What are the bodybuilding competition guidelines?
COMPETITION GUIDELINES
Adapted from www.lindsayproductions.com competition guidelines.
1. CHECK-IN: Double check your entry form for information concerning the location and time of check-ins. It is your responsibility to be sure to show up when and where you should.
If you are competing in bodybuilding, have your suit on before you arrive at the weigh-in. Do not wait until you are at the weigh-in location.
2. NUMBERS: In most contests your numbered tag should be placed on your left hip. Place it on the flat plane of your hip to prevent it from twisting or flipping around. This way the judges should be able to see it clearly and will be able to spend their energies on judging your physique, rather than figuring out what number you are.
3. ROUNDS OF COMPETITION: Prejudging will consist of a symmetry round, comparisons, and sometimes a free posing round (dependent upon whether all competitors will pose at night).
Symmetry Round: Each class will take the stage as a group in a numerical line-up.
The class will be instructed by the head judge to perform quarter turns, one turn at a time, to the right. You should perform quarter turns with heels touching, arms at your side and your head facing in the direction of your feet. You should be in a “semi relaxed” pose, meaning you are not performing any mandatory poses, but you should not be totally relaxed either.
Do not distort your body by twisting your torso or placing one arm further in front of you than the other. Perform the quarter turns as indicated above. If you are not in the position indicated above, the head judge will direct you to conform to the position required.
NOTE: Many amateur coaches instruct their friends wrongly here. In the past some torquing was allowed from the side, but this is no longer the case. Remember, no twisting and do not put one arm in front of the other.
Comparison Round: The entire class will file on stage in a line as they did in the symmetry round. At this point, the head judge will call out the mandatory poses to be performed.
The mandatory poses in NPC competition consist of the following:
1. Front double biceps
2. Front lat spread
3. Side chest (either side)
4. Side triceps (either side)
5. Back double biceps (facing rear curtain)
6. Rear lat spread (facing rear curtain)
7. Abdominals and quadriceps
BANNED POSE: at no time during the prejudging or evening finals is the moon pose allowed. This pose is performed when the athlete turns his back to the audience and bends over at the waist.
LISTEN TO THE HEAD JUDGE AS HE DIRECTS YOU ON STAGE. You may not remain in the same location on stage throughout this round. Depending on the number of competitors in the class and what comparisons the judges want to see, you may be asked to stand next to different competitors, to move to one side of the stage or the other or to move on or off the posing platform.
EVENING FINALS
You must return to the theater prior to the start of the competition at the assigned time and be back stage at least fifteen minutes before your class is to appear on stage.
The evening finals posing routine duration is noted on your contest info form; you can, however, at your discretion, use less time. Your time begins when the music starts.
MUSIC: Each CD should contain only one track (music mixing is allowed), must be pre-set, and should bear the contestant’s name. Each contestant is responsible for picking up his/her music at the Evening Show. Music that contains profane language or disparaging remarks is not allowed. If such music is used, it will be turned off and you are subject to disqualification by the meet chairman.
SCORING RESULTS: The Placement System is used for scoring the contest. Each of the prejudging rounds is considered to be equally important, however only one placing will be marked on the judges score sheet for each contestant. When calculating the scores from 5 or 7 judges, the highest and lowest scores are discarded, if there are 9 judges, the two highest and lowest scores are discarded. The remaining 5 scores are added together. The contestant with the lowest score wins and the rest are placed accordingly. (See sample score sheets at http://www.bodybuildingworld.com/Contest/2007npc/).
JUDGING RESULTS: If you wish to approach the judges please do so after the end of the competition at the evening finals. The judges are judging for the overall placement in the various divisions so please wait until then to approach them with your questions.
SPORTSMANSHIP: The NPC requires that all athletes conduct themselves in a manner which will reflect favorably on the sport of Bodybuilding and the NPC. Any conduct contrary to that effect is discouraged, and, depending on the severity of such conduct, can lead to suspension from competition. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:
1. Making disparaging remarks concerning any NPC official, judge or fellow athlete in the venue location.
2. Making disparaging gestures while on stage.
3. Smashing, breaking or throwing an award, damaging or vandalizing the contest venue
4. Any conduct which demeans you, your fellow athletes, judges or officials.
Competition can be a source of great triumph and achievement. There are no guarantees. The nature of the competition requires "risk taking". Sometimes you wind up being very disappointed because you did not do as well as you wanted to, or as well as you thought you deserved.
What ever happens, leave the audience with the impression that you are a gracious competitor, that you have dignity and class. The way that you present yourself and take your placement will be remembered long after people remember what place you took.
How do I go about entering a contest