This is where you really get to show the judges your development. This round consists of 7 compulsory poses; each designed to show the judges different aspects of your physique. You must have these 7 poses down pat before you step on stage.
The 7 compulsory poses are:
Front double biceps
Front lat spread*
Side chest
Side triceps
Back double biceps
Back lat spread*
Abdominals and thighs
*women do NOT have to do the front and back lat spread. During the compulsory round you are compared with your competitors. The judges usually call out 2-3 competitors and have them run through the seven compulsory poses together. Then the judges will call out another 2-3 competitors and have them run through the compulsory poses. They will continue this procedure until they have all of the competitors ranked from first to last.
Front Double Biceps
There are two ways to do this pose, with a stomach vacuum or with your abs flexed and crunched. The vacuum method allows for a broader shoulders base and lat spread, while the abdominal crunch method is impressive if your midsection is ripped. Practice both ways and do the variation which you feel makes you look the best overall.
You should hold your arms in such a fashion as to give each arm an equally balanced look. If you're biceps are less than perfect, try holding your forearms at almost right angles with your elbows and fully twist your wrists to bring out the biceps peak. It is usually more impressive when the upper arms are slightly above parallel with the floor.
Make sure to bend your knees slightly and tense your legs while doing this pose.
Front Lat Spread
To get a full lat spread, you must learn not to shrug your shoulders, but to hold them down. This will make your lats look fuller and make you look bigger.
While pushing your fists against your sides, attempt to pull your shoulder blades apart and spread your lats outward. To make this look good, you will have to have great scapula flexibility. After practice and some stretching you should be able to perform this move precisely, spreading your lats to their full potential.
As with the front double biceps you can do this pose with a stomach vacuum or with your abs flexed and crunched. The vacuum method allows for a broader shoulders base and lat spread, while the abdominal crunch method is impressive if your midsection is ripped. Practice both ways and do the variation which you feel makes you look the best overall.
Make sure to bend your knees slightly and tense your legs while doing this pose.
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