If you are anything like I was when I first started strength training and focusing on the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift, you will have answered "YES" to a few of those questions or perhaps all of them.
However, you must not feel bad about it because their are many other lifters and athletes out there who are experiencing similar problems with their lifting.
I’ve also been a 7 time WPC World Powerlifting Champion and a 2 time WPO Champion. During my career I have also held the all-time Powerlifting Total Record, the all-time Squat record, the British Bench Press record and have of course Deadlifted over 1000lbs not once, but twice.
However, things were not always this way for me and I started out my strength training career like everybody else…
I really didn’t know anything about strength training… my Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift technique were awful and I was often over-trained and/or was suffering with injuries, aches and pains. In fact, despite recently Bench Pressing 342.5kg in a powerlifting competition – I struggled to Bench 65kg when I first started training…
Not very impressive for a guy weighing 110kg (I was naturally a pretty big dude but unfortunately this didn’t mean I naturally had a big Bench Press).
What I am glad to tell you is that I did not settle for knowing nothing about training and have spent the past 20 years reading, researching and figuring out what really works in the field of "getting strong".
And with this knowledge I have built my Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift to the numbers I previously told you about and I routinely help my clients hit life-time Personal bests… even if they had been stuck at the same numbers for months prior to working with me.
Here’s a quick list of the areas that I have spent the most time finding out about and that have been the most important in helping me to get strong and are most important for helping you to get strong as well:
The reason why I have put this offer together for you is so that you can benefit for my experience and start to make the kind of strength gains on your Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift that you deserve. I also want to make sure that you don’t have to make all the mistakes that I made along the way.
Before I tell you more about the offer, I am going to share with you some of the most important things I know (and teach) about getting seriously strong.
Firstly, excellent technique will allow you to make the fastest strength gains and reach your strength potential.
Secondly, good technique will give you the best chance possible of staying injury-free and minimising the amount of aches and pains you get from training.
If you look at the world of strength training, you will often find that the strongest guys have great technique. I hope you are sold on the idea of improving your technique and make a commitment to do so.
The arched position is STRONG and SAFE. Whereas the rounded back position is weaker and un-safe.
If you value your Squatting strength and the health of your lower back, make sure you arch throughout each and every rep. Film your lifts to check your form and if you do not arch, reduce the weight and work on it until you can hold the arch on every rep you do.
A lot of guys think that the Bench Press is purely an upper body movement. And whilst the Pecs, Delts, Lats and Triceps do a lot of the work, you must not overlook the roll of the legs.
Without a massive leg drive, you will never reach your potential on the Bench Press.
If you do not currently drive with your legs on the Bench and you learn to do so, you could realistically add 20 pounds or more to your press in a few sessions if you start to work on this.
As you lower the bar to your chest, drive your heels into the floor. As you press the bar back up, drive even HARDER (and make sure that your Glutes stay on the Bench).
One of the biggest mistakes that beginner and intermediate lifters make on the Deadlift is letting the bar get too far in front of them as they pull.
When this happens the lower back and Hamstrings are made to work overtime and whilst you can get away with it with lighter weights… when you approach your max you will probably fail – or not lift as much as you could.
This is the easiest path and the one that allows you to lift the most weight. Think of "pulling back" as soon as you break the bar from the floor and you will soon be pulling like a pro with the bar nice and close to your body.
If you ever wondered why great Deadlifters have scars on their shins… now you know. And if you don’t want the scars, just be sure to wear long socks when you Deadlift. Problem solved.
If you want to build your Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift… you must learn to stay tight because the tighter you get, the more weight you will lift.
When you watch a beginner Squat there is usually a noticable lack of tension and this results in "strength leakages" (or losses of power).
Here are some tips to think about when you Squat, Bench and Deadlift that will help you get tighter:
It sounds so simple, yet many people fail to do it and it should be no surprise that these people are always the ones complaining that they can not get stronger.
Strength is a great attribute to have, but the reason why 99.99% of guys never get anywhere near their strength potential is because they do not train hard enough.
If you train with…
Andy Bolton Strength: Explode Your Squat, Bench and Deadlift
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