Professional Conduct
Conducting ourselves with sportsmanlike and considerate behavior is essential for a fantastic experience for everyone and to assure promoters can continue to produce fantastic events in beautiful venues.
On show day you probably feel horrible. You may be hungry, exhausted, nervous and anxious. So is everyone else. Please treat each other with generosity, respect, and support.
Treat the venue as you would your home. Be acutely aware of your tanning and messes you may leave behind. Here are some tips:
- Wear only long pants and long sleeves while outside of the backstage area to protect seating, walls and other furnishings. Ushers will ask you to leave if you are not in proper attire.
- Cover the toilet seats. You may have great glutes but we don’t need to see where they have been.
- Your hotel will charge you for stained towels, toilet seats, showers, sheets, etc. Wear long sleeves and pants to sleep or bring your own sheets. You should also bring your own towels. Protect the toilet seat in your room.
- Clean up after yourself. Do not leave food or trash anywhere but in your bags or trash. The venue makes an exception to their no outside food rule just for us. Please help us respect and appreciate their generosity.
- Use common sense, we have seen people do some weird stuff (i.e. pee in a cup backstage and leave it) Don’t be that type of person.
- Children are never allowed backstage
You Might Not Win
You may not place how you expect. You may not think it is fair. DO NOT LOSE YOUR COMPOSURE! Do not even give a hint with your body language that you are disappointed. Never stop smiling. Competitions are marathons, not sprints. It can take years to achieve what you expect. If you show that you are upset, expect the judges to remember. If you do not have the CHARACTER of a champion, you can never be a champion, and the judges will make sure of that.
You Are there to be Judged
You will be judged by the judges. You will be judged by the audience and fellow competitors. You will be judged on social media, in forums, and magazines. Prepare yourself and prepare to use the feedback for logical steps toward improvements. Whatever you do, do not let it affect you personally. Remember, you have achieved what 99.9% of the population will never achieve.
Competition Preparations
Tanning
Tanning can make or break you. It would be a shame to work so hard for 12-18 weeks and not place due to a bad tan. A competition tan is much darker than you’ll get naturally or at a tanning salon. You will stick out (in a bad way) with that type of tan. Tanning in a bottle will look blotchy and uneven. The best bet is always to go with the contest-tanning partner. Most contests will provide an official tanning company. This is always your best bet as they will be on site until you walk on stage to help you with any mishaps like the inevitable pee drops on your legs or a sweaty streak. No other tanners will be allowed backstage.
Prepare for Tanning
- Starting early in your prep, begin conditioning your skin. Address scars and stretch marks at the beginning of your prep.
- Prep your face early as well. Keeping your face moisturized and healthy is important as your body will go through many stages of fat loss and a challenging diet which can cause collagen imbalance.
- Before going on stage, we recommend a firming product. You will see instant results that will last several hours.
- Do use a tanning bed up until four days before the contest for at least three sessions. The natural base will help your color, and the tanning process will remove subcutaneous water. BE SURE YOU DO NOT BURN. If you burn your skin will swell and your conditioning will be destroyed.
- Be sure to prep your skin for the actual spray tanning. We recommend the skin prep products offered by ProTan. Center Podium Productions uses ProTan Solution for all shows. Browse their website to purchase skin prep products along with scrubs and tanning removal. It is important that the skin prep product is the same brand as the spray tanning solution. Using different brands may cause undesired reactions.
- Luffa for several days before the show. Shower shortly before tanning and wear no deodorant or lotions.
- Tanning can be a bit of a surprise. You will be completely naked with other competitors of the same gender. Tanning needs to be applied everywhere that skin is exposed on stage. This includes creases under your glutes, breasts, inner thighs, armpits, etc.
For specific tanning questions for Center Podium events, please contact our tanning expert at jae@martinispraytan.com.
Professional Photography
You will be in the best shape of your life and you want to capture it! Purchase the professional photography packages that the show offers. Also, should you want feedback from the judges they will need to see professional stage photos. Cell phone photos simply do not have the resolution that judges need to give you effective feedback. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your portfolio for modeling and sponsorship at a very affordable price. If you have any questions about Center Podium photos, please email our official photographer at Marcello Rostagni at Booking@MarcelloRostagni.com.
Make-up
Competition make-up and hair styling are provided at some shows. Getting assistance with this is important as it is far more extreme than anything you would wear in public. Improper make-up can make you look pale. This is especially important, as not only is your physique judged but your over-all look and femininity. If you have any questions about make-up at Center Podium events, please feel free to contact our make-up expert Alexis at agrandison10@gmail.com.
Coaches Pass
Some shows offer a coaches pass. The backstage coaches pass can be purchased to allow your coach or trainer backstage to assist you with your final preparations for competition. Every trainer must purchase a pass for backstage access. All NPC some shows require the trainer/coach hold a current NPC Membership. Learn more about options for coaches HERE.
Posing
Posing is one of the most overlooked aspects of competing. Proper posing can be the difference between 1st and 10th place. We highly recommend you work with an experienced posing coach. You can find one in our coaches directory. Take many videos and photos from the front and back as you approach competition to fine tune your posing. Practice your posing many times a day. It is always disappointing to see a competitor who clearly worked hard on diet and training but did not put in their time practicing their posing.
Music
Classic Physique, Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Women’s Physique – You will provide music to the DJ at weigh-ins or online via Muscleware. Music can be brought on USB. All music must be provided at check-ins. Music for Fitness is up to 2-minutes. For all other divisions, music no longer than 45 seconds. If the track is longer than 45 seconds it will be faded to end at exactly 45 seconds. Music with profanity may result in disqualification. You are responsible for picking up your USB from the DJ after you have performed. The promoter and DJ are not responsible for lost, forgotten or stolen music. If you do not bring music, a song will be chosen for you.
You will indicate to the DJ at check-ins if your music should begin play while you are off stage or after you have reached the center of the stage.
Things to bring to the competition
- NPC Card – You will need one to compete. If you don’t have one, you can purchase online at NPCNewsOnline.com or at check-ins for $135. (Cash or check only for NPC Cards)
- Your music if you are Classic Physique, Bodybuilding, Fitness, or Women’s Physique – You will provide music to the DJ at weigh-ins. Music can be brought on USB.
- Gym bag for your clothes and food
- Resistance bands – although some shows have weights in the pump up room, it will be very busy. Resistance bands are a great way to get pumped up backstage.
- Towel – prepare to sweat
- Layers – you may be hot or cold. There are variations in the venue plus your body does weird things when prepping for a show! Also when you get cold, your muscles flatten out and you’ll lose vascularity.
- Clothing – prepare to be covered in spray tan so wear black. Loose clothes like sweat pants or a robe are best to keep your tan looking good. Flip-flops are recommended for footwear.
- Extra Razor – in case you missed a spot
- Handheld mirror – As you may sweat, you may need touch-ups.
- Bodybuilders, Classic Physique, Fitness, and Women’s Physique bring your music for your routines to check-in. Other divisions do not need to bring music.
- Extra sheets and towels so you don’t lose your hotel room deposit from stained linens.
- Women also like to bring 16 oz Solo cups to pee in avoid water marks on your thighs from the tan.
Things NOT to bring to the competition
- Professional camera equipment
- Professional video equipment
- Spray tanning equipment
- Unsanctioned professional tanners
- Unsanctioned professional make-up artists
Violations will result in disqualification.
On Deck
Determine When You Go On Stage
You won’t get a time that you go on, only an order of events. The show may go fast or slow depending on the number of competitors so the promoter cannot promise a time. What you need to do is look at the order of events and listen for the class that is five classes before yours. You also need to pay attention to the pace of the show. In some cases 5 classes can mean an hour in others, it can be 10 minutes. Figure out what class that is and listen for it. For example, if you are Bikini F, listen for Bikini A.
Get Ready
When you hear that class called that is about 20-30 minutes before you anticipate going on stage, make your final stage preparations. This will include:
- Eat the food you planned for. This is usually a carb like rice cakes, dried fruit, almond butter, SUPERbioCARB, Arginine, Raisinets, etc
- Stay warm but don’t get hot. When you get cold, you will go flat. Too hot and you will drip and streak your tanning. Wear flip flops, sweat pants and have a hand towel ready in case you sweat.
- Pump up. Use the pump up equipment provided and always bring your own resistance bands. Do not pump up your legs; this will cause them to lose separation. Focus most on your weak parts to create balance. Don’t work so hard that you sweat. If you work too hard, you risk training through your pump and smoothing out.
Listen!
The stage expediters are calling numbers and names. DO NOT COUNT ON THIS! Listen for every class. Pay attention to what is happening around you. Do not leave the backstage area. YOUR NAME AND NUMBER MAY NEVER BE CALLED. Listen for your class. If you miss your class, there is no going back, no re-judging, no going with a different class. It is just 12 weeks of training wasted.
Be prepared for a mishap. Many shows have over 300 competitors and occasionally there can be a mistake. It is not unheard of to have someone end up missing or in the wrong class. This is again why it is so important for you to listen for your class and be aware of what is going on. You are a competitive athlete now and must make sure you make every effort to prepare as such. Typically 1 or 2 people will miss their class at every show. Don’t be one of them!