The Basics of Bodybuilding Competition: Contest Structure

The ultimate goal of an amateur bodybuilder is being able to participate in a competition. This is not easy at all, and probably most of us will never accomplish this goal. However, in order to stay prepared, this post initiates a series providing useful information for the newbie competitor. In this first post, I will focus on the contest structure.

A bodybuilding contest is typically structured in two different phases, namely the prejudging and the evening show. In the prejudging phase, the competitors are evaluated in three rounds. Each round is used to evaluate specific competences in the participants. These rounds are described below, though they do not always occur in this specific order.

The first round of the prejudging is the Symmetry Round. In this round, proportion and symmetry are closely evaluated, focusing on the relationships between the muscle groups. The more evenly developed the competitor is, the higher he will be placed. There is no direct flexing in this round. Instead of this, competitors stay in the Standing Relaxed position. This position consists of standing with heels together, toes pointing out at a 45-degree angle, and lats semi-flared. While standing in this position, the competitors are viewed from the front, both sides, and the rear. Despite being a “relaxed” position, it is in reality semi-flexed, since every muscle should be tight on stage.

The second round of the prejudging is the Muscularity Round (also known as Comparison Round). This is where the real flexing begins. In this round, mass and definition are closely evaluated, by comparing the level of muscular development and definition each competitor has acquired in relation to the other competitors. The comparison is driven by a series of General Mandatory Poses, though the judges can additionally request other poses (a.k.a. Optional Mandatory Poses). General Mandatory Poses include Front Double Biceps, Front Lat Spread, Side Chest, Side Triceps, Rear Double Biceps, Rear Lat Spread, Abdominal & Tight, and Most Muscular poses. I will describe in detail these poses in a later post. Examples of Optional Mandatory poses are Front Victory, Rear Victory, Serratus Intercostals Twisted Crunch, Flexing Calves from the Rear, Flex Thigh and Twist and Rotate, Crab Most Muscular, Hands on Hips Most Muscular, Hands Behind Back Most Muscular, and Flex Hamstrings.

The final round of the prejudging is the Free Posing Round, where competitors are allowed to freely express their muscularity by going through their individual poses routines. Depending on the organizing association, this round can be accompanied by music or not. All components including stage presentation are evaluated during this round, providing an overall impression of the competitor.

The evening show allows the competitors to show the audience what competitive bodybuilding is all about, by free posing with music of their choice. Notice that after the prejudging phase, all participants have already been placed except for the overall winners from each weight class. The winners from each weight class and the overall winner are decided in the evening show after the posedown.

You can find further information about bodybuilding contest structure in the “Competition” section of ExRx.net site and in the article “Bodybuilding Competition FAQ” by Steve Kidwell.