Mastering the Art of Bodybuilding Poses: Tips for Perfecting Your Stage Presence

If you are looking to compete in the world of bodybuilding, then knowing all of the most common bodybuilding poses is crucial.

Although some people might think that bodybuilding poses are just static positions designed to show off the muscles of an athlete, they are much more than that.

Bodybuilding poses are a representation of the many years of dedication, hard work, and understanding of the human body.

Each and every single bodybuilding pose tells its own story of determination and discipline, all within a sport where the right conditioning, confidence, and dedication can make the difference between getting passed over and getting a place in a show.

Today, we want to take a look at the eight mandatory bodybuilding poses and how to do them.

 

1. Side Chest Pose

One of the most common bodybuilding poses for you to master is known as the side chest pose.

If judges want to look at your quadriceps and hamstrings, particularly from a side angle, then it is the side chest pose that they'll ask for.

Of course, the side chest pose, as the name implies, also helps showcase your upper arms and chest.

To achieve the size, definition, and symmetry required for a successful side chest pose, bodybuilders will focus on working out their chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, and cats.

As you can tell, this is a very multifaceted bodybuilding pose.

 

How to do the Side Chest Pose

1. To do the side chest pose, start by standing sideways to the judges. You want to have a staggered stance, which means that one foot is slightly in front of the other.
2. The foot that is facing the judges should be slightly in front of your rear foot.
3. Now you can bring both of your legs together, ensuring to squeeze your quadriceps and hamstrings.
4. From the sideways position, you'll pivot your upper body so that you face the audience.
5. With your front arm, form a 90° angle and grab your wrist with the other, making sure to flex your arms and push your pecs outwards to emphasize the muscles in your upper body.

Related Post: Best Cable Chest Exercises For a Well-Rounded Chest

 

2. Front Double Biceps

If we are talking about iconic bodybuilding poses, the front double biceps pose is perhaps the most popular of all. This is a great way to show off those big biceps and broad shoulders.

For this pose, bodybuilders have to focus on driving the lats outward and keeping the elbows high.

To achieve great results when doing this pose, exercises such as barbell curls, hammer curls and reverse grip curls are often used to increase the size and definition of your biceps.

But don't forget to train you triceps and forearms as they will help make your arms look bigger and keep them balanced.

 

How to do Front Double Biceps Pose

1. To do the front double biceps pose, start by standing with your feet at shoulder width while facing the judges head-on.
2. Bring your fists as close to your shoulders as you can while contracting your shoulders, chest, and biceps, thus flexing both of your arms.
3. Hold the pose for several seconds so that the judges can assess your symmetry and muscle size. Ensure that you maintain tension throughout your legs and core.

 

3. Back Double Biceps Pose

Next on the list, the opposite of the front double biceps pose, we have the back or rear double biceps pose.

This is a great bodybuilding pose for showcasing the size and symmetry of your back. This is a bodybuilding pose that fully displays your traps, rhomboids, and lats, while also putting your calves, hamstrings, and biceps on display.

There are many different exercises that bodybuilders rely on to build the muscle size and symmetry required for a successful back double biceps pose, including pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, and a variety of arm curls.

 

How to do Back Double Biceps Pose

1. To do the back double biceps pose, start by standing with your back to the judges.
2. Now you want to bring your arms to your sides and flex your biceps as hard as you can. However, keep your shoulder blades open so you can spread out your lats, as opposed to pinching your shoulder blades.
3. Lean back slightly with your torso while keeping your elbows higher up than your shoulders, which helps to show off that V-taper.
4. In time, contract your glutes and hamstrings to show off the separation between your various muscle groups.

 

4. Front Lat Spread

Yet another iconic bodybuilding pose is the front lat spread. The front lat spread is about showcasing the width and thickness of your upper body, particularly when it comes to the shoulders, chest, and lats.

The main point of this pose is to show off the V-taper of the upper body, which is a trait seen as desirable as it demonstrates great conditioning. It also shows that you have a well-developed upper body as well as a tight waist.

To achieve a good V-taper, you need to have large lats, delts, traps, and rhomboids, as this creates that inverted triangle shape.

There are many exercises, especially rowing, lat pull-downs, and pull-ups, that can build the thickness and width required for this pose.

 

How to do the Front Lat Spread

1. To do a front lat spread, start by standing with your feet shoulder width, with your toes turned outwards slightly.
2. Flex your quadriceps and put your hands on your hips with your palms facing downwards. Your hands should be forming fists with your knuckles facing upwards towards your armpits.
3. While pushing your chest forward, flare out your shoulder blades and lats, while arching your back just a little bit. This will emphasize a slim waist and wide shoulder girdle.

Related Post: Build a Wide Muscular Back With Pull ups

5. Rear Lat Spread

Just like there is a front lat spread, so is there a rear lat spread.

If you're looking to showcase the thickness and width of your back muscles, particularly your traps and lats, this is one of the best bodybuilding poses of all.

If you want to build the muscles necessary to make the rear lat spread pose successful, you'll want to do exercises such as rows, lat pull-downs, and pull-ups.

Another benefit of the rear lat spread is that it helps to showcase the tapered waste and V-taper that a bodybuilder should have.

 

How to do the Rear Lat Spread

1. To do a rear lat spread, start by standing with your back to the judges.
2. Step back with one of your feet and raise your heel slightly off the ground, while contracting your calf muscle.
3. Use your index fingers and thumbs to pinch your waist at the sides. Flare out your lats and round your chest forward slightly to make yourself as wide as possible.

 

6. Quarter Turns

One of the most fundamental bodybuilding poses is known as the quarter turn.

Quarter turns are great for bodybuilders because they allow judges to look at competitors from all of the different angles.

This is a pose that emphasizes conditioning, proportion, and symmetry, all criteria that are closely evaluated in bodybuilding competitions.

This is a pose that highlights the ability of a bodybuilder to maintain control and tightness over their muscles.

To be good at quarter turns, bodybuilders focus on building balanced muscles throughout all muscle groups while paying close attention to the back, chest, legs, and shoulders.

 

How to do Quarter Turns

1. Stand upright with your feet at shoulder width apart while keeping your arms relaxed at your sides. Keep your shoulders back and your chest up.
2. Rotate your body 90° to the right while keeping your head facing forward and your feet firmly on the ground. Your legs should remain straight while your torso faces the judges.
3. Again, rotate your body another 90° to the right until you're facing completely sideways while keeping your head facing forward with your arms relaxed at your sides.
4. You now want to rotate your body another 90° so that your back faces the judges while keeping your head facing forward.
5. You'll now complete this by rotating yet another 90° so that you're facing the left side. You'll then return to the front position to complete the rotation.

Related Post: Unlock Your Chest with Larsen Press

 

7. Side Triceps Pose

Next on the list of fundamental bodybuilding poses that all bodybuilders should know is the side triceps pose. The side triceps pose is of course designed to highlight the detail and fullness of your triceps, a three-headed muscle.

Particularly, this exercise is designed to showcase the lateral head. There are many different exercises that help to train for this pose, such as dips, triceps extensions, and bench presses with a close grip.

How to do Side Triceps Pose

1. To do the side triceps pose, start with the side quarter turn position, with your left shoulder facing outwards.
2. You're now going to take your left arm and bring it across your lower back, and then place your hands behind your back.
3. Fully extend your left arm to lock your triceps while interlocking the first two fingers of your hands.
4. You'll now pull your shoulders backwards to display your chest as much as possible.
5. To maximize the width of your upper body and to make your waistline as small as possible, turn your waist just slightly.

Related Post: Exercises to Target the Tricep Lateral Head

 

8. Abs Pose

Whereas most of the bodybuilding poses that we've looked at so far are about highlighting your back, chest, shoulders, and arms, here we have the abs and thighs pose, which focuses on your legs and midsection.

If the judges want to see if you have definition in your glutes, quads, calves, hamstrings, obliques, and abdominals, this is the pose that you need to do.

Using a variety of abdominal exercises and like exercises is crucial for success when performing the abs and thighs pose.

 

How to do the Abs and Thighs Pose

1. To do the abs and thighs post, stand slightly sideways using a staggered stance while flexing your quads, calves, and hamstrings.
2. You're now going to raise your arms upwards and hold your hands together behind your head.
3. Exhale as much as you can and flex your abs as hard as possible to show as much definition as you can.

 

The Difference Between Mandatory Poses and a Posing Routine

What every bodybuilder needs to realize is that there is a difference between mandatory poses and a posing routine.

Mandatory poses are a standardized way for judges to compare the physiques of the competitors based on a variety of specific criteria, such as conditioning, proportion, muscularity, and symmetry.

These poses have to be precisely executed in order to showcase their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Being able to master mandatory poses is crucial for success in any bodybuilding competition because they are the foundation of a competitor’s presentation. This is how you earn high scores from the judges.

We then have a posing routine. A posing routine is simply a choreographed performance that lets bodybuilders showcase their physique in an individual and artistic manner.

Unlike our mandatory poses which have to be performed by all competitors and are standardized, posing routines give bodybuilders the chance to express their style, personality, and creativity.

Posing routines are usually quite fluid in nature and highlight a variety of transitions between poses. Posing routines aren't mandatory in competitions, but they're often used to create a lasting impression on the audience and judges alike.

Related Post: What Muscles Does Decline Bench Press Work?

 

Final Thoughts

In terms of the various mandatory bodybuilding poses that you have to do at a competition, if you are able to master all of them, being a winner is surely in your future.

If you manage to combine a solid bodybuilding posing routine with your mandatory poses, you'll be sure to leave a lasting impression on the judges.

One of the key parts of being successful at posing is practising regularly. This practice will help your movements look fluid but also help you identify muscle groups that need extra work to build the symmetry the judges will be looking for.

The final tip is to have fun with your posing and play around with the poses to find ways to showcase your strengths.