Posing Clinics Grow Popular In 2016 For Fitness Show Competitors [Video]

Terms like “peak week” and other fitness hashtags are familiar ones for people who participate in fitness competitions, as reported by the Inquisitr. Additionally, the term “posing clinic” is growing in popularity as well in 2016.

Those who have lost weight and toned up via “clean eating” and bodybuilding often find themselves wanting to show off their hard work and muscles by jumping on a stage and competing with others in categories such as “Men’s Classic Physique,” bikini, figure, bodybuilding, fitness, and more.

However, contestants soon learn that bringing home a trophy from contests like the Arnold Classic or the NPC means more than taking off the “Booty Scrunch” leggings, getting a spray tan and plopping on some butt glue. Beyond the six-pack abs, enviable glutes, sparkling bikinis, blinging crystal jewelry, and sky-high clear heels resides the all-important factor called “stage presence.”

Learning how to possess the stage and command joyful interest from the judges and the crowds might come naturally to certain folks — but plenty of people learn they can benefit from classes called posing clinics.

The hashtag #posingclinic has grown, with nearly 1,500 photos appearing under that label as of this writing on Instagram. The hashtag #posingclinics also has a handful of posts. Countless other posts about posing clinics around the nation appear on Twitter, Facebook and other websites.

So what are posing clinics?

As seen in the social media photos throughout this article, posing clinics are training classes that are often run by professionals who have already succeeded in winning their own fare share of fitness competitions. Either that, or they just have a knack for teaching people how to stand and move in a way that shows off their bodies at the best angles for their frames.

The posing clinics literally help give fitness competition participants a leg up on others by helping them shed any bad habits before they get on the stage in front of hundreds or thousands of folks. The posing clinic coaches know what the judges at the competitions expect to see — and are sometimes are the very people who will be judging the competitors.

Therefore, it is beneficial to learn the likes and dislikes of various fitness show leaders. Some judges might love it when a bikini competitor flings her hair off of her back to show off traps and lats that are as cut as a figure competitor. Conversely, others might want to see the bikini competitor’s mane flowing down in a luxurious point to her backside. Attending a posing clinic can help folks learn such nuances, based on the area of the country in which they are competing.

Whether a fitness competitor is too lean or not lean enough, the posing clinic coaches can offer their expert advice on any changes that need to be made prior to a fitness competition in order to give that participant the best chances of winning — or at least ending up in the top three to top five spots.

As seen in the sorta safe-for-work video below, pros show other contest-winning hopefuls literally how to walk with confidence and hit their poses as expected, based on their category. Those who are expected to “open up” their lat muscles and show them off like bat wings or Bruce Lee are shown doing so. Bikini competitors are seen prancing onto the stage and turning around to show of their glutes and hamstrings.

Whether the posing clinic lasts for a few hours or several weeks, participants likely gain valuable tips about how to stand and walk in a way that benefits them.

Therefore, the posing clinic leaders can recognize the angles, gaits, strides and confident stances that make a bikini competitor — for instance — “pop” in the eyes of the photographer and everyone in attendance.

[Image via Shutterstock]