8 Mandatory Bodybuilding Poses (+ 6 Other Moves To Impress)

Posing isn’t vanity—it’s part of the sport. Whether you’re chasing a pro card or you’re a dedicated lifter who wants to assess progress, posing is the art of maximal contraction, symmetry, and presentation. It connects mind to muscle, highlights strengths, and reveals what still needs work.

What you’ll learn below:

• What poses are and why they’re required
• The 8 mandatory competition poses (with how-to cues)
• Popular non-mandatory “signature” poses
• How to build a smooth posing routine
• When to practice (and why gym posing matters)

WHAT ARE BODYBUILDING POSES?

In competition, judges evaluate muscular size, definition, proportion, and symmetry from multiple angles. Poses are specific, standardized positions that let athletes display physique at peak contraction. While you’re free to add flair, eight poses are mandatory in most divisions; they provide a consistent basis for scoring.

Note: In competition, usually the mandatory poses are done at specific times, and then the bodybuilder is allowed to do a quick posing routine of their choice at the end, which can involve other poses beyond the mandatory ones - This allows for some creativity!

Why Do The Competitions Involve Poses?

Like every sport, bodybuilding has a performance standard. Instead of one-rep maxes, your “performance” is how well you present muscular development and conditioning. Posing:

• Lets judges compare athletes consistently.
• Rewards symmetry, balance, and stage presence (not just size).
• Gives competitors with less-than-ideal insertions/genetics a chance to optimize presentation.

WHAT ARE THE MANDATORY POSES IN BODYBUILDING?

1. Front Lat Spread
2. Front Double Biceps
3. Side Chest
4. Rear Lat Spread
5. Rear Double Biceps
6. Side Triceps
7. Abdominal and Thigh
8. Most Muscular

HOW TO DO THE 8 MANDATORY BODYBUILDING POSES FOR COMPETITION:

Now, let's go over each of the 8 bodybuilding poses and how to do them...

Note: While these are all mandatory, you will find that pro bodybuilders sometimes add a little personal flair to some of these poses, usually in the form of a slight positional change, but the overall pose must be intact.

1. Front Double Biceps

Shows: Biceps peak/shape, forearms, lats width, delts, quad separation, calves.
How: Feet hip-width, slight external rotation. Raise both arms to 90–100°, elbows even with shoulders, fists lightly clenched. Open lats, lift chest, tighten quads and calves. Keep waist tight.

Learn how to do the Front Double Biceps pose

2. Front Lat Spread

Shows: Lat width from the front, chest thickness, delt width, quads, calves.
How: Hands near waist/upper hips, flare elbows forward and “wrap” shoulders to expand lats without shrugging. Keep sternum tall, waist tight, quads on.

Learn how to do the Front Lat Spread pose

3. Side Chest

Shows: Chest density, delt/arm thickness, obliques, ham/quad separation, calves.
How: Turn 90° to judges. Front leg flexed, back leg braced. Pull the near arm across to anchor wrist/hand, lift and squeeze chest up and out. Stack ribcage over hips; show both calves by slight heel raise.

Learn how to do the Side Chest pose

4. Rear Lat Spread

Shows: Back width, traps, rear delts, glutes, hamstrings, calves.
How: Face away. Set feet as in front spread. Protract scapulae slightly and widen elbows to open lats, then lift chest. Keep glutes/hamstrings tight; don’t let traps swallow the lats.

Learn how to do the Rear Lat Spread pose

5. Rear Double Biceps

Shows: Arm peaks/separation, full back detail, glutes, hamstrings, calves.
How: From rear, curl both arms to biceps pose. Pinch lower back without over-arching, open elbows slightly forward to show lat thickness. Flex glutes/hams; show both calves.

Learn how to do the Rear Double Biceps pose

6. Side Triceps

Shows: Triceps (esp. lateral head), delt tie-ins, chest thickness, obliques, legs.
How: Turn sideways. Lock the near wrist behind the back with the far hand, extend elbow to show horseshoe. Keep chest high, abs/obliques tight, quads/hamstrings engaged.

Learn how to do the Side Triceps pose

7. Abdominal and Thigh

Shows: Rectus abdominis, serratus/external obliques, quad separation, calves.
How: One foot slightly forward, knee flexed to show quad lines. Hands overhead, exhale gently to flatten abs and brace. Option: side crunch variation to emphasize obliques.

Learn how to do the Abdominal and Thigh pose

8. Most Muscular

Shows: Overall muscularity—traps, delts, chest, arms, abs, quads, calves.
How: Choose crab (hands together) or hands-on-thighs. Lean slightly forward, contract everything without collapsing posture. Keep neck long to avoid over-shrugging.

Learn how to do the Most Muscular pose

OTHER POSES BODYBUILDERS USE:

Below are some poses that have come about from some of the greats in bodybuilding. If you've followed bodybuilding for some time, you probably have seen some of these poses being done. 

Vacuum Pose

Hands on hips or overhead; exhale fully and draw abdomen inward to emphasize a small waist and V-taper.

Learn how to do the Vacuum pose

Moon Pose

This pose is banned in IFBB Pro League and NPC for being too vulgar. As the name suggests, this pose highlights all the separation and striations of the back of the leg. Made famous by Tom Platz, he would essentially turn his back to the judges, lock his knees and touch his toes. It's a full moon wherever this pose shows up.

The Christmas Tree

Similar to the Rear Lat spread, the idea is to flex your lats with an emphasis on the lower back. It truthfully involves more hip activation rather than chest activation. If done properly, the muscles in your lower back will almost appear like a Christmas tree.

The Kneel

Probably one of the most famous bodybuilding poses, but also least talked about, is The Kneel. Chances are, you've seen it in some sort of media before. Simply put, the bodybuilder kneels sideways and shows off the vast majority of their muscles. You can turn to show your back or turn to show your front. While the legs are the main attraction for this pose, it also does a good job of engaging that core for balance and displaying your upper body as well.

Quad Stomp

Probably one of the coolest poses a bodybuilder can do is the Quad stomp. Jay Cutler debuted this move in the 2009 Mr. Olympia. In a true display of strength, he robotically lifted his leg and then proceeded to slam it down while flexing every muscle in the leg. A super straightforward pose, but be careful not to overextend your leg! If done properly, you show off every fiber in your leg. Plus, it just looks amazing on stage.

Quarter Turn

When people think about bodybuilders, more than likely, the quarter-turn is what they imagine. In any advertisement or poster, it's always a bunch of dudes doing the quarter turn. Although, while it's the easiest to do, it is also the easiest to screw up. Essentially you show off your side profile with a slight turn forward. It highlights the tightness of your abs, chest, and obliques. More than that, it will also highlight any weaknesses you have as well.

Feel free to create your own poses and have fun with it. That's the sign of a true legend in bodybuilding. 

Learn how to do the Quarter Turn Pose

MAKING A BODYBUILDING POSING ROUTINE

After mandatory rounds, most shows allow a 60–120 second routine. Think choreography: pick music that fits your tempo, sequence poses to highlight strengths, and plan smooth transitions.

How to build it:

1. Open strong (front-facing width/density).
2. Rotate through front → side → back to check every box.
3. Insert one or two signature poses.
4. End with your best look (e.g., most muscular).

Practice: 1–2x/week in the off-season; 3–5x/week in prep. Film everything.

THE BEST TIME TO DO POSES (& WHY DO BODYBUILDERS POSE AT THE GYM)?

• Post-workout posing (or between sets) reinforces mind-muscle connection while you’re pumped.
• Morning check-ins (flat lighting, minimal bloat) help track conditioning.
• Stage-simulation sessions (tan, trunks, bright light) reduce show-day surprises.

Etiquette: Be respectful of space at the gym; quick, efficient posing is fine. Save long sessions for posing rooms or studios.

DO BODYBUILDING POSES HELP WITH MUSCLE GROWTH?

Direct hypertrophy from flexing alone is minimal, but posing can indirectly improve gains by:

• Enhancing mind-muscle connection (better recruitment in training).
• Improving symmetry awareness (programming to fix weak points).
• Increasing local blood flow post-set (a small bump in nutrient delivery).

Bottom line: Posing won’t replace training, nutrition, or progressive overload—but it can amplify them by sharpening technique and intent.

Related: How to Build Muscle Mass Without Fail

FINAL THOUGHTS:

That's everything you need to know about bodybuilding poses. Whether you pose for competition or you pose for your own self-satisfaction, it's a good tool to have in your belt. It may seem vain to others, but posing gives you an understanding of your own body that you wouldn't achieve otherwise.

Work hard, and lift heavy. The results will come. Remember that nobody knows your body as well as you do, and even beyond that, you can always discover more about yourself. At its core, this is what posing does for you. You may not realize it, but perhaps there is a seriously neglected part of your body or an area you really can't contract well. Once you find that, you can change it from a weakness to a strength.

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