It was a brilliant move on the part of the NPC and IFBB to establish new competitive divisions within the last four years, as it expanded the competitor pool and boosted the appeal of stepping on the competitive stage.  However, each new division has gone through growing pains as the judges have struggled to establish specific criteria with respect to ideal proportions and muscularity.  The added fact that some individuals have stepped onstage with little to no prep has confused some competitors with respect to what is expected within a division.

As an NPC Bikini competitor I have seen the Bikini Division undergo countless permutations since its inception in 2009.  Personally, I have been told to become softer, lose mass, increase mass, stop working my abs, resume working my abs, etc., as the division’s standards went through their permutations.  This year it seems that the burgeoning Bikini Division along with the recent crop of IFBB Bikini Pros has propelled the division to an ideal which appears to reward a slightly higher degree of muscularity.  To some extent it seems that this is the direction in which Men’s Physique is travelling.  However, there are a number of Men’s Physique competitors who without question had previously competed in Bodybuilding (as is the case with some former Figure competitors who have since made the transition to Bikini) and who are currently being penalized for having more muscle mass.  Certainly there must be some clear distinction between each division, but the degree of subjectivity which enters a competition can make determining class winners a somewhat tricky undertaking.

Now that Men’s Physique is in its second year, with a growing list of IFBB Pros who have graced the stage with such status, the confusion about what judges are looking for seems to have lessened somewhat.  Clearly an excessive degree of muscle mass is not being rewarded, and instead a well-conditioned, highly sculpted frame with an appreciable V-taper and deep abdominal crosscuts is the most highly sought ideal.  It seems apparent that the well-conditioned “fitness model” look, perhaps with slightly more muscle mass in the pecs, delts and abs, has defined Men’s Physique and that those who ride the fine line between this division and Bodybuilding are being advised to deflate somewhat.  This being said, being ripped on competition day is acceptable provided a competitor is not beefy or thick-waisted.  There has also been considerable discussion regarding the lack of focus on the lower extremities and the assumption that quad development is of no importance since any quad sweep or hamstring development is completely covered by the regulation board shorts which are worn.

There has been an interesting parallel between the comparison of Men’s Physique to Bodybuilding versus comparisons of the Bikini division to other women’s divisions.  With the exception of the deeply cut abs in Men’s Physique competitors, muscle separation is generally frowned upon in both Bikini and Men’s Physique.  In addition, neither Men’s Physique athletes nor Bikini athletes are meant to sport an extreme degree of muscle mass.  After all, both of these divisions are meant to celebrate the ideal bodies one could imagine emerging from the ocean on a balmy beach day, with tiny waistlines on both genders, broad shoulders and chests with chiseled abs on the men, and perky posteriors and shapely legs on the ladies. These ideals are generally considered more appealing and more attainable to the average person, and as a result, have contributed greatly to the surge in popularity of both divisions.

The Men’s Physique division is still the new kid on the block and will endure more growing pains as the division’s pro ranks increase.  However, as with all other divisions, the competitors who rise to the top will help to define the aesthetic ideal, hopefully bringing about more consistency within the division.  It is a very exciting time.