It’s been 35 years since 1977’s Pumping Iron hit the screen; now this new docudrama from the Vladar Company is set to update the world on the sport of bodybuilding and show just how much influence iron culture has had on the mainstream public. Be prepared for an all-access ride with seven elite bodybuilders, culminating in a winner-take-all battle at the 2012 Mr. Olympia. In the last two articles, the film’s writer, director, and producer, Vlad Yudin, shared what he learned while filming bodybuilding greats Hidetada Yamagishi, Roelly Winklaar, and Victor Martinez. This time, Yudin takes us behind the scenes with outspoken athlete Ben Pakulski. Stay tuned for close-ups on Dennis Wolf, Branch Warren, Kai Greene, and Phil Heath, plus a special two-part feature on the making of Generation Iron. And stay up to date by logging on to generation-iron.com and mrolympia.com.
WRITER, DIRECTOR, & PRODUCER VLAD YUDIN’S THOUGHTS ON:
■ THE MAD SCIENTIST This was Ben’s first time competing at the Olympia, so he wanted to come in really strong. Even though he was a rookie on the sport’s biggest stage, there was no denying his confidence level was sky high. The higher you go—and I believe this carries over to all sports, as well as to business and the arts—the more strongly you have to believe in yourself and what you’re doing, or you won’t reach that top level. Ben certainly has that. People are drawn to those with confidence, and he has a really strong fan base.
The thing that stands out about Ben is that his training methods are very diferent from those of the rest of the guys.
He has a B.S. in kinesiology, so he’s very scientific. He’s tried a lot of different approaches throughout the years, and he applies all his knowledge to his training.
He truly believes his methods will eventually change the way bodybuilders train. FLEX
