Gerry T`s Posing Tips In It`s Entirety !

[Tim Wescott]

Tony Monchinski
Making a Buck in Bodybuilding
Musclemag International March 2004 issue. Pages 105-111.

Page 111:

Not everyone involved in bodybuilding expects to cash in on from it. Gerry Triano is an accounting manager with a New York publisher. He is also something of a posing guru. "I help a lot of guys through my Web page [located at http://www.bodybuildingreviews.net] and through e-mail," says Gerry. This assistance I provide is entirely gratis. I never charge anybody."

Gerry doesn't sound like he fits the sponge image. His motivation comes from a love of the sport. "Presentation is an important part of bodybuilding," Gerry says, a part that is often neglected.

"Unless you're clearly the best, a bad presentation is going to hurt. I think you should at least know how to present yourself in a favorable light. Even practicing the turns in the compulsories is extremely important. You can do tricks in the quarter turns to help your symmetry that some people don't even do. A lot of little tricks that can be done add up."

Unlike the scrubs Paul mentions, Gerry is an altruistic individual. He gave Mike Morris and Bruce Patterson some advice before the 2003 NOC.

"They are very good free posers without my help, but I gave them advice on tweaking the mandatories and looking the best they can in prejudging.

Most of the guys I work with aren't well known. They're just starting out: Rob Colacino in Connecticut and Heath Morin from Rhode Island, for example, are national-level competitors [early in their careers]."

[Tim Wescott]

Photography by Peter T. Geraghty of Thomas Whorley,
second place winner, light-heavyweights, 2004 NPC Junior USA.

Posing Practice Drill (Based on Men’s Competition)

Recommendations:

Start five to seven weeks out from competition at least three or four times a week, so muscles are acclimated to the repeated contractions during competition.

It is best to practice with a partner, or to videotape practices or routines, so you can see what you are doing and make adjustments. As you see yourself become a better poser and see your definition improve, it will motivate you to keep at it.

Symmetry/balance judging (first round):









Quarter Turns:

Make each turn when instructed by head judge. Start by facing the judges' stand. First quarter turn is to your right, so your left side faces judges' stand. Before turning, tense left arm to show tricep so judges see it when you turn. Both feet flat, arms at sides, tensed not flexed. Second quarter turn to your right, so your back now faces the judges' stand. Before turning, flare out lats and widen back. Shows back, lats and calves, but tensed not flexed. Both feet flat. Third quarter turn to your right, so your right side faces judges' stand. Then last quarter turn to your right, coming back to your starting position. Tense abs and quads, but not a flexing round. Feet flat.

[Tim Wescott]

Compulsory poses (second round, done as called out by head judge):



Front Double Bicep:

Arms out at 90-degree angle; bring up
fists and turn wrist inward for maximum peak. Abs and quads
should be tensed. Judges look for overall symmetry in all
these poses, and how biceps look in relation to rest of the
physique.



Front Lat Spread:

Should see space between lat and
forearm. Stand upright, too much back or forward
detracts from V shape and symmetrical look. Again
tense abs and flex quads. Flare out pecs and delts as
much as possible. This is an everything pose; judges
scrutinize whole physique.



Side Chest:
Can be executed from either side. Hand
over wrist, arm is pulled back as much as possible to
highlight chest. Hit hard and flex pecs. Calf and hamstring
of one leg should also be flexed. Judges are not just
looking at pecs, but how it ties in to rest of physique.



Side Tricep:

Can be executed from either side. With one hand,
push the arm back to highlight ”horseshoe” development in tricep.
Flex calf and hamstring and sit on pecs and delts. Again, entire
body is being judged.

[Tim Wescott]

Back Double Bicep:

One of the make or break poses. Some
competitors look ripped from the front, but are smooth when they turn
around. As in front double, arms out at 90 degrees, flex bicep with wrist
turned inward. Sit on back muscles, flex hamstrings and calf in one leg.
If in top shape, lower back will have outline of “Christmas tree,” glutes
will be hard and hamstrings will be striated.



Back Lat Spread:

As in front lat, space between lat and forearm
for maximum V effect. Flex calf and hamstrings of one leg. An
extremely important symmetry and mass pose. Separates top 5 from
the rest in today’s competitions.

[Tim Wescott]

Ab and Thigh:

Both hands must be behind head. Flex abs and quad as
tightly as possible. The lower the bodyfat, the sharper this pose will look.
This pose will point out the cardio slackers.

Individual posing round (third round, after judges make the cut):

This last 60 seconds. You need someone to time the routine so you know what to do. Should begin and end with most effective pose. Best to incorporate all the compulsory poses; otherwise judges might think you’re trying to hide a weakness. Giving them such an impression can cost a couple of places.

Big part of the game is having faith and pride in yourself. Bodybuilding begins in the mind, which should be your strongest muscle. Be aggressive and confident, but not obnoxious, and show what you have to the fullest.

Remember, you can have the best development in the contest, but not being able to show it effectively will hurt you. Once you can do the poses by rote and hold them for at least fifteen seconds, you will know you arrived. Good luck and have fun.

Additional contest tips:

I always recommend dark trunks, since they create an illusion of a flatter midsection and sharper V taper. Lighter color or patterned trunks are a distraction. You want the focus to be on the physique, not the trunks. Bring 4 pair with you. One pair each for prejudging and finals, and two extra pair for unexpected emergencies (tear, oil or Pro Tan spill, etc.).

It is important to practice posing without a mirror for the last few weeks of the show. I cannot stress quarters and mandatories enough. Even if you feel you have them nailed, practice them anyway. It helps to have someone watching you. There are no mirrors on stage, so you have to feel the correct positions.

Many times when a show is close, back poses are the tiebreaker. It would be helpful if someone could tape the practice so you can see it later. Helps to see what you look like and what needs to be adjusted. Practice side chest and tricep shots from both sides. Practice is hard work but very aerobic, bringing out cuts and separation.

For some reason, front lat is the hardest shot to nail for the guys I've worked with. The following works if you have someone to assist you. Have them place a yardstick across center of the mid ab region. Hit pose bringing the pecs up by inhaling. If done right, elbows should hit ends of yardstick. To maximize V taper, elbows should be on the same plane as the abs at 180.

If elbows are too far forward or back, you look too narrow across the lats. Keep practicing with yardstick until you have feel of the position, then practice without it in front of a mirror. Then graduate to practicing away from mirror. Control of breathing is very important in the poses. It is necessary to inhale for side chest and front lat to raise pecs. Exhale in short breaths while holding the pose. This takes practice as well.

As to music, pick something that inspires you and that will project to the audience. For beginners, it is usually better to select something familiar and up tempo. That will be easier to pose to. Classical or opera can expose flaws and awkwardness. It takes really fluid movement to pose well to a slow piece of music. It is irrelevant if music starts as you come onstage or when you reach center stage.

I have seen instances where a competitor is onstage and music doesn't start (tape jams or breaks). So it may be better to have music start while walking out to center stage. If possible, bring music on CD to avoid tape jamming problems. Otherwise, bring at least 3 cassettes of the routine music.

For anyone, beginners especially, I believe that "less is more” and “simple is better." For a first show, I recommend using same routine for 60-second prejudging and finals. No rule against it and only one sequence to remember. For final, you can add an extra crab or any strong pose at the end. If you do forget the routine, don't let the audience know it.

Just do all the mandatories, a couple crabs, bow and walk off. It happened to one competitor I coached. He was fine in practice, but froze onstage. He just did the mandatories and still got 3rd. Have nothing against dancing all over the stage IF you can move well and have the physique to back it up. But judges at below-national amateur level can perceive it as a distraction or think you are hiding weaknesses. If you use dance movements, make sure they work.

Posing effectively is much easier said than done, and much harder than it looks onstage. Practice is the key to successful competition. Luck and success to everyone.

Gerry Triano, [e-mail]
Peter Geraghty, www.petegeraghty.com/

Commercial site with info and pics: www.bodybuilding.com/fun/posegallery.htm, and www.bodybuilding.com/fun/draper19.htm

[beckie]

Really interesting! I'm wondering what pose the ladies find hardest? We still have compulsory poses in our figure and I always find the ab pose the hardest.

[GerryT]

Would be curious to know what they are. In the NPC/IFBB, the figure competitors basically just do quarter turns alone and in comparison.

Guess you are with NABBA or another organization?

Tim, thanks for not having a life (j/K)and pulling this together. ;D

[beckie]

I'm in New Zeland Gerry,we still have poses in our NZFBB figure as do all our federations. The only class that has quarter turns is the NZFBB Bodyfitness class(the amateur version of NPC figure). Apparently thats what I should be aiming for but I really don't want to have to put on 12lb mass and get implants-not my thing at all!

[GerryT]

Sorry about that, Beckie. You mentioned that in your intro. Guess it's another senior moment for me (only Tim knows what I go through! ;D ).

The wife of one of my friends did a couple of NABBA shows and in their figure events, they have to do certain artistic poses (i.e. one hand overhead, one on hip) but not BB poses. So there does not seem to be a standard.

I'm still trying to understand it.

[chanman83]

Gerry, I got a question. ON my front relaxed I just can not get my lats to "flair" out. I've been practicing doing my front lats and then putting my arms down and holding. Is there any other methods that will help. I got the lats but without them coming out I look smaller than I really am. Thanks.

[GerryT]

Actually, someone I worked with had that problem and that is exactly the method we used.

Breathing is an important part of the equation. Inhale deeply to raise the chest cavity and pull back and flair to bring out lats. Chest must be high to maximize lat flair. For a lat spread, hands would grab at sides of the waist. Relaxed position, hands hang at sides.

This is the hardest element for most of the people I've coached. Have to keep practicing in front of a mirror till you see it come out right!

[hossjob]

Great stuff! Tim, is there anway we can keep this at the top of this section so I can refer to it DAILY hahaha as I do my prep run?

[GerryT]

Thanks, Kyle. This has already been "stickied" so it will stay on top of the forum for reference.

Hope it does help.

[OptimumJoe]

Gerry this is a great post...some of it looks familiar. LOL I'll be in touch, but thanks a million of all the great info.

[Intensity]

Gerry is a true reference! He spent time giving me precious advices about posing… it truly helped!

[GerryT]

Thanks, OJ and Mo! You are both great guys, and appreciate the kind words. Only too glad to do what I can for anyone.

All questions welcome, through forum PM or e mail, and will answer as time allows.

[kirby46]

Hey Gerry,
Doing mostly natural show I have seen most guys do the side chest pose by blowing out to show their obiques and serratus and not sucking in and expanding their rib cage. Growing up doing NPC shows that is how I used to do it but I feel that if I don't do it the other way it will look as though I am not as conditioned as the rest even though it tends to make me look smaller. What is your opinion of this. I am working on perfecting the expanded version for my trip to the NPC Masters Nationals.
Thanks
Kent

[GerryT]

Kent, the important thing inside chest is to make the chest look as thick and striated as possible.

Inhaling to raise the chest cavity, expand chest and suck in abs projects a good illusion of th big/chest/tight waist.

Also, hand position. Many have hands not much above waist when ideal position should be under pec cavity. Squuezes arms and chest more. Like in other poses, the whole physique is scrutinized. How does chest look in realtion to the whole physique? Need to be conscious of every muscle in every pose.

Will be at Masters Nats. Hope to see you.