16: Why You Didn’t Win Your Competition

Welcome back guys!  The minute you get off stage I’m sure most of you will agree that you want to see pictures and video of you up on stage. You will ask everyone you know how you did and how well they think you placed.  After the competition, if you didn’t place as well as you hoped, you might even take a moment to visit the judging table or email the promotor to get feedback to find out how to improve. 

Many times you still don’t get the answers you seek.

So in today’s episode, I put on my Competition Judge's hat, and break down in detail the various reasons you didn’t win your competition from a judge’s perspective. 

From open heavy weight bodybuilders to bikini competitors, from NPC competitors to WBFF competitors, this episode is for all of YOU.

After you listen to the episode, head on over to our Facebook group called The “Everything Else” In Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders and let me know what resonates with you!

Key Takeaways:

*What being a subjective sport means as a bodybuilder (1:43)
*My experiences as a panel judge and head judge of bodybuilding shows (2:55)
*Using the open men’s bodybuilding division as a judging example (5:02)
*Using the Wellness the division as a judging example (9:51)
*Using the Men’s Physique division as a judging example (12:01)
*The good and the bad on getting judging feedback after a show (15:15)
*Using the Bikini division as a judging example (16:45)
*How judging for the WBFF and the Fitness Universe pageants are different than traditional bodybuilding competitions (18:14)
*Things you CAN control when competing in bodybuilding competitions (22:19)

Additional Resources:
-Grab your free bikini, figure, or men’s physique posing tutorial at www.learntopose.com
-Go to posingwinsshows.com to learn how the program solves 3 big problems holding you back from winning and then schedule a zoom call with me
-Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com 

 ——TRANSCRIPT——

Bodybuilding is a subjective sport where you prepare months, even years, for a show only to have minutes of time to be evaluated by a judging panel full of opinions deciding how well you compared to the people on stage. Can you spot how many unpredictable layers there are to this statement?  Let’s break them down and then ask ourselves again why you didn’t win your show. 

Starting with the word subjective which means based on personal taste, influence, or opinions.

Next the concept of only having minutes of time to captivate the judges.  

Followed by the word opinions, meaning more than one opinion.  

and Lastly, the idea of being compared to others. 

So in essence, you have to impress more than one person that each comes from different walks of life, backgrounds, experiences, and experience levels, no matter if you are having a good or a bad day, and you have no control over who you are standing up on stage next to and what they look like.

Do you see yet how difficult judging really is and how little you have control over what happens that day?

Let’s add some more layers.

I’ve judged and head judged for multiple federations.  As a panel judge I’m one of a group of people that is scoring the competitors on stage. 

In more traditional bodybuilding shows, when tallying up the scores, the highest and the lowest scores get dropped from the group of judges to remove the outliers.  So think about that. It is built into the scoring system an expectation that there will be outliers. No matter the experience level of all on the panel, there are still differing opinions. The goal of the scoring is to find the most consistent opinion among the group.  And this will change depending on who is judging, the region you live in, and how well the judge knows the criteria being scored. 

Next let’s talk about the influence of the head judge. When I am head judging, I am not scoring competitors. My job is to position the competitors on stage in a way that tells a story to the judging panel.  I move people around on stage and position those who I believe are top 5 next to each other in the center of the stage. I move people to compare body types.  I cue all the competitors through all their mandatory poses which of course depends on the division.  It is then up to the panel judges to score the competitors based on their own opinions.  There have been times where I’ve sat through the awards portion of the show and seen people win their division who I did not have as the winner in my opinion.  

Very rarely are decisions unanimous in the open categories.  Open categories include all ages, height, and weight.  Some divisions segregate weight, like bodybuilding for example.  Some divisions like bikini, figure, and men’s physique segregate by height on the amateur stage when there are a lot of competitors but then once you are a pro you can be 4’11’ standing next to a 6’ competitor. A pro is a pro.  Some pro federations do have weight limits and height limits for pro categories like the 212 division or the classic physique division in the NPC/IFBB.  

But not with the IFBB open bodybuilding division - it’s open.  So you can be 5’10 and 300lbs standing next to 5’2” 250lbs. 

To win the coveted prize, the ultimate championship title, it’s the best competing against the best. And WHY someone would pick the 300lb person over the 250 person isn’t so simple as saying, well, bigger the better. The bodybuilding category isn’t just about size. Two other pieces of judging criteria are symmetry and conditioning. So you can have big muscles but can’t look like the Michelin man and win. You have to be lean enough to show all the shapes and lines of your muscles.  But even having size and conditioning won’t make you a slam dunk winner.  You need balance among the muscles from top to bottom and from one side to the other.  

So, again, using the open men’s bodybuilding division as an example, what if someone is super shredded but not the biggest guy on stage?  And let’s just say this person is standing next to someone that has a LOT of muscle mass, beautiful shape and symmetry, but he comes in soft, meaning he isn’t lean enough to show the definition of the muscles like the guy who showed up shredded where you can see every line and every detail. Who would you choose as the winner?  If you are a judge, you are probably answering me in your head saying, it depends.  Judging is not cut and dry.

We need to take things a step further and start breaking apart the physiques from top to bottom, side to side, then also scoring the bodybuilding muscularity poses themselves.  You can be overall big but have lagging body parts and the smaller guy might edge out the bigger guy by bringing an overall better package.  And by better, remember, this isn’t simple. 

So for example, big guy can absolutely dominate on his rear lat spread pose but his chest pose might not be as good as the 250 guy so he would lose on this pose. These small details become even more important the higher the level you compete on.  Which you will hear me say like a broken record, you need to know how to pose your body. As the stakes get higher, your posing will make or break your placement.  You might get away with it on smaller stages where there bad posing can sadly be the norm, but not for long, if you start climbing the ranks or compete in federations where there is an incredible amount of competition on the amateur stage, never mind the pro stage.  

You need to work or consult with someone who SEES these small differences.  Sees the best in your physique and the areas that need improvement. And can shape and angle your body in a way that highlights your best features and minimizes the flaws. 

I was teaching my weekly virtual class for my Posing Wins Shows signature program the other day and we had some new people join the program.  I had the group provide feedback to the new people about their experiences so far and one person’s response to the new people was that I see every. Small. Detail. Another person said they just went to a bodybuilding show as a spectator and left the show feeling so confident that her preparedness is so far beyond what she witnessed on stage at the show.  And another person said that she was excited to be a part of the program where she will hear what she needs to hear to get better after spending years competing in competitions and not really knowing why she wasn’t winning and what she needed to do to improve. 

And it’s true. I see people differently.  I see shapes, angles, details. And I am able to spot that extra something about you that makes you a stand out.  I don’t say this to get all high on myself. I’m saying this because it’s these small details that will either make you a champion or cost you a title.. 

Why I am even going to go as far as to boldly say that I think the amount of posing coaches out there is diminishing our sport. Yup I said it. If you think I’m being a snob, oh well. Love me or hate me I’m always going to tell it how it is.  Every single detail matters when competing and not everyone can see these details.  Most posing coaches see people at the macro level.  Macro meaning, from a distance.  Here is the pose, watch and follow. They don’t see these small details in each person so everyone’s posing looks like a clone of the others.  But here’s the thing, the same look isn’t flattering on everyone.  People come in all shapes and sizes. From short and stocky, long and lean, to short waisted, to long torso.  None of these physiques are better than the other, just different.    

Here’s an example.   Wellness competitors.  Wellness is a new category that everyone is trying to figure out how to pose for.  Wellness has 4 poses.  Front, left side, back, and right side.  I’m seeing this particular move where a majority of people are bending over when they turn to the side before standing upright into their side pose.  They are sliding their hands down their leg, sticking their but out, and then standing up. 

You know what it reminds me of?  Have you seen the movie Legally Blonde?  There is a moment in the movie where Elle Woods demonstrates at the beauty salon the “bend….and snap.” move to her friend because her friend is super shy and really likes this guy that comes in every day to the salon.  Elle leans over and drags her hands down her body only to abruptly stand upright or “snap” up to standing.  It’s supposedly THE MOVE that will get the attention of the guy.  Google it and you’ll see what I mean. So lots of bend and snapping going on in Wellness now.  I see it in bikini competitors too and I even saw it on a WBFF stage too.  Everyone is watching the same videos.

I get it. You want to stand out. But here’s the deal.  If you are copying everyone else’s posing, you aren’t standing out.  If you have a short waist, squatting down when doing the bend and snap will make you look shorter and thicker. Sitting down into your legs and shoving your glute towards the judges condenses your body and makes it look thicker. Wellness is looking for thick legs, but not a thick waistline.  You want to show a small waistline and if you naturally do not have one, you do not want to follow the same posing techniques as someone who does. You are only making HER look better. 

I’ll say it again, you have to impress more than one person that each comes from different walks of life, backgrounds, experiences, and experience levels, no matter if you are having a good or a bad day, and you have no control over who you are standing up on stage next to and what they look like.

My point about the posing is that Every. Detail. Matters. In every division.

Men’s physique.  

Guys, the way you angle and shape your body is critical. You are not being scored on your legs so your legs are more like an accessory.  An accessory.  I say this all the time about arms and hands to my posing clients. They are an accessory that contours and shapes your body or a complete distraction.  If your arms are shaping your body like you are riding a motorcycle…some of you know what I mean….think about it what you see when someone drives by on a motorcycle.  Their arms are out in front of them, hands clenched around the handles into fists.   I’m seeing this shape with arms out front and fists clenched all over the place in men’s physique division.  I’m not sure who started this move, but people saw it and it became a trend. 

I remember I asked a men’s physique competitor to help me demonstrate something for an audience. He had a great physique and won a show so I thought he was a perfect fit. When demonstrating the back pose, he lifts he arms out front to grab the invisible motorcycle handles. I ask him to drop his hands and he pushes back and says, this is how we pose in men’s physique.  Remember, he won a show so why would he think there is nothing to improve. What he doesn’t realize is he won because he had the best physique compared to what was on stage THAT DAY.  He might not be so lucky if he stands next to a guy with a similar physique and a better presentation. 

Remember, winning depends on who you are standing next to.  By shifting your arms out front you lose the lower lats.  So in essence you are shrinking the appearance of the width of your back and the V shape.  This is critical for men’s physique because again, you aren’t being scored on your legs so the focus is on the upper body.  This posing error is even more costly in this division. So I ask him.  Do you know what you are being scored on?  He couldn’t really answer the question. 

He really didn’t know.  

I asked this same question to my Posing Wins Shows class the other night. Each week I have a topic of discussion for everyone to learn about.  This week I asked everyone to answer if they knew what the judges are looking for in their division and federation.  I have men and women from all federations and divisions so I thought this would be fun.  Once again, no one had a real definitive answer.  

If you don’t really know what you are being scored on, are you ever really going to know why you didn’t win?  Or what to improve on?  

No one is teaching the details. And these details will make or break your placement. 

Bodybuilding no matter the divisions is all about the details.  As a judge we have to pick apart all these details to determine the winner. As a competitor you might be focusing on the wrong things or not be aware of what you are missing in your presentation that is throwing things off.  And it’s not just posing I’m talking about.  Presentation includes your total package including the amount of muscle you have and the level of conditioning, or leanness, you bring.  It ALL matters.

You will hear many say to get feedback from the judges after the show.  Feedback can be critical but you need to consider your source.

Even on the last episode of the podcast, if you haven’t listened, be sure to do so, on the last episode, Dr. Escalante said that one of the biggest flaws in peak week is that you just weren’t lean enough.  Many people will try to do last minute adjustments and take diuretics to look leaner when in actuality, you were just not lean enough, so no amount of diuretics will come to the rescue.  And it doesn’t help that there are judges who are unable to make that distinction.  Or like Dr. Escalante said, judges might be sugar coating their feedback to not make you feel bad when you just worked months to get to show to not be lean enough.  I’m not sure if that’s the case or if literally they don’t know that what they are seeing is too much body fat, not water. 

Sometimes the judges feedback ISN’T good. They might not have the experience yet to know the difference between holding water and not coming in lean enough. And here’s a big one, they might SEE that your presentation on stage is “off” but might not know why or what to say to you to make it better.  So they might say a blanket answer like, get better at posing. And you might not know any better so you don’t realize that not all posing coaches are the same. Not all have the same eye and attention to detail.  So you might end up being that girl doing the bend and snap on stage or that guy riding your motorcycle.  Every detail matters.

Judging for categories like bikini and wellness is even more subjective than all the other categories.  I think it’s actually quite difficult to win a bikini competition.  In bikini, no matter what federation from NPC to OCB to WBFF the amount of muscle and level of conditioning is less than the rest of the categories. The standards of what constitutes an acceptable amount of muscle is different between the federations, but what is not different is that the level of muscularity and conditioning for the bikini division will always be less than the other divisions, no matter the federation.   

With the bikini division, the judges are looking for a foundation of muscle, tight waist, enough conditioning to show shape but not excessive leanness or striations, and a great overall presentation.  What’s great presentation?  What’s a foundation of muscle that isn’t too much?  What is enough conditioning without being too lean?  It really depends on who you are standing next to on stage.  And it depends on who is judging too.  If the panel of judges have bodybuilding backgrounds, the opinion on amount of muscle and level of conditioning might be different than a panel of judges with no strong history of bodybuilding. Or even men versus women judges.  What the men think it acceptable for amount of muscle on a women might be different than the women on the panel.  I see some federations choose physiques where it’s the leaner the better.  And others go for the softer the better, like more of a beach bikini look. And again, it depends on who shows up.  Bikini isn’t an easy category to nail.

Which leads me to judging for other federations where the scoring is not the same as more traditional bodybuilding federations. Two that come to mind are the WBFF and the Fitness Universe pageants. I’ve judged and head judged for traditional bodybuilding federations and I’ve also judged for the WBFF which is more like fitness meets fashion meets photoshoot modeling.  I can tell you from experience that you are not being judged anything like other federations like the NPC, OCB, and WNBF. In the WBFF you will never see someone win the bikini division and win the fitness model division.  In comparison, I was just at the NPC nationals and saw the winner of the Figure category win the physique category.   I’ve also had posing clients of my own show up to a WNBF show and win figure and fit body, which is their version of the physique category.  

This is an important distinction. 

If you are someone who is accustomed to crossing over divisions and you show up to a WBFF show and think you might clean house and win all the divisions at the show you will be very disappointed.  WBFF fiercely protects the look of their category and will show a clear line between winners of categories no matter who shows up.  But here’s the deal with WBFF.  You might win a pro card at a local show in the figure category or a men’s muscle model category but when you step on the international pro stage you might not have enough muscle to compete against the pros in that category so you might transition to the diva fitness model category or the men’s fitness model division instead.   Once you are a pro in the WBFF you can change divisions.  

So back to the scoring for these federations. What are they looking for?

In the WBFF.  40% of your score is marketability.  20% is stage presence, poise, and confidence.  And 40% is your physique.  So let’s do the math together.  60% of your score has nothing to do with your physique. 

Male muscle model is 60% physique but still….40% is marketability.

What’s marketability?  How do you prepare for marketability?  

The Fitness Universe federation is similar in that they are looking for marketability also.  Many of the people that graced the covers of magazines back in the day when getting on a cover of a magazine was the ultimate goal, many of these people won the Fitness America contests.  So marketability literally meant getting modeling gigs in magazines.  

This has changed a lot in the last 10 years with social media. Now we are seeing more influencers and people who dominate fitness on social media in these magazines.  People who have never won a show or even stepped on stage before.  What makes them so marketable?  One thing that is consistent is there is an “it” factor about them. A certain look that is pleasing to the eye.  A “look” and an “it factor” that is most likely to captivate a large percentage of the population.

So how do you prepare for these shows that are looking for an “it factor?”  When 40% of your scoring is on your physique and 60% is everything else.

I can tell you as someone who has judged for these shows, you have to be an absolute stand out on stage.  

Think about everything I talked about and then let’s all ask ourselves again why you didn’t win your show. 

It depends on your division.  Your federation.  The skill of the judging panel.  Who you are standing up on stage next to.  The presentation you brought from level of muscle, level of conditioning, and the shapes you are making with your physique on stage and how well it compares to the others.  

The answer isn’t cut and dry.  

As you can see, there are things you cannot control, but what you CAN control is YOUR level of detail.  Pay attention to all the details in your division and what you are being judged on.  Align yourself with people who are detail oriented who can help you refine these details.  Be open to changing federations that might be a better fit for you.  You might do better in a more traditional bodybuilding federation, or you might have an “it” factor and totally slay in a federation that judges heavily on marketability.  Try competing in different regions, different federations, and in front of different judging panels.  And most importantly, bring your absolute best physique to life and give it all you got on stage.  

And almost even MORE important, remember, it’s you against you! There has to be more driving you than just the trophy.  All bodybuilders, no matter if you are a men’s open heavy weight or a women’s bikini competitor, everyone, wants to WIN.  Your physique is your trophy.  Your confidence is your trophy. Your physique transformation is your trophy.  Your transformation from Nervous Ned or Nervous Nelly to a crowd loving superstar on stage is your trophy. Your ability to do something extraordinary is your trophy.   

Alright guys I hope you took away a lot from this episode on scoring for competitions and won’t be that guy that throws his medal across the stage because he didn’t win his show.  Yes, this happened.  Don’t be that guy or that girl. 

Details Determine Destinies.

Thanks guys for tuning in. Be sure to tell the podcast people that this show is noteworthy and leave a review on iTunes or share the show in groups on social media to spread the word. In the mean time, if you want someone to help you with the details, like what federations or divisions are good fit for you, things you specifically need to work on that are holding you back from winning, and someone to put all the pieces together that will help make you look like a champion for whatever federation or division you want to compete in, come join my signature Posing Wins Shows program.  When you are in, you are in for all of your shows.  I’ve got men and women across all divisions and federations preparing for shows in as soon as a few weeks to over a year away. Go to posingwinsshows.com to learn how the program solves 3 big problems holding you back from winning and then schedule a zoom call with me to get started.  Alright see you on the next episode!