Body language is non-verbal communication, which is often more revealing than verbal communication. You express your thoughts and feelings through your physical behavior such as your body posture, facial expression, eye and hand movements.

There’s a direct connection between your mind and your body; studies have proven that the mere act of thinking about a lemon will cause you to salivate although the lemon is not actually being tasted.

Try thinking about a lemon and see for yourself the power of the mind/body connection.

So we know the connection is real and as competitor’s we must understand how to use this knowledge to help us succeed on stage by not allowing our thoughts to dictate how we perform.

You want your body language to exude confidence EVEN though your mind is screaming “I am scared to pieces.” Mastering the mind/body connection, or in the very least managing it, is in my opinion, the #1 secret to superstar stage presence.

Throughout my career as a physique competitor, singer, and actress I have performed on stages large and small. And with over 25 years of stage experience I have developed a keen awareness into how much your body language communicates information to observers.

More often than not, it is not the information that you want to convey, rather, it is you being unaware of this nonverbal communication and how it’s hindering your performance.

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Here are some negative body language signals that are common with Bikini and Figure competitors with one Fool-Proof tip to help avoid them all:

1. A concerned or nervous facial expression:

Many competitors do this without being aware of it because they are so dialed into doing everything just right.

So rather than be loose and confident (which incidentally comes from stage presence practice) they become tense and apprehensive which throws off their positive vibe.

Whatever the reason, judges can read into a competitor who is uptight, and that rarely bodes well for them.

2. Staring “deer in the headlights” at  the judging panel:

You should make eye contact with the judges. Do so by all means, it establishes a rapport with them.

However, there’s a thin line between shooting daggers and eye contact.

By shooting daggers, you appear robotic and unnatural, and frankly that makes judges feel uncomfortable.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was staring through you? It probably made you feel uncomfortable.

So the next time you find yourself staring down the judges, back off, and pan with soft, confident eyes.

3. Fidgeting and shaking:

Hold your relaxed Bikini and Figure poses without fidgeting and avoid playing with strands of your hair or even tapping your feet or fingers.

Doing these things distracts the judges and gives them the impression that you’re nervous. You probably are, but don’t advertise it!

You want them to see your confidence and swagger shine through. And remember even when you think the judges are not looking, they are.

3. Behaving like you’ve just won the competition:

If the audience cheer you, briefly acknowledge it with a smile. 

But avoid waving and cutting up, it can make you appear cocky and arrogant, and no one likes cocky and arrogant people.

4.  Rushing through your routine:

Walk slowly and purposefully and above all else avoid rushing through your routine it makes you appear nervous and amateurish.

Not breathing properly while not holding count in your mind is the cause of this common issue.

5. Taking the stage with a closed-off posture:

Slumped shoulders, bending of the head, and a tense body give off the impression that you haven’t done your work.

That may be very far from the truth; however, it may seem as if you are hiding yourself.

You may have a great physique; however, if you can’t showcase it well, the judges will gloss right over you.

Hold your head held high, shoulders back and keep a relaxed body.

NOTE: Here is another good article to help you with your  Stage Presence.

MY TOP FOOL-PROOF TIP TO SOLVE ALL YOUR STAGE PRESENCE & POSING PROBLEMS FAST & FOREVER 

Watch a past show that you participated in and observe yourself objectively. Alternatively, record yourself posing and walking.

How is your face, is it slack or smiling?

Do you appear confident as if you belong on stage or do you look uncomfortable?

Watching yourself is a humbling experience but more importantly it is an eye opener.

There is no better teacher than the video camera; video your stage presence training often, review the footage, tweak the weaknesses, and repeat the process until you mastered the art of stage presence.

More importantly have a mentor or coach walk through this process with you.

If your a Bikini Competitor hire a coach that has  Bikini Competition experience and the same goes for Figure and Women’s Physique Competitors.

After all two sets of eyes are better than one. AND a set of eyes that have walked in your shoes is even better! 🙂

This simple tip has helped me and hundreds of my clients make huge improvements in the area of stage presence.

If you have any questions about the information in this article, leave a comment below, and I’ll be sure to respond as soon as possible. Thanks!

AND if you want to discuss how you can improve your stage presence and posing I would love to help!

Click on the link below and fill out the simple contact form and I will get back to you ASAP:

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