Bikini Posing: NPC vs Natural, Break Downs and Tips!
Bikini Posing: NPC vs Natural, break downs and Tips!
It’s important to know which federation you are competing in to know which posing you are permitted to do. There are some key differences in federations. For example, the NPC only has two poses, the front pose & the back pose while many natural federations of Bikini have 4 poses or Quarter Turns. Below you’ll find the breakdown and comparison of the main poses, but keep in mind that poses are going to continue to evolve and new ones will be used. Depending on your federation you might have more freedom to find a pose that flatters your physique best. When in doubt, pick a pose that is the most flattering to YOUR physique.
Practice Your Posing
No matter which federation you choose, you must practice posing regularly. It’s surprising how many ladies diet for 12+ weeks and only practice posing once a week or wait until only a few weeks out before beginning to practice posing. It is actually possible to place higher than a better physique than yours if you are able to show yours off in a better way! This is great news because we can't always control how our bodies respond to prep, but we can sure practice posing daily. Truth be told- you can also have an incredible physique, but if you can't pose in a way that is elegant and flawless, the judges will mark you down for it. I want to walk you through a break down of the poses using photos from various competitors and shows and offer you some advice and a few tips that I've learned over the years competing and suit making competition bikinis and posing suits for several hundred competitors in countless bodybuilding organizations including NPC and natural federations OCB, INBA/PNBA, NGA, NANBF/IPE.
NPC Bikini Posing
NPC poses for Bikini may differ from a number of other natural federations and their specific mandatory posing requirements. Every little detail matters on an NPC stage with only 2 poses and ultimately you and your coach must decide which specific positions flatter your physique the best.
Angle In / Square up to the Judges
Regardless of your federation if you are placed on either far end of the stage you are going to want to angle yourself toward the judges so they can see you.
NPC Bikini Front Pose
NPC Front Pose: Option one
Your toes can be staggered as well I just prefer them on the same line. You are going to want to tilt your hips forward and to one side so your glutes show and think about your booty touching your back. Make sure both of your shoulders are down and equally forward. You may want to hike your suit higher up on your glute so the suit doesn't land in the center of the glute.
NPC Front Pose: Option 2
Be sure to sink your weight on that leg closest to the judges your feet are angled to the right and you twist your upper body to the judges. They want to see your big full shoulders, tight small waist and large full glutes/ legs. Hold core tight, don’t let ribs flare.
Thanks Mackenzie Murphy for showing us this pose.
NPC Bikini Back Pose
Your weight is centered with both hands down.
- Keep your head up and don’t look at the floor
- Push your knees apart to show your glute-ham tie-in
Moving your hair is optional, they judges may look at your back. Give them more to judge and move your hair once your legs are set.
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Natural and Other Federation Poses
Your toes must be on the same line, hips must be square and the weight off to one side with one hand on hip and you can open your toe to a 45-degree angle.
Bikini Front Pose
- Keep your rib cage down
- Engage your core
- Quads loose or flexed depending on physique
- Keep a soft relaxed hand, avoid the “barbie hand”
Bikini Posing - Quarter Turn - Bikini Side Pose
The leg closest to the judges must be bent and the back leg straight.
- Make sure to tuck in that rib cage and suck it in!
- Make sure that booty is turned up and twist your upper body toward towards the judges
Bikini Back Pose
Weight off to one side, one hand on hip, practice having a flat back - no chicken wings. Keep your head up and don't look at the floor.
Bikini Walk
Walking to the front
Bring your sass, personality and have some fun! You can walk toe over toe like you are walking on a tightrope, or you can have them shoulder-width apart, whichever looks more natural.
Walking to the back
Walk SLOW, keep the glutes turned up, and avoid any junk in the trunk shaking at all costs!
Your Posing Suit matters!
An impressive physique needs and impressive bikini. You should consider having a good practice posing suit and a blinged out competition bikini. Selecting the right bikini style, cut and coverage will appropriately show off your physique and highlight your assets. More bling is a good thing - Wearing a beautiful competition bikini will boost your confidence which enhances your posing that can ultimately affect your final placing. Beyond that, a good suit will have just the right cut & coverage for your organization and your body. Your competition bikini MUST fit you properly, its color should compliment your hair & skin tone it should capture your personality.
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Mistakes
You might practice every day and do everything you are supposed to, but so many variables are still at play on show day. The floors might be sticky or slippery, you might be more nervous than in practice, you might be dehydrated or under fed (I hope not) and feel light headed on stage. All of these will make posing more difficult and increase the risk of a mistake.
- If you make a mistake on stage, pretend nothing happened! Just like the photo below where I nearly fell out of my box turn but was able to play it off as if I tried to do that. Don't cringe your face in practice if you fumble your feet, keep going, keep smiling, and pretend it didn't happen!
Face
-Practice with your stage smile (even if you feel silly) because you revert back to how you practiced posing on stage if you are nervous
-Stare down the judges to catch their eye ( pretend in practice)
*Note photo of me staring into the souls of the judges below*
Transitions
- Always keep your glutes turned up
- Try to keep palms & arm pits away from judges, they are all dirty from the tanner
- Maintain eye contact with the judges for as long as possible
- Don't look at the floor or where your feet are
- Clean your hands and feet before turning
Salute/ Wave
- Use your hand farthest from the judges because no one wants to see your nasty armpit
- One finger is also okay, find what you like best
Practice
- 5 full box turns every day minimum!!
- Pose with a coach once a week minimum!
- Don't become dependant on the mirror! Make sure you can still nail your poses without a mirror
You can work on what your coach tells you to work on all week long and your transitions become so easy you don't have to think about it. Be sure your feet are conditioned for show day, clock your time in those heels. I know many people who even meal prep in their heels!
Mobility & Recovery
If you can't tilt your hips up as much as you would like, schedule an RPR session with me or someone who is RPR certified so we can help get your hips moving freely!
Posing is very hard on the body and I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a chiropractor if you are a bikini competitor (or any competitor). Posing is lopsided and puts your hips in unnatural positions, this is terrible for your spine if you don't correct the positioning. Here are some things you should do to limit this damage
- Do crunches before and after posing to counteract the massive anterior pelvic tilt that posing requires
- On things like deadlifts be sure to tuck your tailbone and squeeze your glutes all the way through with no anterior pelvic tilt.
-If posing has created an anterior pelvic tilt for you. I highly recommend investing in this video to give you an understanding of it, and foam rolls and stretches to correct it. bit.ly/anteriorpelvictiltvideo
Message me on Instagram @Camiswole if you have any questions or are interested in a posing session with me. I hope this information was helpful to you and remember to practice practice practice!! :)
Credits
-Suits by Shine Bikini (formerly Perfect Fit Gear )
- Tan by Wicked Tan
- Posing by Kelsie Olson
- Contest prep by Dusty Olson
- Photography by Liquid Spectrum
- Chiropractic Smart Fit Chiro (formerly Fit Family Chiropractic )