About Ben Pollack, Ph.D
Ben Pollack is a professional powerlifter and holds the all-time world record raw total of 2039 in the 198-pound class. He has won best overall lifter at the largest raw meets in the world, including the US Open, Boss of Bosses, and Reebok Record Breakers.
Ben earned his Ph.D. in the history and management of strength and fitness from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018, and has published articles in a number of scholarly publications, including The Journal of Sport History, The Journal of Sport Management, and Iron Game History: The Journal of Physical Culture. He also coaches strength athletes of all skill levels, including several internationally-elite powerlifters and world record holders. You can contact Ben through his website (phdeadlift.com) or via email at ben@phdeadlift.com.
Comparison
- Bodybuilding Versus Powerlifting Programs: Three Big Differences
- Powerlifting Vs. Bodybuilding Arm Workouts: What’s the Difference?
- Short Vs. Long Powerlifting Meet Preps: How Are They Different?
- Flat Vs. Heeled Lifting Shoes for Squatting: Choosing What’s Best For You
Exercise Guides
- The 5 Best Lower Lat Exercises for a Denser Back
- Want a Big and Strong Chest? Start Using the Svend Press in Your Training
- The 8 Best Home Exercises for More Muscle and Strength
Exercise Roundups
- The 5 Best Lower Lat Exercises for a Denser Back
- What Are Workout Splits? Top 3 Most Effective Routines
- The Best Arm Workout for Powerlifters and Strength Athletes
- The 8 Best Home Exercises for More Muscle and Strength
Featured
- Pre-Workouts: They’re Not Overhyped, But Are You?
- I’m a Professional Powerlifter. Here’s What I Think About Bodybuilding
- 3 Major Reasons You’re NOT Progressing In the Gym
- Watch “Fullsterkur”, Rogue’s Latest Movie About Stone Lifting
- 3 Training Rules Taken From Bodybuilding Legend “Hercules”
- How Timed Holds Can Improve Your Squat, Bench, and Deadlift
- 3 Powerlifting Meet Prep Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Glutes Failing At Lockout? Try Partial Stiff Leg Deadlifts
- How Ultra High Rep (25+) Sets Can Improve Your Strength and Size
- Powerlifting: 3 Things I Learned Getting Injured In Meet Prep
- 5 Ways to Train the Brain for Bigger Lifts In the Gym
- 3 Ab Exercises That Will Actually Help Your Lifts
- 4 Arm Exercises You’ve Never Tried Before
- Why You Should Use Both Low and High-Bar Squats In Your Training
- Dealing With and Working Past Bad Days In the Gym
- How Early Strength Pioneers Built Insane Strength with Hand Balancing
- Small Changes, Big Gains: Why Program Hopping Can Be Your Worst Enemy
- I’m a Professional Powerlifter. This Is What I Think About Weightlifting
- Under the Weather? Consider These Tips Before Hitting the Gym
- PR Like a Pro: The Best Way to Test Your 1-RM
- Cease and De-Stick: Three Steps to Eliminate Squat Sticking Points
- Perfecting Your Program: Add Pounds to Your Bench Press
News
- Powerlifter Chakera Holcomb On Self Improvement and Pushing Limits
- The Pros and Cons of Using a Hook Grip (Plus 4 Grip Strengthening Exercises)
- Try These 3 Bench Press Variations to Improve Your Pressing Power
- Try These 3 Deadlift Variations to Improve Your Pull
- Powerbuilding Programs: How to Incorporate Supplementary Work
- Ben Pollack’s 4 Steps to the Perfect Powerlifting Warm-Up
- Powerbuilding Programs: How to Choose the Right Accessory Movements
- Rob “Da Savage” Hall Explains How to PR When Everything Goes Wrong
- Use Cues, You Lose: Alternative Mental Strategies for Better Powerlifting Form
Op-Ed
- Back to the Gym? Use This Professional Powerlifter’s 3-Step Plan!
- 3 Strategies Every Lifter Can Use to Stay Productive At Home
- Is This Common Ab Training Mistake Limiting Your Progress? How to Fix It
- Is Pre-Exhaust Training Right for You? What It Is and Tips From a Pro
- Are Rack Pulls Really Worth It? How to Do Them Correctly
- 5 Methods to Improve Your Focus and Workout Mindset
- Op-Ed: When Research Comes Up Short In the Gym
- 3 Great Deload Strategies to Use When Traveling This Holiday Season
- Ben Pollack AMA: What Trend In Training Needs to Die, Best Exercise for Glutes, and More
- Do You Really Need to Squat for Big Legs?
- Get Jacked-o’-Lantern With These 4 Halloween Inspired Exercises
- 5 Great Bulking Foods for Digestion, Intra-Workout, and More
- Machines Vs Free Weights: Pros, Cons, and Which Is Best for Strength and Mass
- 3 Rules to Follow for Crushing Your Off-Season Training
- Three Tips for Switching From Bodybuilding to Powerlifting
- Is Competing Really Worth It? Professional Powerlifter Shares His Thoughts
- Can You Squat and Deadlift Heavy Without Getting a Thick Waist?
- Is Technology Hurting Or Helping Your Training? 4 Rules to Help You Decide
- Op-Ed: There Is No Such Thing As the “10 Best Lifts”
- Smash Imbalances and Weaknesses With Functional Symmetry
- How to Use Loaded Stretching to Produce Muscular Hypertrophy
- How to Deal With Fitness Information Overload (3 Rules to Live By!)
- How Strength Athletes Can Structure Low and Medium Carb Cycling Days
- Three BIG Reasons Why Every Powerlifter Should Try Bodybuilding
- 3 Unconventional Ways to Prep for Powerlifting Meets
- 3 Front Squat Tips From a Professional Powerlifter
- The Underrated Benefits of the Leg Press for Powerlifters
- Got Post-Training Anxiety? Here Are a Few Methods That Could Help
- Two Rules Every Powerlifter Should Follow With Accessory Exercises
- 3 Shoulder Prehab Exercises That Will Improve All of Your Lifts
- 10 Incredibly Useful Powerlifting Tips
- How Elbow Position Can Make or Break Great Squats
- The Real Reason Your Lifting Progress Isn’t Linear
- The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning for Powerlifters
- How to Plan the Perfect Off-Season to Smash Weaknesses
- Why Program Hopping Isn’t Always Bad
- Build a Massive Upper Back and Traps With “Kirk Shrugs”
- Why You Should Be Pulling Sumo Deadlifts From a Deficit
- Getting Stronger Isn’t Complicated. It’s Difficult. There’s a Difference
- Why Your Workouts Need More Good Mornings
- I’m a Professional Powerlifter. These Are My Thoughts On Strongman
- Winter Bulking Made Easy: 3 Strategies for Big Gains
- The Benefits of Using Resistance Bands and Chains for Accessory Exercises
- The Hip Thrust Mistake Everyone Keeps Making
- 3 Grip Tips and a Workout from Old Timey Strongmen
- Eliminate Shoulder Discomfort In Seconds With This Squatting Tip
- The Ideal Body Fat Percentage for Powerlifting
- 3 Practical Tips for Powerlifters Using Intermittent Fasting
- 5 Ways to Stay Strong (and Sane) During a Weight Cut
- Build Big Shoulders With This Supplementary Shoulder Workout Routine
- 3 Foolproof Shoulder Exercises That Add Mass to Your Delts
- 3 Ways to Modify Lifts When You’re Having a Bad Workout
- 7 Things Every Powerlifter Should Ask Themselves Before Their Next Meet
- 3 Simple and Effective Methods to Increase Workout Intensity
- Slow Life Down for Bigger and Stronger Gains In the Gym
- Five Things You Can Do Outside The Gym to Get Stronger
- Fasted Cardio for Strength Training: Pros and Cons
- How and Why Deadlift Cluster Sets Can Improve Your Pull
- 3 Tactical Methods Strength Athletes Can Use to Have More Fun Training
- Lessons Learned From An “Unconventional” Powerlifting Meet Prep
- How I Peaked for the Kern US Open Using “Unconventional” Methods
- Three Tools to Help You Get Psyched Up for Lifts
- Should You Keep a Training Journal? Their Pros and Cons
- Ben Pollack’s 3 Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep After Heavy Training
- Struggling to Stay On Track With Your Diet? These 3 Tricks Could Help
- Use These 3 Squat Variations to Build Stronger Legs
- How to Program Speed Work for Raw Powerlifters
- A Powerlifter’s Take On the If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) Diet
- Three Steps to Better Time Management for Busy Strength Athletes
- Honestly Ask Yourself: Are You Working Hard Enough?
- Cardio and Powerlifting: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Three (Non-Lifting) Books That Will Make You a Better Lifter
- Powerbuilding Programs: How Much Assistance Work Do You Need?
- The Two Pieces of Equipment Every Powerlifter Needs in the Gym
- How Trying Too Hard is Killing Your Gains, Plus How to Fix It
Powerlifting
- Powerlifter Chakera Holcomb On Self Improvement and Pushing Limits
- The Pros and Cons of Using a Hook Grip (Plus 4 Grip Strengthening Exercises)
- Try These 3 Bench Press Variations to Improve Your Pressing Power
- Try These 3 Deadlift Variations to Improve Your Pull
- Powerbuilding Programs: How to Incorporate Supplementary Work
- Ben Pollack’s 4 Steps to the Perfect Powerlifting Warm-Up
- Powerbuilding Programs: How to Choose the Right Accessory Movements
- Rob “Da Savage” Hall Explains How to PR When Everything Goes Wrong
- Use Cues, You Lose: Alternative Mental Strategies for Better Powerlifting Form
Programs
Training
- The Most Effective Workout Splits, Created by Our Experts
- The 5 Best Lower Lat Exercises for a Denser Back
- What Are Workout Splits? Top 3 Most Effective Routines
- Want a Big and Strong Chest? Start Using the Svend Press in Your Training
- The Best Arm Workout for Powerlifters and Strength Athletes
- 3 Foolproof Ways to Never Have a Bad Workout Again (Seriously!)
- Better Glutes, Better Pulls: How Powerlifters Should Approach Posterior Training
- 3 Exercises Everyone Should Keep Doing Once Quarantine’s Over
- This Old School Back Exercise Is a Secret for Improving Strength and Power
- The 8 Best Home Exercises for More Muscle and Strength
- 3 Ways to Increase Intensity With At-Home Workouts
- 3 Sneaky Tough Exercise Variations to Help You Pack On Mass
- Three Alternative Methods to Build Strength and Size When Progress Stalls
- Touch and Don’t Go? An Easy Answer for Your Deadlift Problem
- The Importance of Variation and Four Benefits of the Safety Squat Bar
- 6 Steps for Walking Out Perfect Squats From a Professional Powerlifter
- Deadlifting for Strength Vs. Size: Small Form Tweaks for BIG Lat Growth
- 3 Alternative Overload Methods to Improve Strength and Muscle Mass
- 3 Crucial Tips for Using Speed Work In Powerlifting
- Never Stop Growing: How to Win Your Off Days From the Gym
- 3 Ways to Get Stronger In the Next 5 Minutes