Message: Back home and trying to capture all the valuable information that I got today. Very good lessons learned and important information passed on. Very few athletes who perform at a high level can coach at a high level but I feel I personally can add another name to that list and that is Andy Bolton. In a short time window he was able to offer pointers to all participants across the deadlift and bench with, I feel everyone taking something away. He talks with the manner of a man who has talked the talk and walked the walk. Nice point covered was confidence, an essential part of lifting that anyone who has stood on the platform and how that can be built upon when training and openers for competition. Don’t want to give too much away as you need to get it direct from the source but a very enjoyable day!!
After training for a few years you think there not much more you need to learn with lifting, but that’s never the case, I’m a beginner powerlifter with only done a few competitions, but have been weight training for around 8 years. But what I learnt with a day with Andy Bolton I will take with me throughout my future training with a lot less injuries as well, what I learnt in the first hour I had never seen or even heard of and it was like that throughout the day with lifting techniques and lifting styles, what would of taken me years to find out Andy taught and showed in one day and will help with my lifts and help with staying healthy with no injuries, was a great day and Andy Bolton was a great bloke who’s straight forward and a true gentleman, any issues or problems I had I don’t anymore or I’m learning and progressing from what Andy has taught me, thank you Andy Bolton
I recently attended the one internship with Andy, we covered squat,bench and deadlift in detail any questions I had were answered in a easy to understand manner the whole day was very informal it was a very good atmosphere. It was great to see and conduct the assistance exercises Andy does something I’ll take away and implement in my training. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the programme Andy planned for me and building on my current PR’s and being competitive in powerlifting meets in the future. Overall it was a fantastic experience to meet Andy who is a very inspirational guy.
All the best
I would like to say a massive thank you to Andy Bolton for an informative and enjoyable day. During the Andy Bolton Internship we covered form on the three big lifts, accessory work, mobilization and programing. Over the course of the day I learnt a lot from Andy and he was happy to answer any questions with his incredible knowledge, he was so friendly and easy to chat to. I’m looking forward to putting all that I learnt into practise over the next couple of months and no doubt I’ll see some big improvement in my lifts. I would recommend taking this opportunity to spend the day with Andy no matter your experience in the sport just remember to bring food and water as you’ll be doing a fair bit of lifting.
In my opinion there has never been (and may never be) an elite athlete-coach hybrid like Andy. Yes, he’s made powerlifting history (a few times) and his CV as an athlete is almost unrivalled in the realms of strength, but less well-known is his expertise as a coach. He instantly improved my squat, bench and deadlift and more recently was instrumental in helping with my supplementary strength and conditioning as i pulled a 1.4 tonne MINI 26.2 miles. In short, Andy’s an awesome coach and an equally good friend.
Andy Bolton is one of the most extraordinary men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Andy seemingly pushes the boundaries of what is humanly possible with remarkable ease. It is easy to think its just a genetic-given talent that he was lucky to receive. However, I have known Andy for over 20 years now and hidden behind this larger-than-life physique ( a physique which amongst other things pulled the first ever 1000lbs deadlift) is an analytical and scientific mind that has encyclopaedic knowledge of the strength World.
What also makes Andy such a great character to learn from that he is a natural teacher. His years of success have never gone to his head. Andy remains a humble and jovial man who listens to your ideas and thoughts and never puts them down. When he opens his mouth he can often extoll pearls of wisdom at a jaw dropping rate. Sometimes he says something just that little bit different to others and you have a eureka moment of understanding. Simple things made understandable. Other times he flies completely in the face of conventional wisdom… and he will be correct. I personally believe Andy Bolton is a strength genius. I don’t that lightly either. I would hold Andy’s strength opinions at a level with anyone’s in the academic or coaching world. Andy doesn’t have ideas because he has been told them. Andy has seen it, tried it, achieved it and conquered it. Andy Bolton’s ideas are a must-know for any strength athlete who wishes to be the best they can be. Knowledge is power.
Andy, it was a pleasure to meet you today. Let’s face it, you don’t get to meet, let alone be coached by, a multiple world champion from any discipline.
As you know, I am new to powerlifting, despite being 43 years young, and was looking for guidance and coaching for the specific three lifts.
I got so much out of the hour’s one to one session to include specific cues for the deadlift and bench press to improve my focus and technique, a specific training program as well as nutritional advice.
I’m looking forward to starting the New Year with renewed purpose, inspired by your coaching, and I know I will soon meet my personal lifting goals as a result.
Your friendly and down to earth approach to coaching made the session easy to understand and a pleasure to undertake – I’ll have to get used to the shin grinding though!
I fully intend to visit again and receive further coaching, to include the squat, and look forward to soaking up your invaluable experience and putting it into practice.
All the best
David
It’s been over a year since i came to you for online coaching and since then with your help i have achieved the goals i were hoping for and much more. Infact i am now progressing at a rate where i never thought was possible and it’s gave me the confidence and will power to carry on. The thing what seperates you from a lot of coaches is your ability to understand your clients wants and needs without setting them impossible tasks, working with them week in and week out and changing things to only suit their needs. I can only thank you for your help and the one on one training years ago at rails gym played a big part too. You have set me many build ups now and all weekly routines were in place before each session and i never had to chase you for anything with helps with piece of mind. It’s hard to trust anyone in the lifting world and who is out there to help you or just get your money, but i actually think the satisfaction of watching your clients progress and do well is why you took up coaching in the first place, and with your knowledge why wouldn’t you want to share and show people you wasn’t just a great lifter. I can honestly say i was i were at a point of giving up and seeking help from you has really change my life, you make the lifter feel confortable and at ease when talking and a friendship was formed out of respect for each other. I can only hope i get a chance to step on that platform with you once again!!!!
Andy Bolton your a true gent…. thankyou
When I first wanted to get into powerlifting I went to seek out who could help me out, obviously knowing the big names in powerlifting I thought I would contact Andy
Being in Leeds and with him competing I thought he wouldn’t have time for someone only wanting to start off in powerlifting.
I asked to train and he was more than happy to help out , I started off doing a 1 day seminar 1 2 1 with him going through squat dead and bench teaching me all the techniques.
I was bitten by the bug and andys passion , it took over , I traveled from Manchester to Leeds 1 x a week to have personal training with him , bearing in mind I am I personal trainer myself I thought having a mentor was a great idea , and it was
Then he Invited me to train on a Wednesday night with the team on squat and Deadlift as a young lifter just getting started this was a dream come true,
4 years later , and going from Deadlifting 220kgs to 345kgs , and benching 105 to now benching 210 andys methods have worked for me and got me competing at a European level. Now moving on to bigger competitions,
His experience and years spent powerlifting makes Andy a great coach ….
Highly reccomended to anyone wanting to get strong !
I trained with Andy from 2006 to 2011 and with his guidance and one or two slaps back stage i managed to take 2 world titles and 4 British titles, with a couple of bench press records. During this time Andy helped me overcome some of my sticking points, both with bench and particularly with my deadlift. Listening and Sticking to his techniques my bench went from a 165kg PB to 245kg British record, Andy’s knowledge, energy and enthusiasm are always a big part of our workouts…. After a long lay off I decided to train again, sometimes being put off a little due to the nay sayers and being the late side of 40. That was until I saw Andy again! training, squating, deadlifting despite his recent illness! once again I find myself being inspired to train no what other people think or whatever little niggling joint pains I may have and that is thanks to Andy..
I am looking forward to training with Andy again he is truly an inspiration and the most dedicated Powerlifting greats we have ever had.
After a long period of illness I was extremely weak and unfit, which apart from making life difficult (had to stop and rest on stairs) it also made me feel very low (used to box, Judo, MMA). I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get strong again. I got in touch with Andy and started training with him. To say that he is knowledgeable and experienced would be a massive understatement. He got me back on track and was always positive and motivating and never made me feel like a failure (couldn’t even squat my body weight to begin with). Now I am the strongest and biggest I have ever been and plan to do a novice powerlifting competition.
Thanks Andy.
I came to Andy after rediscovering the glory of squat/bench/deadlift after a long period of not training (around 16 years), i mean, if you’re going to learn, you may as well try and learn from the best right?
I tentatively contacted him about some one 2 one coaching sessions, fully expecting a man with his credentials and status would be either too expensive, or not be able to make the time to help me.
I was of course wrong.
with only a few one 2 one’s, and an 8 week squat, deadlift and bench cycle, which was carefully explained to me, implemented his advice across all the three lifts and pretty much watched the numbers go up consistently over the next few months..
Over the next year i added 50Kg to my squat , 55Kg to my deadlift , and 20kg to my bench and i couldn’t be happier with the progress.
Andy is always easily contactable and very responsive, and despite his monumental achievements and world wide fame in powerlifting circles, he is one of the nicest and most humble guys you could hope to meet.
Thanks Andy!
My son Lucas and I attended the Deadlift workshop on 16th May. Lucas needed something to give him a boost after the loss of his Grandma and assurance his technique was sound – he got both. I needed help getting through stalled progress – I got it. Andy Bolton is amazing – inspiring, informative, entertaining, encouraging. I smashed my plateau and got a 3 year PB, Andy thought I was good for more, but supported my restraint. You need to come along prepared to work, this is no pen and paper session, my plans for later in the day were cancelled. If the Deadlift is your thing there is no better way to spend your time and money – who’d turn down a football session with Pele or boxing session with Muhammed Ali? This is that! I’d recommend any keen Deadlifter attend one of these sessions, I may go back again myself to see where I’m up to after the next 8 weeks
I participated in one of Andy’s sessions at the 2015 Bodypower Expo. I’ve been lifting for 5 years and would class myself as an intermediate lifter with a best pull of 270kg in comp raw. Due to injuries, I hadn’t Deadlifted or done any bar rehab work for around 3 months. I Deadlifted on the Sunday as was within 5kg/11lbs of that lift – pulling 265kg. The tips and advice Andy gave were easy to understand and for me made a huge difference to how I move during the deadlift. Getting advice from one of the worlds best and within half an hour having real tips to work on in training is invaluable. If someone said to me pay £100 for 20kg on your Deadlift, I would do it. I’m sure Andy’s advice and help will add that and much more in the future and can’t speak highly enough of his teaching. I can see me pushing on above 300kg in the very near future!
“So yesterday I had a day internship with Andy, and it was awesome. He very quickly picked up on my bad habits with my lifting, and showed me the correct technique on the big 3 (Squat, Bench and Deadlift).
Andy then showed me some great exercises to help reinforce good technique. He also helped me come away with a set plan for my Squat, Deadlift and Bench which I can’t wait to put into practice, (once I’m fully recovered from his brutal session which was about two hours long).
This session covered legs,back, shoulders, biceps and grip, which was his Thursday assistance workout. As an aspiring Powerlifter all I needed was covered, but on top of that I had some really sound conversations with Andy and picked up some amazing advice.
Andy was a really nice guy and easy to talk to. Even after twenty odd years of training he is still massively passionate about putting the British Bench record higher and has plans of regaining his World record deadlift.
I found the experience to be all I wanted and more, so for anyone who’s serious about training: Andy Bolton’s your man.”
“After watching the spectacular videos on YouTube of Andy in action I thought I would ask for the privilege to go down and learn some new ticks I could use myself to gain more strength.
After spending 2 days with Andy I was clear on the techniques/ periodization programs I have to use to increase my strength.
He answered all my questions about training, nutrition, supplements, sleep; what he does on a day to day basis, and as a personal trainer myself I have used this knowledge to help me and my clients.
Andy is a true legend and to see what he does on a day to day basis is amazing. He shows real dedication… the 2 days spent with him where priceless, not to mention the workout he put me through.
Thanks Andy!”
“I just got done with a 14 week training program with Andy. My Competition was this past week and I have never felt better on comp day.
I felt confident about all my lifts and took first in the 181 Ib class on the amateur day in the SPF Iron man. My lifts were 560 Ib squat, 420 Ib bench, 430 Ib deadlift, all single ply.
Thanks again Andy!”
“This back, which reps 600lb Deadlifts….
Is courtesy of Andy Bolton online personal training. If you want to get bigger and STRONGER check him out!”
“As a competitive Powerlifter and Firefighter I need to be very strong. Who better to get advice from than 7 times World Powerlifting Champion and super nice guy Andy Bolton.
Andy is very knowledgeable and has walked the walk.
He puts across his knowledge in a very fun and easy to understand manner. Go and see this guy in one of his seminars, it’s money well spent!”
“I just want to share my experience training with Andy.
I met him at the Night of the Living Dead in October of 2010. Needless to say I was blown away by the strength he displayed that night.
I was even more impressed when I attended a seminar given by Andy the following Monday night. He was a humble down to earth guy who really wanted to help every lifter that attended that seminar. After listening to Andy’s methods of training I knew I needed to make a change to my current program. I contacted Andy shortly after and asked him to create an online training for me.
I am currently on week 9 of this program and all I can say is I have Bench Pressed my previous one rep max for 3 and have also gained 25lbs on my squat 3rep max. My deadlift has gone up as well and at my last meet 4 months ago I deadlifted 475lbs and 2 weeks ago Andy had me pull 475 for 3!
I am very happy with the results I am getting with the help of Andy, and we are starting to prep for a meet in March next week and I have no doubt I will PR my total! I will keep everyone updated. Thanks again Andy!”
“I am a competitive raw/unequipped Powerlifter and my Bench Press had stuck at same top weight for a couple of years running and I had tried everything (including band training) to shift my plateau. I met Andy at the gym and we had a chat about my training programme and then got straight into a Bench routine and Andy introduced me to Board Presses which I had heard of but never done.
A few weeks later after changing my training I increased my Bench Press personal best by 8kg.
Since then I have returned to see Andy with a fellow competitor and this time got Squat advice. I have yet again changed my training routine and looking forward to seeing what gains I make in 2011. I am now training hard for the raw GBPF British Powerlifting Finals 2011. I owe my gains from the advice I received from Andy. Knowledge is power.”
“Hi Andy,
Back in January my wife contacted you and ordered your dvd. You were then kind enough to sign the DVD and a photo and then send it to me while out in Afghanistan for free. I just wanted to thank you personally… your dvd inspired us, we got so into training that we used to forget about the threat we faced every day as we were more concerned about getting in the gym. (typical squadie mentality)
Again thank you and all the best for the future.
Wayne Dolecki
“I have known Andy Bolton since 2001! During that time I have watched him get stronger and stronger! Just when I thought ok he can’t possibly get ANY STRONGER…he DOES!
This man knows what he’s doing and is extremely qualified in coaching Athletes & Competitors!! He has also helped me throughout the years with my training! I’m no world class Powerlifter but I do care about being the strongest me I can be!
Andy recommend things to me for my training & my weights in the gym increased significantly! He has always stayed in touch with me and I am so lucky to say I consider him a great friend of mine! Every time I see Andy he is so sweet to me & so genuine when he asks about me, my family and my training!
Andy Bolton is one of a kind and I can’t wait to see what records he will break in the future!
Mandy Stafford
Fitness Model”
“Hi,
I have been training for around 20 or so years.I thought I knew everything I needed to know about training for strength, until I came across Andy Bolton’s Strength site. I booked a taster session with him and immediately realised that I was just treading water. I was amazed at how Andy was able to adjust my form and spot improvements in just one short hour.I have since been back for another session. Andy has been managing my programs ever since and I am making great progress.
My confidence has increased and so have my lifts, I am the current M4 British Unequipped Powerlifting champion at 80kgs and hold the UK squat record and the European dead lift record.
Andy is overseeing my preparations for the 2010 World unequipped powerlifting championships which will be held in Ireland.
My advise would be to forget about the fancy supplements and spend the money on a personal internship from Andy.
Many thanks Andy,
David Freeman”
“I have now trained with Andy Bolton for 15 months. During this time, with Andy’s help, I have added 150Kg to my Powerlifting total across the three lifts. This improvement gained me a BPC 125Kg Class Senior British title, which I would never have thought possible in this time without Andy’s guidance.
Not only is Andy very knowledgeable in all aspects of powerlifting – from training to nutrition and contest preparation etc, he truly understands all kinds of strength training. The results displayed by the people whom he has helped speak for themselves. I would recommend Andy’s advice to anyone who is serious about taking their strength training to the next level.”
“When I trained with Andy he was able to point out any areas I needed to improve in my Deadlift, and he knew exactly what to do to help me improve those areas. He was also able to explain everything in a way which is very easy to understand.
I know that now I am following Andys routine that he has set me it won’t be long before I am breaking my PB.
I will definatly be going back to Andy Bolton for more advice on Strength Training.
Thanks again Andy,
Liam Allison”
“Before I started training with Andy I had a problem with my grip but that has now been sorted. He has also helped me overcome a knee injury a problem that he knows a lot about.
He is now teaching me to use my new equipment which is going very well, also the environment we train in and the people we train with are very intense which in turn has made me more intense in competition and in the gym.”
“Under Andy’s guidance I have added over 200kg to my powerlifting total all whilst staying in the same weight class in just 2 years. Due to Andy’s training techniques I was able to break 2 world records, many national records and achieve the best bench-press lb for lb by any British lifter.
As well as these huge increases in strength, my muscle mass has increased and I’ve also lost body fat, on top of this I have learnt how to be better prepared psychologically for optimum performance.”
“Since training with Andy I have increased my Squat by over 100kg, Bench by 80kg and deadlift by 60kg.”
Patrick Griffin: 2 time British Champion and 5 time British Bench Press Record Holder
“With Andy’s help, I have tailored my training programs to enable me to pack on 5 stones of muscle and squat 375kg in only 2 years of Powerlifting.”
Graham Mattison: Powerlifter, BPC and WPC federations
“Hey Andy,
Just a quick email to thank you for all of your coaching and advice at the recent workshop in Reading. Even as a strength and conditioning coach myself for over 6 years it goes to show that everyone knows something and nobody knows everything! I had been stuck at a 1 rep max of 200kg for as long as I can remember and the closest I had got to that recently was a slow and painful 190kg lift. After an hour of working with you on technique and positioning I set a new P.B., twice! To say I am delighted at pulling 220kg is an understatement! Adding 10% onto my 1 rep max through these small but effective changes is incredible. It was a great workshop, I like your no b.s approach. Your coaching is very clear and direct which I was able to take on board, understand and implement immediately as I knew exactly where I should be and how each position should feel during the lift. I would highly recommend the workshop to anyone wanting to increase their poundages and get stronger!”
“3 DAY INTERNSHIP WITH ANDY BOLTON
For the past 7 years I’ve been a personal trainer, working with clients ranging from fat loss to those who need to perform at the highest level of sport. During this time I have continually tried to seek out the best training and nutrition methods geared towards optimal health and performance. This search for the best available information has taking me to America, Canada, Europe and the UK.
Having a passion for health and fitness, I feel it is my duty to have cutting edge information readily available for the people who I am working with. In the field of powerlifting and strength sports no man has ever achieved the feats of that by Andy Bolton. World records in the Deadlift and Squat and overall Powerlifting total have yet to be equalled.
As a new comer to the competitive field of strength sports I competed in the Irish 90kg Strongman Show this past year and I quickly learned that I needed to get my max strength up to competition level. Previous training methods had taken me to a reasonable level of strength but as I found out competition strength was to be a totally different ball game.
After making the decision to contact Andy, I travelled to Leeds, England to spend 3 days doing a private one to one internship with him. The 3 days were split up into 3 main areas: (i) question and answer sessions; (ii) one to one training with Andy; (iii) spending time with Andy and his team as they trained and got ready for competitions that were coming up.
Question and Answers
I had so many questions for Andy concerning training methods and thankfully the big man had an abundance of knowledge from both a practical and scientific point of view. His answers were no bullshit and to the point.
Andy went into detail on program design, how he structures the training week and how he periodises the program from off season strength right through to peaking on the day of competition. Andy’s program design is totally different from anything that I have came across before but when it is put on paper and applied properly it makes so much sense and prevents the pitfalls that are common with other programs. I’ve been applying these principles myself with the help of Andy over the past 12-15 weeks in the lead up to a Raw Powerlifting Meet and I can honestly say that it’s the strongest I’ve ever been. I’ve already smashed through plateaus that I had been struggling with for the past couple of years, and at ease!
Andy’s knowledge and application of stretching, speed development, mass development, overcoming plateaus in strength, strongman training, recovery and regeneration methods, prevention of overtraining, nutrition and supplementation were all covered in detail. Loads of questions and loads of top quality answers.
One to One Training with Andy
Being a full time personal trainer, I’m constantly coaching, whether it is business clients or teams getting ready for competition. So it was nice for a change to be trained by someone else. On day 1, Andy put me through a bench session that covered raw bench, boards and reverse bands. Overseeing my technique, he was able to pinpoint flaws that I wouldn’t have been able to see myself and could tell me where my limitations were. For being a pretty average bencher, I’ve applied these tips since I came home and now my bench is at competition level for a raw lifter.
Day 2 was legs and anyone who has had the pleasure or misfortune (depending on how you look at it) will tell you, Andy’s leg sessions are f***ing brutal! The hardest leg work I’ve ever done bar none. I survived a 2 hour session, and in the process was cued on the need to be more explosive in the squat and how to really pull explosively in the deadlift.
The assistance work which Andy uses is totally specific for the 3 lifts, he wastes no time on exercises that have no immediate transfer at helping to increase the squat, bench and deadlift.
Watching Andy and his Team Train
After quizzing Andy from 9am-5pm everyday and being trained in between, it was now time to watch the big guy and his team train. Andy’s attitude to training is simple “I’m the first to arrive and the last to leave.” Andy arrives at the gym 30-40 minutes before his team to do an individual warm up and can be seen 30 minutes after the session stretching out tight muscles and doing anything recommended by his physio to prevent injury. His preparation in doing the small things that he says the rest of us know we need to do but don’t, obviously add up in helping to get where he is today.
The atmosphere and energy when this group of lifters are in full flow was something else. Having been to a few well know gyms around the world, I can tell you this place rocks. Big lifts, loads of energy and encouragement, and plenty of friendly advice from all the team. The highlight was watching Andy bench 317kg for 3 reps to get a personal best and pull 365kg for 3 off the floor for fun.
It’s been 2 months since I was at Andy’s and I’ve totally changed the way I train for strength. I’m at my strongest ever and so are the people I train. For personal trainers, strength coaches, powerlifters and anyone who wants to get strong, I highly recommend an internship with Andy Bolton. You’ll get the best information on strength without all the hype, and the best part is the information is ready to use once you hit the gym floor. Anyone involved in the field of strength sports will benefit greatly from spending time with Andy Bolton.”
