JUDGING CRITERIA
CLASSIC PHYSIQUE CLASSES
Junior is an athlete up to 23 years old inclusive. Athletes who are 24 years or older on the day of the competition are not eligible to compete in the junior class.
A First Timer is an athlete who has NEVER competed in any federation, any division or any class before.
This class may be split based on the athlete’s weight into either 2 or 3 classes at the discretion of the head judge. The height classes are as follows:
- Up to 75kg
- Over 75 kg
- Up to 75kg
- Over 75kg cm and up to 80kg
- Over 80 kg
- Athletes over the age of 40 are eligible for the Masters bodybuilding class
JUDGING
The Classic Physique Division is evaluated over two rounds. The unique aspect of judging in this category is that judges evaluate the entire body. Main evaluation criteria:
Focuses on total body proportion and balance from the front, side, and back. Athletes should show wide shoulders, aesthetic lines, and a narrow waist. The upper and lower body must be balanced, forming the ideal X-frame. Dominant muscle groups are not advantageous here—all muscle groups must be proportional.
Judged based on 4 mandatory quarter turns.
Assesses the athlete’s ability to highlight strengths and conceal weaknesses. Includes both mandatory poses and a freestyle routine set to music.
The level of conditioning in Classic Physique should be equal to Bodybuilding, but excessive muscular striation or dryness that negatively affects visual harmony will be penalized.
Only classic black trunks that cover at least half of the glutes are allowed.
See Fig.1: Classic Physique Competition Attire
WHILE ON STAGE
Athletes must follow all instructions from the head judge.
The head judge will call “callouts” and refer to athletes by number. Athletes must remember their number in both Ukrainian and English, especially for international competitions.
Unsportsmanlike behavior (elbowing, inappropriate language, stepping out of bounds) will result in a warning, loss of points, or disqualification for repeated offenses.
Callout = A selected group of 5–7 athletes called on stage to perform mandatory poses for direct comparison. Athletes in the center are typically considered top contenders.
All scores from Rounds 1 and 2 (Symmetry, Presentation, and Muscularity) are combined to form the final result and the athlete’s total score.
Symmetry evaluates the overall balance and proportions of the physique. This includes the aesthetic structure of the body, taking into account the athlete’s presentation. Athletes will perform four (4) consecutive quarter turns to the right, each at 90 degrees. Excessive twisting or unnecessary tension may be corrected by the Head Judge (e.g., “Do not cover your waist with your right arm”) to allow for a clearer assessment of the athlete’s proportions.
First, athletes will perform four (4) mandatory quarter turns.
Front Relaxed Position – This is a non-mandatory transitional pose used between the main quarter turns. It helps athletes smoothly transition into the required position and maintain a presentable appearance while awaiting the Head Judge’s commands.
Pose Explanation:
The athlete’s feet are placed together, toes slightly pointed outward. Arms are positioned slightly away from the torso with hands approximately at waist level. The lats should be engaged. Palms are closed, and fingers are curled into a light fist (do not clench tightly).
Side Pose – From the front position, athletes perform a quarter turn to the right and present the left side of their body.
The upper body (shoulder girdle) is turned toward the judges
Hips are rotated to face the side of the stage
The gaze is directed toward the side of the stage
Feet are positioned together and face the side; toes may be slightly turned outward if it helps the athlete engage the quadriceps
Palms are closed, and fingers are curled into a light fist (do not clench tightly)
Back Pose – From the side pose, athletes perform a quarter turn to the right and present the back side of their body.
Feet are placed together, toes slightly turned outward
Arms are positioned slightly away from the torso, with hands roughly at waist level
Legs and feet should be symmetrical and evenly aligned
Palms are facing the sides of the body
Lats should be engaged, with the back fully spread to showcase a strong V-taper
Palms are closed, and fingers are curled into a light fist (do not clench tightly)
4. Side Pose – From the back pose, athletes perform a quarter turn to the right and present the right side of their body (identical in execution to the left side pose described in point 2).
In this round, the athlete’s presentation is evaluated—specifically, their ability to showcase strengths through aesthetic and well-executed posing, as well as the harmonious development of all muscle groups. Conditioning is important, but it must not compromise the overall aesthetic appearance of the physique.
Athletes will perform a series of five mandatory poses. Participants must execute each pose promptly following the Head Judge’s commands. Judges will assess the entire physique, not individual muscles. Therefore, dominance of a particular muscle group is not considered an advantage, as the focus is on the balanced development of ALL muscle groups. Athletes will only perform the poses announced by the Head Judge.
As follows in this order
Front Double Biceps
Feet positioned symmetrically or with weight on one leg
Both arms bent at the elbows, showcasing the biceps brachii
Quadriceps engaged
Abdomen pulled in, abs tensed or demonstrating a vacuum pose
Chest Side Pose (athlete’s choice of side)
Front leg (closer to judges) on the ball of the foot, slightly bent
Both feet placed together on the same level
Back leg positioned behind the front leg to better showcase the hamstrings
Hands held together, with the outer sides of the palms (fists) pressing against each other
Elbows pointed outward
Triceps Side Pose (athlete’s choice of side, hands behind back)
One leg positioned forward
Hands placed behind the back
Weight supported on the back leg
Focus on displaying the front of the body emphasizing the triceps, deltoids, quadriceps (front leg), and abdominal area
Back Double Biceps
One leg stepped back to showcase the calf muscle
Both arms bent at the elbows at head level, showcasing the biceps brachii
Hamstrings and glutes engaged
Avoid leaning too far backward
The classic version of this pose involves asymmetric positioning with weight on one leg, where one arm is raised higher and open
Abs and Thigh
Both arms raised overhead, bent at the elbows
One leg may be extended forward and straightened to showcase the quadriceps
Avoid excessive forward twisting
Athlete’s Choice: Two favorite classic poses that highlight their strengths (e.g., front double biceps with a ¾ turn and front asymmetrical double biceps with vacuum). These are performed after the mandatory poses, as directed by the Head Judge.
Top 6 in the Classic Physique category will perform a freestyle routine to music lasting 60-90 seconds. If an athlete wishes to extend the duration, they must agree this with the Head Judge. Upon approval, the athlete must notify the person responsible for technical and musical support. The freestyle routine must not include movements with sexual or violent connotations or be excessively provocative according to generally accepted norms. Non-compliance will result in the routine being stopped.
Note: Costumes and props are allowed but not mandatory. Any costume or prop must be approved in advance by the competition organizers.
Music requirements:
Music must be submitted to the organizers beforehand in MP3 format only (preferably at 320 kbps bitrate). We recommend leaving an additional 10 seconds or more at the end of the track to allow the sound technician to smoothly fade out the music. During registration, the athlete must specify where the music should start: either from backstage or when the athlete is already on stage. Athletes who fail to submit music by the deadline will perform their routine to music selected by the organizers. The music must NOT contain explicit language, sexual or violent content, or any form of discrimination based on race, gender, etc.
After the judging is complete, a Posedown will take place — the final part of the competition where all athletes pose together on stage, showcasing their physique development to music provided by the organizers, creating a lively and exciting show atmosphere.
Athlete Awards
Awards will take place after the main comparisons of each category and the selection of finalists. Every competitor will receive a commemorative medal, while the category winners (top three) will be awarded prizes and medals for first, second, and third places. Absolute winners across categories will be determined after all subclasses are awarded and will receive their prizes immediately following the comparisons.
IMPORTANT!
The competition rules, category order, nominations, and award procedures may change during the event to ensure smoother organization and participant comfort.