WOW THE JUDGES!
By Meagan Hesham appeared in April 2010 issue of PHYSIQUE Magazine For more info on PHYSIQUE Magazine check out www.physique-mag.com You've done the work and made the sacrifices. You've eaten clean, trained hard, all the big stuff. As you amp up for competition day, don't ignore some basic 'little' things that can easily add up to extra points with the judges! With awesome physiques on stage, these tips can often make the difference between placing first or second ... or not at all! |
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PRACTISE! PRACTISE! PRACTISE!
Heels
Practice walking in your heels!!! Fitness and figure competitors are comfortable in running shoes, many are not used to moving about in five-inch stilettos... and unfortunately this is very obvious when you watch them lumbering around in competition. Even if you’re somewhat used to wearing heels, five inches with a platform can feel very different than the two- or three-inch pumps or sandals you wear in real life. So put on those glass slippers and work it! Practising your T-Walk, quarter turns, and any other element required for competition is imperative. Videotaping can be super-useful too: we may feel like we look alright doing something, but playing back video lets you see the real deal – what worked, what didn’t, what needs improvement. Between actual practises, try wearing your competition heels around the house so moving in them becomes second nature and looks seamless and relaxed.
Poses
Posing well takes practise! There always seems to be someone at a competition who’s clueless as to what exactly they’ll have to do once they get on stage. There's no excuse for this – research your association and try to attend one of their competitions ahead of time and see if you can find youtube clips or still photos online of the poses and style of walks they're after. Then practice these in front of a mirror and/or a camera to make sure you master the poses. Here's a secret: a body that's less-than-perfect can look better than the most perfect body if posing is done well. Of course, making sure your body is competition-ready is your first and obvious step, but after all that work, it would be foolish to overlook the importance of properly showcasing that awesome physique on stage.
Bikini
Practise in your bikini! Don’t put your bikini on for the first time on the day of the show. Try walking, moving, and posing in your bikini beforehand so you know if it puckers or rides up, needs to be adjusted or altered closer to show date as you reach your competition weight and form, if you’re going to have to tape it (I use toupee tape or double-sided tape made for this reason). Take photos as you pose so you can identify (and fix!) any problems before you're out there where the judges can see them.
ATTITUDE
Smile
Unless you’re very experienced in pouty model face, the surest way to look really nervous is by not smiling. A stiff face with a smile that looks pasted on won't cut it either - although it's an 'artificial' circumstance, try to smile from the inside, smile with your whole face, and make sure your eyes are alive! A smile can go a long way to make the judges remember your face and will also help you look a lot more comfortable than you may feel out there.
Posture
Stand tall and project a confident look by walking with a little swagger, throwing your shoulders back, and holding your head high. Try to add a little individuality by bringing your own personality to your posing, routine, and walk: guaranteed to set you apart from the rest of the competition!
DETAILS
Make sure your bikini, hair, make-up, and tan are all flawless – uber-polished is the only way to present yourself. If finances and schedules permit, consider hiring a hairstylist, make-up artist, and airbrush tanner. An alternative is to ask a friend to help out - just make sure to involve someone who understands and knows how to achieve the look you want!
Bikini
First order of business: check out what style of bikini competitors usually wear for the competition/category/association you'll be competing in as there's a wide spectrum of ideas here. Generally Fitness and Figure competitors wear posing suits made of velour or spandex adorned with lots of crystals and bling, while Fitness Model and Bikini competitors wear more real-life type bikinis that one might wear to the beach. Just because it may look like a bikini has been purchased off the retail rack, this is often not the case, with many Bikini competitors now having their bikinis custom-made to fit them perfectly. I highly recommend having one made, or at least altering a store-bought bikini, so it showcases body to best advantage. Off-the-rack bikinis may have a much-too-large bottom, unappealing cut, and non-supportive top`... not the suit suitable for competing in fitness! No matter what you decide, be sure to take a photo of yourself in your bikini before the competition to insure that it highlights your best assets and camouflages your not-so-perfect areas.
Hair
Whether you go for straight, curled, or an updo, make sure your hair looks like you’ve taken care and that it’s out of your face enough for the judges to see your expressions and your beaming smile. If you decide to wear a ponytail or put your hair up, make sure it doesn’t just look like you’ve just tied it back hastily on your way to run errands or work out at the gym… straight-iron or curl your bangs and the pony, perhaps add an interesting (but not distracting) fastener or pin. If you wear your hair down, make sure you practice the hair sweep for when you do any back poses - you don't want to hide that back you've worked so hard to sculpt! And do try out the look you want before competition day. They don't call it your 'crowning glory' for nothing, it's not an insignificant detail: before walking out on stage, make sure to ask yourself, "Is my hair ready for centre stage?"
Make-Up
Make-up for stage is very different than your regular day-to-day make-up. Bright theatre lights wash you out, and the judges and audience are viewing you from farther away than people see you in everyday life. Make-up needs to be bolder and heavier, but this doesn't mean you need to wear a bunch of bright clown colours. If you want to wear bright red lipstick, don’t wear a crazy colourful eyeshadow and vice versa; you want one feature - either eyes or lips - to really pop. Consulting a make-up artist beforehand to get some tips on applying stage make-up or hiring one to make you up on competition day is a good investment. If you're doing your own make-up, make certain to figure out the right colour foundation as your body will be very dark and you'll want to avoid a face that looks like it doesn’t match the body. I recommend MAC Make-up’s foundation in NW45 or Classified Cosmetics Era spray-on foundation.
Tan
It’s very important for your tan to be dark enough to properly show off all your muscle tone under the bright stage lights. Whether you're painting it on yourself or getting a pro to airbrush you, I suggest a little detective work to discover how dark the competitors usually get for the particular association and category you'll be competing in. This can be done by checking out a similar show prior or using a tanning pro who's doing other competitors for the same competition so she can advise you on what the norm is. Usually I get three coats of Jan Tana airbrushed on - perfect for figure and fitness competitions. If unsure, I recommend going a little darker than you think, rather than lighter.
Oil
Once you have the perfect tan, a little shine can go a long way to further bring out the cuts and lines of your muscles. There's a variety of products out there to help you get the perfect sheen… posing oils made specifically for fitness competitors, baby oil, or my personal favourite, Pam (or any spray cooking oil). Pam is great because you just spray a light mist over your body right before going on, there’s no need to pat or rub which can smear some paint-on tans. The amount of shine you need will depend largely on what category you're competing in - super-light (think of a natural, dewey look, not an oiled up look) for fitness model or bikini, a bit more for fitness and figure, and bodybuilders usually have a full-on oiled-up look. Make sure you don’t spray oil in an area where competitors will be walking in their heels as this makes floors very slippery and dangerous.
PUMP UP
Make sure to pack a resistance band in your competition-day bag in case the dumbbells backstage are all being used. If you're fairly muscular already and are competing in a fitness model or bikini category, you could skip this step; for these categories you don’t want to appear overly muscular. If you feel you lack tone, or if you’re competing in more muscular categories like figure or bodybuilding, pumping up before you walk out on stage can really make a big difference in how you look! My favourites for backstage are push-ups (wall push-ups are sometimes more convenient), crunches (or standing crunches with resistance band under feet), bicep curls, tricep dips, back rows, lateral raises, calf raises, and squats. Do a few of each of these and you’ll harden up your whole body and be super-ready for your time in the spotlight!
Heels
Practice walking in your heels!!! Fitness and figure competitors are comfortable in running shoes, many are not used to moving about in five-inch stilettos... and unfortunately this is very obvious when you watch them lumbering around in competition. Even if you’re somewhat used to wearing heels, five inches with a platform can feel very different than the two- or three-inch pumps or sandals you wear in real life. So put on those glass slippers and work it! Practising your T-Walk, quarter turns, and any other element required for competition is imperative. Videotaping can be super-useful too: we may feel like we look alright doing something, but playing back video lets you see the real deal – what worked, what didn’t, what needs improvement. Between actual practises, try wearing your competition heels around the house so moving in them becomes second nature and looks seamless and relaxed.
Poses
Posing well takes practise! There always seems to be someone at a competition who’s clueless as to what exactly they’ll have to do once they get on stage. There's no excuse for this – research your association and try to attend one of their competitions ahead of time and see if you can find youtube clips or still photos online of the poses and style of walks they're after. Then practice these in front of a mirror and/or a camera to make sure you master the poses. Here's a secret: a body that's less-than-perfect can look better than the most perfect body if posing is done well. Of course, making sure your body is competition-ready is your first and obvious step, but after all that work, it would be foolish to overlook the importance of properly showcasing that awesome physique on stage.
Bikini
Practise in your bikini! Don’t put your bikini on for the first time on the day of the show. Try walking, moving, and posing in your bikini beforehand so you know if it puckers or rides up, needs to be adjusted or altered closer to show date as you reach your competition weight and form, if you’re going to have to tape it (I use toupee tape or double-sided tape made for this reason). Take photos as you pose so you can identify (and fix!) any problems before you're out there where the judges can see them.
ATTITUDE
Smile
Unless you’re very experienced in pouty model face, the surest way to look really nervous is by not smiling. A stiff face with a smile that looks pasted on won't cut it either - although it's an 'artificial' circumstance, try to smile from the inside, smile with your whole face, and make sure your eyes are alive! A smile can go a long way to make the judges remember your face and will also help you look a lot more comfortable than you may feel out there.
Posture
Stand tall and project a confident look by walking with a little swagger, throwing your shoulders back, and holding your head high. Try to add a little individuality by bringing your own personality to your posing, routine, and walk: guaranteed to set you apart from the rest of the competition!
DETAILS
Make sure your bikini, hair, make-up, and tan are all flawless – uber-polished is the only way to present yourself. If finances and schedules permit, consider hiring a hairstylist, make-up artist, and airbrush tanner. An alternative is to ask a friend to help out - just make sure to involve someone who understands and knows how to achieve the look you want!
Bikini
First order of business: check out what style of bikini competitors usually wear for the competition/category/association you'll be competing in as there's a wide spectrum of ideas here. Generally Fitness and Figure competitors wear posing suits made of velour or spandex adorned with lots of crystals and bling, while Fitness Model and Bikini competitors wear more real-life type bikinis that one might wear to the beach. Just because it may look like a bikini has been purchased off the retail rack, this is often not the case, with many Bikini competitors now having their bikinis custom-made to fit them perfectly. I highly recommend having one made, or at least altering a store-bought bikini, so it showcases body to best advantage. Off-the-rack bikinis may have a much-too-large bottom, unappealing cut, and non-supportive top`... not the suit suitable for competing in fitness! No matter what you decide, be sure to take a photo of yourself in your bikini before the competition to insure that it highlights your best assets and camouflages your not-so-perfect areas.
Hair
Whether you go for straight, curled, or an updo, make sure your hair looks like you’ve taken care and that it’s out of your face enough for the judges to see your expressions and your beaming smile. If you decide to wear a ponytail or put your hair up, make sure it doesn’t just look like you’ve just tied it back hastily on your way to run errands or work out at the gym… straight-iron or curl your bangs and the pony, perhaps add an interesting (but not distracting) fastener or pin. If you wear your hair down, make sure you practice the hair sweep for when you do any back poses - you don't want to hide that back you've worked so hard to sculpt! And do try out the look you want before competition day. They don't call it your 'crowning glory' for nothing, it's not an insignificant detail: before walking out on stage, make sure to ask yourself, "Is my hair ready for centre stage?"
Make-Up
Make-up for stage is very different than your regular day-to-day make-up. Bright theatre lights wash you out, and the judges and audience are viewing you from farther away than people see you in everyday life. Make-up needs to be bolder and heavier, but this doesn't mean you need to wear a bunch of bright clown colours. If you want to wear bright red lipstick, don’t wear a crazy colourful eyeshadow and vice versa; you want one feature - either eyes or lips - to really pop. Consulting a make-up artist beforehand to get some tips on applying stage make-up or hiring one to make you up on competition day is a good investment. If you're doing your own make-up, make certain to figure out the right colour foundation as your body will be very dark and you'll want to avoid a face that looks like it doesn’t match the body. I recommend MAC Make-up’s foundation in NW45 or Classified Cosmetics Era spray-on foundation.
Tan
It’s very important for your tan to be dark enough to properly show off all your muscle tone under the bright stage lights. Whether you're painting it on yourself or getting a pro to airbrush you, I suggest a little detective work to discover how dark the competitors usually get for the particular association and category you'll be competing in. This can be done by checking out a similar show prior or using a tanning pro who's doing other competitors for the same competition so she can advise you on what the norm is. Usually I get three coats of Jan Tana airbrushed on - perfect for figure and fitness competitions. If unsure, I recommend going a little darker than you think, rather than lighter.
Oil
Once you have the perfect tan, a little shine can go a long way to further bring out the cuts and lines of your muscles. There's a variety of products out there to help you get the perfect sheen… posing oils made specifically for fitness competitors, baby oil, or my personal favourite, Pam (or any spray cooking oil). Pam is great because you just spray a light mist over your body right before going on, there’s no need to pat or rub which can smear some paint-on tans. The amount of shine you need will depend largely on what category you're competing in - super-light (think of a natural, dewey look, not an oiled up look) for fitness model or bikini, a bit more for fitness and figure, and bodybuilders usually have a full-on oiled-up look. Make sure you don’t spray oil in an area where competitors will be walking in their heels as this makes floors very slippery and dangerous.
PUMP UP
Make sure to pack a resistance band in your competition-day bag in case the dumbbells backstage are all being used. If you're fairly muscular already and are competing in a fitness model or bikini category, you could skip this step; for these categories you don’t want to appear overly muscular. If you feel you lack tone, or if you’re competing in more muscular categories like figure or bodybuilding, pumping up before you walk out on stage can really make a big difference in how you look! My favourites for backstage are push-ups (wall push-ups are sometimes more convenient), crunches (or standing crunches with resistance band under feet), bicep curls, tricep dips, back rows, lateral raises, calf raises, and squats. Do a few of each of these and you’ll harden up your whole body and be super-ready for your time in the spotlight!