The art of posing

J-man

Hi, how did you guys put together your posing routine, did you use the pro's on there dvd's for inspiration , learn from a book or put your own together. If there are any good books out there on bodybuilding posing please let me know, Arnolds bodybuilding bible covers alot about posing but I don't want to be another Arnold copycat on stage. I know all the standard posing techniques it's just putting them together in one swift movement which troubles me. Thanks for your help guys J-man.

steveg

firstly i select music which suits my physique and style, and mix it to last the length of time which is allowed by your federation. watching other comps and competitors, dvds, and the like, gives you ideas for whats expected.

I would advise putting your own routine together, with help of someone thats been there. from posing in the gym, you will know which poses suits you better, showing off your physique to its full potential, and steering clear of poses that show up any weak spots! From that its all about choreographing it to flow from one pose to another. I personally start slow and vary the tempo, working from the more gracefull ones to the more powerfull ones at the end, to hopefully get the judges and crowd going.
Your routine should always have somewhere to start from, a middle and a definitive end.

Ulimately you have to use music that suits your certain style of posing, wether it be slower graceful stuff to powerful rock! Arnold's routines suited Arnold's physique, but would not suit everyone.

TinyTom

I've won a best poser award before

If you are around Bristol anytim just email me and I can give you some pointers with your styles.

Most of the time transitions are the problem.

LeeB

dont stress too much abut yur routine.. if your in good nick and can hit the madatories right.. thats 95% of it in my opinion!

choose a song that has a beat throughout... i.e. 1,2,3, beat 1,2,3, beat, 1,2,3, beat..... that way the timing of your posing isnt really important as theres always a beat to hit your pose on!

from there just write down your 10 best poses (or more if you want) and then practice them in front of a mirror... youll soon learn how to move from pose to pose.. watch dvds of shows to see how other people do it!

main point.. SMILE FOR THE CAMERAS.. i hate to see lads grimacing on stage.. 3 months of dieting.. and then they stand on stage looking like theyre trying to poo.... why? lol

just have fun and enjoy it! its your chance to show the judges and teh audience yuor physique in exactly the way you want them to see it!

Tall

Lol do you mean a 4/4 beat by any chance Lee?

LeeB

lol.. i aint got no idea... its just easier if the song has a consistent beat all the way through... doesnt matter too much how many seconds etc. the beat is.. as long as its consistent throughout the track, this means you dont need to worry too much about timing your poses perfectly to the music!

Tall

Erm... a 4/4 beat is found in most dance music (except funky house...)

J-man

Hi thanks for the info guys, 1st I'm going to take Lee's advice and find a good 1,2,3 beat then put something down on paper which I feel goes to the beat. Once I've got the paperwork I'll but it together. Thanks guys

rippedglutes

its always best to do your own routine, as this is your chance to show off you at your best and best angles etc. and only you know which poses these are.

i have seen a few folk with fantastic physiques who look uncomfortable on stage while doing their routines, i think they could improve with more practice. posing doesnt come naturally to most, its practice, practice and practice some more.

xx

Neil R

As Lee said really nail your madatories! Watch some contest DVDs and you'll see some really good...and really p1ss poor... comparison shots.
The sad fact is that most judges dont even judge the posing round, they view it as an extra muscularity round and if you can hit the compulsories well you can just hit those with a bit of histrionics (artsy-fartsy sh1t) in between each pose.

For your first show, anyway. The more shows you do, the more confident you'll get and the more expression you can put into it.
Don't expect to pose like Shawn Ray at your first contest.
As long as when you're posing you don't look like your having a seizure then you won't look outta place.