Steve Jones Posing Routine
Flashback from the 90’s of one of my old Bodybuilding Posing Routines
There is a distinct art to posing, or the display of the human body in an aesthetic manner. Some people say whats the point in having a great physique if you don’t know how to show it! There is a fair amount of truth in that statement, especially for those that want to compete in a bodybuilding, physique or fitness competition.
Like physique creation, becoming a great posing takes time and patience, a good eye and lots of practice. The problem for most aspiring bodybuilders is the fact that they look at themselves so much that its hard to see flaws within their own posing, it takes a second pair of eyes to identify where changes need to be made, adjustments in hip, feet and arm positions.
Posing is like painting a picture with movement, yes indeed it is an art form. Some people tend to get a grasp of the concept straight away, where others take months to perfect their posing, in fact some people never really get it because they do not have someone to guide them.
One of the easiest ways to perfect your posing is to start by making each pose perfect, only then can you put them all together to creating a winning routine. It’s a little like weight training, it all starts with a single rep! A perfect rep, equals a perfect set, equals a perfect workout. If you can’t perfect one pose, what hope do you have of putting together a masterful posing routine to music!
Play to Your Strengths and Hide Your Weaknesses
One of the biggest mistakes I see many young trainers do while working on their posing is not playing to their strengths, and doing poses that show glaring weaknesses in their physiques! Lets be honest their is no point pointing at your calves if you don’t have any, or doing a ton of side chest posing if you lack chest thickness! The idea is to identify your strengths and weaknesses and construct a routine that shows your strong points and hides any weaknesses. Remember, the judges at an event only judge you on what you show them! Are you going to show them all your weaknesses?
A camera is your best friend – Steve Jones Posing Routine
Modern technology allows us to capture images instantly and review them, which was impossible back in the day when I began my bodybuilding journey. Back then we had film, which had to be developed before you could see how you looked. Now you can simply review the images on an LCD display on the camera or export from a SD card to you laptop or PC to take a close look.
Hence it makes sense to take photos in all your poses to do the following.
– Identify your strengths and weaknesses
– Identify your strong poses, and which ones to ditch.
– Look closely at your feet positions, would moving them out a little make a difference.
– Look closely at your arm positions, maybe you need to raise your elbow a little in a bicep pose.
– Check your hip positions, could leaning into one hip give the pose more of an aesthetic look?
These are just a few points that you can identify and correct by viewing photos of yourself. Its a good idea to get a second pair of eyes to look over the images as well. Just make sure you are willing to take onboard constructive critique from whoever you ask to view the images. I know some bodybuilders get quite defensive when someone points out flaws in their physique, so toughen up and take it on the chin. Better to correct flaws now, rather than be disappointed at your next bodybuilding or fitness show when you place poorly!
Next Step Capture your Routine on Video
If you are competing in an organization where you have to perform a choreographed routine to music, it makes sense to use the power of video to capture not only your static poses, but the transitions between poses. It’s most often the transitions that depict the true art and style of posing.
The idea is to flow smoothly from one pose to the next, to make the entire experience appear effortless.
Like any great artist, they make it look simple.
This obviously takes practice, and one of the best ways to get ideas is to watch some of your favorite bodybuilding posing routines, get ideas, improvise to suit your physique and experiment in front of the mirror. Capture it all on video and spend some time reviewing the footage, once again get a second pair of eyes to look over the footage and be super critical. You don’t get anywhere in this game by kidding yourself something looks good, be able to take honest feedback on the chin so you can perfect your posing skills.
Practice with and Without the Mirror
I see many bodybuilders come unstuck on show day when they get in front of a large audience. Why? Because they are use to practicing in front of a mirror where they get that constant eye to body feedback! What you need to do, or should be doing is perfecting your posing in front of a mirror and once you have in down pat, turn the other way, away from the mirror and perform your routine. This will ensure you can perform without that eye to body connection and your posing will come second nature, even in front of a large audience.
Bring the Energy and Charisma into it
Once you have the body in check and all the right moves, you need to add that finishing touch – charisma! Depending on the music of your choice, find highs and lows in the track where you can add facial expression, throw in a natural smile, make it look like you are enjoying yourself and have a true passion for your performance. One thing you don’t want to do, is look like a deer in the headlights. Or have a blank, boring expression on your face like you are not enjoying the entire experience. Stage presence comes easy for some, but for many its a thing they need to work on, just like training or posing it comes with practice. You want to portray confidence, but not cockiness or arrogance, that’s true charisma, having the ability to draw the judges and audience eyes to you, for all the right reasons.
Summary
Like anything good things come to those that work hard, and work smart. Posing is no different. I hope this short article has provided some insight into posing and will help you in preparation for any up and coming competitions. I do cover posing in more detail in my Online Program and Hard Cover Book The Aesthetic Bible. On top of the posing I pretty much cover everything from nutrition, contest diet, training, contest prep, and how to create a winning mind set.
Stay healthy and all the best.
– Steve Jones
Founder
The Aesthetic Kingdom
For all thats Aesthetic.
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Article: Steve Jones Posing Routine
Date: 18th Jan 2021