Posing

This morning despite the time change I ventured to Northborough MA for my first posing class!

I got to meet 3 time WNBF World Champ Nancy Andrews :)

There were a lot of girls there for Figure Posing :0 and many of them were "Tall" too! Even Liz Marcantonio a WNBF PRO was in the posing class!

The following is a post I read a few weeks ago and now it all makes sense! It basically sums up what I learned this morning.

Taken from: The Official Blog of Fitness Model Lauren Beckham

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Figure Competition Advice: Posing Tips for Female Figure Competitors

Posing is a very crucial part of contest prep for any competitor, figure competitors in particular. The further she rises to the top of her game the more crucial it becomes to perfect her presence and posing. Lets just say, it can make or break you in a competition.

Regardless of what organization it is quarter turns are always mandatory with any figure competition. Quarter turns are defined as a pose that you hold displaying your physique from the front, back, left, and right, in that order. The point is to make the poses look relaxed, easy, and graceful with transitioning. When in fact they are not. It takes conditioning to show case your muscle while making it look like you're not trying to. That is why practice is key, and posing sessions are a must along with training while getting ready for a show. Lets take a look at each quarter turn in further detail.

The First is the front stance that show the "hourglass figure" that the judges are looking for. You more then likely do not have such a shape considering that you workout, so that is why it is important to fake it, here is how:

1. keep your legs together, if you have a small quad sweep, point your toes out to make it look bigger. Also, by pointing your knees slightly out you can further accentuate that sweep which adds to the hourglass look. Tighten your legs enough to where striations do not show, but your legs look full.

2. The waist needs to be tight and fit, but small. It is easy for a competitor's waist to become thick due to the build up of muscle on the obliques and that is why the abdominals need to be flexed in a way that makes the waist line thinner. This definitely takes practice!

3.Keep chest up and out. Think of it as if a string is pulling you up from the top of your head.

4. Flare out the lats, this along with the abdominals takes a while to get the hang of. The flexing of the lats, along with the abdominals are the key to creating the symmetry needed.

5. Add the shoulders to the mix by flexing them in a way that pushes them outward so as to flow in to the lats. Be careful not to hunch the shoulders while trying to create this affect.

6.Keep arms at your sides slightly bent

7.Do not shot gun your fingers nor spread them out, keep them elegant looking by relaxing them

8. Smile at all times!!

The second and last is facing stage right and left. Alot of women's weaknesses can show with this pose so the important things is to know how to hide those typical trouble spots. Depending on what show you are doing there are alot of different variations of this stance. Find out what they are so as not to waist time practicing it wrong. No matter what show, these tips will be of benefit.

1. You can place either one foot slightly in front of the other or slightly back. This creates a more fuller looking leg. The hamstring and calf can also be brought out more if you pop the heel of the leg facing the judges.

2.Slightly bend at the hips to make the glutes look curvier

3. Slightly twist at the waist so that your creating a thinner,defined looking waistline from the side. Be careful not to turn your body.

4.This is where the criteria changes depending on your show. How your arms are placed differ so find out so that you can practice it right.

5. Keep your head and chin up facing the side of the stage and smiling at all times.
Now we come to the third pose, the back. This will really show off your condition and the leaness of your body, if its not there it will be hard to hide.

It also show cases the v-taper that comes from full lats and a small waist.

1. Keep your feet together and balance your weight on your toes to really pop your calves.

2.Keep your hamstrings and glutes really tight, never squeeze your glutes together, unless you want to show off some cottage cheese.

3.Stick you butt out and upward by bending over slightly at the hips and flexing your lower back really hard. This will smooth out that line that is formed right below the cheeck that has a tendency to make the butt look saggy.

4. Flare your lats out as far as possible all while tightening, not squeezing, the rest of the back so as to bring out fullness and development in the romboids and rear-delts.

5. Do not hunch the shoulders, but tighten the upperarms, while relaxing from the elbow down, including the hands.

6.Keep elbows slightly bent

7. Sweep your hair to the side

The transitions are in between poses, moving from one to the next. Transitions are meant to look graceful, although your muscles are to remain flexed through out. Some women present more of a soldier look when they don't focus on the movements flowing together. The best way to look graceful is by stepping and turning with your right foot, followed by your left and then immediately hitting your next pose. Move your arms with it by flowing them behind your torso. to get a more visual idea of how this looks I suggest watching a few videos of competitors and mimicking a style you think would suit you best. Also, try out your gym, if they have an aerobics room with hard floors and mirrors try practing in that room. Wear your heels so you can feel confident walking in them, and practice your transitions and quarter turns, all while smiling.

Individual presentations are truly your time to shine. The judges call out each competitor individually so that they have an opportunity to take center stage.

You want to show off your assets and this is where practcing in front of a mirror benefits you because you get the chance to see what pose looks the best for your unique body. These are the poses you want to emphasize and make your first impression with. The poses are like the quarter turns except for the very last one. You show your front, back, and one of your sides, in what ever order, but always be sure to face the judges before leaving the stage.

Make it unique by adding bends, dips, bows, and waves, all while exuding confidence and radiance. Wave, smile and look at the audience and judges while leaving the stage.

The casual pose is when the judges tell you to relax. You never relax, instead you strike your casual pose, because although it may seem like the judges are scoping out other competitors at the time, a few may be looking at you, so it is important to still smile and look poised. Keep the following things in mind when choosing a casual pose:

1.You should always face forward with your number in view

2.Keep a twist in the waist, don't face completely to the side or to the front

3.Bend one leg slightly and place hand on hip to show a more relaxed look

Remember practice is key. A word of advice would be to have posing sessions atleast 4 weeks out from a show. Depending on your schedule you can have more or less

Your best bet would be to have 2-4 sessions weekly 15-30 min. each. The closer you get to your show the more you can up the frequency or the length of these sessions.

Good Luck, stay positive, stay strong, and always smile!!

This morning we were allowed to wear booty shorts and a tank with our heels.

NEXT week however we have to break out the suits ;)