i judged bikini this weekend

[stephaniewicked]

J - Congratulations to your wife! She looks amazing!!

I've been dieting since the beginning of January for a bikini show in 4 weeks and I'm appalled by the (speculated) number of girls just jumping on stage for the hell of it when some of us have been working our asses off in preparation for a show. Even moreso, knowing the controversy surrounding this division, I want to show that I worked hard, dieted right and earned my way onto the stage. Hopefully that effort will reflect for those who truly put forth the work and stand out from those who effortlessly showed up on contest day.

Thanks for sharing your judging experience, Tammy!

[JVALDEZ]

J - Congratulations to your wife! She looks amazing!!

I've been dieting since the beginning of January for a bikini show in 4 weeks and I'm appalled by the (speculated) number of girls just jumping on stage for the hell of it when some of us have been working our asses off in preparation for a show. Even moreso, knowing the controversy surrounding this division, I want to show that I worked hard, dieted right and earned my way onto the stage. Hopefully that effort will reflect for those who truly put forth the work and stand out from those who effortlessly showed up on contest day.

Thanks for sharing your judging experience, Tammy!

Thanks steph,go out there and rock that stage girl!

[stephaniewicked]

Thanks, J!

Hey Tammy... how did the girls pose (if at all)? I can't imagine standing on stage without posing in a presentable fashion, yet it seemed that some girls at the AC were just kinda standing there when they were off to the side. I heard on Muscle Girls radio last week that there isn't any required posing except for feet together during call outs.

[Fitswim by Celeste]

we are having our first bikini show this weekend, and it is always a huge show - probably around 120-140 competitors, so it should be interesting to see how many there will be for bikini. i do wish they would wait a year before they start handing out pro cards - kind of ridiculous IMO.

[pnohe]

I can tell you that the competitor that I am prepping for bikini at the Jr. usa's is BUSTING HER ASS!!!!! here is the difference as I see it from a trainers perspective.... She just does not have the natural ability to put on the kind of muscle that is being sought on the top national or pro level (I know because of the girls I currently work with and have worked with in the past). that being said, why not try this new class? she will look great at the Jr. USA's and if anything less than 100% commited atheletes show up, it will be lights out!!!!!!!!!

support the sport and the atheletes!!!!!!

[~gymdiva~]

well figure started out the same way on the local level...there were girls who CLEARLY had no clue as to what a figure contest was...this will go the same way for a little while...

[BadBoy]

i was at the npc mr ms buffalo this weekend where i judged my 1st bikini class. granted this is a regional show, but it seems as though these girls dont train or diet...seems though they said..i wanna do a show today...as showed up.

It's bikini.

What about that makes you think they work out?

[Allifit]

The damn Show (IFBB, NPC) is run by MEN....and those men are promoters who like to make money. Bikini is just a greedy way to make more money with NO consideration of the sport of BBing.....PERIOD!

agreed esplendido- and I find it disheartning.....

[tammyp]

Thanks, J!

Hey Tammy... how did the girls pose (if at all)? I can't imagine standing on stage without posing in a presentable fashion, yet it seemed that some girls at the AC were just kinda standing there when they were off to the side. I heard on Muscle Girls radio last week that there isn't any required posing except for feet together during call outs.

quarter turns, stage walk but not formal poses, more like hand on hip, that sort of thing.

[sassy69]

I can tell you that the competitor that I am prepping for bikini at the Jr. usa's is BUSTING HER ASS!!!!! here is the difference as I see it from a trainers perspective.... She just does not have the natural ability to put on the kind of muscle that is being sought on the top national or pro level (I know because of the girls I currently work with and have worked with in the past). that being said, why not try this new class? she will look great at the Jr. USA's and if anything less than 100% commited atheletes show up, it will be lights out!!!!!!!!!

support the sport and the atheletes!!!!!!

I get where you're coming from, but this statement bothers me a lot. How do you know she doesn't have "natural ability to put on muscle"? How long has she been lifting? 16 weeks of busting her ass? IMO I don't think people should be allowed on stage in a physique competition until they've done at least 2 yrs of solid lifting. Its TIME SPENT and MUSCLE EARNED. That's how you get "that kind of muscle". Those are the same people we all rolled our eyes at in Figure shows. And now they've dropped the bar even lower.

Sorry for the rant... It so feels like they're rewarding newbs and nothing else. Anyone who wants to go above & beyond moderatetly tight is probably too manly.

.. LOL Ugh.

Anyway I am still staying open-minded about this category & hoping to see some frustration by next year for the girls who are more advanced in their physiques who are looking for some love.

Best of luck w/ your client. I don't agree that its appropriate for open cattle call for the national shows this year either. People work hard to qualify for those shows in the other categories. But I guess that's why I don't work for the NPC.

(sorry for the sour grapes...)

[sassy69]

quarter turns, stage walk but not formal poses, more like hand on hip, that sort of thing.

I hope they start specifying something. The stuff I saw at the AC show included things like shitty posture.. you'd think they'd know better ....

[Skeptic]

Evidently Bikini is not offered up here in Canada, well at least in Ontario. That according to the only FBB at my gym.

[Allifit]

I get where you're coming from, but this statement bothers me a lot. How do you know she doesn't have "natural ability to put on muscle"? How long has she been lifting? 16 weeks of busting her ass? IMO I don't think people should be allowed on stage in a physique competition until they've done at least 2 yrs of solid lifting. Its TIME SPENT and MUSCLE EARNED. That's how you get "that kind of muscle". Those are the same people we all rolled our eyes at in Figure shows. And now they've dropped the bar even lower.

Best of luck w/ your client. I don't agree that its appropriate for open cattle call for the national shows this year either. People work hard to qualify for those shows in the other categories. But I guess that's why I don't work for the NPC.

(sorry for the sour grapes...)

Don't be sorry for "sour grapes". I'm glad I'm not the only skeptic.

I began lifting at age 18. I didn't do my first show until I was almost 21. That was NABBA. Then I took MORE time off to lift and did my first NPC show at 23 where I won the overall and qualified for nationals. Since, I've done the IFBB North Americans where I got 13th in my class, then the Arnold Am where I placed 6th.

My point with stating that, is that I lifted for nearly 3 years before I did a show. I continue to lift hard and work hard each and every day I'm in the gym. When I began lifting I was 110 lbs. 110 lbs. At 5'6"1/2 that is stringy. I couldn't curl 10 lbs for more then a few repetitions. Now I've weighed as much as 155 in my offseason and have a competiton weight of 128. I can curl 45lbs for reps. I had a body that most people would haved written off as never being able to gain muscle, and it simply isn't so. Yout statement that she "Cannot gain muscle" resonates with me because you cannot sit back and think that a girl doesnt have the natural ability to put on muscle without ACTUALLY giving her body that chance. It's not something that happens in 16 weeks.

And Sassy's statements about lowering the bar are spot on.....how much lower can we go?

[sassy69]

I respect anyone who gets in the gym & kills it for a goal, but I started lifting when I was 16. I went years being the only girl in the gym and getting soo many dirty looks for being a girl touching the free weights and not staying in the "women's section". I didn't do my first show until I was 35 and I agonized over being "good enough" to even aspire to call myself a bodybuilder. And now people are trying to get on stage after < 12 months of training and getting all up in arms about how much more muscle they need to add by their next show.. which of course, is how we get into the whole steroid discussion. Anyone can kill it for a couple months, but can you do it for 27 years w/ the same gusto you walked into the gym w/ the first time?

But I guess you get my point. But like I said, props to anyone who goes into the gym w/ a goal. Lift hard ladies! Your bodies are strong and beautiful and never let anyone tell you you can't accomplish any fucking thing you want. You might not do it "this season" but I'll personally kick anyone directly in the gonads that tells you that you "can't". The gym is all about blowing the boundaries away. But it takes time. The journey is the reward. The boundaries you blow away are just places you stop to take a look at where you are.

But by the same token, what's the point if the boundary is reachable by just about anyone? That's how you breed mediocrity.

[Allifit]

But I guess you get my point. But like I said, props to anyone who goes into the gym w/ a goal. Lift hard ladies! Your bodies are strong and beautiful and never let anyone tell you you can't accomplish any fucking thing you want. You might not do it "this season" but I'll personally kick anyone directly in the gonads that tells you that you "can't". The gym is all about blowing the boundaries away. But it takes time. The journey is the reward. The boundaries you blow away are just places you stop to take a look at where you are.

But by the same token, what's the point if the boundary is reachable by just about anyone? That's how you breed mediocrity.

and this is how I feel about bikini unfortunately. When promoters and judges have openly said they want girls with "little to no muscularity" on stage in the regards to this "bikini" thing I tend to draw the line....