Many think about controlling the waist in front shots of poses as presenting the V taper is essential. However, we can not lose sight of waist control in side poses as it’s easy to get tricked to think you can cover up your waist in a side chest. This is not the case and one thing to consider is proper hip position in relation to rib cage position to really display a flat and tight waist line.
Braeden is a first time competitor looking to compete in classic physique. Braeden is what I would categorize as an advanced beginner when it comes to posing skill. One of the common errors Braeden is guilty of committing is having too much thoracic extension in the side chest. When you look at the image on the left you can see Braden is arching his back and extending his abdomen. This is known as thoracic extension and the side chest in no place for it. Too much thoracic extension makes it impossible to contract the abdominals and even harder to execute a full exhale.
When you do this pose, instead of extending the abdominals and thoracic spine, you should think about blowing out all your air, pinning your lower ribs down, and crunching down on the abdominals like an ab and thigh pose. This will help cinch the waist and allow you to pull the arms closer into the body. By moving the waist farther from the judges we know give a greater illusion of a small waist.
Follow the steps explained here, and if you do this properly, you will look bigger and have a smaller waist.
If you are looking for great posing resources please see below:
1-on-1 Posing Session with me: https://j3uposing.as.me/schedule.php?calendarID=9565304
Precision Posing Course: https://j3university.com/education/precision-posing/precision-posing-course/
Free Posing Guide: https://j3university.com/posing/
See you on Stage!
Daniel Coffeen, J3U Posing Coach
