To become a Wheelchair Bodybuilder, get involved and know exactly what to do, you must have competed at least once. If you qualify, email me at nickscott@wheelchair-bodybuilding.com and I will add your biography to the Bios section so everybody will know who you are. It's a great networking tool and you can be included for FREE!
If you would like to recieve emails (I don't send out that many) on updates, upcoming shows, whats new, recieve DVDs (of the actual Wheelchair Bodybuilding Shows) then sign up HERE. Keep your information currerent that way I will know to ship to.
First, go to Upcoming Shows and choose a bodybuilding show at which you would like to compete. Click on the link of the bodybuilding show and find the entry form. If you would like to see what an entry form looks like, Click on "Entry Form" on the NPC Continental USA's website.
Now it's up to you to train for the show. Bodybuilding.com is an amazing source of information, motivation, and supplementation. I also have tons of information, fitness tips, nutrition, programs and more on my personal site: NickFitness.com. Send me an email and I will help you get started: nickscott@nickfitness.com
Flights The show is almost here, and you'll want to get your plane tickets in advance to get the cheapest rate. Orbitz is what I use most of the time, but Southwest is not associated with Orbitz or other discount travel sites, so also check Southwest for low rates.
Hotels Reserve your hotel room a head of time at the host hotel. Host hotel rates are normally cheaper because bodybuilding shows have something worked out with the hotel to reserve a block of rooms for the athletes. Each show normally will have the host hotel on the entry form; if not, email the promoter for hotel information. If you have a AAA Card, let them know. Most hotels will give you a discount. If you need a refrigerator just ask and they will normally reserve it for you. Some hotels have refrigerators in the room.
Registration All the bodybuilding shows have NPC, ABA, or another abbreviation by their listing. What that means is the bodybuilding show is sanctioned by that organization. If you plan to compete at a specific bodybuilding show you will have to become a member of that organization. You can become a member at the same time you send in the entry form; the entry form should have a membership form portion and should list the membership costs. With some shows, if you do not send in the entry form by the deadline date you may have to pay a late fee or may not be able to compete, so pay attention to the entry form and deadline date.
Show Time *All information will be on the Entry Form - READ IT Each show will have different times at which they will have a mandatory meeting; some on Friday and others will be held the Saturday morning before the show. This is so they can go over how everything will take place and in what order they will have the contestants come out on stage so the show will run smoothly.
There are two parts to a bodybuilding show:
ØPre-Judging (Morning) - Where all the judging takes place (this is the most important part of show)
ØNight Show (Night) - For the fans
Saturday Morning: Pre-Judging 8:00 am-9:00 am - Check In/Weigh In 10:00 am - Pre-Judging (This is a typical show schedule, though times will vary.) At certain shows you will be weighed and put in a certain weight class, in which you will compete. Novice and Masters do not have a weight class; its one class, so you will be competing against everybody else that entered that division regardless if they are bigger or smaller than you. Each show has different weight classes; these will be listed on the entry form. Some shows allow you to do crossovers, meaning you can enter more than one division. Common divisions include: Novice/Open, Masters/Open, Novice/Masters). At certain shows, they just have one division for all wheelchair bodybuilders.
After the weigh-in, most of the time, they will have another meeting to go over a few more things and give out buttons with your number on it. You will want to clip it on your pants facing outwards so the judges can see the number. Your number is your name to the judges so make sure that they can see it at all times.
The competition organizers will let you know how much time will be left before the wheelchair divisions go out on stage. You will want to know this so you can touch up your tan and get oiled up and pumped up accordingly.
Tanning The tanning product I recommend is ProTan or JanTana. People vary in which one they prefer. I usually put on two-three coats Friday night and one-two coats first thing Saturday morning, but it depends on how dark you are and how dark you want you go with your tan. The darker you go, the more definition will show up on stage.
Oil To put on the final touches after you are tanned up I recommend ProTan's Quick Bronze or JanTana's Hi-Definition Glaze (use one or the other, not both). There are other products out there; I'm recommending what I have used in the past and what worked best. A lot of people use Pan (cooking oil) but most shows get mad when you use it because it makes the floor slick, and the women that are getting ready to go out on stage for the figure part of the show are walking around backstage with high heels on and it puts them in danger. It increases the chance that they might slip, fall, and twist an ankle. Most shows will be happy to help spray you down outside with Pan if that is what you want. When using oil, you are looking to have a sheen, not a shiny look. A shine will reflect the lights taking away from your physique whereas a sheen will enhance your definition.
Pumping Up You will want to lift light weight with high reps to flush a lot of blood into the muscle in order to make sure they will look big and full on stage.
Pre-Judging You're all tanned, oiled, and pumped up and the Wheelchair Division is up! First they will call out the Master Division. Everybody that entered the Master Division will then line up onstage in numerical order, facing the judges. Once everybody is facing the judges, they will be in a relaxed posed (but not really relaxed) and the judges will give commands for four Quarter Turns and Mandatory Poses. Then everybody goes off stage and they bring back one person at a time for a 60-second (this is a 60 second maximum, you don't have to go all 60 seconds) solo posing routine WITHOUT music.
Once everybody from the Master division is done, the Novice division will go, doing the relaxed poses, mandatory poses and 60-second solo routine just like the Master Division.
Then the Open Divisions begin, starting with the Light Weight Division.
I'll break it down for you a little more.
RELAXED POSES You start facing the front; the judges will wait a few seconds and then say: "Quarter turn to the right" (pause for a few seconds) "Quarter turn to the rear" (pause for a few seconds) "Quarter turn to the right" (pause for a few seconds) "Quarter turn to the front" (pause for a few seconds)
Facing forward again, you will then perform Mandatory Poses for the judges as they call them out. Here is the list of poses; the order may change in each show.
MANDATORY POSES Front Double Bicep Front Lat Spread Side Chest (Nationals is your choice, USA is both sides) Side Tricep (Nationals is your choice, USA is both sides) Rear Double Bicep Rear Lat Spread Front Abdominal Most Muscular
Pre-Judging is complete when all the divisions have gone. They will then tell you what time you will need to be back for the Night Show. If they don't tell you, just ask so you don't have to wait around.
Saturday Night/Night Show The Night Show is simple because you do not have to perform the Mandatory Poses, unless there are multiple divisions in the Open class and you win your weight class by placing first. If you place first, then you will compete against all the other first place winners of each division in Open (Light Weight, Middle, Light-Heavy, And Heavy Weight) to try to win the overall title.
OK, so before the Night Show starts make sure you know when the wheelchair division will be going. Do your tan touch ups, and repeat the whole process from the morning again to look your best on stage.
The night show will have the Wheelchair Division go out in the same order like Pre-Judging. Everybody that entered the Master's Division goes first, followed by Novice and then Open.
Once the Master Division line up back out on stage the judges will call out the four Quarter turns and then everybody will go off stage. The announcer will then give a brief description of where you're from, your name, and so on. Then you will perform a solo posing routine WITH music (60 seconds max, 90 seconds max at Nationals - the length will be on the entry form). You have the choice of having them start your music before you go out on stage or starting your music when you are on stage. There will be a guy that asks you that before you go out on stage, so don't worry.
Once the night routines are finished, everyone comes back out on stage and lines up. Then the announcer will start calling out who placed what, starting with last place. Pre-Judging is where all the judges determine who deserves each place. The night show does not get scored unless they are doing an overall; if that is the case they will have the division winners line up and do all Quarter Turns and Mandatory Poses again to compare their physiques side by side. After that, the one person that they feel has the best package is the overall winner.
How do they Judge? Most shows will have seven judges and each judge will score you. The place they give you will equal your points. Example: 1st Place = 1 Point 2nd Place = 2 Points 3rd Place = 3 Points and so on.
They judge you on who you are going up against on muscularity, leaness, hardness, and symmetry. Basically, they are looking for the total package. That is why they do the mandatory poses, so they can compare.
Here's an example of how the scoring takes place and determines the placing:
2007 Wheelchair Nationals - Heavy Weight
Judge 1
Judge 2
Judge 3
Judge 4
Judge 5
Judge 6
Judge 7
Total
Points
Victor
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
Jeff
2
3
3
2
3
2
2
12
Nick
3
2
2
3
2
3
3
13
Josh
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
20
Leon
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
25
John
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
30
*The eliminate 1 low score and 1 high score to make sure that the judging is more accurate and not way off. Victor - 1st Place Jeff - 2nd Place Nick - 3rd Place Josh - 4th Place Leon - 5th Place John - 6th Place
That is it! Welcome to the sport of Wheelchair Bodybuilding!
Nick Scott President Wheelchair Bodybuilding, Inc. PO Box 159 Ottawa, KS 66067
