EP 33 - Ben Pakulski: Bodybuilding, Training and Life

What drives a bodybuilder to be the best in his/her sport?

Equal doses of fear and a burning intensity to be the hardest working person in the gym were the driving forces that catapulted Ben Pakulski - IFBB professional bodybuilder and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition - to the top in competitive bodybuilding.

Learn how Ben overcame an abusive childhood to become one of the most successful bodybuilders in North America and how he’s giving back to his sport in this latest Living 4D podcast.

Learn more about Ben at his website or on Instagram @bpakfitness.

Show Notes

• “The body is the physical, tangible expression of the invisible, subtle mind.” (3:41)
• Fear and stuttering pushed Ben into bodybuilding. (8:20)
• If you don’t listen to your inner voice and heal the inner pain that sets the stage for achieving great things, that same stage can destroy you. (27:03)
• Ninety percent of the people pursuing bodybuilding do so out of deep emotional needs. (31:50)
• The first time Paul’s father acknowledged that he accomplished something well. (33:57)
• Parenting is really about becoming a better version of yourself that you share with your children. (38:47)
• Encourage kids to tell the truth by being on their team. (44:52)
• The necessity of pain that helps us grow. (51:44)
• There’s a void in wise leadership among the Baby Boomer generation. (1:01:00)
• When your child is misbehaving, make them sit down away from distractions and do some deep breathing. (1:13:10)
• Ben’s deliberate transition from bodybuilding to becoming a role model for men and women. (1:19:01)
• “If you really want to build a great body, being present will accelerate that process.” (1:23:26)
• Ben recommends that women never compete as bodybuilders because it destroys their relationships with food and their hormonal systems. (1:30:02)
• The beginnings of the commercial gym era. (1:39:30)
• Polio and the emergence of physical therapy professionals. (1:42:33)
• If clients have dysfunctional functional movement, isolation work may be necessary to begin balancing the body and creating stability. (1:55:01)
• “With respect to steroids, there’s so much you can do without them, and I’d be a hypocrite to say that I didn’t (take them) but I wish I hadn’t.” (2:07:32)
• Bodybuilding has become an “illness-generating sport” and a “business perpetuating freaks.” (2:13:45)
• Our world is facing a crisis of self. (2:20:21)
• Do you have five people in your life you will REALLY invest your time in and vice versa? (2:27:49)
• Should it be legal to punch anyone in the face? (2:32:39)
• A shoutout to Ben Greenfield. (2:38:46)
• A man’s first step into womanhood is to do a sweat lodge. (2:46:23)

Resources

• The work of Edward Edinger, Ke

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