Top tips to perfect your posing
Posted by Tammie Sarkozy in Muscle Building
Estimated reading time: 10mins
A quick look into my background in competitive bodybuilding.
I've been heavily involved in bodybuilding for 10 years. As a competitor, prep coach, posing coach and a judge on various federation panels. Over this time span, I've seen the same issues and mistakes while working with competitors leading up to their show and observing them on stage (men and women in all divisions). Therefore, I want to share some pointers with you to present the best physique possible on stage.
First, understand what the judges are looking for.
This will vary between federations and, of course, divisions, but there is one key point that every judging panel wants in their champions:
- Symmetry - the ever desirable 'X-shape'. The letter 'X' portrays – a big upper body, tiny waistline and thick legs. This particular shape is a priority on stage, from the biggest of male bodybuilders to the most curvaceous and petite female bikini competitors.
- Stage presence is a performance, and the poses are an
- art of twisting and contorting the physique to force perfection and a tiny waistline to create curves and shape. So while you might have amazing big quads or enormous coconut boulder shoulders, if the rest of you doesn't match those awesome assets and show good proportions, it doesn't matter.
- Good posing will hide your flaws and create beautiful shapes and symmetry from all angles.
Do your research on your chosen federation.
It is best to be crystal clear on what your chosen federations require in their poses and stage presence. Every federation is different, so it’s important you know the standards, the stage layout and what happens over the course of the day, e.g., how many rounds you do. I highly recommended attending a show to see what it’s all about and see if this particular federation is right for you.
Prep your body from day one.
One of the biggest mistakes competitors makes neglecting their bodies. A lot of bodybuilders (or people in general) train to get a pump or sweat. Form goes out the window, and I can tell you this as a fact because I’ve worked and trained in gyms for over 10 years and have observed this in the majority of people.
To perform well and grow, you need good mobility.
Good mobility means your body can function well with a full range of motion without pain or restrictions. Most people have mobility issues, totally normal. However, you must take action and improve your mobility to a) avoid injury and b) achieve a better range of motion for better performance.
The better your range of motion, the better you can execute the exercise, the more weight you can shift or pump out reps, the more muscle you can build!
I'll give you a classic example: If you have internally rotated shoulders, your range of motion in A LOT of exercises will be limited (lat pulldown, shoulder press, pushups, pullups... plus many more).
The execution of the exercise will be poor because the correct muscle groups are physically unable to engage due to restrictions. As a result, you are missing out on all the major benefits these exercises can give you.
Most people I know have poor shoulder mobility due to their everyday lives (working at a desk, driving long hours, looking at their phone 24/7). Of course, every human on the planet needs to work on mobility to keep injury-free, but it's super important for bodybuilders to achieve their best potential by building muscle.
If your flexibility is poor, your posing will outright suck.
This is brutally true. It doesn't matter how jacked you are; if you can’t pose to show your muscles, you're in trouble.
Stage poses for men and women in any division require good flexibility, range of motion, body awareness and the ability to activate muscles on demand. This requires a diligent focus on mobility and mind-muscle connection during training. This means thorough warm-up and cool-downs, finding where you can improve your mobility and then working on it with specific drills or treatment (physiotherapist/chiropractor/remedial massage) to address the issue and provide treatment (deep tissue massage, dry needling etc.)
To further assist in optimal mobility, incorporate Bulk Nutrients Joint Complex Powder to assist in recovery and to build and maintain healthy joints.
List of the most common issues I see amongst competitors.
- Inability to activate glutes and hamstrings
- Required in back poses to show glute and hamstring development. You can’t just “stand there” and hope they show. You need to activate both muscle groups, so they engage and “pop”.
- Internally rotated shoulders and overactive traps
- You need to be able to externally rotate the shoulders to make them appear big and round, flare the lats and create fullness in the upper body to taper into a small waistline.
These muscles are required in every single pose.
The following is a list of muscles you use in every pose and the most common associate muscle group.
- Tight shoulders
- Limited mobility in the shoulders will display poor posture giving a “hunched” look projecting a lack of confidence on stage.
- It will also make your traps look over dominant and give the illusion of a long neck (throwing off symmetry) from the front and a rounded back in the back pose.
- Poor thoracic rotation
- The ability to twist the midsection is needed for all side poses to create a small waistline and make the obliques pop. In addition, when you can twist your torso, you will create a beautiful X-shape that many competitors cannot achieve purely to lack of flexibility.
- Lack of thoracic extension
- A good thoracic extension will allow you to lift your chest, creating beautiful posture and confidence on stage. Lifting the chest is needed in every pose.
- This also allows you to flare the lats and open the chest and shoulders creating a big upper body to make the waistline appear smaller.
- Lack of mobility through the spine
- Needed in all poses to tilt the hips (forced anterior pelvic tilt), create a beautiful shape with a small waistline (X) and the illusion of bigger glutes.
These are the common issue that most competitors have and need to address in the early days. I’ve helped people improve their posing simply by incorporating mobility exercises into their programming.
Not only does it improve their posing and chances of doing well on stage, but it also improves their performance and reduces pain.
How to fix these issues.
Stretch, mobilise and incorporate activation drills into your training. As a result, not only will your posing improve, but your training will also take a step up due to enhancing your movement patterns.
Also, pay attention to what your muscles feel like when you train. Mind muscle connection is required in posing as you won’t have a mirror in front of you to gauge your positions; you need to rely on feel, so get that brain firing when you train.
Try our Bulk Nutrients ZMA supplement to assist in muscle recovery. The better you recover, the less chance of injury and better your ability to grow.
Lastly – practise, practise, practice!
I want to shout this from a mountain! Start posing no later than three months out and practise every single day.
Do you want to stand out on stage? Then perfect your posing. I can’t tell you how many people leave this last minute and panic when they discover it's harder than expected. Beautiful posing (both male and female) is mesmerising, and when done right, the judges cannot take their eyes off you. This can be you if you put the time in.
Here are a few ways you can squeeze practise into your week:
- Set aside one long 20-30min session a week to practise your quarters, walking, long holds, transitions, stage entrances, multiple rounds etc. Schedule this in your calendar like an appointment and commit to it.
- 5 mins in the shower every night – practise one pose and focus on what you feel.
- 2 mins in front of the mirror before you shower.
- 30 seconds in between sets in front of the mirror at the gym.
- 5 min short session in front of the mirror every day at the gym after your session.
What you need to practise.
- Every individual pose.
- Transitions into each pose.
- Walking.
- Stage entrance (T-walk, Spotlight walk etc.).
- Static holds to build the ability to hold your poses for minutes at a time (this will be very hard at first, but you will improve).
- Add your own flare. Stick to the posing guidelines and the classic poses but add your personal touch, so you showcase your unique self on stage.
- Practise facial expressions, smiling and where you look.
- Posing in different outfits: theme wear, bikini, trunks, one-piece, gown, sportswear etc.
- What to do with your hair during. Do you sweep it off your back to show a back pose or flick it over your shoulder as you turn? You need to know these minor details.
- Be familiar with the stage layout, so you know what to expect on the day.
Preparation is key
You can see there is far more involved than just showing up. Put the time, love and effort into your posing, and you’ll blow the judges away on stage. But, from my experience as a judge, I can tell you when someone walks out with grace, a smile, and like they know what they’re doing, you cannot take your eyes off them. It’s beautiful. It’s an art.
