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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Judges Critique at my last show



 

I always email the head judge of my competitions to ask for feedback, I want to know how I can improve. I even ask when I come in 1st place as we all have room for improvement. This last competition I was particularly interested since I came in 1st in masters 50+ but 7thin open, it didn’t make sense to me.

The head judge emailed me back and suggested that I bring up the size of my calves. In October she told me the same thing, but also suggested I add size to my quads, I was thrilled that she didn’t mention the quads this time, they are bigger and it shows.

When I asked her if I would be more successful in Women’s Physique, I was stunned by the answer I got back.  Here is a portion of what she said:
“You are too hard, striated and separated for both figure and physique.
You have the size to transition into women's physique if you wanted. If you want to stay in figure then you need to soften the look and bring your muscle size down some. The new criteria for either division is a softer look. No striation and no hard/deep separation. The difference in the figure and woman's physique is size. Physique competitors can have more muscle but must maintain a softer feminine look. It is not woman's bodybuilding.”





After I recovered from being stunned I jumped up and did the happy dance. I am too hard!! Too striated!!  Too separated!!
For those of you who may be unsure of what this means let me explain:
Striated means when the subcutaneous fat is so thin, you can see the lines or striations in the muscle under the skin.
Separated means when there is clear separation between muscles, there is a distinct separation between the biceps and the triceps, they aren’t flowing together but you can clearly see they are different muscles due to the degree of development.  Each muscle stands out on its own.
Hard means the muscles are full of glycogen and pressing against the skin, causing the skin to look like it is pulled tight over the muscles. Its also a sign of limiting water- so I had cut water so much I looked tight and dry. My bodyfat was too low....
Who wouldn’t want to look like this??? (I know, many women do not)
These are all looks that I love, I have worked so hard to look like this, and I am thrilled. These are looks typically reserved for Bodybuilders, but I am not big enough to be a Bodybuilder, I don’t have the size of a Bodybuilder.  I guess I am a “mini Bodybuilder”!
What really shocked me was that she felt I was still too hard for Women’s Physique too.
What this means is I need to carry more bodyfat in the show, and not have such muscle definition. That is of course, if I am interested in placing, so I need to make that decision don’t I?
I love the lean, hard look, absolutely love it. I have also busted my butt to get the striated and separated look, I like my look. And since I train this way for me, and not for competitions I might choose not to change, I haven’t decided. I actually toyed with the idea of just starting a diet for three or four weeks and entering a show at about 4 pounds heavier than this last one and seeing what happens. I would certainly be softer wouldn’t I?
Don’t forget that I purposely decided to come in “softer” this time, from my competition in October and I did, I was about 2% higher in bodyfat,  and although I changed, the Figure "look" and judging criteria also changed, I just didn’t change enough…or the "look" and criteria changed too much - you decide.


The critique was very easy for me to accept, it would have been more difficult if she were to have said that perhaps my shoulders were not developed enough, or my glutes were too flat, or my quads too thin, but what I received was the exact opposite, I have achieved what I set out and even more than I could have imagined.  I have accomplished what many are never able to.
If I do decide to come in softer, it means a much more relaxed diet, not as much cardio, and my lifting would need to be curtailed a bit.  It sure would make prep a lot easier wouldn’t it?
I guess this shows that my training with Roy is exactly right- he got me where I wanted to be, so if you are looking for a trainer who can help get you "too hard, striated and separated", he's the guy (just don't try to even take my times, I won't let you); and my diet, well I have it all dialed in don’t I?
For now, I am eating and training just as I always have and when I do decide on the next competition, I will have hopefully made up my mind about how I want to look when I step on stage.: shredded or soft.  I can show up however I feel I want to. What do you all think?



5 comments:

  1. I don't understand that at all. I always thought being in a competition meant that you got into the BEST shape possible, you wanted to be hard not soft. Isn't that what bikini comps are for? The softer crowd? And to be too muscular for physique seems odd. What about that video you posted recently of Dana Linn Bailey? She has some pretty big muscles and doesn't look soft to me!! But, I guess they are the judges and if you want to win, you must follow their rules. However, if you like your look (who wouldn't), don't change for some judge or a competition. Stay you!
    Just my two cents ;)

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  2. I totally agree with Charlotte. Sounds like there needs to be some across the industry standardization of the Bikini v. Figure v. Physique v. Bodybuilding criteria beyond just an individual judge's interpretation of it.

    Personally, I wouldn't change a thing.

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  3. Charlotte and Phil-
    I understand where the judge is coming from, if you look at Nicole Wilkins Lee, the last Figure Olympia, she looks very feminine and soft, like a Barbie doll almost. The look is slowlty changing in that direction due to the addition of Women’s Physique. I think since the division is so new, we will continue to see it all evolve until there is clear definition where each division should be.
    I am still not sure about bikini, I see some ripped gals and some not so ripped, and I am still totally dumbfounded by how high Sonia Gonzales places still..
    In the video I just posted, Dana Linn Baily came in 4th place, and the critique was she did not place higher because she was TOO SHREDDED! So, rumor has it that she will be coming into the New York Pro show (I think it’s this weekend or next) with a softer look, but I’m not so sure if that’s accurate based on pics I have recently seen of her.
    As far as placement, my placings and everyone else’s will differ according to who shows up at each show. In masters I looked better than everyone else because they had too much body fat. I was too low; they were too high so the judges awarded the lesser of the two evils! LOL!
    In open, the other women had good muscle, and just a bit more body fat so appeared more feminine looking (according to the Figure standards) so they placed higher. It’s a very fine line and many people cannot even discern the difference between us all…
    I am having fun playing with all of it and feel extremely successful. The judge did also say I had a “fantastic physique” so she was not being overly critical and I asked if I could send more pictures for additional feedback and she said she would be very happy to review them.

    Sincerely, Shredded Kristy (LOL!!)

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  4. Kristy,
    I really enjoyed reading your story! It's like you took the thoughts right out of my head! I've only competed in 2 shows. For the first show (NPC Royal Palm Classic, Cape Coral) I did a 7 week prep, lost over 20 pounds and had a clean sweep; Masters over 30, Masters Overall, Open-short, Open Overall. I could have stopped there as my goal was to just get on stage, as 17 years prior I never finished prepping for a show in college and regretted it ever since. After the show I asked a judge for critique, anything I should change and she said, "Ummm, no. You walked out on that stage and I was like, Whoa! Keep doing what you're doing, keep conditioning, don't get any bigger and you'll do great" So, 4 weeks later I'm dialed in even better, leaner, bringing the wow factor in every way at Southeastern USA, Orlando. While the girls see me and are mad pumping with bar bells back stage! I don't place in Masters and I'm 5th in Open-short. In the end the same judge says "I don't know what happened" and another says I showed too much muscle, borderline Physique. So I can go soft and flat for the next Figure stage, not train/diet as hard and maybe do well. But is that why I'm doing this? To look like what a panel of judges thinks I should look like on their stage? I dunno! Currently, I'm training to maintain :)...but I do have to admit in looking at a photo of top 5 Open-short, I look like I'm in a different category than the other girls.

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    Replies
    1. Megan- Frustrating huh? I have no doubt in my mind what I want, and I will keep the look I like and it excites me because I really want to do Physique! I am not fond of those silly high heels nor the softer look. These days some Bikini gals look harder than Figure! I hope you find your "fit" and it makes you happy!

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