Bodybuilding Information

Classes of Competition

The NANBF recognizes seven (10) classes of competition. They are as follows:

Teenage Men 13 - 19 & Teenage Women 13 - 1913 - 19

Novice - A competitor that has not won first place in a Novice division , having at least three competitors, of any organization. A competitor that has not placed in the top three in any open division, having more than three competitors, of any organization. Novice must be defined in the contest poster, flyers, and entry forms. If warranted by the quantity of entries, the Novice class can be further divided into separate height classes.

Collegiate - contestants shall be full-time students (at least 12 credit hours) in accredited schools and must produce current valid student identification.

Collegiate competitors must present a letter from an accredited college or university with the contest entry form stating that the entrant is currently enrolled as a full-time student in said college or university. The letter shall be dated not more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of submission of the entry form and shall include a telephone number for verification, as well as a legible contact name.

Open classes - are open to any male or female competitor regardless of age of accomplishments.

Sub Masters - contestant shall be male or female, age thirty-five (35) to forty-four(44). Sub Masters age requirement must be stated on the contest posters, flyers, and entry form.

Masters 40+ - Any bodybuilding or figure competitor 40 or above.

Masters - contestants shall be male or female, age forty-five (45) to fifty-four(54). Masters age requirements must be stated on the contest poster, flyers, and entry forms. Masters competitors must present valid identification.

Grand Masters-contesGrand Masters - contestants shall be male or female, age of fifty-five(55) & over Grand Masters age requirements must be stated on the poster, entries.

Mixed Pairs - competitors shall be paired as one male and one female.

USA Super Pro Qualifier- Must have placed in the top three in any open NANBF division for the past 2 years to compete in the USA Super Pro Category.

Wheelchair - Any competitor with a permanent disability that is confined to a wheelchair.

Required Posing

STANDING RELAXED: In this round, the individual classes shall stand together in a line facing the judges, and will be in a relaxed position. The head judge will call for a series of simultaneous quarter turns to the competitors' right. The judges will look for the competitors' degree of perfection for perfect symmetry, overall muscular development as each muscle group relates to the total appearance, as well as the degree of body fat and water retention. The most outstanding competitor receives a score of one (1).

MANDATORY POSING: in this round, the class shall remain in the line up facing the judges. The head judge shall call out each pose on the official list of mandatory poses. Judges may shift the order of the line up for the comparisons. The official mandatory pose list is arranged to follow the series of quarter turns to the competitors' right. The judges will view the competitors’ body part by body part, and will look for the degree of hardness, the muscle separation and definition or cuts, the striations and relationship of each body part to its adjacent components. At the end of the mandatory poses round, each judge should define a summation of each competitors total ranking as to the degree of perfection of the development of each body part in comparison to all other competitors in the class. The most outstanding competitor receives a score of one (1).

INDIVIDUAL FREE STYLE POSING: This round is designed for the competitor to highlight his/her most favorable development in the fashion of their favorite poses and should be choreographed to music of the competitors choosing. Music should be in good taste. In the free style posing round, each competitor takes the stage alone and performs for a period of 60 to 90 seconds at the discretion of the promoter. NANBF national events limit free style posing to 60 seconds. Mixed pairs competitors may pose free style for up to three minutes. The judges will look for the competitors ability to display his/her most favorable part as well as the ability to favorably present his/her weak parts.

Judges will also assess the competitors’ presentation in regard to smooth flow of movement, fluid transitions between poses, the artistic ability to present poses, and the ability to incorporate dance or gymnastics without the dance or gymnastics overpowering or superseding the bodybuilding poses. In short, the judges will watch for the beauty and grace of the performance in conjunction with the incorporation of accepted bodybuilding poses. Again, the most outstanding competitor receives a score of one (1).

Physique Criteria

The considerations to be included in judgment of physiques in all NANBF sanctioned events shall include three co-equal dimensions:

SYMMETRY: Symmetry refers to the structural harmony of the physique including the structural size on the muscles, the relation of each muscle in a group to all other muscles in the group. It shall also include the balance and proportion of components (upper and lower body, upper and lower parts, and front and back). Also to be considered is the degree of separation, definition and detail. Symmetry is a measurement of evenness of development and how well the parts of the physique fit together.

MUSCULARITY: Muscularity refers to the size of the muscles, their shape, separation, definition, and hardness or visibility of striations and vascularity. Muscularity is determined by the extent of development in relation to the size of the skeletal structure. Also to be considered is the shape and contour of the developed muscle and muscle groups. Of equal importance is the separation or lines of demarcation between adjacent muscles, and striations delineating sections or fibers within the same muscle group, and the degree of firmness of muscle tone. Body fat retention and water retention are conditions which should subtract from an athletes degree of perfection in this round.

PRESENTATION: Presentation is the effectiveness of display of the competitors’ most favorable development, including posture, carriage, projection, posing ability and stage presence. Skin quality, evenness of tone, choice of posing outfit, and grooming are also considered. The selection and order of poses used in the individual routine and the finesse in assuming them, along with smoothness of transition between them are factors included in the judgment of presentation.

In the case of female competition, we stress that these are bodybuilding contests, not fitness contests. Female competitors shall be judged in accordance with the prescribed criteria.

In the case of mixed pairs, also included in presentation shall be the complement of one physique to the other, the synchronization of movement between the two competitors, and the originality of the routine devised by the competitors. Separate movements are encouraged verse just mirroring each other throughout the routine.

Details of Physique Judgment

Certain markers are evident within the structure of physique judgment embraced by NANBF. These markers help to clarify the dimensions of judgment, (muscularity, symmetry, and presentation). Judges are required to consider all aspects of each dimension of judgment and to use these markers to compare and make placements within each NANBF sanctioned competition.

MUSCULARITY: In comparing muscularity, judges should look for evidence that the competitor is a bodybuilder, with muscularity that is greater than average. An impressive development of muscle, and not the definition of average muscularity achieved simply by dieting, is the quality sought in this area. In gauging muscularity, the judge should examine the degree of muscularity over the entire body.

In the arms, judges should look for prominent bifurcated peaks in the biceps, and separate and distinct development of the brachialis and coracobrachialis. All three heads of the triceps should be visible and exhibit appropriate thickness and size. Muscle in the forearms should give the appearance of having 75% of the circumference of the upper arms when flexed and have necessary detail.

The shoulders should exhibit all three heads of the deltoids in a balanced development, separated distinctly from the trapezius, chest and muscles of the upper are. Also in this area, in the back region, the trapezius and neck muscles should be developed and visible. The traps should extend down into the center back muscles and infraspinatus and teres minor groups should be visible.

From these, the lat sweeps widely from the spinal insertions to beneath the arms, giving the back width. There should also be a deep furrow along the lower spine reflecting thickness of the erector spinal muscles.

From a frontal view, the chest should exhibit developed pectorals which are thick and defined. Upper and lower portions should be distinguishable and approximate equal thickness. Tere should be no puffiness in male contestants, which is evidence of prior steroid use. Beneath the chest, the abdominal area should be clearly visible, with at least three horizontal grooves, the third being at the level of the naval or slightly below. A vertical groove should be visible along the midline, with the abs clearly separated from the external obliques by lines which arc around and extend downward and inward. The serratus anterior should be visible above the obliques, and below, the interla obliques and tensor fasciae latae should be visible above hips.

The legs should feature balanced development of the quadriceps at the front, as well as that of the adductors along the inner thigh. From a rear view, the gluteus should be of a muscular nature, squared and trim rather than appearing soft and round. Separate and distinct development should be evident in the leg biceps when rear poses are done, featuring the biceps femoris, semitendinosis and smimembranosis. Calf muscles should be developed and appear prominent from the front (tibialis) and rear (gastrocnemius should be noticeably divided between the two muscle heads, with the medial head somewhat longer. Calves should have a 60% circumference ratio when compared to the upper legs.

In looking at these muscle groupings, judges should be aware of the SHAPE, SIZE, DEFINITION and HARDNESS of each muscle. Muscles should have a pleasing contour (shape), with origins and insertions that give them the appearance of appropriate placement within the anatomy. Average or long bellied muscles are more desirable than short bellied, in that they do not leave gaps in the physique (such as a gap near the inside elbow for a person with a short bicep muscle, or a long gap in the achilles area for someone with a short calve muscle). A full, well-positioned muscularity has a more favorable appearance and should be judged accordingly. Size is not necessarily the key determining factor, but evidence of thick muscularity is desirable in comparing qualities among bodybuilders.

The aspect of definition is equally important in judging muscularity. it must be possible to distinguish between muscles and muscle groups, as in demarcation of muscle outlines, as well as the visibility of striations between fibers within a separate muscle. Leanness is important but an anorexic or overly dieted appearance is not advantageous nor desirable. Definition within the confines of a well-muscled physique is what judges should be looking for. Definition and hardness are the signs of a "finished" physique which is the result of hard training, the absence of body fat, and a limited retention of body water. Vascularity is a sign of a defined muscularity.

SYMMETRY: In evaluating symmetry, the judge should be concerned with the harmony and proportion of the physique. This evaluation should begin with the SKELETAL STRUCTURE itself. Although a competitor may be limited by his genetic structure, the judge has to honestly examine this characteristic to make necessary distinctions between bodybuilders. The ideal structure should include a near-equal ratio of torso to leg length, broad shoulders and narrow hips for a man, with similar proportions for a woman. Furthermore, skeletal deformations must be judged as imperfections despite the athlete's inability to change them.

Symmetry also includes judgment of muscular development and the muscles themselves. The upper body and lower body development should be synergistic and fit together well. Likewise, the arms and legs should be in proportion to one another and also within each front to back. The physique should look balanced from the front, back and side, with no angle overshadowing the others. Within the muscles themselves, balance must be existent pertaining to quality of muscle peak, height, development, length, shape and proportion.

A final aspect involves definition and hardness. There should be evenness between hardness in the upper and lower body, between extremities and the torso and between corresponding sides of muscle groups or the entire body (between arms and between legs).

Judging symmetry involves finding defects within the physique by careful evaluation, which are separate from defects found in the area of muscularity. Symmetry is a difficult marker of physique competition to be judged.

PRESENTATION: The focus in presentation is on all aspects of the performance other than the actual physique itself. Elements of display such as posture, carriage, projection, posing ability, attire, skin tone and grooming are all concerned. Presentation judging begins with the SEMI-RELAXED round, in examining how the contestant presents himself. Contestants should face the position request by the judges (side, front, etc.) without twisting, posing, moving, etc. They should stand erect and symmetrical, weight on both feet and arms at the sides. Any movement (posing) which impairs the judges' ability to look at the presentation should be reflected in a markdown in scoring, costing the athlete possible higher placement. Grooming is also examined during this time, which the emphasis on the athlete's ability to present a well-prepared and attractive appearance. Included here are evaluations based on hair style and length, skin tone (free of blemishes not under his control), discoloring of skin, tan quality and evenness, stretch marks, sagging skin, etc. Jewelry other than rings and non-hanging earrings is prohibited.

The individual POSING ROUTINE gives competitor the opportunity to present the competitor's stage presence and ability to display his/her physique. The routine should include a broad selection of poses (to show all aspects of physique and be non-repetitive) and have an orderly progression of poses with smooth and finessed transitions. Likewise, poses should be held long enough for judges to gain an impression of the physique. Also, routine should fundamentally be a bodybuilding display, and not dance, gymnastics, burlesque or other displays.  However for judging purposes the individual score will be placed on their total stage presence as described above and not just the routine 

Use of these techniques can enhance a routine if used sparingly, but judgment of posing should not be totally predicated on outside athlete or dance ability. The competitor should enjoy the routine and communicate this to the judges and audience with the absence of gritted teeth, grimaces, quivering or shaking, balance problems, arrogance, etc. Slouching or lack of attention between requested poses should be viewed negatively by judges and reflected in scoring.

Presentation involves a significant amount of pre-contest preparation, which is reflected in everything from stage presence to the posing routine. Many elements make up this portion of judging, all which should be considered when placing competitors. Presentation should be judged separately from muscularity and symmetry.  It will be scored on a 1 to 5 scale against a competitor's own ability.