Women's Bodybuilding poses

Also called: front double bi, FDB

1. Place one foot slightly forward and turn it out, keeping the weight even so the stance reads deliberate rather than braced.
2. Take the arms to shoulder height and close the fists, turning the knuckles down until the biceps sits at its fullest.
3. Open the back before the arms fire, so the width behind the arms is already there when they contract.
4. Blow the air out and hold the waist drawn in for the whole count rather than resetting the breath mid-pose.
5. Tighten both thighs and the forward calf so the pose runs to the floor rather than stopping at the hips.

Also called: front lats

1. Set the thumbs into the waist just above the hip bones and take the elbows forward until the lats begin to open.
2. Widen from underneath the armpit rather than from the shoulder, which is what gives the torso its taper.
3. Hold the shoulders down as the spread reaches its width so the neck stays long.
4. Keep the ribs down and the stomach flat while the back opens, or the waist widens with it.
5. Press through both legs and hold the quads so the lower half is not resting while the judges read the upper.

Also called: side pec

1. Turn to the side you present best and raise the near heel, loading the calf before anything else moves.
2. Take the near arm to a right angle and clasp the wrist with the far hand, then press the two against each other.
3. Lift the ribcage and roll the near shoulder toward the judges so the chest carries across the body.
4. Push down through the raised toe to keep the hamstring and calf under tension for the full hold.
5. Angle the hips away from the judges to keep the waist narrow in profile.

Also called: rear double bi, BDB

1. Set one foot back on the toe and shift the weight forward so the rear leg holds its line under tension.
2. Bring the arms up and contract, then ease the elbows back a fraction to open the upper back between them.
3. Pull the blades down and together in that order — together first buries the detail under the traps.
4. Add a small forward tilt at the pelvis to sharpen the lower back without lifting the ribcage.
5. Keep the head still and facing forward for the whole count rather than checking the mirror.

Also called: rear lats

1. Set the hands at the waist with the thumbs forward, then push the elbows out to open the back.
2. Open from the bottom of the lats first so the widest point sits low, under the armpit.
3. Let the neck stay long and the traps quiet while the back does the work.
4. Take the opposite leg back from the one you used in the back double biceps, so both calves get shown.
5. Empty the lungs into the spread; a big breath in narrows the back from behind.

Also called: side tri

1. Turn side-on and take the far hand behind the back to grip the near wrist or fingers.
2. Push the near arm straight against that grip until the triceps lengthens and separates.
3. Set the near foot flat and the far foot on its toe, as the rule book describes, before you settle.
4. Raise the chest and pull the near shoulder back so the arm stands away from the ribs.
5. Draw the stomach in on the exhale and keep it in for the whole hold.

Also called: abs and thighs

1. Take both hands behind the head and step one leg forward, heel down and toe up.
2. Empty the lungs first, then contract the abdominal wall — a held breath blocks the crunch.
3. Straighten the front knee and hold it locked so the thigh separates under the skin.
4. Keep both elbows at the same height so neither side of the waist shortens.
5. Press the ribs down through the hold so the midsection stays tight rather than braced wide.