Women’s Physique Category

Physique/Bodybuilding

Physique Competitors Move Even Closer To The Female Bodybuilding End Of The Scale, but they are expected to be more feminine than their Bodybuilding Counterparts. Judges are also looking for a bit larger and bit more defined muscles than a Figure competitor. Physique competitors are muscular, but not so much so that they would be described as ‘ripped’.  Around 9-12% body fat is appropriate. Points are scored for muscle size, tone, poise and balance.

Female Physique Competitors Are Judged In A Traditional Bodybuilding Pose Style, With All Women Having To Perform The Following Poses…

• Front double biceps/open hands (no flat footed full front pose–some sort of front twisting pose)
• Back double biceps/open hands
• Side triceps with leg extended
• Side chest with arms extended
• Front ab/thigh

In the physique category, competitors have to perform a routine choreographed to music of their choice. It is here where they can demonstrate their physique during movement. Physique competitors compete in their bare feet, and are judged on their muscle mass – they are expected to have full muscles (but not as thick as the bodybuilding women).  Women’s physique competitors should step on stage with some muscle striations, which are allowed in this category. The overall look that the judges want to see is, leaner and more muscular, than the other categories. The thick muscles and extremely low body fat levels of female bodybuilders is NOT desired in this category. Physique women are expected to have a wide back and shoulders, a smaller waist, strong, legs and glutes combined with perfect symmetry and balance to their physique, with some muscle striations. We offer both TESTED and NON-TESTED Divisions in Women’s Physique and retain the right to combine the Women’s Physique and the Women’s Bodybuilding categories together.

Women’s Bodybuilding… It Does Still Exist, But In A Much Smaller Form Than Before.

The Female Bodybuilding category has dropped off in recent years from it’s previous popularity. Most women these days have decided that they don’t want to go down that road, in terms of what it takes to be really successful in bodybuilding at the top levels in the sport. However we want to recognize and honor the tradition of Women’s Bodybuilding, by offering it through our Women’s Physique Category.

The Physique category is the only of the women’s Fitness & Bodybuilding category that is judged by weight and not height. This is because the judging is largely down to muscle mass and body fat levels rather than athleticism, appearance and femininity.

The judges may also call out further poses they wish to see in order to make their judgements.

Athletes are then allowed to go through their own posing routine that the competitors have choreographed themselves. This is an opportunity for female bodybuilders to show off their best poses, angles and muscles in order to score extra points with the judges. Points are scored for muscle size, symmetry and balance alongside low body fat and posing quality. In terms of body fat, the lower the better – muscle striations are expected all over the body and muscles are expected to be thick and full.

The perfect female bodybuilding physique should also be:

• “Dry” (as much water removed from under the skin as possible)
• “Granular” (body fat so low that the muscle texture can be seen)
• “Vascular” (body fat and water so low that the blood vessels are big, thick and visible all over).

A female Physique Athlete with all of the above will score maximum points.

Your Category And Your Goals

A dramatic decline in popularity of the female bodybuilding category, coupled with the explosion in popularity of weight training amongst women, means that the sport as a whole had to evolve.

It did so by adding all kinds of categories for the women, leading to the wide range that we now have available. These female categories are broad enough that there’s likely to be one that suits your interest, your physique and your training goals—should you wish to go down the competitive road. Your natural physique may be suited to some categories more than others. While natural body shape plays a huge part in where you fit in the world of Fitness Competitions, you should not forget that this is still a bodybuilding sport after all. Therefore, the objective is to “build” your desired body with training and nutrition. Women’s Physique is about sculpting your body and weightlifting is the only way to do this.

Remember that you don’t have to restrict yourself to one female category, many women go in at one level and work their way around the sport. How far you want to take this is entirely up to you!