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NPC and IFBB Women’s Bodybuilding

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female-bodybuilderBoth men’s and women’s bodybuilding focus on building as much muscle as possible. Female bodybuilders go through “bulking” phases just like the men do, consuming many calories and training with very heavy weights. During the “cutting” phase, competitors drop significant amounts of body fat while making every effort to retain their hard-earned muscle.

Before you assume that one needs only to be loaded with tons of muscle, you should be aware that judges also critique competitors on their overall symmetry, balance and conditioning. Symmetry refers to the muscle bellies, with complete symmetry on both sides of the body as the desired goal. Balance refers to the proportion of muscle development throughout the body. In other words, a bodybuilder may have a very developed back but little calf development, or may have huge biceps but little shoulder development. Both examples will make a competitor look out of proportion. Conditioning refers to the degree of muscle definition in a competitor. If a bodybuilder does not dehydrate properly, he or she may hold interstitial water and end up obliterating muscle definition when onstage. Accordingly, if insufficient carbohydrates are consumed pre-contest, the muscles will be depleted of glycogen and will look flat.

One of the most potentially enjoyable aspects of watching the female bodybuilders is seeing their posing routines. Female bodybuilders perform onstage barefoot with two piece suits and make sure that their routines incorporate mandatory poses during their routines, while also showcasing their grace, athleticism and creativity.

Here are the NPC Guidelines for NPC Women’s Bodybuilding:

Women’s Bodybuilding Competitor Rules and Regulations
Check-In – Competitors will be checked in and weighed.

Posing Suits
• All suit bottoms must be V-shaped, no thongs are permitted.
• Suits worn by female competitors at the Prejudging must be two-piece and plain in color with no fringe, wording, sparkle or fluorescents.
• Suites worn by female competitors at the Finals must be two-piece but may include a printed design with fringes, lace, sparkle or fluorescents that are in good taste.
• All Prejudging suits will be checked at the morning check-in.
• Competitors are not permitted to alter the fit of the posing suit by hiking it up in the back or by pulling up the sides during Front and Rear Lat Spreads.

Female Weight Classes
2 Classes
• Lightweight,……………Up to including 125 lbs.
• Heavyweight….. …. ….Over 125 lbs.
3 Classes
• Lightweight……….. ..Up to including 125 lbs
• Middleweight………..Over 125 up to including 140 lbs.
• Heavyweight …. ……Over 140 lbs.
4 Classes
• Lightweight…………….Up to including 115 lbs.
• Middleweight………….Over 115 up to Including 125 lbs.
• Light-Heavyweight…..Over 125 up to including 140 lbs.
• Heavyweight. …….. …Over 140 lbs.
NOTE: Class Winners of the drug-free NPC Team Universe Championships go on to represent the United States in the IFBB World Championships that follow the IFBB weight limits below and for all polygraph tested events.
• Lightweight…………….Up to including 114 ½ lbs.
• Middleweight …………Over 114 ½ up to including 125½ lbs.
• Heavyweight…… …….Over 125 ½ lbs.

Prejudging Posing
Rounds for Male and Female Competitors
Judges will score competitors according to the NPC “Total Package” which is a balance of Size, Symmetry and Muscularity.
Relaxed Round
• Keep your feet flat
• Keep your heels together
• Hold your aims at your sides
• No twisting
• Your head must be facing the same direction as your feet.
Individual Round
• Begin when ready — no signal is necessary from the Head Judge.
• Maximum of 60 seconds with a warning when 10 seconds remain.
• You are not obligated to use all 60 seconds.
• Lying on the floor is not permitted.
Mandatory Round
• Front Double Bicep
• Front Lat Spread
• Side Chest
• Side Triceps
• Rear Double Bicep
• Rear Lat Spread
• Abdominal with one thigh

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.

NPC And IFBB Men’s Physique Division

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IanWhen the NPC established the Men’s Physique Division for male competitors in its bodybuilding events back in 2011, it fueled an impressive interest in competing among men who were in great shape but not big enough to compete in the bodybuilding division. Suddenly a division popped up which did not demand the extreme muscularity that characterizes Men’s Bodybuilding. But what are judges looking for in the Men’s Physique Division? They want to see men who are fit and who display great shape, muscularity, conditioning and symmetry. Overall proportion trumps massive muscle bellies here, but keep in mind that Men’s Physique competitors have a decent level of muscularity.

Men’s Physique competitors are split up into different classes on the basis of height instead of weight. Local and regional events will usually have an Open division (all ages), Masters 35+, and at times a Masters 45+ division. At the national level, only a couple of contests feature a Masters Division, forcing many older competitors to compete against those much younger in the Open Divisions. IFBB Men’s Physique Pros compete in one class regardless of height or age.

Attire for Men’s Physique competitors consists of board shorts which sadly cover the majority of the quadriceps and the hamstrings. Competitors compete barefoot.

During judging, each competitor is expected to walk to the center of the stage individually and perform front and back poses for the judges. Once each competitor has had a chance to hit his poses, judges will call out competitors to the center of the stage for comparisons.

NPC and IFBB Men’s Bodybuilding

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Men’s bodybuilding can best be characterized as the quest to be as big as possible. The concept of “bigger is better” certainly applies here. During the “bulking” phase, male bodybuilders will consume massive amounts of calories and train at the gym with Herculean strength in an effort to put on as much muscle mass as humanly possible. As contest day approaches, a “cutting” phase is employed in which competitors drop significant amounts of body fat while making every effort to retain their hard-earned muscle.

Before you assume that one needs only to be loaded with tons of muscle, you should be aware that judges also critique competitors on their overall symmetry, balance and conditioning. Symmetry refers to the muscle bellies, with complete symmetry on both sides of the body as the desired goal. Balance refers to the proportion of muscle development throughout the body. In other words, a bodybuilder may have a very developed back but little calf development, or may have huge biceps but little shoulder development. Both examples will make a competitor look out of proportion. Conditioning refers to the degree of muscle definition in a competitor. If a bodybuilder does not dehydrate properly, he or she may hold interstitial water and end up obliterating muscle definition when onstage. Accordingly, if insufficient carbohydrates are consumed pre-contest, the muscles will be depleted of glycogen and will look flat.
One of the most potentially enjoyable aspects of watching men’s bodybuilders is seeing their posing routines. When male bodybuilders perform onstage, they wear small posing trunks which are similar in cut to Speedos, and they perform barefoot. Though bodybuilders have a limited amount of time onstage and must hit mandatory poses during their routines, they have the opportunity to express their personalities, grace, athleticism and creativity by performing a routine.

Here are the general weight divisions for Men’s Bodybuilding in the NPC:

Male Competitors (All contests that are pro qualifiers)
• Bantamweight…………. …Up to including 143 ¼ lbs.
• Lightweight………………..Over 143 ¼ up to including 154 ¼ lbs.
• Middleweight ……………..Over 154 ¼ up to including 176 ¼ lbs.
• Light Heavyweight………Over 176 ¼ up to including 198 ¼ lbs.
• Heavyweight………………Over 198 ¼ up to including 225 ¼ lbs.
• Super-Heavyweight Over 225 ¼ lbs.
Male Welterweight Class for USA and National Championships
• Bantamweight…………….Up to including 143 ¼ lbs.
• Lightweight………………..Over 143 ¼up to including 154 ¼ lbs.
• Welterweight* ……………Over 154 ¼ up to including 165 ¼ lbs.
• Middleweight …………….Over 165 ¼ up to including 176 ¼ lbs.
• Light-Heavyweight………Over 176 ¼ up to including 198 ¼ lbs.
• Heavyweight………………Over 198 ¼ up to including 225 ¼ lbs.
• Super-Heavyweight ……Over 225 ¼ lbs.
• *NOTE: The Welterweight Class is optional at Local, Regional, and National QualItylng Contests.
Male Welterweight Class for Team Universe Championships
• Bantamweight……………. Up to including 143 ¼ Lbs.
• Lightweight……………….Over 143 ¼ up to including 154 ¼ lbs.
• Welterweight* …………….Over 154 ¼ up to including 165 ¼lbs.
• Middleweight …………….Over 165 ¼ up to including 176 ¼lbs.
• Light-Heavyweight………Over 176 ¼up to including 198 ¼ lbs.
• Heavyweight………………Over 198 ¼ up to including 225 34 lbs.
• Super-Heavyweight…..Over 225 ¼ lbs.

Weight Training Splits: Upper Body/Lower Body Variation #3

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smith machine squat imageThe following regimen is more intense than the previous splits I posted and is better suited for individuals who have some experience with weight training who want to intensify their current training level. This is designed to build more mass in the lower body for greater strength and power, and is also great for toning up the lower body in general. Use caution if you have any low back or knee issues and avoid any exercises which cause you pain in these regions.

Upper/Lower Four Day Split Variation #3:
NOTE: This variation works the quads and abdominals twice in a week. Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Monday – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abs:

Leg extensions – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Leg presses (feet shoulder width apart) – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Bosu ball squats holding onto plate/weight – 4 sets of 12 repetitions
Smith Machine squats – 4 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated calf raises – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Calf raises on leg press machine – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Prone leg curls – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated leg curls – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Stability ball crunches – 3 sets of 25 repetitions
Reverse crunches – 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Tuesday – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps:

Seated chest press machine – 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Incline dumbbbell chest presses – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Flat bench dumbbell chest flyes – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated military shoulder presses – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Dumbbell front raises – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Dumbbell one arm side lateral raises – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Cable tricep pushdowns – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated dip machine – 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Wednesday – OFF

Thursday – Back, Biceps, Abs:

Wide grip lat pulldowns – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated close grip cable rows – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Bent over obarbell rows – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Hyperextensions – 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Seated dumbbell arm curls – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Standing barbell curls – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
One arm dumbbell preacher curls – 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Bicycle crunches – 3 sets of 25 repetitions
Reverse crunches – 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Friday – Quads, Glutes:

Leg extensions – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Leg presses (feet close together) – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Plie squats holding onto plate/weight – 4 sets of 12 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-al)
Smith Machine squats – 4 sets of 12 repetitions
Good Mornings – 3 sets of 12 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-fP)
One legged leg presses – 3 sets of 15 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-ad)
Walking diagonal lunges – 3 sets of 15 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-kV)
Bench step ups – 3 sets of 12 repetitions (please see my Glut Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-59)

Saturday – OFF

Sunday – OFF

Weight Training Splits: Upper Body/Lower Body Variation #2

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Upper/Lower Four Day Split Variation #2:One-Arm-Cable-Bicep-Curl-Woman

NOTE: Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Monday – Chest, Back:

Seated chest press machine – 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Incline dumbbbell chest presses – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Flat bench dumbbell chest flyes – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Wide grip lat pulldowns – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated close grip cable rows – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Bent over one arm dumbbell rows – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Hyperextensions – 3 sets of 15 repetitions

Tuesday – Quads, Calves:

Leg extensions – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Leg presses (feet shoulder width apart) – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Bosu ball squats holding onto plate/weight – 4 sets of 12 repetitions
Smith Machine squats – 4 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated calf raises – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Calf raises on leg press machine – 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Wednesday – OFF

Thursday – Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps:

Seated military shoulder presses – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Dumbbell front raises – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Dumbbell one arm side lateral raises – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Seated dumbbell arm curls – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Standing barbell curls – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
One arm cable arm curls – 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Cable tricep pushdowns – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated dip machine – 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Friday – Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs:

Prone leg curls – 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Seated leg curls – 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Stiff legged deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-dk)
One legged leg presses – 3 sets of 15 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-ad)
Diagonal lunges – 3 sets of 15 repetitions (please see my Glute Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-kV)
Bench step ups – 3 sets of 12 repetitions (please see my Glut Series Post: http://wp.me/p1TAxT-59)
Stability ball crunches – 3 sets of 25 repetitions
Reverse crunches – 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Saturday – OFF

Sunday – OFF