Practicing Bodybuilding Pose - Standing Relaxed


Practicing Bodybuilding Pose - Standing Relaxed

Round one : Standing Relaxed Pose

The first round of bodybuilding competition is called standing relaxed, but it is anything but that. It is also called a symmetry round, as if all the judges are supposed to be looking at is the shape and proportion of your physique, but that is also incorrect (although a lot of judges don't understand this). Every round in the bodybuilding contest is a physique round and the judges should be looking at everything they can see all the time.

To practice for standing relaxed pose, stand straight up, feet together, your hands at your sides. In all posing, you start from the ground up, so begin by flexing your thighs. Some bodybuilders bend their knees slightly to help flare out the thighs, but sometimes this can make you look too squat, so look in the mirror and see if you look better with your knees locked or slightly bent. Tuck your butt in slightly, pulling up with the abdominals, which tilts the pelvis slightly and helps keep the abs tight and defined. Extend your spine upward, keeping it as long as possible. Stretch the spine; don't lift the shoulders. This allow you to stand tall and expands the chest. Flare your lats slightly, enough to push your arms out to the side, but not so much that it appears you are doing a lat pose. Tense your arms, make sure your abs are flexed, and keep your face relaxed.

In theory, the proper way to pose for round one "standing relaxed pose" is to hit this pose to the front, turn 90 degrees to the right and keep hitting it, turn to the back, to the other side, and then again to the front - keeping that same standing relaxed pose the whole time. In practice, when they turn to the side, competitors tend to straighten the arm nearest the judges, flexing the triceps, and twisting in their direction as well. This makes no sense at all in a round designed to show the judges your overall shape and proportion. But as long as the head judge allows it, competitors will try to get away with whatever they can. However, the better your symmetry, the less we would advise your flexing and twisting to hide it.

The only way to condition yourself for standing with all of your muscles tensed for long periods of time is to do it. Stand with your thighs and abs tensed, your lats flared, your pecs massive. Don't be too obviously posed, but let your arms hang almost naturally at your sides. Use a clock or a stopwatch and practice standing relaxed pose like this for one minute, then turn and stand for one minute facing each of the other three directions. Flex the calves, especially when your back is facing where the judges would be, and don't forget the leg biceps, the buttocks, the lower back and the lats; keep the waist pulled in, be conscious of the whole body. A few minutes of standing relaxed pose will exhaust you, but you need to keep at it until you can stand like this for half an hour or more without shaking, sweating, cramping, or looking too strained and anxious. It is best to practice this with a training partner watching to see that you keep everything flexed and warning you when you start to let down.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

FREE Bodybuilding Tips and Advice

Name

Email

Get your Bodybuilding Supplements at discounted price

Find out More About Bodybuilding Posing

Copyright 101 BodyBuilding All rights Reserved. Sitemap

All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy