Walking & Posing
There are multiple federations and multiple divisions within those federations. First of all please take into consideration how subjective this sport is. You will need somebody that can teach you how to walk for your federation. This should be customized to your body type and coordination. Once you learn Your Walk, then it is best to get with a group of competitors and fine tune Your Walk. Practice your walk weekly in the off season and daily when you are coming up to a show. Practice really makes perfect. The one thing to really focus on are your transitions. Some girls are great at posing and even walking but they do not concentrate on their transitions and it makes their posing look unpolished.
For walking and posing classes in your area email sharonpolsky@gmail.com. For those of you in Southern California check out my Competition Preparation Page.
Team Miss Fits
My next observation when I started competing in fitness was how lonely this sport can be especially backstage. Girls were either very isolationist or groups of girls were really cliqueish. When there were girls that befriended me back stage it was soon followed up with trying to get me to use their coaches for my show prep. Well I like my coaches and I have had great results but I couldn't be part of the team unless I made this change. NO LONGER!!! I developed Miss Fits with my amazing friend and Co Captain Alex Navarro. This is a team for competitors by competitors. Use whoever you want for show prep and join team Miss Fits purely to find support backstage and share resources. We can all agree that resources like tanning, hair and makeup are less expensive if we can share those resources with fellow competitors. There is no charge for joining Team Miss Fits.
To join Team Miss Fits email
sharonpolsky@gmail.com.
Show Prep
There are so many variables that go into Show Prep, so remember that this is a very complicated subject. Remember what we look like on stage starts in the gym and in the kitchen. So, we can not talk about Show Prep without covering Workouts & Nutrition. Team Miss Fits has a great network of trainers that specialize in show prep including but not limited to Cathy Savage Fitness, M2 coaching, HitchFit Gym, WBFF pro Rob Riches, etc.
For a show prep specialist in your area email sharonpolsky@gmail.com.
Day of Show
Last but certainly not least is what I like to call the Day of Show. Remember the way we look on stage has everything to do with our success. Show Prep and Day of Show work synergistically. Think of it this way. When you are competing you are like an amazing sundae. The Show Prep is the icecream and the chocolate syrup; and the Day of show is the whipped cream and the cherry. Without both the sundae is good but not amazing. The sundae needs the finishing touches. I am going to provide you with some tips here. I am not only going to give you the whipped cream and cherry; this cherry is going to even have the stem.
Hair For Stage
I feel like this is where it all begins. I
received the worse advice about hair for many years. I was told that I
needed to grow it long and where it curly and it never worked for me. I just
don't have that kind of hair. Sexy comes in all shapes and textures. You
need to find your sexy YOU!!! Then you need to embrace that. Do not try to
be something that you are not. What is most important here is that your look
is clean, sexy and put together. I can not emphasize this more.
Makeup For Stage
The next step for stage is your makeup. This is
where so many girls go wrong. Stage lights are very unforgiving. Many girls
try to go for dark and sultry but unfortunately it makes your eyes look like
black holes if you go there. Go for bright, fresh and young with some sexy
eyelashes and for goodness sake please do not match your eye shadow and your
suit color. The next really difficult thing is to blend your face to your
body. Be careful using face powder. I do not use it at all. I also mix a
little touch of tanner into my foundation to lift my face to a shade
comparable to my body. If you have a lean face do not wear blush it
will make you look gaunt. Make sure you don't forget to fill in your
eyebrows, they frame the face and you will look like an alien without them.
Last but certainly not least lips need to be bright and fresh but I am not a
fan of red lipstick. It is just too harsh.
Tanning For Stage
One word of advice....airbrush tanning. If you are
going to a reputable show put on by a reputable promoter just use whoever
the spray tanning person is that they provide. If you are worried about the
quality remember that the majority of the competitors will be using this
person so you will all look the same and it really does make it easy. Once
you get tanned stay away from water, sinks and toilets are not your friend.
Here is my secret I pee into a cup. I know kind of gross but I have learned
my lesson with tanning.
Bikini/Suits
Every federation has a different look that wins. I
strongly suggest you look at the girls winning in those federations and get
suits similar to those suits. Local shows are not what you need to be
looking at. National caliber shows and pro shows is what to look for.
Remember a local show is providing you with the experience to take you to
the big leagues. If you wanna compete big league then you have to look big
league. There is no right or wrong answer here and it doesn't have to be
terribly expensive. Word of advice is match style to past winners but not
colors. Don't be afraid to wear a color that stands out but still looks good
on your skin when it is very very tan. Find a suit that you love on another
competitor, find out who made it and go to their site. Maybe it seams like
common sense but It's not for everybody.
Costumes/Outfits
This is where you get to have fun and the part of
competing I love the most. I find that the 3 mistakes that girls make here
are 1. Not a Clear Theme 2. Way Too Sexy/Trashy 3. Way Too Over the Top.
1. Pick a Theme...Make it a very very clear theme. For instance if I think of Tennis I think of Wimbledon which is known for all white uniforms. So, if I'm going to do Tennis I am going to do all white. Also, you want to bling it up. Bust out the bedazzler.
2. Sexy or is it Trashy...There is a fine line between sexy and trashy. Remember there are women on the judging panel and you do not want to alienate them. They can appreciate sexy but trashy just doesn't fly.
3. Keep it Simple...I find that girls are trying to stand out on stage and they are picking outfits that are way too over the top. The theme needs to be recognizable by both Men and Women. Remember there are men on the judging panel and if they can't relate to your theme you start at a disadvantage.
Shoes
Yes you want to wear clear plastic stripper shoes
but these are not all created equal. Whatever you get you will learn to walk
in but I find that most girls go too conservative or way to sexy with these.
What I mean by too conservative is that the shoe is either too small or to
bulky. They do this because they think it will be easier to walk in. That is
not the case bulky shoes are heavy and drag you down while you are walking
and shoes that are too small make your legs look squaty. On the flipside
wearing 8 inch platforms are not going to give you the long legs that you
think they are. Keep it simple. You want a plane clear shoe with a pretty
shape. If you need a strap with a buckle that is fine too not to worry. If
you are very comfortable in your shoes then you do not have to change them
for your theme rounds or your evening gown rounds.
Jewelry
This again is federation specific and you want to
look at what the winners are wearing. You can never go wrong with
rhinestones for any federation but feel free to bling it up more if that is
what the federation is looking for. Wear earrings, bracelets and 1 ring.
Never wear a necklace it will change your lines.
Manicure/Pedicure
No red, I feel the same way about red nail polish
that I do about red lipstick; it is just too harsh. You wanna go french
here. There is a great product called Shillac that is a no chip cured polish
product. Once you go Shillac you will never go back. I literally can have a
french pedicure that will last 6 weeks.
Branding Your Look
So, about a month ago I
started working with a PR manager and he educated me on the importance of
branding. When you compete you are your business and it is just as important
to brand you as it is to brand your business. So I started looking at
running my competing the same way I was running my business and really work
on branding "ME". Look at some of the great fitness/figure/bikini
competitors like Monica Brant and Jamie Eason; and they really do look like
a brand not only when they compete but also when you see their
modeling work. Recruit a top makeup artists, stylists, hair designers, etc.
and figure out your brand. Look at all of your competition photos and
find the look that resulted in the most success and you felt your best. Take
that look and tweak it commercially. Remember you need to look marketable.
This is YOUR new brand. So no matter what hair, makeup, costumer,
choreographer, photographer, etc. you work with you are going to stay true
to this brand. The reason branding "YOU" is so important is because it
creates visual recognition for promoters, judges, photographers, magazine
editors, etc. Think of this visual recognition like Nike, you would
recognize that swoosh anywhere.
So, what does branding entail.
Makeup - your makeup artist develops a look for you, provides you with a diagram of that look that you can hand to any makeup artist to implement. Also, it is best to purchase the makeup and carry your own kit for the makeup artist to use so you can always stay true to my brand.
We now have this service available to all of our team members for $150.00. You receive a complete makeup lesson and customized face chart. For more information click here.
Hair - Carry photos of your look front and back and provide those to your hair artist. Feel free to make subtle changes with your hair color but nothing drastic.
In addition to providing visual recognition of who I am on stage it also makes show preparation so much easier.
As a member of Miss Fits you will be provided with a list of Day of Show specialists as well as on our links page on this site but if you would like a list of your own email sharonpolsky@gmail.com
Suit Sources
Suits You Swimwear - NPC bikini and figure www.suitsyouswimwear.com
Tanya Theberge Designs
- WBFF & FAP
www.thebergeswim.com
Vizion Wear - NPC & FAP
www.vizioncouture.com
Crystallini Bikini -
FAP & WBFF
www.crystallinibikini.com
Jodi Lane Bikini - NPC,
WBFF & FAP
www.jodilane.com
Suits by Amy - WBFF &
FAP
www.suitsbyamy.com
Suit Yourself
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suit-Yourself-Fitness-Figure-Bodybuilding-Posing-Suits-by-Laura-Richards/102415156467054
Note: any of these suit makers can make a suit appropriate for any organization.
Shoe Source
Attractive Wear - Call and
ask for Dan
800-300-5800
www.attractivewear.net
Order: Brand = Ellie, Style = 601 Vanity, Color = clear and clear
Size = these shoes come in whole sizes only if you are a narrow size
or a 1/2 size go down to the size below. If they are too tight
you can heat them up with a hairdryer to fit them
Rhinestone Source
M & J Trim
www.mjtrim.com
Clear - are regular stones
AB Clear - are irridescent or rainbow (ish) regular stones)
ss34 - Large Size
ss20 - Average Size
ss12 - Small Size
ss7 - Extra Small Size
Flat back are for glue on
application (I prefer)
E6000 glue - (dries fast
so it takes practice but lasts longest)
Competition Camps
Cathy Savage Fitness - Camp
Savage
www.cathysavagefitness.com
Chady Dunmore Fitness Camp
www.chadydunmore.com/fitnesscamps
More Fun Competitor Information
If you would like some more fun competitor information then check out my blog. There are some great tips and secret weapons that I have discovered along my journey.
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/
Competition Secret Weapons - 10 total
Secret Weapon #1
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/07/competition-secret-weapon-1.html
Secret Weapon #2
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/07/competition-secret-weapon-2.html
Secret Weapon #3
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/07/competition-secret-weapon-3.html
Secret Weapon #4
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/07/competition-secret-weapon-4.html
Secret Weapon #5
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/08/competition-secret-weapon-5.html
Secret Weapon #6
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/08/competition-secret-weapon-6.html
Secret Weapon #7
http://sharonpolskywbffpro.blogspot.com/2011/08/competition-secret-weapon-7.html
Secret Weapon #8
Secret Weapon #9
Secret Weapon #10
