What are judges looking at?

[tkav1980]

i can see how judges pick out winners and placement in local shows and jr nats etc. but watching shows like the o or the classic i cant figure out how they pick apart the top 10. is it a well trained eye? or is it something specific theyre looking for? im not competeing any time soon im just curious.

 

[Big A]

is it a well trained eye?

Yes. Differences are obvious between each competitor.

 

[tkav1980]

god this shows just how little i know about the intricasies(sp?) of this sport.

 

[pesty4077]

A chicken can win the Olympia with 17" arms.

 

[pesty4077]

OK, I am going to bed, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. For all you older BB;'s, Arnold said that in the 70's about Frank Zane. He said he was a chicken with 17" arms. Frank Zane won the Olympia a few times.

 

[Big A]

A chicken can win the Olympia with 17" arms.

 

[The Striated One]

i can see how judges pick out winners and placement in local shows and jr nats etc. but watching shows like the o or the classic i cant figure out how they pick apart the top 10. is it a well trained eye? or is it something specific theyre looking for? im not competeing any time soon im just curious.

I like to use the analogy of a professional boxing fight as you seem to be knowledgeable about boxing.

It all depends on what the judges are looking for and it's extremeley difficult to knock out the champ even when it seems that he's outclassed by more than one opponenet(etc. Jay Cutler 2008).

In some boxing matches the point score is soo ridiculous they seem to be fixed and the judges are obviously biased toward one opponent(etc. Arnold at the 1980 "O")

But when it comes down to it they seem to able to pick the top 5 accurate with regularity and by attending numerous contests both amamteur and pro I'm never far off from picking the top 3 with an unbiased oppinion.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[AWN2004]

They should be looking for the best combo of muscularity, condition, symmetry, and size. With all that taken into consideration, the best looking physique (pleasing to the eye) should win.

On the lower levels its much easier to pick the winners of the classes but on the national levels it gets a bit harder. I am not a judge but I can typically pick out the top 6 or 7 of each class. I think the key to being a good judge, at least in my opinion, is practice. Seeing hundreds of physiques will train your eye to notice what stands out.

 

[tkav1980]

since i posted my question earlier today ive been looking at tons of pics of guys on stage. granted other than the obvious i cant tell a difference between Dex and Heath. IMO either could have won. however, i do notice when lets say someones back isnt quite as tight as the guy next to him, or doesnt have the same definition in his quads. what really stands out most to me are things like lat insertion, how far down the tricep does it keep its thickness, does a guy look smoothe or like granite. but i cant notice differences in symetry and more subtle things like that.

 

[Big A]

since i posted my question earlier today ive been looking at tons of pics of guys on stage. granted other than the obvious i cant tell a difference between Dex and Heath. IMO either could have won. however, i do notice when lets say someones back isnt quite as tight as the guy next to him, or doesnt have the same definition in his quads. what really stands out most to me are things like lat insertion, how far down the tricep does it keep its thickness, does a guy look smoothe or like granite. but i cant notice differences in symetry and more subtle things like that.

The way their bodies look like right now, if they both turn up in the same shape, Dexter will always beat Heath as Dexter has virtually no flaws while Heath has some structural/symmetry ones - ie chest is way behind the rest of body, etc.

 

[The Striated One]

The way their bodies look like right now, if they both turn up in the same shape, Dexter will always beat Heath as Dexter has virtually no flaws while Heath has some structural/symmetry ones - ie chest is way behind the rest of body, etc.

I agree completely, but when they had the challenge round in the Olympia about 5 years ago, how is that Dexter Jackson lost Ronnie Coleman during the ab pose that Dexter challenged Ronnie to?

Was that just the judges covering up the fact that it was a terrible format as every competitor challenged Ronnie to the ab pose knowing very well there was no way Coleman could win that pose?

If I remember correctly, if Coleman doesnt beat Baddell, Jackson, Schlierkamp in the ab pose, Cutler wins the show!