How to Choose the Best Posing Suit or Bikini for Competition

 

Image by berzowska via Flickr

 

Choosing a posing suit or bikini for a bodybuilding or fitness competition is first and foremost a strategic decision that will influence how your physique is perceived by the judges and the audience.

When choosing a posing suit or bikini you must first know the rules of your organization. Some only allow black for the pre-judging, while others may allow any color. For the final round, the competitor has more options in color, but certain materials or decorations may not be allowed. The width of the bikini bottom is also subject to rules. In some organizations a tanga bottom is permitted, where as others require the bottoms to cover at least three-quarters (3/4) of the gluteus maximus.

Color is another important factor to consider. Light colors are easily stained by the stage suntan products. Neon colors definitely make you stand out, but the extreme brightness itself can be a drawback. For the male competitor, the color of the suit doesn’t have quite as significant of an impact, because visually you’re only dividing the body in half. However, a brightly colored bikini for a female competitor divides the body into three sections, which can be a disadvantage if your proportions are not perfect; for example, if you have a long torso with short legs.

I recommend choosing dark colors for a posing suit or bikini such as burgundy, dark blue, dark violet, dark brown, or black. As a judge and as a competitor, my personal favorite is a dark brown color that is as close to the shade of your contest suntan color as possible, because it blends better with the skin tone and doesn’t distract from your physique. The overall look of dark posing suits and bikinis is more seamless and flowing, where as the bright colors tend to break-up the body into distinct sections. The judge’s eyes will also involuntarily focus on the bright color. Even a small brightly colored or shiny hair accessory can momentarily distract the judge’s eyes away from your physique, and you don’t want that to happen!

Onstage, you want to be viewed as just a body, and not a shocking or glitzy bikini with arms and legs. A brown suit or bikini in nearly the same color as your stage skin tone makes it look almost as if you’re not wearing anything, allowing the judge’s eyes to effortlessly scan from head to toe and back up again without being interrupted by blocks of jarring color.

Ultimately, your goal is to choose a posing suit or bikini that compliments the best qualities of your physique and skin tone without distracting the judges from what is most important – the results of all your hard work sculpting that beautiful, strong fit physique!

Do you have any personal competition experiences related to this subject that you would like to share, or have any questions you would like to ask? Let me know by sending a comment.

In a future post, I will cover hairstyles and make-up on stage…Believe it or not, this is an important topic for the men, too!