The term "men's physique" will be known to anyone familiar with the sport of bodybuilding. In a nutshell, it's a sport in which fitness freaks (which is an understatement) compete against other competitors, with the winner being the one who can show off the best muscles as per certain standards. This is what we will go over in detail in this article.

Bodybuilding is not just another sport; have you ever considered how they would judge a competitor's months and years of great hard work and endurance simply by looking at them? This is why it is somewhat debatable and subjective. As a result, frequent adjustments have been made in this sport. We'll try to figure out the men's physique competition fundamentals.

Judging Men's Physique Competitions

There is a scoring system in place that is somewhat unusual in different formats. With time competitors have evolved, which makes it difficult to judge them on a solo traitor on a single aspect. This is why the evaluation method also changes with time by IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness).

Mr. Frank Zane, the Olympia men's physique champion who won the title three times, was 5'9" and weighed around 190 pounds, whereas Mr. Olympia champion Brandon Curry was two inches shorter and 70 pounds heavier. Although their physiques are completely different, they both won the same titles.

The Scoring Method Explained

All candidates are evaluated on their physical shape symmetry definition, conditioning, general fitness, appearance, hair, grooming, and overall stage presence, according to the men's physique description; because this is bodybuilding competition, entrants are judged on their male model traits, photogenic appeal, and overall appearance.

Judges look for an overall package, a fit physique, and the best stage presence. Competitors enter a stage barefoot and without a shirt; however, they can wear shorts, unlike the classic physique competition.

The judges consider the upper and lower body's balance and proportion. Competitors in men's physique competitions should have a proportionally balanced upper and lower body, neither overpowering the other.

There should be no single body part that dominates the rest of the physique presentation. Judges are searching for a balanced and aesthetically pleasing lean-fit muscular physique, and they are not looking for just muscle mass or extreme leanness that beginners sometimes misunderstand.

Example of a Men's Physique Competition Evaluation

Usually, men's physique competition divides the evaluation into two rounds: asymmetry and presentation rounds. Suppose there are 10 competitors, whoever wins the first round gets marked as 1, and the last one will be marked 10 ahead of his name.

The same process is repeated in the 2nd round, a presentation round where certain key details have to be remembered, like what poses you can do front or back and how to execute them.

After both the rounds, their scores are added up, and the player with the lowest score is placed at rank 1, and everyone else gets placed accordingly.

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Different Male Divisions in Body Buildings

Men's physique is not the only division in bodybuilding sports for men; there are three categories in total in which you can compete based on your skills.

Men's competition includes three divisions:

· Men's Physique

· Classic Physique

· Bodybuilding

How do you pick your category in this competition, and what should you look for to discover the best fit for you. The decision between them can be difficult because their boundary is hazy, but since we're talking about the Men's Physique competition, here's what you should know before choosing it as your division.

Why Men's Physique can be the Right Division for You?

The goal is to have a tiny waist and a well-developed upper shelf, so you should be as wide as possible in the upper body while maintaining a tiny waist so that everything tapers down into a V shape. Legs aren't high on the priority list, but carves can aid and are advantageous since they can occasionally be included in the equation.

Unlike the other two styles, there is no true posing in men's physique, except for a front and back posture and a side position in rare cases. However, presentation is still crucial, and you must master the small hand flailing things, but for the most part, men's physique competitions are pretty much simply a front relaxed, side relaxed, and that's all you have to do apart from months of severe training and hard work.

This competition is traditionally thought to be the most basic and suitable for novices training for more severe contests such as Classic Physique and Bodybuilding. Still, things have changed since its inception, and this category is gaining more and more attention.

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Olympia Men's Physique Champion

This is the list of the last 5 winners of Men's Physique Olympia that you can google search for yourself to get inspiration or learn and follow in their footsteps. This is an international-level tournament and the most hyped tournament for this division.

• 2021, 2020 & 2018– Brandon Hendrickson (Orlando, FL)
• 2019 – Raymond Edmonds (Las Vegas, NV)
• 2014-17- Jeremy Buendia (Las Vegas, NV)
• 2013 – Mark Anthony Wingson (Las Vegas, NV)
• 2012- Phil Heath (Seattle, WA)

Conclusion

We don't want to come across as skeptical, but bodybuilding competitions, such as Men's Physique, are extremely demanding and not for everyone to consider as a career option. It takes far more than just motivation and determination even to consider competing in them because it necessitates a completely different way of life. You may, however, begin with local tournaments and work your way up from there.

This article covers practically everything you need to know about the Men's Physique category in male bodybuilding, including how the scoring system works, the role of the judge, poses, several categories, and prior champions. 

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