December 6, 2025

Small adjustments- big improvements

Lessons from a Fit life.

The LO Maglev are The fastest trains in the world at 375 miles per hour. They utilize Magnetic Levitation to ride, without friction, scant inches above the track. That small adjustment of a, all few inches makes the LO Maglev faster and more efficient than conventional trains. Comparatively Small adjustments (inches) can create giant breakthroughs in the gym.

For instance, small tweaks to your diet can create huge breakthroughs. A weekly caloric deficit of 350 calories leads to a 5 lb weight reduction over a year. That’s 50 calories a day; basically 2 bites of chocolate cake.

Small adjustments

In similar fashion small gym adjustments to your workouts may be all you need to make similar breakthroughs. 

The most compelling evidence: your hamstrings.

Everyone has tight hamstrings; Moreover, EVERYONE stretches them wrong.

Let me illustrate. Touch your toes.

Man doing a seated forward fold stretch in a gym

Feel that hamstring stretch directly behind your knees? These are not your hamstrings. What you’re feeling are ligaments. They do not stretch: They tear. That explicitly defeats the purpose of touching your toes, huh?

Man doing a seated hamstring stretch on the gym floor

Now stretch with a bent knee, just an inch. Feel that? That’s your hamstring; somewhere midway up the back of your thigh. Evidently a small adjustment created a measurable result (see below).

Hamstring stretch assessment

Getting fit isn’t as hard as most people think. Just 11 minutes of exercise a day has a profound effect on your health and longevity. You may think you need to do something drastic like run a marathon, or go vegan to get fit; but small adjustments of just a few calories or adjusting by an inch can make big difference. 

Knowing which micro adjustments to make… That’s the hard part. Sometimes that necessitates a Coach. 

A Trainer.

I know a few.

About the author

Stephen Allison

Stephen Allison founded Fit, a private personal training studio in Boston’s South End, after more than 20 years of coaching clients one-on-one. He trains runners, lifters and everyday athletes.

Want a coach in your corner? Train one-on-one with Stephen or another Fit trainer. Your first 45-minute session is free.

Keep reading

If more people knew what to do at the gym the world would be a fitter, healthier, better place. The great workouts is a series of blogs designed to solve this problem. Simply pick one of the workouts, head to the gym, follow along and know that your time was well spent. Today we’re adding the Debra to this list. All you need is a jump rope, a little bit of space to move around and you’re on your way
The original Navy Seal Pyramid is a progression: start with: 1 chin up 2 push ups 3 crunches.
Will copying the workouts of our fitness heroes and get as strong as they are?

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