WNBF Classic Physique poses

Also called: asymmetrical front db

1. Turn a few degrees off square rather than facing the judges flat, so one shoulder leads and the pose reads as a line, not a mirror image.
2. Bring the arms to shoulder height and contract, keeping the leading side fractionally higher than the trailing one.
3. Set the front foot on the leading side and turn it out, so the thigh sweep matches the direction the shoulders lead.
4. Draw the waist in on the exhale before the arms lock, so the asymmetry reads through the torso and not just the arms.
5. Hold the trailing shoulder a touch lower and back, which is what keeps the pose from settling back to square.

Also called: classic side chest

1. Rest both fists on the hips rather than clasping one hand in the other. The rule names the hand position, and it changes the whole shape.
2. Raise the near heel and load the calf before the torso turns, the same setup as an open side chest.
3. Press the elbows back against the grip of the hips to bring the chest across the body without punching it forward.
4. Lift through the ribcage and draw the waist in on the same breath, holding both through the count.
5. Turn the hips a fraction further from the judges than an open pose to keep the taper this division is scored on.

1. Turn side-on and clasp the hands behind the back, then straighten the near arm until the triceps lengthens.
2. Point the near leg and knee toward the judges rather than keeping it in profile. The rule names this leg position specifically.
3. Keep the near shoulder pulled back and down so the arm shows clear of the ribcage.
4. Draw the stomach in and lift the sternum on the exhale, holding the line for the full count.
5. Let the far arm stay still behind the back; movement there pulls the eye off the leg and the arm being judged.

1. Contract one fist as normal and open the other hand flat. The rule calls for one of each, not a matched pair.
2. Step the rear foot back onto its toe and keep the weight over the front leg so the hamstring line stays long.
3. Draw the shoulder blades down before pulling them together, keeping the neck long rather than swallowed by the traps.
4. Pull the waist in hard on the exhale so the back reads widest against the smallest midsection you can hold.
5. Keep the open hand relaxed rather than braced: a stiff open hand reads as an error rather than a rule.

Also called: abs and thighs

1. Take the hands behind the head with the elbows wide but relaxed, framing the torso rather than crowding it.
2. Exhale fully and draw the navel toward the spine before you crunch, so the vacuum sets the shape first.
3. Extend the front leg and lock the knee, letting the quad separate under a still hip rather than a driven one.
4. Crunch only as far as the waist stays narrow; folding hard thickens the midsection this division is scored on.
5. Hold the shoulders down and back through the count so the chest stays open above the tight waist.

Also called: Archer, Side Mantis, Teacup, Twisted Double Biceps, Victory, Vacuum Pose

1. Pick one pose from the menu (archer, side mantis, teacup, twisted double biceps, victory or vacuum) that shows your best line, and rehearse only that one.
2. Rule out anything close enough to a most muscular to be called on it; WNBF bars one in this division the same as every other classic rule book.
3. Choose a shape you can hold dead still for a full count. A wobble undoes whatever the pose was showing.
4. Set the waist and the stance before the arms or shoulders move, so the pose is built on the taper rather than added on top of it.
5. Rehearse the entry from whichever mandatory comes immediately before it, so the transition is part of what is drilled, not left to the day.