Bikini & Wellness Top 10 Stage Posing Tips!

TOP 10 STAGE POSING TIPS!

1. Practice your Posing

Nothing is more important than perfecting your posing routine. It is often not the Competitor with the best physique that wins; it is the Competitor that presents their physique the best that wins. It doesn’t matter how good your physique looks if you don’t show it at its best to the judges, they will only see what you show them. You could have really nice developed Glutes but if you don’t keep them tight and you drop them another Competitor with smaller less developed Glutes will come in and keep her Glutes tight, doesn’t drop them will beat you. Minor adjustments in body angles, contracting or relaxing a muscle can dramatically change how your physique looks from the Judge's angle. Bikini is all about the curves and lines of your body. Maximize and show off your strengths, minimize and hide your weaknesses

2. Increase Flexibility

A tight stiff physique on stage is uncomfortable to watch. Posing requires a lot of flexibility so that your movements are fluid and not forced, even though you are pulling your abs in, arching and twisting, you have to make it look like you are just standing there with naturally. In your, Front Poses the more you twist your waist and square off your shoulders the small your waist looks, in your back pose the more you are able to curve your lower back the tighter your Glutes and Glute/Hammie will look. Your Waist & Lower back connect your upper body with your lower body so to increase their flexibility you have to stretch the attaching muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings, ab, inner & outer thighs and of course abs & lower back

3. Walk on Stage

Your Routine starts the minute you walk on stage. You have 10 seconds to get the Judge's attention and it is up to you whether that is in a positive or negative way. It is very important not to rush to that center box, slow down and take your time, make eye contact and either smile or look sexy. I have to smile because if I try to look sexy I look pissed off, Some women can get away with not smiling and have a really sexy look on their faces. Some can do both and go back and forward between the two, know what works for you. When you practice your routine practice your walk on stage and when you finish your routine don’t rush off stage, take your time and practice your walk off stage.

4. Stage Presence

I have watched thousands of Competitors on stage and the ones that place well have that certain something special about them. They really stand out on stage.  That’s what is called Stage Presence. What is stage presence? Stage presence is carrying yourself in a Confident manner and making a connection with your audience, in this case, the judges. The two ways you make a connection are with your eyes and your mouth. If you have glazed over eyes and a stiff fake uncomfortable smile it is going to make you look uncomfortable and if you look uncomfortable the judges are going to feel uncomfortable watching you. If you don’t make direct eye contact with them they won't make eye contact with you, I m not talking about a glazed-over stare, I’m talking about a warm look directly into the Judge's eyes followed with a smile, it can be a cute smile, sexy smile, small smile, big smile, use whatever type of smile works the best for you. Smiling covers up nerves, mistakes, comfortableness and creates a connection between you and the judges, even if they don’t smile back at you they will feel your smile. It is very difficult to not like or warm up to someone that is looking you in the eye and smiling… 

5. Front Pose

This is your first pose, make sure it is your best pose, don’t just copy what you see other competitors doing, really look at your physique in that pose and make sure it is showing off the best angles of your body. The best way is to take a photo of yourself in your pose and compare it to a Pro’s photo in the same pose, then make the adjustments so your physique has the same angles hers does. Pro’s have spent countless hours practicing and perfecting their Posing & Stage presence. Your Front Pose is a very strong confident pose you want to walk straight into your pose and adjust our body into it effortlessly.

6. Back Pose

This is the pose I see Competitors make the most mistakes in. Once you turn your back to the judges you want to make sure that your lower back is arched, your glutes are firm and round and your Glute/Hammie is tight. Watch the transition in and out of this pose because that is normally when Competitors screw up the most and drop their Glutes. You don’t want to ever show the Judge's creases under your glute or soft jiggly glutes.

7. Transitions

These are poses that you use to transfer weight from one foot to the other and to adjust your body so you are able to move into the next pose smoothly and effortlessly. Transition poses are just as important as your actual poses so make sure your abs are pulled in tight, your lower back is arched, your waist is twisted and your shoulders are squared off…

8. Walk to Curtains

The walk to the curtains is very simple it is to see what your Glutes look like when you walk. This walk literally separates the winners from the losers. Keep your lower back ached and your glutes lifted, walk slow. Practice this pose so that the walk looks natural and comfortable not like you have a carrot up your ass. It should be sexy with a slight hip sway, not too much and you should be able to easily hit your back pose when you stop. Do not drop those Glutes!

9. Exit Walk

This walk is just as important as your entrance walk, it is the last impression you are leaving the judges with of you. Take your time to do and fully hit your wave off stage pose, by fully hit I mean don’t do a half up in the air floppy arm, raise it high above your head in a confident manner and use your hand, wrist, and fingers to hit the pose in elegantly, hold it for a few seconds as you make eye contact with the judges, then walk off. Practice walking in both directions so you don’t find yourself turning in a circle to go in the direction you need to exit in because this is the exact moment you will lose your balance and drop your Glutes and you will continue to walk away with your glutes dropped, soft and jiggly with a nice crease. Everything you did on stage will be ruined by your exit walk off stage. Can stress it enough, but it is very important to not drop your Glutes when your back is facing the judges

10. Diagonal

You are still being watched and judged, regardless of the competitor performing in the Box. It just takes one Glance at you from a judge to see that you look amazing or you just let your stomach go. Make sure you are hitting your Front poses and your body is twisted and angled towards the judges not towards the competitor posing or the competitors on the opposite diagonal. If you get tired holding that poses, transfer into your secondary. Do not watch the Competitor that is posing, keep your eyes on the Judges at all times, that way you won't miss an opportunity to make eye contact and smile at them. It is difficult to stand on the Diagonal with a big smile on your face so like your secondary smile make sure you have a secondary facial expression, don’t stay with a big fake smile or have a pissed off look. Move back and forth from your Primary Facial expression to your secondary facial expression…

There is so much more to posing than what is mentioned above if you would like help with your posing I would love to help you!

IFBB Bikini Competitor & Coach Gidget Migliaccio MyProPrep@gmail.com