Ben Pakulski
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Benjamin "Ben" Pakulski (born March 18, 1981 in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
), nicknamed the Pak-Man, is a Canadian IFBB
professional bodybuilder Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba International Pro Card. A professional bodybuilder may be one who earns his or her primary income from ...
and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition. In the IFBB, he finished 2nd twice in 2008. He has increased his standing in the Arnold Classic competition, placing 2nd in 2013, after a 4th-place finish in 2012 and a 10th-place finish in 2011. In the 2012 Mr. Olympia contest, his first-ever, he finished 11th.


Biography

According to his
website A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google Search, Google, Facebook, Amaz ...
, Pakulski began his interest in nutrition at 14 years old, when he read about vegetarianism and experimented with it for two years. He began weightlifting at 15 in Macks Gym in Toronto. Around that time, he was mentored by Tom Hall, who taught him more effective approach to training and mindset. At the tender age of 18, Ben secured his first Muscletech contract and was with the company until he turned pro in 2008. Pakulski also credits the deceased Peter Chiasson, a health professional with a background in Engineering and human biomechanics, for leading him toward and intelligent approach to muscle building early in his career. Pakulski began watching professional events at 17, when his father took him to the 1998 Mr Olympia in NYC. He received coaching from
Charles Poliquin Charles R. Poliquin (March 5, 1961 – September 26, 2018) was a Canadian strength coach. He was also the author of eight books. Early life and education Charles Poliquin was born on March 5, 1961 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and started strength t ...
and Charles Glass, two highly-influential figures in the bodybuilding world. His favorite bodybuilders growing up were Lee Priest and
Dorian Yates Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates (born 19 April 1962) is an English retired professional bodybuilder. He won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times from 1992 to 1997 and has the fifth-highest number of Mr. Olympia wins in history, ranking behind ...
. Pakulski has two children. He stated in an interview with Team MD Poland that he is
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
, and his father is from
Lublin, Poland Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
. Ben Pakulski attended the University of Western Ontario. On his website, he attributes his relationship with Peter Chiasson and Tom Purvis, as well as his relentless commitment to mastery for making his name "synonymous with an intelligent and healthy approach to bodybuilding." He teaches seminars and coaches aspiring bodybuilders with his education in nutrition and exercise science. As per his website, since November 2012, he has been actively writing courses, articles, and ebooks on bodybuilding.


Performances

Pakulski's first pro-bodybuilding event is generally listed as 2009 at the IFBB in Tampa, Florida. He finished third in that event and qualified for a 2009 Olympia invitation, which he chose to turn down. Pakulski said in a Feb 18, 2013 Bodybuilding.com interview that the dieting necessary to prepare for an event would have cost him valuable training time and energy, and chose to take on only 2 professional events a year in 2008 and 2009. A 2009 feature story on Pakulski alongside
Fouad Abiad Fouad "Hoss" Abiad (born 15 October 1978) is a retired Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba Intern ...
, entitled "The Canadian Invasion", publicized them on entering the pros internationally. The title came from the potential the two rookies had to overtake professional titles and represent Canada, which has not been known for many bodybuilders. Muscular Development reviews of Pakulski have commended his legs as sizeable, but his upper body as lacking. A review given in 2009 stated similarly that he had a "Scandinavian look" and "huge legs", but "could stand to have a meatier back." In 2012, Pakulski competed in the Mr. Olympia contest, his first-ever, and won 11th place. He qualified for the 2013 Arnold Classic contest and a writer for Flex magazine speculated that Pakulski would win the contest. The writer justified his prediction by the lack of an incumbent champion, as leading pros
Branch Warren Branch Warren is an American retired IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder. Early life Warren was born in Tyler, Texas. He grew up on a cattle ranch and later moved to Fort Worth, Texas. Career Warren placed second at the 2009 Mr. Olympia, ...
(the 2011 and 2012 Arnold winner), the reigning Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, Jay Cutler,
Kai Greene Kai Greene (born July 12, 1975), is an American personal trainer, artist, actor, and professional bodybuilder. He came in second place at the 2012, 2013, and 2014 editions of the IFBB's Mr. Olympia competition and has not competed in it since ...
,
Evan Centopani Evan Michael Centopani is an American personal trainer, nutritionist, and retired professional bodybuilder who competed in the superheavyweight class. While he has never won the IFBB Mr. Olympia title, he is considered one of the most prominent ...
, and Victor Martinez would be out of the competition. In the article, Dexter Jackson was reasoned to be a serious contender, but his performance in a grueling Masters Olympia contest weeks before would make him vulnerable to a fresh competitor like Pakulski.


Muscle Insider cover

Muscle Insider broke its own rule to display Pakulski on the cover of its magazine in 2012. Scott Welch, its President, stated that the move was to support Pakulski as Canada's #1 IFBB bodybuilder. Welch admitted, "This was the first time we chose a non-Olympia winner for our cover but as a Canadian magazine, we felt it was very fitting to have Ben on it." Welch explicitly told a writer in 2011 that its cover page was reserved to Mr. Olympia winners, saying, "To get on the cover of the best bodybuilding magazine in the industry, you need to win the best bodybuilding competition in the industry! Only winners of the Olympia make it on the cover of Muscle Insider." Welch defended the change in decision, saying that amazing bodybuilders would need to be recognized and he felt that Pakulski was not far from winning the Mr. Olympia crown someday.


Personal life

The July 2013 issue of Muscle Mag reported that Pakulski underwent a hernia surgery for a protrusion that had affected him for years.


Bodybuilding titles

September 2008 - Canadian Championships Overall Winner and Pro Card Victory in Montreal Quebec. August 2009 - (First Pro Show) - Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, Tampa - 3rd May 2010 - New York Pro - 7th February 2011 - FLEX Pro - 5th March 2011 - Arnold Classic - 10th March 2011 - Australia Pro - 4th February 2012 - Flex Pro - 2nd March 2012 - Arnold Classic - 4th September 2012 - Mr.Olympia - 11th March 2013 - Arnold Classic - 2nd March 2014 - Arnold Classic - 7th March 2015 - Arnold Classic - 8th June 2016 - Toronto Pro Show - 4th July 2016 - Vancouver Pro Show - 1st


See also

* List of male professional bodybuilders


References


External links


Official website

BenPakIFBB - YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakulski, Ben 1981 births Living people Canadian people of Polish descent Canadian male bodybuilders Professional bodybuilders Sportspeople from Toronto University of Western Ontario alumni