Bodybuilding Contest Judging Rounds

In the universally accepted and applied IFBB system of judging, bodybuilders are evaluated in three distinctly different rounds of judging, plus a final pose down round for only the top five competitors after the first three rounds have been adjudicated. In Round One, the competitors are viewed in groups and individually in seven well-defined compulsory poses; in Round Two, they are viewed semi-relaxed from the front, both sides, and back; and in Round Three, they perform their own uniquely personal free-posing routines to their own choice of music. Overall, this use of three rounds of judging and a pose down round results in a very fair choice of the final winners of a bodybuilding championship.

Contest Round One: Symmetry

The opening round is called the Symmetry Round. In this round you will make your initial impression on the judges. The judges will ask you to make four quarter turns to the right. As they do this they will be looking at symmetry, definition, and proportion of your muscles. It is very important to keep your abdominals tight and your muscles flexed at all times because all eyes will be on you.

Round Two: Mandatory Bodybuilding Poses

The second round is known as the Compulsory Round. This round was designed for bodybuilders to show off their development. This round requires that each competitor make seven mandatory, standard poses. They are as follows: Front double biceps, Front lat spread, Side chest, Side triceps, Back double biceps, Back lat spread, and Abdominals and thighs. Two or three competitors will present their poses to the judges at a time and then once they are finished another group will do the same.

Round Three: Free Posing

Next is the Free Posing Round. In many cases the free posing round is absolutely critical for each bodybuilder. If you have prepared the right posing routine that gets the crowd to become alive and start cheering, this will have a largely positive impact on the judge's decision.

Music is incorporated during this round as it plays while the competitor is posing. Read: Advice on choosing bodybuilding posing music.

Also read: Choosing Posing Routines.

Round Three: Pose Down - Exploit Weaknesses

The final round is the Pose Down. This round consists of 3-5 competitors on stage together, while the judges ask them to all give their best poses at the same time.

It is difficult to prepare for a pose down because you have no way of knowing who you are going to be posing against. A clever strategy would be to neutralize your opponent's weaknesses. For example, if he is hitting chest poses and your chest isn't developed as his, you should be hitting a back pose or whatever muscle you feel the most confident showing off.

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