Figure Competition

By Karen Sessions - Figure Coach

A figure competition is a branch off of female bodybuilding where women pose on stage in a 2-piece bikini, also known as a posing suit, and high heels to showcase their muscle development, personality and charm with a chance to earn a trophy. Figure competitors are not required to have a huge amount of overly developed muscle with freaky veins and striated detail as seen in female bodybuilding.

If you have seen highlights of figure competitions and women's physique contests online or noticed some of those glamorous figure models on the cover of magazines, it may have sparked your interest in developing such a physique or even be come a figure competitor yourself.

If you are among the many ladies interested in attaining a figure competitors body or competing in a local figure competition, you may want to take just a few minutes and read a bit further.

Below I will decipher the difference between a figure competition, bikini contest, female bodybuilding and women's physique so you can better understand each and help you decide on which would be best for you fitness journey.

Keep reading to see how today's popular figure competitions evolved from natural female bodybuilding.

Female Bodybuilding - The entire women's fitness movement began with female bodybuilding contests. That's right. If you love figure competitions, then thank a female bodybuilder. In fact, the FIRST legit female bodybuilding competition, Women's National Physique Championship, was held in 1978 and just 2 years after that Rachel McLish was crowned the first Ms. Olympia.

As the 1980s emerged so did more muscular women. In my opinion, the female bodybuilders of the late 1980's to the mid 1990s looked the best such as Sue Price, Tonya Knight, Laura Creavalle, etc. They displayed muscular, athletic, yet feminine physiques.

By the 1990s female bodybuilding had grown leaps and bounds muscle-wise and competitor-wise. A lot of female bodybuilders were becoming as big and muscular as the male bodybuilders. By the mid 1990s to late 1990s female bodybuilding competitions became a battle ground among the amateurs and pros.

Along with the more muscular women came along controversy as what female bodybuilding should look like and how it should be judged. People argued that the female bodybuilders should come in soft and feminine while others thought female bodybuilders should be free to build as much muscle mass as they like.

The year 1999 was almost the death of female bodybuilding with the Ms. Olympia being canceled at the last minute due to not enough tickets being sold. It was quickly rescheduled in New Jersey with a small, yet very loyal crowd. Yes, I was there!

The near death experience of female bodybuilding was due to the women getting so muscular that other competitors couldn't compete against them, and it blurred what the judges had to judge the female bodybuilding competitors on.

It's really an iffy situation. If it is a female bodybuilding contest, then the women should be able to get a muscular as they want. However, that eliminated a group of women who would like to compete, but not take it to such extremes. I can see both sides of the coin, but still lean to let female bodybuilding be female bodybuilding and that is to let them have as much muscle as they can build.

Figure Competitions - The popular figure competition is a spawn off of female bodybuilding. The figure competition was introduced by the National Physique Committee (NPC) in 2001 as a division that allows women to compete who didn't want to obtain the amount of muscle mass, cuts, sharp detail, and striations as the female bodybuilders.

In a figure competition, figure competitors are required to pose in a 2-piece posing suit and 5"-6" heels. Rather than flexing their muscle groups to show their muscle development and detail, they walk across the stage to display their physique, personality, and charm and go though a series of quarter turns so their physique can be evaluated and judged from all angles.

Figure competitors compete against one another in various height classes, as opposed to female bodybuilding which compete against one another in various weight classes. The height classes help control extreme competitiveness and prevents figure competitors from becoming overly muscular.

In a figure competition, figure competitors are urged to compete a bit softer than female bodybuilders. Figure competitors can compete with a body fat of 9-12% more or less. The judges are looking for a more athletic physique on the figure competitors.

The judges are looking for the complete package in a figure competition. A complete package includes proportion, symmetry, muscularity, definition, overall facial appearance, hair, makeup, etc. Yes, it's a muscular beauty contest when you really break it down.

Figure competitors who can bring to the stage the complete package have a good chance at placing first. The more you can climb up in the ranks the better you can leverage yourself to get on the cover of a magazine or have a magazine spread such in Muscle and Fitness Hers Magazine and Oxygen Magazine.

The popular figure competition has opened the door so that almost any woman can compete with a chance at earning a trophy and placing. However, as the years passed the figure competitors became more competitive, getting more and more muscular and defined. This division is also becoming somewhat secluded where only the best of the best could place well and become pro.

Bikini Contests - As the figure competitions grew in popularity it opened a door to another new division to allow even MORE women to compete on stage, but without having to build muscle. This new category is the bikini contest. Bikini competitor pose in a 2-piece suit and high heels with optional jewelry.

The bikini competitors don't need to display any muscle or definition. They simply have to look good in a bikini and pose according to the guidelines. Bikini judging is baaed on overall physique shape and conditioning, with more emphasis on leanness rather than muscle development.

Women's Physique Contest - The women's physique contest was introduced in 2010, another new division for women to compete in. Basically, the women's physique contest is a lighter version of female bodybuilding. While the women are allowed to have muscle development, NPC guidelines state that they can't have striations and extreme muscle detail.

In women's physique there is no lat spread, front and back biceps poses are executed with open hands, and feet must be placed to the side on the front and back poses rather than flat-footed. Also, the side chest pose is executed with arms extended.

In all, the women's physique contest is a remake of the 1970's female bodybuilding. It will be interesting to see where our sport goes in the next several years.

To decide with fitness category you would like to compete in it is a good idea to read more on each and attend a figure competition so you can see the classes and how the women look on stage.

Karen Sessions - Figure Coach

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