Bolt at Arnold 2026: Check the equipment revision before you buy

Bolt’s report from the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, describes the equipment it displayed in early March 2026. The General and Grizzly were among the machines shown. Bolt calls out an adjustable baseplate on the Grizzly and discusses changes to the Hero, Ape, Blade and Caesar.

An equipment name can stay the same when its hardware changes. That matters when you are buying from a photo, planning around an existing machine or asking for another unit to match the one you already have.

Put adjustments on the comparison sheet

Ask what moves, what locks and how much range each adjustment gives you. If the machine has a movable platform, check its positions and the steps needed to reset it. On a press or row, check how the seat, pads and starting position work together. A long list of settings is less useful if the person using the station cannot reach the ones they need.

Have staff run through a typical changeover. Note whether plates must come off before an adjustment, whether removable parts need a storage place and whether the station stays usable when an adjacent bench is occupied. Those observations help distinguish a feature that matters every day from one that looks useful in isolation.

Match the quote to the machine

Ask the supplier for the product identifier and a current specification sheet. Compare the sheet with the pictures and note anything that matters to your layout, including loading horn position, access to both sides and the space the machine needs while moving. Use the same identifier on the quote and floor plan so an older drawing cannot quietly become the basis for a newer order.

The changes in Bolt’s event report apply to the equipment Bolt describes there. For an Australian purchase, confirm the revision and configuration with P1 before treating an event feature as part of the model you are considering. If you are adding a second unit to an existing floor, include the identifier from the first unit and say which details need to match.