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Do I need a posing coach?

Hi, I'm Nicole Lozinski. Nationally qualified figure competitor, a team member and figure posing coach for Next Level Performance.

I wanted to talk about competition posing and how important it is to placing in your show. Posing can make or break whether you participate, or whether you win. You may bring the best package physically yet if your posing is weak, doing well and/or placing can and will be affected.

During contest prep, such a focus is put on nutrition and training, but posing is often an afterthought, tacked on at the end of prep without any specific plans, or attention given to it. This is a fatal flaw and it’s completely avoidable. Posing should be worked into your master plan from day one of prep; you should have it laid out in your calendar as to when you need to begin your posing work, where your coaching sessions will land and how often you need to practice.

We’ve all witnessed clumsy and under-prepared competitors. Women that look uncomfortable, don’t know their own number up on stage to receive the judges queues, moving tentatively in their stage heels…. After all the effort you put into your prep to bring your best package, posing and stage readiness need to be at the top of your to-do list in the final month leading up to your show.

Posing shouldn't be taken lightly; it showcases all the time, effort and hard work you've put out to get to the stage. Whether it's your first competition or you are a seasoned competitor - practicing, receiving constructive feedback and training on these weak points on a schedule are all necessary components to a full contest prep that get you placing on the day of the show. Stage presence, poise, confidence and grace will shine through and highlight your strengths; which the judges will see and help better your score.

Some practice tips to help you ramp up to your show, with comfort:

Wear your suit when you’re practicing. This will help you to become confident, and understand if your suit needs adjustments well ahead of time.
Wear your show-day shoes during posing practice. No one wants a baby giraffe up on stage!
Still a little wobbly in the lucite heels? Try a few simple household chores while wearing them. Add them into your normal (at home) life for 10 minutes a day to work on your coordination.
Practice daily. Posing is very fatiguing to the muscles; in order for it to appear effortless, you need to be able to hold that flexed and tightened position for what feels like forever. If you’re well practiced, your body will naturally be comfortable and strengthened in this unique type of stress.
Don’t only pose in front of a mirror. There will not be a mirror on stage. Pose in front of a coach, often, to receive proper feedback.
Take video of yourself posing, so you can see what your body looks like, and where you need to tweak and improve. Again, there’s no mirror on stage, so you need to train your positioning based on repetition and rehearsal.
Think about your facial expressions too! Remember, you’re supposed to be having fun up there, let that shine through.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

You diet, you meal prep, you spend countless hours at the gym so why wouldn't you show off all that effort and hard work by making sure your posing is spot on?

Find a coach to help you either learn the poses for the first time or help tweak what you've already practiced and know to bring the best possible package you can to that stage. Good luck to all of you future competitors, it being your first or fifth competition, the hard work is all done prior to the show, being on stage and shining like a diamond is just the icing on the cake. Which of course, you can have backstage as soon as you’re finished!

Want to try out one of my posing clinics, in Kelowna, BC? Check for details here.

Authored by: Nicole Lozinski | Nicole is a Nationally qualified figure competitor, NLP team mate, and figure posing coach