Let the Music Move You!
A look at the importance of music selection when creating your posing routine
"When I get on stage hit pose for pose. I do it not for myself but for those who dare to dream. That young kid who was criticized and made fun of for his dream. WE will all be on stage tonight. Let's see em laugh now.
DARE TO DREAM." — Kai Greene
It is often said that music is the uni
versal language. That music conveys emotions and feelings that can bring people together or have them be able to remember a moment in time. That music can be either pleasing or not to audiences and can even enable people the ability to connect to what the artists are creating on stage or sharing.
For the most part, music is something that individuals see as fun, entertaining and positive. When one hears a song, you go back to the special place in your mind where you can remember what that song meant, how it made you feel and what you were doing. A song is our own personal mental image to a moment in time.
Music is one of the strands of the arts that allows for this free expression of emotions. When individuals listen to a song, those that are close by are usually able to gain a sense on how the individual is feeling. Music has a way of not only expressing how one feels emotionally, but it can also be used to convey movement.
Dance, routines, posing, and celebrations, all have their connections to music as a way to express the moment. Within the fitness industry, music is a key component for competitors in Bodybuilding, Fitness and Physique. These classes and divisions are required to piece together a posing routine to music, a song of their choice. This is the competitor’s moment on stage to showcase their abilities and skills, personality and physique, as well as creativity, while being set to music and/or a song of their choice.
The key and essential factor when choosing your posing music, is to find and use a piece that reflects you, the pace at which you will be posing and your style.
Unfortunately, more often than not, and within the amateur men's bodybuilding too, I seem to find myself shaking my head with the song choice or how the routine is pieced together to the song. Too often it seems that the routine is a last minute decision and detail that the competitor goes over and checks off their list as having been completed, yet without thought having been put into the routine or song selection.
Frequently it seems that the thought is to wing it on stage and simply walk around. So it becomes a "routine" of growling, the most muscular pose, and a walk from stage left to stage right, all set to either the current song on the radio or a heavy metal classic. This is disappointing.
I know and understand that in some organizations routines are not awarded points, but this is your solo moment on stage to give a final impression on who you are, what you look like and have worked so hard on for the last 20 weeks or so. Don't you want to leave a great lasting impression?
Due to several routines I have seen over the years that displayed a lack of effort in their routine prep, I was curious to know what others in the industry thought about this and had to say. See this as a helpful hint or tip if you are planning to compete in the near future and a posing routine is part of your class.
First, I asked Carl Cheung, a judge from the Ontario Physique Association in Canada and CBBF National Level Bodybuilder, his thoughts and views regarding the posing routine and music selection. As a judge and competitor, I felt that Carl could share from both sides and therefore provide a balanced and fair response:
"Posing around in amateur circuits as we all know doesn't get counted for points. Except if you're in the IFBB professional competition. But a good posing routine can certainly attract very positive attention towards audience and potential sponsors, as well, even magazine companies. A posing routine can certainly brighten your character on stage and allows the freedom to express your performance abilities. Even with the right posing choreography, the music really sets the mood to the athlete's performance or even if it is going to capture the attention of the audiences.
A good posing routine with the proper music also indicates how hard you really dedicate yourself to the sport. After all, it is extra time which has to be spent on working with a DJ or even a posing coach, to have it all combined as a jaw dropping routine.
The type of music also represents the type of physique along with your character. That entire combination helps to bring attraction not only to the athlete, him/herself, but even the show."
—Carl Cheung (OPA Judge and CBBF National Level Bodybuilder, FUSION sponsored/Gymstar Apparel Ambassador Athlete.)
So, choosing the right music for the posing routines can either make or break all of your hard work, your dieting, training and physique. If it does not fit your personality, the music could basically ruin a performance. Even though you may not think about that, your comfort level and abilities will come through. For example, if you are going to pose at a slower pace, because this suits your personality and physique, then using slower, more dramatic music would be a great choice.
Naturally, it would seem to make sense that the faster music should be used for those with a faster posing style. Whatever pace, tempo or style of music a competitor selects for their routine, it is essential and I would even stress to say crucial that the choice of music will not overpower, or detract from the performance itself, but will compliment. Also, music that is too loud or badly pieced together will lessen the impact you want to make.
Scott Roxx, is the owner of Sound Dome Studio in Ontario. Sound Dome S
tudio has specialized in piecing and putting together fitness routine music for the last 10 years. Scott has worked with competitors from all levels and various organizations. Scott's job is to make your music selection work with your routine, so you avoid those pitfalls of the wrong song choice:
"The show is not based upon just posing, it's showing off your body in a fun, professional, skilled way and the best way to get that message across is to add music and use it to engage the audience and judges. Think of looking at a 250-pound ripped man doing a most muscular pose at the exact time a huge boom goes off in his song that just shakes the building. The audience now has been taken from looking at a big guy doing a big pose to a massive professional athlete doing this larger than life pose that just shook their heads! Now that is how you make an impression!
Professionally done routine music is the essence of what and who a competitor is and what they are trying to portray, be it a theme character or an intense, powerful, soft style poser.
I truly believe that music sets the mood for audience expectations. If you come out with a light, slow song done on a harp, people/judges are expecting to see soft, free flowing poses done with elegance and grace.
On the other spectrum, a competitor coming out with a hardcore metal song gives the illusions of a very aggressive huge guy the will just kill his posing intensely, hard, and sharp. Music is so powerful that it makes the audience believe in what the competitor is doing so he/she better have picked their music properly to seal the deal.
Along with all of this are the finer details... starting a song slow and flowing to give a competitor time and the speed needed to achieve certain poses and then slowly picking the pace up adding bigger poses... luring the audience in, making them follow every movement, wondering what is coming next to finally a big climax with a huge ending pose to be remembered by all.
Effects work on the same premise... a boom here, a whistle there and these become sync places to add certain poses that can shine through and really be noticed. All this has to be strategically placed throughout with tact and precision. Sounds easy 
but takes some skills to pull it off properly!"
—Scott Roxx
Now with having said all of this, it is no wonder that the individual posing routines at a fitness/bodybuilding show tend to be the 'highlights' of the show because of the simple fact that these competitors create a routine set to music that is a personal choice and reflection of them. This is why you, as a competitor, want to make it the best possible routine with the best song/music selection.
When at a pro level show, the elite pros and guest posers are greats in this area for the simple fact that they choose the key elements to put on an entertaining and audience-enticing routine: song choice/music selection.
It is a routine that makes you feel the excitement with every beat and move the music makes and the competitor takes. The posing greats will choose music to either compliment the powerful aura of their physiques and attitude brought to the stage, or those like Kai Greene, known for exceptional athletic ability, will use the music to highlight their physiques in an adventurous way.
Professionals take the time to select music, work with a choreographer and create a performance that showcases them and entertains the audience. They listen to their music and practice numerous times. One of the greatest posers in my opinion is Kai Greene. Here is an Olympia level competitor who is called back to numerous shows worldwide due to his ability and skills to put on an outstanding posing routine.
Kai's abilities did not just happen. It took time and practice from the early stages of his bodybuilding career to develop these abilities. He is one of those athletes that you just cannot help but watch during his routine because of the creative use of his body.
Greene became interested in bodybuilding through his love of the arts, particularly visual, and he sees his work on his own body "as an extension of his artistic bent."
Kai has been quoted as stating, “I became my own living model. I utilized my own physique to gain a greater understanding of space and movement, creating works of art that became increasingly detailed and complex over time."
As with anything in life or that you choose to do, your goal should be to follow all of the expectations, rules and requirements and give it your all. As a competitor, this is what your goal is day in and day out as you train and diet. When it comes to competing and stepping on the stage, you should follow through with that mindset and drive in all areas and expectations no matter what, points or not.
Creating a posing routine and selecting the song/music should not be taken lightly or viewed any less just because it is not awarded or scored. If you want to be known in this sport, be noticed and recognized for your talents, physique and drive, then your routine is where you should leave no doubts on the stage. Make those in attendance remember you for the right reasons and not for your ability to walk from corner to corner on the stage while any random song blares in the background.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
