Posing

[lynx]

I just wanted to take a minute to address an issue I see all too often: bad/incomplete posing. I judge local NPC shows and I don’t know how many times I have seen people with pretty good physiques come on stage and wipe all those weeks of hard work away with piss-poor posing. This goes for ALL divisions: bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figure, and bikini.

I'm not the end-all, be-all but here are some aspects that I encounter:

1. Get help. Take some time and work on it, if you don’t know what you are doing then ASK! Don’t ask just anyone or your “bros”; if it looks good, ask someone who can actually help you. Spend some time on it, look in the mirror, and play with different aspects of you physique. What looks good on YOU! Get feedback from someone who has a critical eye and who is willing to give you constructive criticism.

2. Practice until it feels second nature. What you are trying to do is pull attention to yourself, away from your competition. Almost everyone who gets up on stage is going to put in weeks of hard work and look great. Sometimes it’s the smallest details that edge out one person over another. If your posing is spot on it exudes confidence and that draws attention to you and away from someone who is fidgeting and who can’t get into their pose seamlessly.

3. Transitions. You should be aware/posing the ENTIRE time you are up there. From the minute bodies hit the stage, I am assessing them. You line up and hit your pose. Great! Love it! Then you look like an awkward fool trying to figure out how to get to the next pose. My eyes have just moved on and I am looking for something better to please them. You are putting on a performance, every detail matters. When someone’s posing flows as seamlessly as their physique, it’s hard to not take your eyes off them. When you are looking at them, who are you NOT looking at…the rest of the competition. You can over look a small flaw when the overall package is hard to turn away from.

4. Get in your poses in a timely, efficient manner. Some people take the transitions to the extreme. They take FOREVER to get into their poses! “Just wait until you see this! Just wait…wait, it’s coming…hold on, I need the build up!” No, no you don’t. Flow through your transition, don’t rush but don’t drag it out and then hit your pose. Rushing makes you look insecure so find the right tempo. Too long and you start to irritate the judges. Remember we’re judging more than just your class.

5. Keep posing! Pulled to the back of the curtain? Doesn’t matter. I know it’s hard to keep flexing up there in your “relaxed” pose, but do it. (Do you think it’s easy to keep flexed in 5-inch heels with your hair sticking to your back? Nope, it’s not but I did it AND with a big smile.) It should look like this is a piece of cake for you. I make my assessments with the line up that’s in front of me then I look at the people lined up next to the curtain. My eyes are constantly roving and looking. If you are standing there with you hands on your hips, gut relaxed and panting then I can’t really see what you are suppose to be showing me. How apt do you think I will be in wanting to see you in the line up?

6. Facial expressions. In general it’s easier to look at someone who is smiling than someone who looks like some jerk took his or her parking spot or who got punched in the gut. This goes back again to being aware the entire time you are up there, you face is no exception. Smile, I don’t care if you feel like death warmed over. Everyone is in the same boat, what sets you apart from them? “Yep, piece of cake, I could do this all day!” Remember, this goes for the transitions as well.

7. Rubbing yourself. Hey, if this is weird on the street, it’s weird on stage. Bottom line, it looks awkward. How many times have I seen some dude rubbing his ass on stage then down his hamstrings to make sure they are flexed? More than I want…way more…This comes back to practice and seamless posing. If you don’t know if your hamstrings are flexed then you should have practiced more. There will be people who come to the show and it will be their first. What are they thinking when someone is rubbing his body on stage? “Is this what bodybuilder’s do? Fondle their muscles during competition?” We are already in a fringe sport that many give side-eye to, please don’t make it weirder for the rest of us.

8. Respect on stage. If the head judge asks you, #34, to take two steps to the left so #37 can get between you and #33 and you take a half a step because you don’t want to step out of the “good lighting” then the judge will just have to repeat themselves. It looks petty and then you don’t look confident. Be aware that you will be moved around and please try to make room for other competitors. It’s difficult, I understand, just try. And then the elbow jockey, oh for shit’s sake. Knock it off! Well…I’ll admit, it gives me a chuckle, but it does get distracting and not in a good way.


Once people start to pose, it’s important to work on and keep working on it to get it right. Be aware your posing might change as you get leaner. Your body is changing therefore something that looked great 10lbs ago, might not be the bomb now. Just be aware and willing to make adjustments. Also if you are working on it consistently then come show day, it won't be as difficult to hold those poses.

As a judge I can appreciate when it is apparent when someone makes my job that much easier. We sit through hours of looking at bodies, and it’s a joy when someone takes the time to work on their posing. So, please for the love of God, just do it! Don’t make me squint my eyes and ask myself, I think he/she looks pretty good but they’re hiding it with this horrendous posing!

With that being said, I’m aware this post is long.
I would love to hear from other judges and competitors on some of the features they deem as important with regards to stage presentation.

 

[TheOutlier]

Much appreciated post, thank you

 

[Kendrxck]

Very very good post. Thank you Lynx.

 

[ALLEX]

Can someone make this a sticky, please? Maybe in articles.

 

[Phidias]

Can someone make this a sticky, please? Maybe in articles.

x2

Eloquent AND extremely well written... thank you, Meredith!!!

Was already thinking about it after my last woes on stage , but no more doubt in my mind anymore now: I won't ever compete again unless I can fly you and JT here for some vacations. Well, not 100% holidays, as you'll have to teach my stubborn self how to pose "properly"... needless to say you'll have to ask a sabbatical year... at least!!!

 

[asteelz]

3x, well written

 

[kid1dakota]

Great write up !

One thing as a fan that is bothersome is when someone keeps pausing their routine and asking for applause. Asking the crowd to get louder by yelling "come on".I always think come on dude give something to cheer about, earn it!

 

[Muay Thai]

great info thank you for your time

 

[Rocco1943]

Great info, thanks a it.

 

[lynx]

Thanks guys, this is just something I've come across multiple times and have told many competitors when they ask for feedback. I wanted this post to be informative and not a rant (which it could have morphed into if I wasn't careful ) so I'm glad it delivered the way I had hoped.

x2

Eloquent AND extremely well written... thank you, Meredith!!!

Was already thinking about it after my last woes on stage , but no more doubt in my mind anymore now: I won't ever compete again unless I can fly you and JT here for some vacations. Well, not 100% holidays, as you'll have to teach my stubborn self how to pose "properly"... needless to say you'll have to ask a sabbatical year... at least!!!

Lol! I think there are some great people out there who know way more than me! And I think you're a quick study, you'd pick it up fast!

 

[lynx]

Can someone make this a sticky, please? Maybe in articles.

I was wondering where to put this so I just decided to put it in the open forum. Mods can put it where they think it fits best.

 

[jasong]

Thank you Lynx that was very helpful.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[KillerStack]

In my humble opinion posing ability is innate. The good posers are good from the start and the poor posers never seem to learn. I think some people just have a certain artistic sensibility and know what kind of movement looks good and graceful. Personally I have never seen a poor poser become good. It's very hard to make someone change the way they hit any pose, you can look at pics of bodybuilders as beginners and then 10 or 20 years later and the poses are exactly the same in most cases, down to the exact position of their hands and fingers.

 

[Ashop]

Very knowledgeable advice. Excellent post. I get caught up in posing discussions all the time and this pretty much sums it all up.

 

[lynx]

In my humble opinion posing ability is innate. The good posers are good from the start and the poor posers never seem to learn. I think some people just have a certain artistic sensibility and know what kind of movement looks good and graceful. Personally I have never seen a poor poser become good. It's very hard to make someone change the way they hit any pose, you can look at pics of bodybuilders as beginners and then 10 or 20 years later and the poses are exactly the same in most cases, down to the exact position of their hands and fingers.

You are right, there are those who are innately artistic and the posing comes naturally to them. I do have to disagree about a bad poser never being good. I have personally worked with people who made me want to pull out my hair but in the end looked great after hours of hard work. It just takes them longer to get there and with very specific instructions.

As far as those who pose the same contest after contest, I believe that comes from a bullheadedness about what they think looks good and years of establishing bad habits. They aren't looking to improve that aspect, either they think it doesn't matter, it looks good as is or they're lazy. Breaking someone of bad posing habits is extremely difficult, it's their go-to, it's where they feel comfortable. I also think when someone is giving advice on posing, it needs to be backed up WHY it looks good. Otherwise, someone who is more stubborn and resistant to change won't be willing to listen.

 

[Mini Truck]

Said to perfection Lynx.

In the NPC, it's all about hitting all the mandatories in prejudging to perfection.
Every little detail of leg placement, how you turn your head to create
flow, your facial expressions, detail to color, everything matters.

Your night show routine counts for nothing.

The first thing the judges will see is your front relaxed pose.
That draws the judges eyes to you if done correctly.
That first impression is really important.

Posing is a part of prep that many times gets little attention.
Practicing also helps muscularity.

A good prep coach should always include posing as part of your prep.

-MT

I just wanted to take a minute to address an issue I see all too often: bad/incomplete posing. I judge local NPC shows and I don’t know how many times I have seen people with pretty good physiques come on stage and wipe all those weeks of hard work away with piss-poor posing. This goes for ALL divisions: bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figure, and bikini.

I'm not the end-all, be-all but here are some aspects that I encounter:

1. Get help. Take some time and work on it, if you don’t know what you are doing then ASK! Don’t ask just anyone or your “bros”; if it looks good, ask someone who can actually help you. Spend some time on it, look in the mirror, and play with different aspects of you physique. What looks good on YOU! Get feedback from someone who has a critical eye and who is willing to give you constructive criticism.

2. Practice until it feels second nature. What you are trying to do is pull attention to yourself, away from your competition. Almost everyone who gets up on stage is going to put in weeks of hard work and look great. Sometimes it’s the smallest details that edge out one person over another. If your posing is spot on it exudes confidence and that draws attention to you and away from someone who is fidgeting and who can’t get into their pose seamlessly.

3. Transitions. You should be aware/posing the ENTIRE time you are up there. From the minute bodies hit the stage, I am assessing them. You line up and hit your pose. Great! Love it! Then you look like an awkward fool trying to figure out how to get to the next pose. My eyes have just moved on and I am looking for something better to please them. You are putting on a performance, every detail matters. When someone’s posing flows as seamlessly as their physique, it’s hard to not take your eyes off them. When you are looking at them, who are you NOT looking at…the rest of the competition. You can over look a small flaw when the overall package is hard to turn away from.

4. Get in your poses in a timely, efficient manner. Some people take the transitions to the extreme. They take FOREVER to get into their poses! “Just wait until you see this! Just wait…wait, it’s coming…hold on, I need the build up!” No, no you don’t. Flow through your transition, don’t rush but don’t drag it out and then hit your pose. Rushing makes you look insecure so find the right tempo. Too long and you start to irritate the judges. Remember we’re judging more than just your class.

5. Keep posing! Pulled to the back of the curtain? Doesn’t matter. I know it’s hard to keep flexing up there in your “relaxed” pose, but do it. (Do you think it’s easy to keep flexed in 5-inch heels with your hair sticking to your back? Nope, it’s not but I did it AND with a big smile.) It should look like this is a piece of cake for you. I make my assessments with the line up that’s in front of me then I look at the people lined up next to the curtain. My eyes are constantly roving and looking. If you are standing there with you hands on your hips, gut relaxed and panting then I can’t really see what you are suppose to be showing me. How apt do you think I will be in wanting to see you in the line up?

6. Facial expressions. In general it’s easier to look at someone who is smiling than someone who looks like some jerk took his or her parking spot or who got punched in the gut. This goes back again to being aware the entire time you are up there, you face is no exception. Smile, I don’t care if you feel like death warmed over. Everyone is in the same boat, what sets you apart from them? “Yep, piece of cake, I could do this all day!” Remember, this goes for the transitions as well.

7. Rubbing yourself. Hey, if this is weird on the street, it’s weird on stage. Bottom line, it looks awkward. How many times have I seen some dude rubbing his ass on stage then down his hamstrings to make sure they are flexed? More than I want…way more…This comes back to practice and seamless posing. If you don’t know if your hamstrings are flexed then you should have practiced more. There will be people who come to the show and it will be their first. What are they thinking when someone is rubbing his body on stage? “Is this what bodybuilder’s do? Fondle their muscles during competition?” We are already in a fringe sport that many give side-eye to, please don’t make it weirder for the rest of us.

8. Respect on stage. If the head judge asks you, #34, to take two steps to the left so #37 can get between you and #33 and you take a half a step because you don’t want to step out of the “good lighting” then the judge will just have to repeat themselves. It looks petty and then you don’t look confident. Be aware that you will be moved around and please try to make room for other competitors. It’s difficult, I understand, just try. And then the elbow jockey, oh for shit’s sake. Knock it off! Well…I’ll admit, it gives me a chuckle, but it does get distracting and not in a good way.


Once people start to pose, it’s important to work on and keep working on it to get it right. Be aware your posing might change as you get leaner. Your body is changing therefore something that looked great 10lbs ago, might not be the bomb now. Just be aware and willing to make adjustments. Also if you are working on it consistently then come show day, it won't be as difficult to hold those poses.

As a judge I can appreciate when it is apparent when someone makes my job that much easier. We sit through hours of looking at bodies, and it’s a joy when someone takes the time to work on their posing. So, please for the love of God, just do it! Don’t make me squint my eyes and ask myself, I think he/she looks pretty good but they’re hiding it with this horrendous posing!

With that being said, I’m aware this post is long.
I would love to hear from other judges and competitors on some of the features they deem as important with regards to stage presentation.

 

[Phidias]

In my humble opinion posing ability is innate. The good posers are good from the start and the poor posers never seem to learn. I think some people just have a certain artistic sensibility and know what kind of movement looks good and graceful. Personally I have never seen a poor poser become good. It's very hard to make someone change the way they hit any pose, you can look at pics of bodybuilders as beginners and then 10 or 20 years later and the poses are exactly the same in most cases, down to the exact position of their hands and fingers.

As it's often the case, I must say I agree with you again here, KS: some people were actually born showmen, they love being in front of an audience and are at ease the second they step on stage, while others are the complete opposite and go to pieces instantly.

Now Lynx has faith in mankind , and rightfully so: though some will indeed never learn, others truly want to progress and will never give up till they reach their goal... if you want it, work for it... same as with your physique. You might never be as graceful as someone who has it in his blood, but you can be a infinitely better version of yourself.

 

[tenny]

i feel its all in the transition and relaxed poses.(mandatories)

making it look as effortless as possible is the advise i give
the most....

flex without flexing....

great post Lynx....not many about posing

 

[Amanda Whelan]

:headbang::headbang: a sophisticated and expericed bodybuilder

 

[lynx]

MT, you are right, posing is sorely overlooked. Most people put it off until the last few weeks. By then they are tired and ready for it to be over. It should be a part of your entire prep.

i feel its all in the transition and relaxed poses.(mandatories)

making it look as effortless as possible is the advise i give
the most....

flex without flexing....

great post Lynx....not many about posing

Ah thanks but you are exactly right, you want it to be a pleasure to watch on stage. Confidence in what you are doing and that comes from practice.

Some people get up there and look like a block of wood teetering to their side poses. Transitions are very important, it's where the flow happens. MANY people overlook this basic component and the ones who don't, well, they get looked at longer.

Judges are looking at the whole package. Being able to properly display what you have taken so long to to craft is important. It can mean the difference in your placing. Judges talk afterwards and during shows. This subject comes up so often. "If that guy/girl knew how to pose, I would have placed them higher."