#8: On Posing

Q: Hi Autumn,

I like the way you look and the way you pose. Do you have any role models yourself that you style yourself after? How did you learn to pose so well?

...Janet

A: Hello Janet,

Thank you for the kind words. I really enjoy posing and the way it affects people, inspiring them to achieve new goals or try something for the first time. I still remember the first time I saw a female bodybuilder pose – I felt something inside me roaring to get out. The motivation from that first time was intense.

I have seen many pros pose at competitions, and always admired each of them for different reasons. There are, however, a few that really impressed me with the way they posed. The first in this list is a male bodybuilder named Flex Wheeler. When I started to train at the gym, Flex was at the peak of his career. He came to a local bodybuilding contest in Vancouver to guest pose. All the magazines raved about how well he could pose, but seeing him perform in person was an experience I’ll never forget. The way he transitioned between poses was amazing. He was almost "fluid-like." It was like watching animation. Flex made posing look easy, and he always looked happy, smiling! Maybe I was a little starstruck when I first saw him.

The next two bodybuilders I have as role models are Lenda Murray and Denise Masino. Both Denise and Lenda pose with grace and confidence. Lenda is very smooth and deliberate in her posing. She shows every angle of her physique, displaying perfection on all levels. I think with Lenda, it is her body that I really admire and strive to emulate. With Denise, it is all about the sexy side of being a woman. Denise pushes the boundaries, and I really like that! She isn’t afraid to "strut" and put a little more entertainment into her posing routines.

Posing, for me, was something I have had to constantly work on; however, performing onstage is a lot of fun and I feel very comfortable when up there. I was a feature exotic dancer before I became a competitive bodybuilder, so this has actually given me an advantage with posing and confidence onstage. Hearing the crowd react as I move around the stage is so exciting.

In the time leading up to a competition, I practice my mandatory poses with my trainer. These are the key poses and I want to ensure that I hit them, showing my physique the best way I can. Getting everything to "pop"! The mandatories are also the poses we are judged on. Once you have your mandatories down, you can begin to incorporate music and start to move around while posing. Practice is so very important – you can never practice enough. When I compete I try to be like Flex, moving with fluidity and making everything pop. Perfection in posing is what is going on in my head when I’m onstage.

...Autumn Raby, IFBB Pro

If you would like to ask Autumn a question, please e-mail: askautumn@seriousaboutmuscle.com.

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Autumn Raby is from British Columbia, Canada, and is the 2005 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships Women's Middleweight and Overall Champion. Autumn's win at the Canadian Championships earned her an IFBB Pro Card. Autumn plans to make her pro debut in 2006.