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Wheelchair Bodybuilding Competitions
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So What Do You Have To Know And Do To Compete In Wheelchair Bodybuilding?
First off pick a show that you would like to compete in, check your local Bodybuilding Association to see what shows are coming up and if they have a Wheelchair Class. If they do not have a Wheelchair Division ask them to add one.
The 1st thing you need to do is start doing to prepare for the show is intense working out to and a pre contest diet.
You will then want to get the Entry Form from the show, fill it out, and send it in with your entry fee before the deadline date. If you send your entry form after the deadline date there will normally be a late fee.
Now you have to register with the organization that is sanction with the bodybuilding show. For NPC (National Physique Committee) shows, so you would have to register with the NPC. Once you register they will give you an NPC CARD. Every card is different and may have different expiration dates. The NPC Card expires December 31st of each year regardless when you sign up. It does not matter if you join in January or December you will have to buy a new Card for the new year.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER WITH THE NPC
You will want to get your plane tickets in advance so they will be cheaper (but sometimes it's not). Reserve your hotel room at the "Host" hotel (rates are normally cheaper because bodybuilding shows have something worked out with the hotel).
So now you trained for the show, bought your tickets (or planning to drive), reserved your room, sent in your entry form, and ready for what is to come next.
Each show will have different times at which they will have the mandatory meeting. Some on Friday others will be held on Saturday morning before the show. This is so they can go over how everything will take place and in what order they will have the contests come out on stage so the show will run smoothly. Make sure you read over the entry form and know where you should be at what time.
There are 2 parts to a bodybuilding show.
1: Pre-Judging (Morning) - is where all the Judging takes place (Most important Part of Show)
2: Night Show (Night) - For the Fans
~~~SATURDAY MORNING / PRE-JUDGING~~~
1st off you will arrive early so they can weigh you and put you in your weight class at which you will be competing in. Novice and Masters do not have a Weight Class, it's 1 class so you will be competing against everybody else that entered that division regardless if they are bigger or smaller then you. Each Show has different weight classes; they will be listed on the entry form. Some shows you can do crossovers; meaning entering more than 1 division. (Novice/Open, Masters/Open, Novice/Masters)
After everybody weighs in most the time they will have another meeting to go over a few more things and give out buttons with your number on it. You will want to clip it on your pants facing outwards that way the judges can see the number. Your number is your name to the judges so make sure that they can see your number.
Soon after that the time will go by fast. They will let you know how much time will be left before the Wheelchair Divisions will go out on stage. You will want to know this so you can get tanned, oiled up, and pumped up accordingly.
Tanning
The tanning product I recommend is Pro Tan and I would put on a couple of coats Friday night or first thing Saturday morning. It really depends how dark you want you go with your tan. The darker you go the more definition will show up on stage but don't listen to people when they say, "the darkest will look light on stage." This is just crap, my 1st show I looked stupid because I ended up looking like a golden statue. And when I went that dark it actually made me look smooth and covered up my definition.Oil
The oil I recommend is Muscle Juice. A lot of people use Pan (cooking oil) but any more a lot of shows get mad when you use it because it makes the floor slick. And the women that are getting ready to go out on stage for the figure part of the show are walking around backstage with high heels on and it puts the women in danger. Because it increases the chance that they will slip, fall, and twist an ankle. Most shows will be happy to help spray you down outside with Pan if that is what you want. With the oil you are looking to have a "Sheen" and not a "Shine". The shine will reflect the lights taking away from your physique whereas the Sheen will enhance your definition.Pumping Up
You will want to lift light weight with high reps to flush a lot of blood into the muscle that way they will look big and full on stage. There are many techniques; just do some research because I don't want to give out all my secrets LOL.Pre-Judging
You are all tanned, oiled, and pumped up and the Wheelchair Division is up! First they will call out the Masters Division. Everybody that entered the Master Division will then all line up onstage in numerical order facing the judges. Once everybody is facing the judges they will be in the relaxed posed (not really relaxed) and the judges will give commands.
They will call out the 4 Quarter Turns
Then call out the Mandatory Poses
And Then have everybody go off stage and they will bring back 1 person at a time for a 60 seconds (60 second maximum, you don't have to go all 60 seconds) solo posing routine WITHOUT music. Then that person will go off stage and another person performs their routine until everybody in that division goes. Once everybody from the Master Division is done then Novice will go will be up doing the relaxed poses, mandatory poses, and 60 second solo routine just like the Masters Division did. Then the Open Divisions will begin, starting with the Light Weight Division first.I'll break it down for you a little more.
RELAXED POSES
As you are facing the front they will wait a few seconds and then say
"Quarter turn to the right" (then pause for a few seconds)
"Quarter turn to the rear" (then pause for a few seconds)
"Quarter turn to the right" (then pause for a few seconds)
"Quarter turn to the front" (then pause for a few seconds)As you face the front again you will then perform Mandatory poses for the judges as they call them out. Here is the list of poses, but they may change the order because each show just varies.
MANDATORY POSES
Front Double Bicep
Front Lat Spread
Side Chest (Nationals is your choice, USA is both sides)
Side Tricep (Nationals is your choice, USA is both sides)
Rear Double Bicep
Rear Lat Spread
Front Abdominal
Most Muscular*At the Bottom of the page I added pictures with the poses so you will know each pose looks like.
Once all the Divisions are done that is it for Pre-Judging. They will then tell you what time you will need to be back for the Night Show.
~~~SATURDAY NIGHT / NIGHT SHOW~~~
The Night Show is simple because you do not have to perform the Mandatory Poses, unless there are multiple Divisions in the Open Class and you win your weight class by placing 1st. If you place 1st then you will compete against all the other 1st place winners of each Division in Open (Light Weight, Middle, Light-Heavy, and Heavy Weight) to try to win the Overall Title.
Ok, so the Night Show is about to start and you will know when the Wheelchair Division will be going. You shouldn't need to put on any more Pro Tan on but you will want to put the oil back on and pump up again, repeating the process like the morning show.
The night show will have the Wheelchair Division go out in the same order like the morning show. Everybody that entered the Master's Division goes then once the Master Division is all done Novice will be up, and then Open.
Once the Master Division line up back out on stage the judges will call out the 4 Quarter turns and then everybody will go off stage. The announcer will then give a brief description of where you're from, name, and so on. Then you will perform a solo posing routine WITH music (60 seconds max, 90 seconds max at Nationals). You have the choice of having them start your music before you go out on stage or start your music when you are on stage. There will be a guy that asks you that before you go out on stage so don't worry.
Once everybody goes through their night routine they will have everybody come back out on stage and lineup. Then the announcer will start calling out who placed what starting with last place. Pre-Judging is where all the judges determine who deserves what place. The night show does not get scored unless there are multiple divisions in the Open Division. Then later on they will have all the winners of each Open Division go head to head. The Judges will then take all the winners through all the relaxed poses & mandatory poses. After that, the one person that they feel has the best package is the overall winner.
How do they Judge?
Most shows will have 7 Judges and each judge will score you. Depending what place they think you deserve will equal your points.
Example:
1st Place = 1 Point
2nd Place = 2 Points
3rd Place = 3 Points
and so on.They judge you on who you are going against. Judging on muscularity, leaness, hardness, and symmetry. Basically they are looking for the total package. That is why they do the mandatory poses, so they can compare.
Here's how the scoring takes place and determines the placing. Here's an example:
2020 Wheelchair Nationals - Heavy Weight
Judge 1
Judge 2
Judge 3
Judge 4
Judge 5
Judge 6
Judge 7
Total
Points
Victor
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
Jeff
2
3
3
2
3
2
2
12
Nick
3
2
2
3
2
3
3
13
Josh
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
20
Leon
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
25
John
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
30
*The eliminate 1 low score and 1 high score to make sure that the judging is more accurate and not way off.
Victor - 1st Place
Jeff - 2nd Place
Nick - 3rd Place
Josh - 4th Place
Leon - 5th Place
John - 6th PlaceWell. That's about it. Train Heavy, Train Hard and I hope to see more Wheelchair Bodybuilders at shows! Taking the sport of WCBB to the next level!
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