IRON REBEL//GRANITE SUPPLEMENTS

MASTER THE POWERLIFTS BY BEN POLLACK

PREFACE

My name is Ben Pollack, and I’m a professional powerlifter and Iron Rebel/
Granite Supplements athlete. I currently hold the all-time world record
total in the 198-pound class, and won best lifter at all three major US
powerlifting meets: the US Open, Boss of Bosses, and Reebok Record
Breakers. So I’ve been at this a long time.

In my journey to become a top strength athlete, I’ve learned that the

importance of good technique cannot be overstated. You can be the
strongest person in the world, but without good technique, you won’t be
able to demonstrate that technique when it counts. I’ve spent countless
hours working to perfect my technique, and in this book, I’ll share my
strategies for maximizing strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an advanced lifter looking to

make it to the next level, I hope you find this book helpful. If you have any
questions or feedback, I’d love to hear it -- you can contact me using the
links below. And be sure to follow Iron Rebel and Granite Supplements on
social media, as well, so you can be the first to hear about great deals and
new products.

-- Ben

i
MASTER THE POWERLIFTS BY BEN POLLACK
MASTER THE POWERLIFTS
BONUSES
FOR EBOOKS CLICK
HERE
In case you need more help
with your deadlift technique,
you can use the code
MASTER for 75% off my
Guide to the Deadlift.
And if you need programming
help, the same code is good
for 50% off my other ebooks!
FOR SUPPS CLICK HERE
FOR GEAR CLICK HERE
My sponsors at Iron Rebel and
Granite have hooked y’all up.
Use the code POLLACK10 for
10% off Granite Supplements,
and POLLACK15 for 15% off
Iron Rebel!
FOR PROGRAMS CLICK
HERE
I’ve also already launched my
free 10-week beginner
program. You can snag that
now, and I’ve got more in the
pipeline, so stay tuned!
iii
CHAPTER 1: THE SQUAT
CHAPTER 1: THE SQUAT
THE SQUAT
For each of the major lifts, we’ll start with the setup. Many lifters
overlook the setup, but it’s one of the most important parts of the
squat — and the bench press and deadlift, too.  Don’t start off at
a disadvantage!
EQUIPMENT
Before you start squatting, make sure you’ve got the right
equipment.  You’ll need:
• A non-slip shirt.  It’s hard enough to hold the bar on your
back without worrying about it rolling around.  Get a thick,
cotton shirt to squat in, and cover the shoulder and upper
back area with chalk before you start sweating!
• Wrist wraps.  It’s always a good idea to support your wrists
as much as possible when you’re placing a fairly heavy load
onto them.  Your shoulders should bear most of the weight in
the squat, but there’s no reason to risk injury.
• Knee wraps/sleeves.  Either or both of these are great for
helping to keep your knees safe and lifting more weight.  
• A belt.  I’ve tried a lot of beltless squatting, and while it does
strengthen the core, I’ve found that using a belt helps me
keep better form and lift more weight.
After you’ve got the right equipment, you’ll want to set a bar in a
squat or power rack so that it’s at roughly mid-chest height.
 Make sure to have a spotter or some other safety system in
place in case you’re not able to complete a rep for whatever
reason.  
You’ll also want to find your ideal squat stance, before you even
5
CHAPTER 1: THE SQUAT
start lifting.  It’s a good idea to start with your feet about shoulder
width apart.  Generally, a narrower stance will make it easier to hit
depth (when your hip joint passes below the level of your knee
joint) and place more emphasis on the quads and glutes than will
a wider stance.  You’ll have to experiment to find the width where
you’re most comfortable, but if in doubt, just stick with shoulder
width.
POSITIONING THE BAR
After you’ve braced, grab the bar and position yourself under the
bar so that it’s across your shoulders and upper back.  I prefer a
low bar position, where the bar rests mostly on the rear delts; you
might want a high bar position, where the bar rests mostly on
your traps.  You’ll have to experiment to find which works best for
you, but generally, your bar position is okay as long as:
1. It’s below your cervical spine.  Tilt your head forward and
feel for the bump at the base of your neck, between your
shoulder blades.  The bar needs to be below that, not on
top of it.
2. It’s high enough up that you can hold it in place securely
using your shoulders and back, not just your hands and
wrists.
Your grip placement is up to you, as well.  Generally, a closer grip
will provide more upper back tightness (good) but also more
strain on the shoulders (bad).  I like to start out with a wide grip
and gradually bring it in each warm-up set until I find that I cannot
continue to bring it in without shoulder pain.
UNRACKING THE BAR
After you’ve braced and set under the bar, you need to unrack by
squeezing your glutes.  This will raise the bar enough to slide one
foot back.  Try not to pick your foot up off the floor, since that
may cause you to lose balance with a heavy weight.  You have
two choices for the walkout:
1. You can take two steps back, sliding one foot and then the
other into your squat stance.
2. You can take three steps back, sliding one foot back and
towards the middle of your body, sliding the other foot
straight back, and then adjusting the first foot to find your
squat stance.
The second method takes a bit longer, but may help you balance
when unracking a heavy weight.  Try both and see which you
prefer, but do not take more than three steps — that’s just
wasting energy.
Finally, take one last deep breath to brace even tighter before
beginning the descent.
6
CHAPTER 1: THE SQUAT
DESCENT
Once you’ve set up properly, you need to lower your hips until
they pass below the level of your knees.  Many lifters think about
the ascent as the hardest part of the squat, but actually, if you set
up properly and make a good descent, lifting the bar takes care
of itself (assuming you’re strong enough).
Initiate the movement using your glutes and hamstrings. That
requires you to keep tension in those muscles while, at the same
time, driving your knees out and keeping your torso as vertical as
possible.  The easiest way to do all this is by using a cue, so think
about  “spreading the floor” with your feet.
It’s okay for your knees to travel forward, but you need to keep
your weight evenly distributed over your feet.  If you’re way
forward on your toes, you won’t be able to engage your glutes
and hamstrings properly; and if that’s the case, you might benefit
from wearing a heeled squat shoe.
Be patient on the descent, regardless of whether you squat
quickly, using a lot of rebound.  Patience will help you to stay
calm and focus on your technique.
OUT OF THE HOLE
After you’ve hit depth, you need to reverse the bar’s motion
without letting your hips rise faster than your shoulders.
 Remember, the bar is on your shoulders, so it’s your shoulders
that need to come up.  If your hips come up first, they haven’t
helped lift the bar at all.
Instead, initiate the ascent with your glutes.  A great way to
practice that is by sitting down on a high box or stool, without
any weight, and standing back up just by squeezing your glutes,
not by rocking or using your legs. Once you’ve got that down,
you can gradually lower the height of the box or stool until you
can stand up from a squat position using your glutes.
It can also help to think about driving back, into the bar, or driving
your elbows under the bar.  Both of these cues will help to keep
your torso upright as you ascent, which, in turn, will keep your
hips underneath your shoulders.
Ascend until your knees and hips are both locked.  If you’re
performing reps, you should inhale only between reps, not during
them.  Of course, it’s okay to exhale as you ascend, but not while
you descend.  Exhaling will cause you to lose tightness, but a
forceful breath out can help to power through your sticking point.
7
CHAPTER 2: THE BENCH PRESS
CHAPTER 2: THE BENCH PRESS

THE BENCH PRESS

Many, many lifters struggle with the bench press, and oftentimes, that’s
because they haven’t yet developed proper technique to take
advantage of all the muscles involved in the movement: the chest,
shoulders, and triceps, but also the back and legs.

EQUIPMENT
• A non-slip shirt.  It’s even more important for the bench than
for the squat.  You don’t want to be sliding around with 400
pounds in your hands.

• Wrist wraps.  Again, much like with the squat, when you’re
supporting a heavy weight using your wrists, it’s a good idea
to protect them.  Tight wraps can also help keep your wrists
straight, which may prevent elbow pain.

• A belt and knee sleeves.  These are totally optional, but

some people prefer the added tightness that a belt and knee
sleeves provide, even on the bench press.  Others find them
unhelpful and restrictive.  Try them and see whether they help,
but don’t consider either a necessity.

10
CHAPTER 2: THE BENCH PRESS

POSITIONING ON THE BENCH people, that works.  But for most people, a huge arch isn’t
realistic, either due to flexibility issues; or because a big arch
Once you’ve got your gear, set up in a good bench with a wide, means sacrificing other leverages in exchange for a shorter range
non-slip surface and adjustable heights.  You’ll want the bar at a of motion.  A big arch can make it more difficult to get a powerful
height where, even without a spotter, you can just barely unrack it leg drive, too.
while keeping your elbows locked. Any lower, and you’ll have to I prefer a moderate arch in the lower back, and a very tight arch in
do extra work to unrack the bar. the upper back and scapula.  It’s very important that, throughout
You’ll need to find your proper grip width and foot position, too.
 Generally, a closer grip will place more emphasis on the triceps,
and a wider grip on the chest. The widest you’re allowed to grip in
competition is with index fingers on the outside rings of the bar.
 The narrowest grip I’d recommend is with index fingers at the
end of the outside knurling.  Start with a shoulder-width grip, and
experiment with other placements to find what works best for
you.

You’ll also need to find your proper foot position.  When viewed
from the side, your feet should be directly underneath your hips.
 However, there’s no one right foot width: a narrower stance can
provide more leg drive, but can also make it easy to accidently
pick your butt up off the bench (which isn’t allowed in
competition).  Again, you’ll need to experiment to find what width
works best for you.

Finally, you need to set your arch.  You’ve probably seen videos
of fantastic benchers with unbelievable arches, and for some
CHAPTER 2: THE BENCH PRESS
the entire movement, you keep your shoulder blades squeezed
together tightly.  This “lateral arch” both protects the muscles of
the shoulder joint and allows you to better incorporate your lats
into the movement.
Once you’ve set your grip, stance, and arch, take a deep breath,
just like you were bracing for the squat or deadlift (you don’t need
to contract your abs, though).  Then lift the bar out of the rack by
locking your elbows.  I recommend having a spotter help you to
unrack even moderately heavy weights, because the motion of
moving the bar from over your head to over your chest can place
a lot of strain on the shoulders.
LOWERING THE BAR
Just like in the squat, it’s important to lower the bar properly so
that you’re in the best position possible to lift the bar properly.
There are two general approaches to the descent:
1. You can lower the bar under control, keeping everything as
tight as you possibly can.
2. You can “drop” the bar, still maintaining some control and
tightness, but allowing gravity to do most of the work for
you, and absorbing the weight’s momentum with your
chest.
Neither option is right or wrong, but, for most people, the first is
the safer and usually stronger choice.
Regardless of which option you choose, as you lower the bar, you
probably want to keep your wrists straight, because a straight
wrist will minimize elbow strain and, for most people, keeps the
bar in a better position relative to the forearm and shoulder.  You’ll
also want to keep your pecs, lats, and arms tight throughout the
entire descent; like with the squat, the easiest way to do all of this
is by using a cue like “rip the bar apart.”
You may have read or heard recommendations to keep your
elbows tucked as tightly as possible throughout the entire
movement.  That’s not a bad idea, but generally, it’s more
important to keep your shoulder blades tight than your elbows.
 Letting your elbows flare out helps incorporate your chest — a
bigger muscle than your shoulders or triceps — so it’s not a bad
thing.  You’ll want to find the degree of elbow flare that maximizes
your strength off the chest without putting strain on your
shoulders.  Again, that takes trial and error, but starting off with
your elbows tucked is a fine idea.
Finally, you should hold the weight at your chest for a brief period
before pressing up.  Touch-and-go reps (which omit this pause)
are fine for some or even most of your training, but it’s important
to practice pausing if you ever plan to compete.
12
CHAPTER 2: THE BENCH PRESS
OFF THE CHEST
If the hardest part of the squat is getting out of the hole, the
hardest part of the bench is getting the bar off your chest — while
maintaining good position!  It’s easy to heave the bar up a couple
inches, but if you lose control of the bar path, it will be very
difficult to save the lift.
A strong, controlled press begins with the lats.  If you kept your
shoulder blades retracted and lats tight during the descent, you’ll
be able to forcefully push up using your lats to begin the motion
off the chest.  You can practice this without weights: get in
position on the bench as if you were about to press, and try to
punch the ceiling.  As you do, focus on the movement in your
back — that’s (roughly) what you want to replicate when pressing
off your chest.
Obviously you’ll need to coordinate your lats with your traditional
pressing muscles (pecs, shoulders, and triceps).  As you press off
your chest, try to keep your elbows angle steady — flaring out too
early will bring the bar over your face and into a position where
you lack the leverage necessary to finish the lift.
Your goal when pressing off the chest is to generate enough
momentum to carry the bar through your sticking point — the part
of the lift where you’re weakest, and the bar begins to slow down.
Usually, if you make it past the sticking point, you’ll make the lift.
 For most people, the sticking point in the bench is a few inches
above the chest, so you want to press as forcefully as possible in
order to get the bar above that point as quickly as possible.
LOCKOUT
Once you’re past the sticking point, you just need to stay patient
to secure a good lift.  It’s very possible that the bar will continue
to slow, but if it does, don’t panic!  You need to keep your
position and the leverage it creates to complete the lift.
First, if the bar starts to slow, try to push back, towards your
head, to bring the bar directly over your eyes.  This places your
triceps in their strongest position to help finish the lift.  At the
same time, keep thinking about ripping the bar apart, or pushing
out rather than up.  Again, this will help use your triceps.
Second, don’t forget about your chest.  Even at lockout, your
chest can help to move the bar up, so try to crunch or squeeze
your pecs together to get as much as you can out of them.

Finally, don’t flail.  In a competition, moving your feet or lifting
your butt up will get your lift turned down, but even in training,
those habits don’t help to make the lift easier. Instead, continue
driving your heels and hips back, in the direction you want the bar
to go.
13
CHAPTER 3: THE DEADLIFT
CHAPTER 3: THE DEADLIFT

THE DEADLIFT EQUIPMENT

The deadlift can be deceiving.  It looks like the simplest lift: just pick • Long socks.  These help reduce the friction between your bar
the bar up off the floor.  But in truth, it’s a lot more difficult than that, and the shins, protect you from scrapes, and keep you from
and mastering your technique can add hundreds of pounds to the bar. bleeding all over the platform if you do bump your shins too
much.

• A belt.  Just like with the squat, a belt is too much of an

advantage to ignore on the deadlift.

• Wrist wraps and knee sleeves.  These are totally optional,

but some people like wearing very tight wrist wraps to help
their grip, and some like wearing knee sleeves for added
protection.

• A killer preworkout. Aggression is crucial if you want to

have a big pull. If you’re not amped up, the weight ain’t
moving.

THE SETUP
Just like in the squat and bench press, you can be successful
with a wide variety of grips and stances in the deadlift.  But unlike
those first two lifts, the deadlift looks really different depending on
whether you pull conventional (with feet inside of your arms) or
sumo (with feet outside your arms).  Generally, a conventional
stance places more emphasis on your back and quads than does
16
CHAPTER 3: THE DEADLIFT

sumo, but sumo also tends to be less forgiving when it comes to

technique errors.   OFF THE FLOOR
Choosing between a sumo and conventional stance is important, The deadlift is all about controlled aggression.  If you try to
because depending on your leverages, it can make a huge explode off the floor, you’re usually sacrificing tightness and
difference.  Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to tell if one stance feels technique.  Instead, practice patience off the floor, stay in a good
more natural than the other, and regardless, good technique for position, and save the aggression for powering through your
both styles is nearly identical!  For most people, the ideal sticking point.
conventional stance is somewhere around hip-width, and
To do that, you’ll want to use your legs and glutes to break the
narrower than shoulder width.  A sumo stance can be anywhere
bar off the floor.  Just like in the squat, “spread the floor” is a
from shoulder width to the point where your feet nearly touch the
good cue to help activate your glutes and hamstrings, and “push
inside plates on the bar; but start out with a stance that places
the floor away” is another good one.  Try both and see which
your feet just outside your arms, to avoid straining your hips.  It
feels more natural.  
will take some trial and error to determine whether you’re better
off sumo or conventional. Throughout the whole movement, you need to keep your core
and back tight, by bracing your abs and pulling your lats down
Once you’ve found a good stance, you need to make a tight,
towards the bar.  Pulling your lats down before you begin the lift
controlled descent before you attempt to lift the bar. The “grip it
will help you to keep a flat lower back throughout the lift and put
and rip it” style isn’t ideal for most people, because it makes it
your body in the ideal position to finish.  It also might make the
harder to involve the lats and hamstrings in the lift.  Instead, keep
bar move more slowly off the floor.  That’s okay — better a slow
your lats, core, glutes, and hamstrings tight as you go to grab the
lift than no lift at all.
bar — and when you do grab it, make sure that your arms hang
straight down, not at an angle.

17
CHAPTER 3: THE DEADLIFT

LOCKOUT LOWERING THE BAR

As soon as the bar leaves the floor, you need to accelerate.  Your After lockout, don’t drop the bar!  In a competition, dropping the
goal is to generate enough bar speed to help power through the bar will cause you to miss lifts, and even in the gym, it’ll throw off
sticking point — which, for most people, is somewhere between your form and make your next rep more difficult than it should be.
just below knee level and lockout.  Instead, lower the bar under control by pushing your hips back
and keeping your lats and core tight as the bar moves downward.
To accelerate, continue focusing on either spreading or pushing
through the floor.  Your goal is to lock your knees as quickly as
you can; as long as you kept a good position off the floor, if you
can lock your knees, you’ll be able to use your upper back to help
bring your hips through and complete the lift.  That doesn’t mean
you need to lock your knees before your hips — many lifters find
it easier to lock the knees and hips at the same time.  However,
thinking about locking your knees may help you move the bar
faster once it leaves the floor.

If you start to struggle towards the end of the lift, you need to
stay calm and patient, not rush to complete the lockout.  Rushing
usually leads to hitching, and hitching always leads to missed
reps.  Instead, focus on keeping your core tight and squeezing
your glutes to push your hips through and finish the movement.
 Forcefully exhaling can sometimes help to power through that
last inch or two.

18