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| Size matters, but do does other factors. |
It's not always the biggest guy who wins the bodybuilding competition
Perhaps you want to pursue a career in bodybuilding but can't seem to place better than you should.
One of the biggest mistakes that most beginners make is to assume that the goal is to get as big as possible and that their success on stage is proportionate to the amount of muscle mass that they can present to the judges.
Size is a big factor in determining the winner, but it is definitely not the only factor that matters. If size is still your weak point, try these supplements, or build your own bulking diet here.
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| Size isn't all that matters. |
Have you ever been to a bodybuilding show and wondered why the biggest guys are sometimes placed lower than someone clearly smaller than them?
The judges aren't blind. They just judge according to different criteria than you. While size is what distinguishes bodybuilders from the rest of the world, is it only one factor in determining the ultimate bodybuilding athlete.
Size is important, but certainly not the most crucial part of winning.
How to win a bodybuilding competition
1. Symmetry
2. Posing ability
3. Stage presence
4. Proportion
5. Muscle definition
6. The total look
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| Requirements of a bodybuilding winner |
1. Symmetry
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| Balance is important to the bodybuilding aesthetic. |
You can be twice the size of the guy next to you. But if any muscular imbalances are visible to the naked eye then you might as well give your spot away to your smaller but symmetrical competitor.
Judges grade competitors on a points system. Body symmetry can cost you the most points without you even knowing about it.
Have a good look in the mirror. We all have a 'good side' and a 'not as good' side, but one of your main goals will be to close this gap as much as you can.
You need to work hard to find any parts of your body that don't quite match the other half and correct them. Only upon closer inspection might you see that your left peck slightly dominates your right.
This might not be a big issue in normal life. It is definitely a possible 'I don't know why I didn't win' card for you to pick up after the next time you step on stage. Correct imbalances like this to do better at your next show.
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| Work on your imperfections. |
2. Posing ability
What are the best poses? Which poses do you need to do on stage? Have you practiced them in front of the mirror so many times that it feels natural and comfortable?
More importantly, do you know how to execute each pose so that every body part and muscle is flexed in such a way that it boasts your physique in the best possible light?
Take a good look at the next show you attend and take note of who knows how to pose the best, in your opinion. Take note of who poses more naturally and who looks like they need to concentrate more on pulling the right muscles at the right time.
Match these findings up to the winners afterwards and you will be surprised by how much posing ability actually determines the winner.
Judges can easily see the difference between people who are completely in touch with what makes their bodies look the best with each pose and those who are just doing what the others are doing and 'going with it'.
It looks like practice really does make perfect.
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| Practice makes perfect. |
Everybody is different.
Take the 'front double biceps' pose, for example. Do you know which body parts this pose emphasizes and how you should hold this particular pose for your body's best look?
With practice you will find that perhaps you need to bend your knees a little more to show off the leg muscles or rotate your feet in a certain direction to get the best calf angles. Get big calves now.
3. Stage presence
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| Choose what you project. |
Do you look like the newbie who is still trying to come to terms with the bright light in your eyes when you first walk on stage?
As the audience turns their attention to you when your name is called out, is your body language that of a champion that deserves to carry the legacy of bodybuilding forward to the next generation?
Does your body language show nerves or an 'I'm trying not to look scared' face?
Walk with confidence. Let your presence on stage depict a victor in need of reckoning. This takes time, but you need to work on developing a persona that envelopes the crowd.
With time, you need to learn to conquer the crowd with your presence - don't let the crowd conquer you.
Command admiration, and it shall be given to you. Walk like the champion, be seen as the champion.
4. Proportion
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| Grow the weak. Balance the strong. |
Do you know what one of the biggest destroyers of would-be bodybuilding champions is? Calves!
Upper-body and lower-body proportions are extremely important. Bigger competitors are often placed below their smaller peers because of body proportion.
If you have freakishly large pecks, make sure the rest of your body is just as freakishly large or it could actually work against you.
You cannot afford to lose the placement that you deserve because your one muscle groups is larger or smaller then what is considered 'proportionate' to the rest of your body. You need to work on keeping everything in proportion.
Imagine trying to not let any other body part outshine the other. 'My chest is smaller but my bigger arms will make up for it in the show', said one loser to another.
A few friends of mine have lost shows purely because of certain muscles being out of proportion to the rest of their bodies.
We often see bigger guys lose to smaller guys because their legs weren't in proportion to the rest of their body. If your calves need work, click here.
5. Muscle definition
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| You must define what you grow. |
How well can each muscle be seen within every muscle group? Can you see all three heads on your triceps, for example?
Reduce body fat and decrease the water reserves in your body to reveal the muscles underneath.
Be able to show the muscles that you worked so hard to get. It is just as important as the size of those muscles.
You can get all the muscle in the world. If they aren't seen clearly, what is the point of entering a bodybuilding competition?
6. The total look
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| Check your hair, skin and style. |
Every bodybuilding federation has a certain look they tend to lean towards. You need to look the part.
Winners are chosen among those who a certain bodybuilding organization or federation feels would fit their image and embody what they feel is the picture of the ultimate bodybuilder according to their standards.
Do you look like someone who would be sponsored by big companies? How far is your look from the guy that these competitions want to find?
We all have a different image in our heads, but there are definitely similarities in general.
'The look' comprises of your body, face, haircut, outfit, body language, persona, eye contact, and more - even down to skin tone.
Work to create the look that these organizations are after. Be the one that they chose because you are their prefect poster boy.
Conclusion
So as you can see, size doesn't win bodybuilding competitions because it is only one aspect that will be judged to find the ultimate bodybuilding champion.
Work hard on all these often under-looked areas and you will be well on your way to placing better and better after each bodybuilding competition.
Work hard. We hope to see you in the next magazine! STAY STRONG!
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