Who Is Ben Pakulski?
Canadian champion and IFBB professional bodybuilder Ben “The Pak Man” Pakluski hails from Toronto.
Many people consider him to be the most accomplished bodybuilder to ever represent Canada.
Ben always had a strong enthusiasm for participating in sports and being active. He began exercising weights when he was 15 years old and gradually developed into a gym rat, hiring a pro trainer with the aid of his father.
Ben began a Kinesiology degree program before starting a bodybuilding career that would quickly propel him into the professional ranks. He competed in Mr. Olympia and took first place in several IFBB events. Here is Ben’s tale:
Body Measurements Of Ben Pakulski
| Full Name: | Ben Pakulski |
| HEIGHT: | 5’10” (177.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 295 – 310lbs (133.8kg – 140.6kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | Canadian |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Sponsored Athlete |
| ERA: | 2000, 2010 |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- Canadian Championships in 2008, first place (pro card)
- 3rd Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Weekly in 2009
- 2010 May Pro, seventh
- FLEX Pro 2011, 5th
- Arnold Classic 2011, 10th
- Pro 2011 Australia, fourth
- 2nd-place 2012 Flex Pro
- 2012’s fourth Arnold Classic
- Mr. Olympic 2012, 11th
- 2013 Arnold Classic, 2nd place
- 7th Place 2014 Arnold Classic
- 2015’s eighth Arnold Classic
- Toronto Pro Show 2016, fourth
- Vancouver Pro Show 2016, first
Biography
Early Life Of Ben Pakulski 
Ben was an extremely active child growing up. In the Toronto suburbs, he participated in as many sports as he could with his pals, taking advantage of the chance to burn off some energy outside.
When he was 12 years old, he first recalls becoming interested in fitness after reading some literature on vegetarianism.
For two years, he experimented with vegetarian meals and relished the chance to try out new vegetables.
Ben claims that once the testosterone began to flow at the age of 15, he started to become more competitive. He started looking for a technique to beat his friends because he was a high-level athlete in his school at the time.
Short Career of
When he was 15, he began lifting weights to gain this advantage. Despite not having the optimal genetics for bodybuilding, he became very muscular.
He explains, “I’m not like Phil Heath, who just looks at a weight and blasts up,” when speaking about these foundations. My work was cut out for me.
This revelation prompted him to do as much research as he could on bodybuilding techniques. To build the body of his dreams and one day compete with the greatest, he also acquired and read books on nutrition and posing.
His gym was Mack’s in Toronto, a significant building and well-known location during the 1990s and 2000s.
His father arranged for him to see IFBB pro-Tom Hall, who demonstrated the proper biomechanical technique for performing a lift.
At the age of just 18, this enabled him to sign his first sponsorship agreement. He obtained a deal to appear in commercials for a well-known supplement brand, believing that the attention would be beneficial to his career.
Choosing To Participate
When Pakulski was 17 years old, his father took him to see Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman compete in a “Night of Champions” match. Ben felt persuaded that the professional bodybuilding scene was right for him after witnessing such a spectacle.
Observing other males exercising in his gym also served as inspiration for him. Ben claims that he was the skinny child watching from across the gym at the time.
He lifted huge weights since the other men were doing it. He squatted for hours after they did so for hours.
Selecting A Coach
Ben claims he was prepared to let his father watch him squat after two years of training. With his father present, he claims to have squatted very well that day, lifting 405 pounds for 3 sets of 8.
His father surprised him by bringing him to join up with Scott Abel, a renowned bodybuilding trainer in Toronto because he was so moved by his work and commitment to the sport.
Ben’s ability to now learn from the greatest was a life-altering experience.
The championships In Canada
Ben worked out with Scott month after month as he steadily gained confidence in his athletic prowess. He meticulously planned his diet and training to get ready for the 2008 Canadian Championships.
Ben competed in the super-heavyweight division against some of Canada’s top bodybuilders after a challenging cutting phase.
He ultimately came out on top, taking home the first-place trophy and establishing himself as a household name.
Additionally, and maybe more importantly, it meant that he had obtained his pro card, making him a qualified bodybuilder who could compete with the best.
California Relocation
Ben was aware that he needed to take action to advance his profession after this victory. He was aware at the time that Canada wasn’t the ideal location for a bodybuilder to work.
Ben believed that the majority of people preferred winter sports or ice hockey.
He claims that bodybuilding was universally despised across the nation since the majority prioritized academic success above athletics.
As a result, he decided to relocate to California, the epicenter of professional bodybuilding, where he would be treated with respect.
Success In US Contests
Ben accomplished winning his first US contest in 2009. He joined a gym after relocating to Venice, California, and started working out hard in preparation for the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Tampa.
In this competition, he was able to place third, which was a fantastic accomplishment for his first professional show. He was also given an invitation to the 2009 Mr. Olympia weekend thanks to this occasion.
Ben finally decided to decline this significant invitation because the necessary diet and weight loss would have had a severe impact on his image in 2010. He was developing a successful career at this point.
Taking Part In The 2010s
Ben earned a name for himself in the bodybuilding world in the 2010s, placing 11 times in the top ten.
He competed in the 2012 Mr. Olympia and finished in 11th place, however, he won the 2012 Flex Pro, finished second in the 2013 Arnold Classic, and won the 2016 Vancouver Pro Show.
Appearances In Magazines
Ben’s success during this period would eventually garner a lot of media attention. His enormous size and strength caught the attention of well-known bodybuilding publications like the wildly renowned “Muscle Insider.”
The editor put Ben on the cover of the magazine’s 2012 issue.
They made an exception, claiming that they put him on the front cover since he was Canada’s top bodybuilder, even though the front cover was typically saved for Olympia winners.
Pursuing A Kinesiology Degree
Ben was pursuing a degree in kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario while establishing himself as a well-known bodybuilder around the world.
Kinesiology is the study of the mechanics of how the body moves. Ben asserts on his website that this research helped him create a “smart and healthy approach to bodybuilding.”
After graduating, he started to mentor budding bodybuilders and teach seminars. He started writing a book about bodybuilding and nutrition in 2012 and hopes that everyone, regardless of skill level, will find it useful.
Stay hydrated, maintain your strength, keep working out hard, and perhaps all will come together in the final week.
Training
Not using Heavy objects
Ben Pakulski has never wanted to do a lot of heavy lifting. According to him, the quantity of weight doesn’t matter because the human body distributes weight when it needs to transfer it.
Contrary to conventional belief, he asserts that what matters is the duration spent under tension rather than the amount of weight lifted. He claims that proper form and low to medium weight will effectively stimulate the muscle.
“Weights don’t make you stronger. Muscles aren’t built by intensity. Volume doesn’t help you gain muscle. All of those are merely tools. The trick is in how you use them.
Pre-Competition Methodology
Ben decides to wait until six weeks before a competition to forgo cardio to pose for the camera.
He claims that by the time his cardio session starts, he is typically too weary to do a full weight lifting session. As a result, he typically lifts heavily up to the start of his cardio.
He realizes that this is a fantastic choice for him because by lifting heavily, he can boost his metabolism and burn fat in any case. “My body responds quite nicely,” he claims.
I still feel strong psychologically. I felt like a zombie 3–4 weeks out throughout other preps. Because of my large structure, I must enter with force.
Ben’s Known Shoulder Exercise
When Ben Pakulski was a teenager, he liked to observe a man perform shoulder exercises in his gym.
He claims that even though the man never utilized a machine or a barbell, he nevertheless had amazing shoulder development.
The man responded that “the majority of his shoulder workouts were a tri-set; he would do bent laterals, stand up and do side laterals, and then do front raises, all with the same pair of dumbbells” when Ben questioned him about his shoulder workouts.
Since that time, Ben has adopted a similar strategy that he appreciates greatly, creating wonderful delts that have garnered attention on a global scale.
His theory of avoiding big weight also applies in this situation; he claims that the form utilized is more crucial than the weight of the dumbbells.
Raised Laterals
Ben always offers two lateral raise options to begin his shoulder exercises.
Ben loves to begin an exercise that targets the medial head of the delts since he thinks that these muscles are what give the shoulder its appearance of roundness and width.
He starts with a dumbbell lateral lift. He appreciates this strategy because it’s straightforward and powerful, but it also deters cheating by using traps and arm swings.
Ben especially likes performing the repetitions while seated on a bench to increase the stability of the exercise.
Ben performs more sets using the cables after this dumbbell lift. In addition to using dumbbells, he adds them because they give him the range of motion at the bottom of each rep that the dumbbells don’t provide.
Upright Presses
For this exercise, Ben first performed a military press using a barbell. He decided to switch things up and moved to the smith machine after developing lower back strain.
Using the Smith machine for the overhead press exercise allows him to go as heavy as possible while concentrating on his delts without needing a spotter.
Using drop sets and slowing down the rep speed, he can easily perform 315lb reps on the machine.
Ben Pakulski performing an overhead press while displaying his bulky back, shoulders, and “pak man” belt
Back Laterals
Ben performs two more exercises that are similar to the lateral lifts at the start of the set for the back delts. He begins by raising dumbbells in the rear in a lateral motion.
One of Ben’s favorite options from the collection is this workout. It offers resistance just before the muscle contracts, clearly stimulating the muscle. He claims that he quits when his rear delts feel fully contracted from the activity.
The back lateral cable rises, which work Ben’s delts at various angles, come next. He adjusts the machine’s wire up and down so that he can stimulate the muscle from a variety of angles.
Front Cable Raises
Ben Pakulski may be seen performing cable front raises in the weeks leading up to his competition. Cables, he claims, “perform a far better job of stressing the top of the strength curve” than dumbbells.
- Seated Lateral Dumbbell Lifts 5 sets of 10–12 repetitions each
- Lateral Cable Raises 5 sets of 10–12 repetitions each
- Positional Dumbbell Press 5 sets x 10–12 repetitions
- lateral dumbbells bent 5 sets of 10–12 repetitions each
- Lateral Raises with Bent Cables 10-15 reps in 5 sets
Nutrition
Healthy And Nourishing
Ben has always believed that a bodybuilder’s nutrition is essential. He prioritizes eating as much lean meat and nourishing organic vegetables as he can while maintaining a balanced diet.
Turkey, chicken, and beef are his top three picks for lean meat. He enjoys eating fish as well and favors the freshwater fish tilapia for its high protein content.
Food menu
5:30 a.m.
- Lean beef, 12 ounces
- broccoli, 6 ounces
- Coconut oil, 2 tablespoons
8:30 a.m.
- tilapia, 12 ounces
- broccoli, 6 ounces
- two cups of kale, spinach, or fennel salad
Pre-workout beverage around 9:30 a.m.
Whey protein, 2 scoops
- 2 servings BCAA
- 10 AM: The start of training
- Post-Workout Drink at 11:30
- 3 servings BCAA
- 5.0 g of creatine
- EAA 10 grams
- 200 mg of vitamin C
- 2 g of CLA
- carbohydrates in 50 grams (Dextrose powder)
Noon.
- One serving of chocolate peanut butter
12:30 p.m.
- tilapia, 12 ounces
- carbohydrates in 75 grams (rice or quinoa flakes)
3 p.m.
- Chicken, 12 ounces
- carbohydrates in 75 grams (rice or quinoa flakes)
5:30 p.m.
- Beef, 12 ounces
- broccoli, 6 ounces
- 8 g of avocado
8 p.m.
- ten pounds of tilapia
- carbohydrates in 75 grams (sweet potato)
- 9 pm – 40 min. Cardio
10:30 p.m.
- 6 oz. of beef
- Whites of 16 eggs
- one spinach bag
- Macadamia nuts, 2 ounces
Influences And Idols
Many people have influenced Ben. Tom Hall, his American-based trainer, is one of his key influences. He values Tom’s advice on every facet of his bodybuilding profession and has the utmost regard for him.
Ben has always admired Dorian Yates and Lee Priest as his bodybuilding inspirations.
He admires them for their commitment to the sport and their perseverance in the gym, which helped them become two of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.
What Ben Pakulski Can Teach Us?
Ben Pakulski has demonstrated the value of a scientific and technical approach to bodybuilding. He pursued a degree in kinesiology (the study of body movement), and while doing so, he built a career in bodybuilding.
He was able to apply what he had learned in the gym, which led to the development of an impressive physique.
It could be helpful to conduct research and discover how the body functions if you want to develop the greatest possible body.