"Hit me with your best shot
Why don't you hit me with your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire away"
Lyrics by Rock and Roll Artist Pat Benatar
Posing is a lot like this hit song of the 80's (okay so I am bit older than you). You got to hit the judges with your best shot.
Now you have polished your bodyand are ready for competition! But wait, is your posing presentation going to grab the judges so that they undeniably know you are the best on stage?
You may have the best physique on stage BUT if you can’t show it or convince the judges you got it, you can bet that you going to place lower or not at all.
Posing is paramount the day of the contest.
At Prejudging, you'll be asked to do compulsory posing. You'll need to:
- know the name every compulsory pose
- know the proper way to do it
- project confidence in your posing
- not contort your face so you look like you are in the middle of a labor pain contraction.
At the Evening Show: You need to:
- be choreographed to the music
- fluid in pose transition
- have every facial expression project confidence.
What are the Compulsory Poses?
Compulsory Poses from the front:
Compulsory Poses from the LH and RH Side
Compulsory Poses from the Back
The purpose of compulsory poses is to remove the some variability out of judging. When contestants are compared with the same poses at the same time, it is easier to evaluate contestants with the best development. But still your presentation has additional influence on the judges that can help or hurt your ranking with the judges.
So how do you strike winning compulsory poses?
- Practice then practice some more. Understanding how to do a pose is very different than doing a it well. I often see a contestant doing a double bicep pose with the arms drooping or parallel to the floor. Proper position is to hold the slightly upward.
- Smile! Sounds simple right, but flexing every muscle at the same is time is work. Beside during a workout you have trained your face to strain and grimace at the weight you are pushing. But now is not the time. Smiling will project self approval, pride and confidence in your presentation.
- Look at the judges and the audience. Confident people are not afraid to make eye contact. Shy and insecure can't.
- Relax but not really. When the judges ask to relax between poses. Do relax out of the pose but maintain enough tension on the muscles to display defintion.
- Walk with confidence on and off stage. Hold your shoulder back, chest out, and head high. Strut a bit.
Pre Posing Preparation
- Shave. The body should be pristinely cleaned of any body hair. That means no hair on the legs, chest, abs, back, arms, armpits and gluts. If in doubt shave it. Need to know how to do click here.
- Tan. Darker skin highlights the cuts of the body. Some use tanning beds while others use tanning lotions. Generally the darker you can make your skin the better. But the skin must be natural looking.
- Lube Up. For years bodybuilders have used baby oil to highlight the muscles. The shine makes the muscle peaks look bigger and the cuts look deeper. Be careful though. Too much oil and you will look greasy. Work the oil into the skin to create a natural glistening. Of recent, I have seen some using the kitchen spray oils like PAM.
Evening Competition Posing Routine
- Be Creative. Design a routine that fits your physique. Choose poses that show your best body parts. Add poses that are different than the compulsory poses.
- Learn and practice your routine. Practice until it--- is as natural and embedded in your mind and body.
- Learn to Transition. You cannot strike and pose then stop then go to another pose. You must learn to fluidly move from one to another. Use your coach.
- Choose music that fits your personality and will positively influence the judges and audience. Songs with a distinctive beat are better synchronized with poses.
- Choreograph your poses to the music. I saw a guy once coordinate his pec bouncing to a drum roll. It set the audience on fire. Make your routine fit the music.
- Get a coach. Find someone who is experienced in competition and can coach you to do the poses correctly. Get feedback on facial expression, your ability to transition and timing to the music.
- Don't rush. I know the tendency is see how many poses you can do in minute but that projects nervousness and fear. Methodically move and hold the poses to say "look at this shot".
- Watch your feet. The tendency is transition the body while the feet are stuck to floor. Learn to locate your feet appropriately
- Hit em with your best shot first. When doing your personalized routine, hit the poses that present your best body parts first. For example, for me my best body part was my chest so I always started with a side chest shot first. This sets the judges mind in the positive direction.
- Finish with your best. Leave the judges with a memory of the your best body part. That does not mean repeating the exact same pose again but it does mean a pose that displays the same muscle group. If you have been blessed with several exceptional muscle groups then finish poses that show off those groups.
- Acknowledge Audience and Judges. At conclusion of your routine, nod your head, a brief hand wave or a some physical gesture to thank the audience and bring conclusion to your routine.
If you enter a competition, let me know how well you did. Send me some photos and I may post on the site.
Sweat eventually hardens to Muscle".....Scott
This article is property of Bodybuilding Program Zone and may not be reproduced without written permission from Scott Jameson. Besides it wouldn't be right....Scott
