In this Episode I talk to Team EliteFTS Coach Ben Pollack. It was a great chance to learn more about Ben’s background and training philosophy, and how he was able to achieve so much recent success (Ben won the Overall Lightweight Class at the CETC US Open Powerlifting Championships with a 733lb Squat, 396lb Bench, and an All-Time World Record 755lb Deadlift in the 181lb Weight Class (yeah, the dude is STRONG). In this interview, we talk about:

• Ben’s Competition History and Early Struggles on the “Big Stage”


• His Training Style


• How he Addressed the Mental Side of Training to Improve his Big-Time Performance


• Some of the Strategies he Used


• How the Strategies Helped him Win the U.S. Open

About the Guest:

Ben Pollack is a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin studying the history of sport and physical culture. His research focuses on the business of fitness in the twentieth century, and he is currently writing his dissertation on the life and career of TV fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne, one of the most important fitness icons and entrepreneurs of the 1900s. As an assistant instructor at the University of Texas, Pollack has taught courses in sport and exercise history, sport ethics, sport media, and strategic management of sport. Ben previously held the world record in the deadlift in the 83-kilogram weight class, lifting 318 kg, and in April 2017 defeated the current world champion in that class to win $40,000 at an international competition held in San Diego, California. In addition, he writes popular articles on training and nutrition for EliteFTS.com, a strength and conditioning website with a readership of more than two million people per month.