What Do Judges Look for?

Is that picture supposed to be an example of the “superior” Golden era definition and symmetry?
Maybe I’m high or something but apart from arnold having a bit more seperation (sepecially in the quads) Ronnie has at least as good symmetry and definition even with his much greater size.

[quote]ukrainian wrote:

[quote]mr popular wrote:

[quote]rutzilla wrote:

[quote]mr popular wrote:
I’m beginning to wonder if bodybuilding judges are actually cannibals.[/quote]
That brings up another point, coloring, if you don’t have enough tan, you get marked down. If OP is asking because he will compete, conditioning, size, sym, AND, color and posing are important also.[/quote]

I think judging on coloring is fucking stupid, personally.

Obviously you can be so pale that it hurts your definition, but I don’t see why somebody should get marked down if they are bigger, leaner, and in better condition than all the other guys… just because their skin wasn’t dark enough.

We all know that everyone’s skin is different, but we often think the only difference is in shades of brown. This isn’t true though, and there are many different factors that go into making each person’s skin unique that can affect look and condition… Seth Feroce and Dennis Wolf are two good examples of what happens when light skinned guys go too dark with their stage coloring - they get muddied, and it takes away from their lines. So they opt for the “orange glow” instead, which is only slightly less obnoxious.[/quote]

I completely agree. I have seen pictures of people right before the show where they had amazing definition, but the fake tan just took too much away. Plus, it looks stupid and does not help in the appeal of bodybuilding. [/quote]

I agree, a less drastic tan wouldn’t take anything away from the physiques these guys have and may help give the sport a broader apeal. I would much prefer less fake color.
Having said that, what do you guys thin of some of the competitors that use a very bronze color that almost looks metalic? I actually think it looks cool.

While I do understand the ‘need’ for the tans under the seriously bright lights, I’ve seen pics of myself using the exact same protocol at different shows (under diff lighting conditions) looking dramatically different. Much more experienced competitors have spoken about checking out the lighting set up at shows before doing your tan, but seriously, I think we’re getting a little ridiculous here. As far as marking down for a poor tan, well that’s just silly. As long as you’ve accentuated your definition a bit under the spotlights, that should be the end of that IMO.

S

Any of you guys have tips on tanning?

[quote]Bunny Bench wrote:
Any of you guys have tips on tanning?[/quote]

Leading up to my 1st show, I tried using a tanning bed a few times a week to get a ‘base’ tan, even though I knew I was going to use Pro-Tan for the actual contest. Long story short, it really didn’t do much except give me some uneven blotching on my lower back. I’m very naturally pale, so these days I just rely on a combination or Pro-Tan for my base, and Dream tan the day of the contest.

S

[quote]Bunny Bench wrote:
Any of you guys have tips on tanning?[/quote]

melanotan II

[quote]David M wrote:
In your experiences do judges look more for symmetry and definition or size?
[/quote]

Striated glutes