| THE MOST IMPORTANT POSE By Gary Udit |
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Back to The Edge |
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| PERFECT POSING THE MOST IMPORTANT POSE - FRONT RELAXED STANCE There may be no greater misnomer in the sport of bodybuilding than to refer to the first round of posing in the Prejudging as the Relaxed Round. When it is done correctly there is absolutely nothing relaxed about this round of competition. As you prepare for a contest the Relaxed Round deserves as much practice and fine tuning as any other round. This will be your first opportunity to impress the judges and it is vitally important to grab their attention immediately. You must look your best every second that you are onstage. Most contests use of seven, nine or eleven judges so it is reasonable to assume that at least one judge is looking at you at all times. The Front Relaxed Pose should be practiced more than any other pose in a bodybuilder’s repertoire. This is much more than just the pose you are in while you face the judges in the Relaxed Round. This is the pose that you will return to between each compulsory pose in the Mandatory Round and this is also the pose that you use when you are standing off to the side of the stage before and after your group of competitors has been compared in the Mandatory Round. This pose, like all others, is built from the ground up: Keep your heels together. This will insure that you have a small base which will enhance the v-taper from your feet to your shoulders. Bend your knees just slightly. This will give you the ability to add the look of more flare to your quadriceps. Flex your quads. One way to do this is to create leverage between your heels and hips. By pushing your heels against each other you create one point of leverage. The second point of leverage is the tie-in of your upper thighs to your hips. Turn your knees outward slightly and flex your thighs. This will bring out the separation and improve the look of the sweep on your quads. Control your abdominals. Hold your abs in. You do not have to flex them. Flexing down on your abs in the Front Relaxed pose may diminish your v-taper and overall structure because when you flex down on your abs your obliques may get wider and your shoulders will slouch slightly. There will be plenty of time to flex your abdominals correctly in the Mandatory Round. Control your breathing. The ability to control your breathing even when you are winded and nervous comes from one thing - PRACTICE! You will find that it is important to be in “posing shape”. Arch your lower back. This will improve your v-taper as your obliques will appear smaller. Hold your chest high. Flare your lats slightly. Rest your triceps on your lats. Bend your elbows slightly. Relax your hands. Keep your head up. Do not make strange faces. It is fine to smile if it comes naturally. A forced smile will look forced. A blank look on your face works every time. The judges realize that the Prejudging is the time for business so no one is expected to smile throughout the competition. Keep your jaw loose as you pose. This will help you to keep from shaking. That sounds like a lot to do all at one time. It is! You will be flexing, flaring, tensing, controlling and relaxing all at once. Practice is the only thing that will allow you to bring these steps together in harmony while still appearing to be “relaxed”. |
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