First of all..congratulations on taking the steps to entering your first bodybuilding competition! KOMPAK is more than just a bodybuilding store, we have everything from heels to jewellery to sheewees (don’t worry, that will make sense soon enough…if you don’t know, you’ll get to know!).

However, we also offer plenty of judgement-free tips & advice to help you with every single aspect along your journey to the stage & back again. All of our team either compete or have in the past, so honestly, no question is a silly question…we’ve already asked them all ourselves! Just consider us your competing fairy godmothers!

Anyway, formalities out of the way, back to the topic at hand…how to choose your category.

Now, this is more important than you may think…why? Well it is entirely possible that although you may have the best/biggest/leanest physique on stage if it doesn’t fit the class criteria as much as the girl next to you does, then the likelihood is you WILL be marked down. Different classes have different criteria for a reason, so people with different physiques, muscle mass etc. can be judged fairly against their peers of a similar stature. 

Attend some shows

The first thing that we would recommend you to do is to go and watch some shows! Social media is a good place to start doing some research, but we have found that a photo/video doesn’t truly tell the whole story. In person it is much easier to see what the competitors look like, how lean they are, the level of muscularity, how they pose/present their physiques, what the judges are awarding in each class etc. You will then have a better understanding of the category options & potentially which one you like/will suit the most.

You may even have the opportunity to talk to one of the judges to gain more information/tips too! If not, you can always head to the federations website and have a read through the criteria. This is a useful activity seeing everything that is being judged & how it is judged all written down. Please bare in mind this may differ slightly for each federation - so be sure to read up on the ones you are planning to compete in!

Speak to your coach

Now you are armed with a wealth of information - both written & visual it can feel a little overwhelming, especially if you fit somewhere between two categories or maybe you haven’t yet dieted down so you don’t actually know what you are going to look like with less body fat? Don’t stress! If you have a coach, speak to them! They should have the knowledge to be able to help you decide what class you are most suited to. Plus, you CAN change your mind closer to the time! 

Off season vs Prep

As we get leaner, our bodies completely change. As an example, personally in my off-season I look like I could possibly fit into the wellness category. However, this is deceiving as I simply carry a lot of body fat on my lower half. As I get leaner, it is clear that I don’t belong in wellness at all as I simply don’t have the required level of lower muscle mass. All federations allow you to change class if you need to (some may charge an admin fee for this, please check the T&Cs). 

Ask the federation

Some federations are happy for you to send them photos to gain their opinion on where you belong. Others are on hand to advise you during registration the day before the show to ensure that you are in the right category too. This option is more for small class tweaks for example bikini to bikini trained or toned figure to figure as opposed to bikini to figure as this would require different posing, a routine etc. - which is ALOT the day before the show!

Ask your posing coach

Your posing coach can help too! A good posing coach will know the class criteria like the back of their hand. This is because they need to know what the judges are looking for in order to ensure that you are displaying your physique in the best possible way. They will be able to give your their opinion on which class is right for you by playing around with poses, highlighting you strengths & ‘hiding’ any ‘weaknesses’. 

Consider your show plans

As we previously mentioned, all federations may look for slightly different things within the same classes. For example, some classes may award a leaner/more striated look in a bikini class, whereas another federation may consider this to be more of a bikini trained feature. Please bare this in mind when choosing you federation/how you approach the show etc. Again, a good coach should know this & be able to make any necessary tweaks to your plan leading up to the show. 

Try a few!

Some federations also allow you to enter multiple categories. This is a great option if you are still unsure where you belong or even if you simply want to try something new (like diva for example). Have a read of our blog ‘How to choose a federation’ here as this may factor into your decision too!

Judges Feedback

Either way, dont stress! If you enter the ‘wrong’ category then the judges feedback will clarify what is ‘right’ for you next time. They may also move you on the day. For example if you step on stage as a Figure competitor but the judges believe you are more suited to Athletic Figure, they may very well ask you to leave the stage and come back on in the respective category that they have moved you into. If this happens…DON’T PANIC! If anything, it’s a huge positive as it means you will be judged fairly among similar physiques as opposed to standing out due to not fitting the criteria for the original category you entered.

We hope that you have found this useful, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email info@kompak.store or a DM @Kompakwomen for more information! Is there a topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know!