The Problems Of Physique Contest Judging

By Franklin Page

(EDITOR'S NOTE-Physique contest judging is at best a rather difficult operation and one in which there is seldom unanimous agreement. Each of us, being individuals, has different opinions as to what constitutes a perfect physique. Seldom is a physique so very outstanding that everyone agrees on this particular man as unquestionably the best. There are certain general qualities that most of us are in agreement on, however, and the more we can discuss these features the more in agreement we may find ourselves. Franklin Page is one of the outstanding judges of top physiques and tho you may not agree with all his statements, we are sure that his remarks will stimulate your thinking on the subject and perhaps help mature your thinking on the subject, and whether or not you are ever called upon to judge a physique contest, you will still find yourself perhaps better satisfied with the decision of the judges if you understand their thinking.)

THE physique contest, for which a bodybuilder has trained long and hard, is the big event in his life. There are a number of instances of men having put so much of their energies and hopes into preparing for a competition that losing the title to someone else has seriously threatened their emotional and mental balance. Most of us would say that it is unwise to work with such intensity and that a more relaxed attitude is best. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the best men frequently are those who work with the most dedication and "psych up" to a high pitch before a contest, and only the quite experienced are at last able to regard the whole business with enough detachment to be composed and philosophical.

It has seemed to me that several considerations could be brought to bear on the conduct and judging of a physique contest that would help to make the experience as rewarding as possible for those involved and to whom it means so much. Quite a few contests have left me with the feeling that the judging could have been more thoughtfully handled and carried on in better circumstances. I also think that the contestants would fare better if they knew more clearly than some seem to know what is expected of them. Realizing that those wiser and more experienced than I will eventually solve whatever problems there are, I set down these thoughts with the bodybuilding contestant in mind. I am writing, however, from the point of view of a judge, touching on some of the problems he shares with the contestant in a contest.

First of all, most contests are set up in battle array, with the physique men lined up on one side and the panel of judges on the other. Each peers distantly and somewhat belligerently at the other, wondering what manner of man each is and often with no point of contact at any time. I know the idea is to keep the judges immune from influences and the contestants ignorant of the judges' reactions or opinions. What judge, being human, is without prejudices of one sort or another, which lose their sinister implications if openly held, aired and defended when need be. It seems to me that a setup worth trying is one in which an effort is made to establish a better atmosphere of communication and understanding, without leaving it to chance. This would go beyond the formal personality interviews that are conducted before a few of the top contests in this country which are, by and large, carefully organized. I would like to see the judges encouraged to meet the contestants on an informal basis and to discuss freely with them any ideas relating to their appearance and the contest. Perhaps some judges prefer to avoid these preliminary contacts, but I would encourage all who feel ill at ease in the situation (and some judges do) to talk openly with the contestants and, at least ease the atmosphere until it more nearly approaches one of mutual respect and confidence. The competition is supposed to be between the physique men, not between them and the judges.

Once in a blue moon this atmosphere of warm and friendly interest and an ease of communication can be generated by the man who runs the contest. As an example, Oscar Heidenstam creates it in the NABBA Universe judging. There are so many contestants and such an enormous panel of judges that all of them could not possibly get together in a single day. But Oscar runs a continuous and lively liaison and does it so well that the Universe judging is without that "edginess" that causes both sides discomfort in some instances. What this all amounts to, really, is that I think it would help matters for the judges to know the contestants better, rather than not so well.

Now to the business of the contest itself and matters that immediately concern our aspiring bodybuilder. . . from a judge's point of view, remember, and only one judge at that. From now on I discuss a purely personal point of view but I will try to describe how I go about doing what I think a judge is supposed to do as best he can. The point is that a statement of this kind may give the contestants a more definite idea of what sort of consideration is being given them and from this they might have a clearer conception of how they themselves should proceed.

In the initial lineup, which in every contest gives the judges an opportunity to estimate the potential of each man against that of the others, is the point at which the most promising contestants can immediately be spotted. It is here that I mentally single out the five or six men whose posing I shall watch most carefully, on the basis of their overall symmetry and the fullness of development as it appears in relaxation. I try to observe, particularly, the balance in development of the legs in relation to the upper body, the fullness of chest volume in relation to waist and hips, the contour and shape of arms, the thickness of the pectorals and upper back, the depth of the back muscles, and the construction of shoulders, traps and neck. I am also apt to be immediately impressed by the character of the contestant's movements and certainly by his poise and assurance. I pay particular attention to the structure of the joints of the body and to hands and feet. The basic relationship of the body parts to each other can be more clearly seen when the contestant is relaxed than when he flexes certain muscles or muscle groups; the flexed portion of the body naturally gains prominence over the other body parts and overall balance is thrown off.

When there is a large number of contestants it is obviously best to line the men up in groups of not more than ten or twelve at a time. The more there are the longer it will take the judges to make comparisons. The longer the men stand in a group the more awkward and ill at ease they become. It seems to me that it is wise to be as considerate as possible of the contestants, while giving the judges every opportunity to observe carefully. The contestants' interest and competitive incentive should be maintained at as high a level as possible, and the judges' interest will be in direct proportion to that of the contestants. It is best for all concerned not to expose the contestants for a longer time, at any point in the contest, than it takes the judges to absorb what they have to offer.

I recently saw a contest in which there were over twenty entries, all of high caliber. The whole lineup stood on the stage for an extremely long time, whereas if they had been split into two groups the exposure time for each would have been cut in half (and I am saying nothing about the amount of time taken up in the judges' haggling about procedures or the management's finagling with the lights, all with the contestants still standing in line). During the course of the contest, in posing for physique, most muscular and subdivision awards, the best men in the group posed as many as twelve times individually. Naturally the men themselves were bushed and completely fed up and everyone else was sick of looking at them. It should be remembered that a contestant can maintain himself at performance pitch for only a limited number of call-outs; after that he goes stale, is too tired to pump up again or even warm up, and does not do himself justice. Nor are the judges able to hold a concentrated and efficient judgment in operation over a protracted period. The number of men involved is not as important as care in seeing that the same top few are not done to death. A fresh physique with new problems will refresh a judge's eye as much as a nap, so the best planned contest is the one that gives the contestant the time he needs and imposes no more.

When the contestants pose individually I check each one, especially the top few I initially selected, against that first impression. I must admit that three-quarters of the contestants are eliminated in my own mind before they appear individually. With those in the remaining quarter I work hard.

There are two principal things for which I look: the symmetry of the body and "line" of the physique, and the completeness of development of the individual muscles and muscle groups. I find that contestant most satisfactory who has planned his routine to clearly show these two simple things.

It is important to me that a contestant has been aware of his entire development and has been careful to leave no portion of the body neglected. Generally, I like to estimate symmetry and balance first and then turn attention to the details, and I appreciate it when contestants' plans make this possible.

The moments of shifting from pose to pose are profitably observed because an unsuspected detail of development may be revealed in random movement, either positively or negatively, and it is during these movements that a contestant shows most clearly how assured and "in command" he is. It is helpful to me to see the muscles work a bit in the flexed position, rather than to see only a static pose. It is a further help to see the muscles flexed into a full and pleasing contour during most of the routine and then wrung out to their most intense definition towards the end. I am as easily tired as the contestant if the muscles are subjected to immediate and continued wringing, as I see often these days since "cuts" are so much admired.

I see no reason why overall muscularity and the body subdivisions cannot be judged at the same time. I suggest this simply as a means of conserving energy and in the interest of concentration on everybody's part. Better still, the most muscular physique can easily be selected in the general physique judging. Occasionally the judges call out contestants for the subdivisions, rather than leaving the choice to compete with the individual contestants. This is a sounder method and eliminates a good deal of useless posing. It is a consideration of the judges who are obliged to watch intently whomever is under the lights, and they might as well not look at anybody they are not going to consider under any circumstances the second or third time around.

The selection of a few top men from the first lineup must naturally be one with some flexibility attached. There is a good deal to be said for changing one's mind after one learns better, though I have never known it to be necessary to cancel out any of these men selected at the beginning.

I think this is because the selection is made according to standards which are absolutely basic to a physique of top caliber. Few things in life are absolute, but in my eye these standards are: a strong skeletal structure as evidenced by wide shoulders, deep chest, narrow hips, well formed joints, hands and feet; evidence of generally good muscle contour (full neck, rounded upper pecs which square off at the bottom, full deltoids and an arm contour that shows the body of triceps, biceps and forearm, and so on over the body); proportionate development of all body parts; a good skin and muscle tone that helps a development look solid and dense even in relaxation; general grooming and cleanliness, and, while nobody is going to insist on a matinee idol, a man's good looks will do him no harm, especially if they have the added benefit of a lively personality and intelligence, which will quickly show in his deportment, responsiveness and sensitivity to what is going on.

As all men, I must confess to certain preferences in physical types. I am impressed by intense muscularity and usually will side with the contestants who are developed in this way, rather than to the smoother, bulkier development. I do make a deliberate effort, however, to analyse a contestant in terms of body type and consider his physical limitations, since no man has yet appeared with no fault at all. Recognizing whatever restrictions may exist, I am interested in observing how far he has progressed in developing the potential he has. Occasionally I have seen men with very clear physical handicaps succeed in developing around these handicaps so superbly that their accomplishment may far outshine the work of a more nearly perfectly formed man. They will not, of course, be apt to have the best physiques, and a winner must be the man with fewest handicaps and the maximum in accomplishment. On the other hand, I would not favor a physique that is symmetrical but not developed to an acceptable degree. A muscle is not developed unless it can be brought into full relief and can show distinct definition when flexed. Even in a relaxed state the body and bulk of the muscle must be apparent and its contour in relation to contiguous muscles must be clear.

With these considerations in mind I would further single out perhaps two men in the initial lineup, who meet these requirements best, and keep the remaining two or three top men in mind for muscularity and subdivision awards. In a recent major contest it happened that the title physique winner was judged best in only one subdivision. Another man won three of the subdivisions. Some questions arose concerning the validity of the final judgment, a general opinion being that if a man is good enough to win three out of five subdivisions he ought to be good enough for the overall title. Conceivably, it would be perfectly possible for a man to lose out in every subdivision and still take the overall physique title, though admittedly this is seldom likely. All of us have seen men with startling arm or abdominal development, but grave deficiencies elsewhere which will bar them from overall consideration but make them stand out in subdivisions.

The standard of a contest is naturally established according to the quality of the men in it and judgment must be carried out in the light of this standard. In a small local contest the standard may not be very high. At such times I try to pay particular attention to a man's potential, which is usually quite clear. This is true even in major contests, and a potentially outstanding contestant should, whenever possible, receive serious consideration from the judges. Seldom can he be judged a winner, but he might be placed more carefully than sometimes happens. If a man has promise, some boost should be given, even if only by an encouraging word and a few suggestions at the end of the contest. A judge must use a somewhat different approach, depending upon whether he faces a group of young bodybuilders or a battery of experienced men with mature physiques.

Much of this sounds like only the top men have a chance, which is literally true, but they have all come up through the ranks and nothing can take the place of experience in building confidence and know-how. I think every intelligent bodybuilder realizes that his participation in contests in the early years of his training is a vital part of his development. Also these remarks indicate that the die is cast fairly accurately at the first encounter of contestant and judges, in the first lineup, and this is most frequently the case, indicating that this first view is the time to make a good impression.

We have reached the point where the physique itself will have to come into the picture. We will need to consider the details that make up an outstanding physical development and how the bodybuilder can make the most of them in display. This calls for an adjustment of focus and we must retire to accomplish this and convene again to discuss the matter of "presentation," a term that strikes me better than the more common one, "posing."

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Arnold Schwarzenegger of the famous physique. Leading authorities think he will become the greatest ever seen, and 23 inch arms are predicted for him. He presently has 21½.

- Judges at work at the Mr. USA contest. Here they interview a contestant. From the back it looks like Charles Fautz. Note that he has a folder under his arm containing proof and other items concerning his athletic ability, etc., while the judges are busy studying some material he has left. Later he will come back and pose in both normal light and under the spotlight. From left to right we see Bob Bendel, Whitfield, Mayor, Crist, (Peary Rader, Chairman of Mr. America Judges, standing), Syzmanski, Tinerino and Gajda. Under the present methods used, these judges can do a thorough and accurate job of judging.

- Bill Pearl shows a very thickly muscled back with excellent shape, in this photo by Loveday taken at the time he won the Mr. Universe title for the third time. The judges had little difficulty picking the top man in Pearl's class this year, as he was very outstanding.