Tag Bikini division

NPC and IFBB Bikini Division

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376621_463938016969973_674137610_nThe NPC and IFBB established the Bikini division in 2009 for women who did not want to gain the muscle mass necessary for bodybuilding, fitness or figure. Bikini is defined by a toned physique but without the excessive leanness seen in the other divisions, with an overall feminine shape. What I love about the bikini division is that it enables competitors to show a flirty attitude onstage. This division has grown tremendously among competitors and spectators since its inception, but has gotten a bit of heat from naysayers who hold onto the “bigger is better”approach in bodybuilding.

Here are the NPC guidelines for the Bikini division:

• Competitors will compete in a two-piece suit.
• The bottom of the suit must be v-shaped.
• No thongs are permitted.
• Competitors can compete in an off the rack suit.
• All swimsuits must be in good taste.
• Competitors must wear high heels.
• Competitors may wear Jewelry.

Height Classes
For National Level Contests that are Professional Qualifiers:
• Up to and including 5’1”
• Over 5’1” and up to and including 5’2½
• Over 5’2½” and up to and including 5’4”
• Over 5’4”and up to and including 5’5½”
• Over 5’5½” and up to and including 5’7”
• Over5’7
A promoter can choose to have fewer Height Classes for non-national level contests as follows:
For all Contests with Two (2) Height Classes:
• Up to and including 5’4”
• Over 5’4”
For all Contests with Three (3) Height Classes:
• Up to and including 5’4”
• Over 5’4 and up to and including 5’&’
• Over5’6”
For all Contests with Four (4) Height Classes:
• Up to and including 5’2”
• Over 5’2” and up to and including 5’4”
• Over 5’4” and up to and including 5’6”
• Over 5’6

Competition Judging
Presentation
Competitors will walk onstage alone and perform their Model Walk (personal preference).
The Model Walk consists of the following:
• Walk to the center of the stage, Stop and do a Front Stance,
• then a full turn and do a Back Stance,
• then turn to the front again and face the Judges as directed,
• then proceed to the side of the stage.
Comparison Round – Two-Piece Swimsuit
• Competitors will be judged wearing a two-piece swimsuit and heels.
• The competitors will be brought back out in a group and directed to do a full Front and Back Stance.
• Judges will have the opportunity to compare competitors against each other in half turns. (No side judging permitted, front and back only)

NPC and IFBB Women’s Divisions

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Fitness, Bikini, Bodybuilding, Womens Physique

Fitness, Bikini, Bodybuilding, Womens Physique

Although competitive bodybuilding began as a men’s sport, women gradually edged their way in. The first true female bodybuilding competition in which women were judged solely on muscularity was held in Canton, Ohio in 1978. Women who are drawn to the bodybuilding division focus their energies on building maximum muscle mass while keeping body fat percentages very low, goals which echo those found in male bodybuilding. In other words, women’s bodybuilding is the female analogue to men’s bodybuilding.

Women’s bodybuilding increased in popularity over the years, but several other women’s divisions have been established which embrace different ideals in terms of the female physique. You can see from the image at the top of this post how different degrees of muscularity come into play within different divisions.

I will go into more detail about the other divisions in separate posts, but here is a brief synopsis:

Fitness: This division is characterized by an athletic, well-muscled but not overly muscular body. In this division, women perform routines in which they show their strength, agility and flexibility.

Figure: This division is similar to fitness, but there is no choreographed routine performed onstage. Athletic frames with appreciable shoulder and back development with slender hips are the ideal.

Bikini: This division, established in 2009, rewards a very lean but much softer look than what is seen in other divisions. Muscle striations are a big no-no in this division.

Women’s Physique: This is the newest division added to the NPC and IFBB, established in 2011. Competitors in this division are more muscular than figure or fitness competitors, but do not possess the same degree of muscularity or conditioning seen in women’s bodybuilding.

What Are The NPC and The IFBB?

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picture2life_99681_originalFor those of you who do not know what the NPC and the IFBB are, here is an explanation.

The NPC stands for the National Physique Committee, which is the number one amateur bodybuilding organization in the world. Most serious amateur competitors who have a goal to earn professional status will compete as amateurs within the NPC to attain prestigious IFBB Professional Status. The NPC was established in 1982 by Jim Manion and is the amateur arm of the IFBB. The IFBB, which stands for the International Federation of BodyBuilders, encompasses 160 nations and is the big granddaddy of professional bodybuilding leagues. Ever since Lee Haney became the first NPC Nationals champion to attain IFBB status, the majority of the greatest IFBB athletes reached this status via the NPC. Those of you who may have followed bodybuilding over the years may recognize names such as Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, Cory Everson, all of whom competed in the NPC before becoming part of the IFBB as professionals.

The best athletes in competitive bodybuilding flock to these organizations and elevate the sport with their tremendous physiques.