lot of training, and even hung out a few times. Do you know what stands out the most about him? I would call it "common-sense genius". I think that lifting attracts a lot of dreamers. Unfortunately, that personality type often chases after every new fad or whim like a 3-year-old chasing after butterflies, never catching one of them. Chuck is the perfect antidote to this disease. He knows how to gently point out your latest "butterfly chase" and steer you back to the tried and true. In addition, you won't need a degree in bio-chemistry to understand him. As Einstein said: ""If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." Chuck understands lifting, and after hanging around him for a while, so will you. You might even catch a few butterflies if you follow his instructions!
Nate Harvey
Contributing Writer, HARDGAINER
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
I first heard about Chuck through his articles in Stuart McRobert’s excellent Hardgainer magazine. I’ve consulted with Chuck on two occasions. The first, I had been struggling with shoulder pain when bench pressing. He helped me add 25 pounds to my bench press pain free. The second occasion, I had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Chuck has helped me develop a realistic, sustainable programme incorporating strength training, cardio and nutrition to keep making progress whilst lowering my blood sugar levels. He is professional, friendly and knows his stuff. I highly recommend him!
Matthew Amos
Kent, England