Bikini Stage Presence
You've put in the work, and now it's time to hit the stage. The heartbreaking truth is that many athletes become SO focused on their diet and training that their posing and overall stage presence is left until the last minute... DO NOT be that competitor!!!! Overall stage presence is insanely important, especially in bikini. You can have a rockin' body, but if you pose all crazy? You WILL be marked down. The solution? Get help, and get it early. There are tons of resources to learn stage presence... but here are my top tips!
- GET OFF YOUTUBE! Yes, there are some great tutorials available, but many focus on one or two poses that are quite cookie cutter. Your body is likely different than the competitor teaching the lesson online, and that needs to be taken into account!
- Find a posing teacher/coach who knows the body lines to look for and will pose you appropriately. This is the solution to #1. A good posing coach will be able to tweak your poses in order for you to present your best self possible.
- Work with someone with experience, who is available either in person or through Skype. You want them to be able to watch you live and help fix issues immediately.
- Start at least 8 weeks out and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
I can't even tell you how hard it was for me when I first started posing. Getting from my back pose to my front was more like an awkward dance move than a graceful transition. That said, I kept at it, got some good coaching, and now 6 shows later I'm truly confident.
Speaking of good coaching, here's an exclusive AmandaLousie recommendation for you. Our sponsored athlete, and dear friend, IFBB Pro Karey Northington offers both in person and Skype posing lessons. She's insanely good and has helped countless women hit the stage in confidence. PLUS, as one of her clients you get access to special discounts on your suit! How great is that? You can check out the posing packages on her website through the link below. She also helps with things like how to wear your hair, jewelry choices, and more!