How To Look Good & Feel Good On Stage

Optimum Fitness — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:23:04 +0000

Competition suits are not like suits for swimming.

They are specially designed to help you look your best whether you compete in bodybuilding, figure or fitness competitions by increasing attention where you want it and decreasing it in areas you want to downplay.

Suits can be purchased pre-made or custom. Pre-made suits offer outstanding quality at significant savings. Custom suits will give you a unique look that fits you to a “T”.

Choosing the Right Suit

Whatever suit you choose should fit like a glove and be made of the best material possible because you need to have total confidence when you step on stage. But also, a suit that does not fit well can earn you demerits from the judges.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

It’s important to match your suit to your skin tone. Since you will be using bronzer and tanner, make sure your suit matches the tone of those products. You might want to hold fabric samples against your skin to check.
Your suit should be cut high on the hip to show off your leg and lower obliques, and the front narrow enough to showcase the hip flexors.
Keep in mind that thong cuts are not allowed, so make sure the bottom portion covers your butt. But the judges do want to see your glutes. A rule of thumb is to make sure the fabric is “three fingers wide” on either side.

Looking Your Best at Competition

Here are two things to keep in mind for the big day. One, use a product called Bikini Bite under your suit. This will make sure the fabric stays in place—keeping the sides high and the back in place. Also, be sure to bring back-up suits to the competition. Luggage gets lost and stolen—things spill and tear. The last thing you want is to have to rush around a new city to find one in time!

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The Best Way For Women To Get Started In NPC Competition

Optimum Fitness — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:21:57 +0000

The NPC is a great place for women to get involved in bodybuilding competition. The first women’s competition held by the NPC was the Women’s National’s in 1980. Since then, it has been the top amateur level competition for women in the U.S.

Women’s Competition Categories

See which one feels right for you and go for it! (Note that national-level contests do not permit competitors to cross over into Bodybuilding, Figure or Bikini divisions in the same event. All other competitions are permitted to have cross overs, with approval by the promoter.)

Here are the women’s division categories:

Bodybuilding — This is considered the highest level with emphasis on muscle size, definition, poise, stage presence and more.
Figure — This competition is judged on muscle tone and symmetry. There is less focus on muscle size than in bodybuilding.
Physique — This is a new division that will be judged on symmetry, shape, proportion, muscle tone, poise and beauty flow. Contestants should avoid these bodybuilding qualities: ripped, shredded, peeled, striated, dry, diced, hard, vascular, grainy, massive, thick or dense.
Bikini — This division is judged on balance and shape as well as overall physical appearance—including complexion, skin tone, poise, and overall presentation.
Fitness — This division has a swimsuit round and another round involving aerobics, dance and gymnastics.

Women’s Competition Judging

At the NPC bodybuilding competition, the judging for each class happens during a pre-judging stage (there are some exceptions). The overall winner among class winners happens at the finals—the posing and music is for the audience—the winner has already been chosen.

At the pre-judging, each bodybuilder performs a free-posing routine for one minute with no music. Then a series of comparison poses takes place. There are no mandatory poses but contestants are asked to do the most common ones, such as front double-biceps and side-chest, although judges do have the option of asking for a specific pose such as “your best lat spread.”

Another note about NPC competitions is that judges do not score rounds separately. Instead, they create a rank of each contestant after the pre-judging and the score represents an overall evaluation of the competitor–not a critique of any one aspect.

A good way to check out the different divisions and overall competition is to visit the contest schedule page and come to a show. Try to attend during the day as well as the big night show. All of the pre-judging is done during the day and you’ll get a chance to see where you want to compete.

After that, join the NPC and just go for it. After all, the best way to learn where you fit and how you’ll do is to enter a competition!