Back Attack!
I’m competing in the Adela Garcia Classic in seven weeks (gulp!) in the Figure Division. Just had my first pose lesson today! My trainer, Melissa Merritt Coker (Mel), said I can post the pictures on my blog, so if you’re about to call me out and say, ‘Hey, your trainer said you weren’t allowed to post progress pictures!’ well Nah nah na nah nah SHE SAID I COULD! 😉
So first, as a point of reference, this is what my back looks like just naturally. Nothing is flexed. It’s just a regular ol’ back.
In the NPC Figure Division the most difficult pose to learn is the back pose and now I know why. It’s insanely brutal to hold! You have to bend over, arch your back as hard as you can, spread and flex your back muscles and somehow manage to keep your hands loose in front of you. (My back is still sore and my lesson was at 5 a.m.)
Here’s how I did:
It took me a while before we could get to the point of taking a picture. Apparently I kept flexing the right side but not the left. The front pose is basically the same but you’re facing front and the side poses are tricky because you have to twist your upper torso (chest, shoulders, arms) to the front while keeping your head and abs facing the side.
And did I mention this is all done while wearing 5″ heels?
Oh! And in case you’re wondering why that locker room looks so spiffy, it’s because Mel’s Machines just upgraded to a new gym. We’re at Gym One. (While Metroflex was great for that hardcore feel, you just can’t compete against gyms with things like central air and heating. Also, Gym One has cotton balls and Listerine in the locker rooms. I’m not even sure what the cotton balls are for, but I’m happy they are there.)
What’s the oddest thing you have to do for your favorite sport?
Lisa 🙂
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Wow. The posing looks almost as hard as the bodybuilding.
It’s way worse! Which reminds me, I have to practice my poses again.
Your back looks awesome! I can only imagine how difficult those poses are. I’ve watched numerous competitions (when hubby was competing) and I always felt bad for the women who had to go through numerous rounds of posing because the judges were moving them around for comparisons.
I tell you – I have WAAAY more appreciation for Hanz und Franz now.
I like your back better natural, its well proportioned and attractive
Aw, thanks. The good news is my back goes right back to looking normal when I don’t flex it 😉
You’re looking good 🙂 I haven’t even *thought* about learning how to pose yet…that’s some way off, down the line…
Find a good pose instructor near you and start practicing about two months before your show. It takes a while to figure them out.
Your back looks good. Well done. Your hard work is paying off.
http://livelifewithus.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
Nice progress! It’s funny because I’ve been having to do a lot of back stuff to rehab my shoulder and it involves a couple of pose-like positions. Not easy and I felt like a total weenie afterward. Good lessons!