FIGURE PRESENTATION FAQ’S
1. What color suits do you recommend? Where do you purchase them? What about shoes?
Dark color suits are best. Lighter colors wash you out, so pastels aren’t usually a good choice. Look for suits in basic, bold colors like red, black, royal or navy blue, dark green, dark purple or burgundy. Your shoes should be high and clear in color. The height of your heal and thickness of the shoe will vary based on the size and shape of your legs. Stay away from a really thick platform shoe. Most girls choose a clear shoe between 4"-5" in height.
The most important thing is that you order your suits and shoes as soon as you decide to compete. Suit makers often require 12-16 weeks advance notice. We have included a list of suit makers that our workshop participants have recommended. You should also get your shoes early because most of your practicing should be with your heels on.
2. What are the judges looking for when giving figure placings?
What places women in figure shows is a combination of things - shape/symmetry, balance, muscularity without vascularity or striations, stage presence/presentation, poise, skin tone, hair...the judges are looking for the total package. We suggest watching some figure/fitness (physique round) videos and look at a lot of magazines/fitness sites to get your posing down really well. Then wear your heels around the house and practice, practice, practice.
A couple of resources we have found very valuable are:
Ultimate Posing Guide for Fitness and Figure, www.julielohre.com
The Figure Book, www.figurecoach.com
3. What should my make up look like at the show? What type of base, eye shadow, lipstick…should I use? What about false eyelashes?
Stage lighting is very bright and will show every flaw if not properly covered up. The lights will wash your skin out if coloring and tones are off. Choose your make-up with that in mind. Use a dark base (that will match your stage tanned body), applied evenly and blended well into your hairline. Choose colors that enhance and exaggerate your features. Use eye shadows that don’t reflect too much light. Dark colors such as, browns, plums and grays work well. Fake eyelashes are another “accessory” that can be used. They make your eyes stand out, but aren’t required. Your lipstick should compliment the overall appearance of your face and coloring. If you use a color that is too dark it will overpower your face tones. If you use a color that is too light it will wash your face out. Practice with different colors BEFORE the day of the show. If you don’t have experience putting on make-up or picking out colors, a make-up artist or cosmetic consultant can help you. Always wear your stage make-up much darker than your every day make-up, but make sure that it is has a clean and fresh look. You should appear to have a glow on stage. Off stage you’ll feel a bit strange, like you have way too much on (especially if you don't normally wear much), but on stage it will be great. Do your make up before you go to check in the morning of the show and continue to touch it up throughout the day.
4. What tanning products and oil do you recommend?
You’ve worked a long time to get your body ready for competition. You don’t want to call negative attention to yourself on show day with bad, uneven coloring. Getting a really good base tan from the sun or the tanning bed is suggested. Exfoliate your skin to make sure you have a smooth surface to start with. Here is a sampling of tanning products and methods on which we’ve received good feedback:
1. Professional Spray Tan service – the pro is that it’s less hassle for you; the con is that the end result is not entirely in your hands. Recommended - base tan plus one or two spray applications.
2. Pro Tan Competition Color tanning solution is usually a safe bet in tanning products, as it’s easy to apply and looks great! Recommended - base tan plus three or four applications.
3. Pro Tan / Dream Tan combination. Pro Tan on days leading up to the show, then a thin coat of Dream Tan the day of the show. Recommended - base tan plus two or three Pro Tan applications in days leading up to the show, then Dream Tan on the day of the show.
4. Ultra 1 from Jan Tana is an incredible color that you put on the day of your show and gives you that golden color that a pro tan/dream tan combo would without rubbing off. It comes as a mousse that you can put on in less than 15 minutes. Recommended – base tan leading up to show date, then Ultra 1 application on show date.
CAUTION: Be sure that you take care of your tan before arriving at the contest venue. Many venues do not allow tanning products in the facility – not even for touch-up.
When it comes to “oil” you have to be very careful! You don’t want to be oily, greasy or shiny. You should simply have a nice glow. Most people use Pam spray to give that glow. If you use it, simply spray a light mist on a small area at a time and dab with a paper towel as you go to take off excess. Neutrogena also has a lotion that gives a nice glow. It’s great as long as it doesn’t take off too much of your tan. Just remember you should be glowing – not shining.
5. What should I do with my hair?
Your hair should be well conditioned with a hairstyle that compliments your face. Schedule your monthly visit to the hairdresser a few days to a week before your show. Get all split ends cut. If you highlight your hair, your highlights should be fresh and should compliment your skin tone and suit colors. It‘s a good idea to take your suits with you to assure that your highlights will work with your colors. Some women prefer to wear their hair up and off their shoulders so judges can get a clear look at the front and back of their body. This also prevents from having to fumble with moving hair at each turn. There is no required way to wear your hair. Wear it the way that makes you feel most confident.
6.I’m really worried about “falling out” of my suits. Is there anything I can do to make sure this doesn’t happen?
Absolutely – that is the last thing that you need the judges or the audience to see! Use Bikini Bite or some type of body adhesive to hold your suit in place (in all the right places!) Apply it to your skin and/or to your suit. Let it begin to dry and get sticky for about 15-20 seconds then stick in place. Be very careful when removing the suit, as the adhesive will irritate – even tear your skin if you pull to hard. Use soap and water to remove the excess adhesive from your skin. Hand wash your suits to get the remaining adhesive off.
PRESENTATION
Prelude: Don't worry about where you place or what the judges may think of you. Focus on yourself. Be beautiful, compete and let the cards fall where they may. Getting a trophy is an exciting part of competition, but it is not the best thing about it. Making new friends is the best thing about competing. Work hard, diet hard and compete with yourself and be the best YOU, you can be.
Posing: Tensing the muscles while standing "relaxed" is hard. Torso extended and stomach sucked in. Lats flared, shoulders tensed, arms flared, legs and butt tense, heels together, and hands relaxed.
Practicing your posing is very important. Start months in advance. Practice - practice - practice.
IMPORTANT TIPS:
1. Walking. Choose your shoes early and practice walking in them.
2. Turning. When you compete you turn 4 times (1. to the side, 2. to the rear, 3. to the side, 4. to the front again) and show your physique to the judges. How you turn and where you stop when you finish turning is very important. Practice your turns until they are second nature.
3. Competition. When you are being compared to the other athletes you have to stand with your heels together. So practice the following:
· Standing to the front, heels together. Practice just standing there. You need to be able to stand like this for at least 15 minutes at a time so practice! Heels together, lats flared, delts tensed, arms flared, quads and abs tense, hands relaxed--big smile.
· Standing to the side, heels together.
· Standing to the rear heels together.
· Standing to the other side, heels together.
4. Take it One Step at a Time. Competing and posing (all with a big smile) is hard. It's exhausting. When you first begin learning to pose, don't flex too hard. Break yourself in slowly. Work on tensing just your abs, then do just the legs. When they get tired practice flaring your back and tensing your butt (Standing to the rear heels together.). The butt and back might be hard to "feel" and feel quite awkward. That is okay, just keep practicing.
You need to be able to flex and tense on command. Practice flaring your lats and tensing your shoulders. Once you can do each part alone (it may take a few weeks) practice flexing everything all at once (Standing to the front, heels together.) Breaking it down into body parts helps you get control over an individual muscle group.
Tensing the legs (or any body part) for about 10 minutes all by themselves, every other day is a great way to gain control over that part and increase separation in the quads. Flex the abs daily too.
POSING MISTAKES TO
AVOID:
Pay attention to
your hands. Don't hold your hands in an unattractive (stiff or claw like or
like a paddle) way. They should seem relaxed.
Do not lean too far forward.
Do not put your arms out like you are ready to fly.
Do not roll your shoulders forward.
Do not scrunch your back together in an attempt to tense it.
SHOES: