The Basics of Body Building
A Note About Competitions
The Basics of Body Building – A Note About Competitions – As you get more and more into the sport of body building, you may want to consider showing off your hard work by entering into a body building competition.
There are many local gyms that hold contests as well as national
competitions that are held on an annual basis.
Before you actually enter a body building competition, you really need to know what they’re all about in the first place.
Take the time to attend a competition before entering and pay close attention to the techniques the exhibitors use and ask questions about what the judges are looking for.
Do not enter a body building contest just because you’ve lost a bunch of weight. These contests are about great physiques with toned muscles – not about people who’ve lost body fat.
Your muscles must be well-defined and toned ready for display.
Be realistic about your chances the first time out.
While it is possible to realize a “Cinderella” story finish, it’s not really probable when you consider that some of the other entrants are very experienced.
Tell yourself that you’ll be happy with not being cut from the lineup or taking fifth place, for example, which is a realistic goal for many beginners.
Once you’ve decided on a competition, you need to start planning well ahead of time to become fully prepared for contest day. You need to concentrate on any problem areas you have and work them hard.
Keep up with your regular routine, so the muscles that are already toned don’t lose their definition.
Think about what you will be wearing during the contest and what songs you will want played while you are posing. You will also want to start thinking about your posing routine.
We’ll interject a quick note about suits here since it’s not really that complicated choosing what you’re going to wear.
You have worked very hard on your body, and in a contest, you will want to show off as much of it as possible. Pick a suit in a color that is complementary and one that is as skimpy as you are comfortable with.
Just don’t over-do it – it’s not about who shows the most skin but who shows the best muscles.
With music, you will want to choose songs that will activate and excite the crowd. Judges will respond better to you if you have a lot of clapping and cheering going on for you.
Your posing style will be dictated by the music, either elegant or aggressive depending on your selection. Your style of music is important. Your mood, the mood of the audience and the judges will be set moment by moment, heavily balanced by the competitor’s choices of music.
Clearly defined space in the music for major poses is usually extremely important. Some routines flow perfectly and gracefully through music without accentuating beats, but you can be confident that only a few competitors in a hundred can successfully achieve the beauty and grace of such a performance.
If you don’t have a childhood background in dance or ballet, or you don’t have a nearly perfect body with matching symmetry, try to select music with a pronounced beat where you can clearly put your strongest poses.
We can’t stress enough that you can have a great physique, but if you don’t know how to show it off, you won’t be doing any good in a contest.
Posing is so very important in competition. It gives the judges an idea of what they are looking for in a contestant, which is symmetry, muscularity, aesthetics, and proportions.
A good place to start learning about posing is to look through body building magazines to see how the models are presenting themselves.
Try out a few of these poses while looking at yourself in a full-Length mirror. What works for one person may not work for you, but it just might!
Think about the beat of your music and then choose poses that go along with that beat. Start out with your most powerful pose and hold it for 3 to 5 full seconds.
Make sure that your routine flows smoothly and there is enough time in between poses for a little fun.
What muscles should you be accentuating? The easiest answer is all of them, but you will want to show off certain parts of your body specifically.
You need to know your muscles, and we hope by now you do.
Here are some areas you will want to focus on:
Front Double Bicep
Arms are out to the sides with biceps flexed and the competitor is facing forward towards the judges and audience.
Front Lat Spread
Hands are located somewhere near the competitor’s waistline and elbows are flared out showing the lats. The competitor is facing forward.
Side Chest
The competitor is turned so judges can see his profile. He has one calf flexed by raising his heel from the ground. Hands are clasped or wrist is grabbed with the back arm coming across the front of the torso somewhere below the pec line.
The forward arm is pulled down and back toward the competitor’s rear. The chest is raised and flexed. The rib cage is usually expanded.
Side Tricep
The competitor is in the same basic position as the side chest except his arms are clasped behind him.
The forward arm is flexed straight down showing off the triceps.
The back arm is stretched across the lower back and it’s hand is clasped with the forward arm’s hand.
Abdominal and Thigh
The competitor is now facing forward. His arms are tucked behind his head and one leg is placed farther forward than the other and flexed. The competitor is also flexing his abdominal muscles.
Also See Inside….
Rear Double Bicep
Rear Lat Spread
Classic “strong man” body building pose
Standing Relaxed Symmetry Round
Comparison or Muscularity Round
Free Posing Round
Final Words: Conclusion
Many people start body building in an attempt to lose weight. That’s a great way to start. But then, they start learning about what their body is doing during a workout and what they are capable of when pushed.
After that door is opened, it’s like Pandora’s box, very difficult to close and you’ll find yourself becoming addicted to the burn, the rush and the adrenaline as your body transforms into a lean, mean ripped machine.
Weight training and overall body building does require hard work and a lot of dedication, but if you commit to your overall goals, when you are finally able to look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see, the end result will be well worth any sacrifice you have made along the way.
Get started right away. You don’t have to wait any longer. Your dream body is more than a possibility – it’s now, finally, a reality.
To your new life!
Coyalita
Regards, Coyalita
Behavioral Health Rehabilitative Specialist
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