Courtesy of Terry Goodlad of BodySport.com
As expected this is a hotly debated subject, just as it has been since the advent of figure and the advent of fitness before that.
I know Jim Rockell very well both professionally and personally and I could drivel on forever with all sorts of wisdom and experience and the end result would not probably change. I think its more important that competitors understand what they should expect so they know why they may not get the result they are hoping for so they either change the right things or change nothing at all.
NPC/IFBB physique judging is subjective. I like dark haired exotic girls with mysterious eyes and a strong jawline. My buddy Mark likes blondes that look like colledge students. Another buddy Coy likes Asian girls and could care less about butts but likes larger breasts. We can all three describe the perfect woman in general terms and sound as if we are describing the same woman but when the three girls actually showed up they would be worlds apart.
I know many of the IFBB judges and we have all discussed our favorites and why. Its not a bad thing or unfair, its human nature to have a preference. Judges are trained to look for certain things though.
Athletes think its called hard and soft.
Judges only consider hard and soft when the competitor has too much of one or the other. Judges look for a proportionate body, balanced conditioning, muscular definition meaning being able to identify where one muscle group ends and another begins. For overall appearance they look for how a body flows…small joints contrasted against and gently flowing into sweeping muscle bellies. The differential between small and big…tiny waist, wide shoulders, wide quad sweep producing an hour glass shape. Not overly stark, like a bodybuilder but a gentle flow from small to big.
If we think in terms of hard and soft then we are missing the point.
Think of it as being conditioned and athletic, balanced and proportionate. To achieve that perfect balance for your body you may have to be 15% bodyfat or 5% depending on your particular body and how it looks best. Gina Aliotti made the point best in her interview on Fitness and Figure Talk Radio. She is most proportionate at the levels of bodyfat she was at the Arnold. Jim Rockell felt she carried too much muscle but her shape is exceptional, there was no one better on that stage in that regard as this picture shows.
So, do what you have to do to make your body look the best it can with respect to those categories, proportion, balance, conditioning to look athletic but not muscular and forget about hard and soft. Getting hard is easy, just grind and diet, shaping your body for balance and to flow is the magic that will make you place higher. Bigger is not better, better is better. If you can achieve this you may not win, but you will look the best you can look.
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We also have to realize that judges can only judge what is on stage. If the most proportionate and balanced competitor is a little harder and a girl that is softer, perhaps more in line with what we feel should be where we want our figure competitors to be does not have the level of balance and proportion then often times the nod will go to the harder girl leaving us to think they are looking for harder bodies.
They can only judge what is on stage and there is a lot more to it than just hard and soft. Like I said, that only comes into play when an athlete is too much of one or the other.
I cover almost all the IFBB shows and NPC National level shows for Oxygen Magazine so I see in the area of 25 to 30 shows a year and while I don’t always agree with judging, most of it does make sense. Last year there was only one show that I felt was a screwed up mess. LIke I said, I don’t always agree but even with calls I don’t agree with the majority of the time I see the rationalle. Thats where preference comes in.
Since there is no measurable mark to hit like in tennis or football this will be a tough sport to succeed in. The women I know that have done well stopped competing with others and focussed on making their bodies the best they could be.
Michele Flake trained like a bodybuilder, thought like a bodybuilder, and prepared for a show like a bodybuilder and did nothing. She took a year off, lost a ton of unneccesary muscle, took 4.5 weeks to shape up and won two IFBB pro shows back to back. Its about shape, balance, proportion and a conditioned athletic looking physique. Its not about size and hard or soft.
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Steroid use in figure should not be necessary. Many girls here would be surprised I think at how many top pro’s DO NOT use anabolics or growth and do very well…its just assumed they all do so many upcoming stars follow that path in hopes of turning pro.
There are also lots of pro’s that do use drugs and you can tell on their faces and bodies. I know at least 6 top IFBB pro’s that went clean and their competitive careers took off…yes, they did better without the drugs.
If you need to take steroids or growth to be competitive in figure then you are either really doing something wrong or you may be in the wrong sport. Drugs will not give you balance or proportion. They will help you get big and hard and the message is clear that is not what they want.
If you are interested in getting anywhere as a model then avoid drugs completely as they mess with your skin and face. On our Boards Dr. Ryan is willing to speak freely about how drugs affect your skin and face from a scientific perspective. Its real and it is irreversible.
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