Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Contest Preparation Tips
- Contest Rules for Board Shorts
- Why Board Shorts?
- Best Board Shorts for Mens Physique
- Leg Day for Mens Physique
- Perspectives of Mens Physique Competitors
- Posing: Mens Physique vs. Bodybuiding
- Muscle Size and Mens Physique
- Conclusion
Introduction
Brands of Mens Physique Board Shorts
- Alite Wear
- Alphalete
- ALTA
- BroActiveWear
- Chula Wear
- Ismael Martinez (IM) Coleccion
- Live Fit
- Mens Physique Show Shorts
- Narcizo
- Ulises Moreno (custom stage shorts, Mexico)
You decided to compete in a men’s physique contest. Great! You want to prepare for your stage time to present your hard work to the judges.
How will you choose the best board short that will present your best image to the contest judges? How to develop a smooth, confident posing style for the stage? This article will help you find the answers you need.
Photographer: Paul Girvan. Board shorts, Chula Wear
Preparing for a Mens Physique Contest
I found a YouTube video on advice for newbie mens physique competitors. A YouTuber, Brady Oak, is a mens physique competitor and a coach. He provided five tips for new competitors.
- Work on the correct muscle groups off season.
- You are fatter than you think. Stage lean is ultra lean.
- Take a longer approach to your prep (greater than 12 weeks).
- Practice posing and stage presence (smile, make poses look as easy as possible).
- Get a coach.
Ismael Martinez, IFBB pro (mens physique) and online coach who lives in Mexico, offers five tips for those wanting to compete.
(Ismael speaks Spanish. Below is my translation of his five points.)
- Take risks-sign up for a contest and experience it.
- Train with people with the same goals.
- Hire a contest prep coach.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses.
- Tolerate frustrations; work consistently toward your goal.
Sam Newlove shares his first-time natural mens physique contest experience. The organization is the United Kingdom Drug-Free Bodybuilding Association (UKDFBA; its mens physique rules).
Mens Physique Board Shorts Rules
IFBB
The IFBB created the Mens Physique Division on November 11, 2012.
Is there a Weight Limit for Mens Physique?
No. There are no weight categories in mens physique (unlike classic physique and bodybuilding).
For example, at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, there was a competitor, Kim Min Su (height-6 feet 2 inches (1.87 meters) and weight-249 pounds (113 kilograms)).
(There are numerous federations to consider. I have listed the rules for mens physique stage shorts for a few federations.)
| Federation | Mens Physique Board Shorts Rules (as of August 23, 2020) |
| IFBB | 1. Competitors will wear an opaque, loose-fitting board shorts which are clean and decent. The colour and fabric of the shorts will be left to the competitor’s discretion. Shorts may have geometric patterns and motives, but no inscriptions and cambered ornamentation. The shorts will cover the whole upper leg, down the upper point of the knee (patella). The use of padding anywhere in the trunks is prohibited. 2. No tight, lycra style shorts are allowed. 3. Personal sponsors logos are not permitted on the shorts; however a manufacturer’s logo such is accepted. |
| NPC | Contestants will be asked to walk in board shorts (shorts must be just above the knee in length and can be one inch below the belly button, no spandex and no logos are permitted on the board shorts however a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike symbol or Billabongs are acceptable.) |
| UKBFF | The attire for all rounds is board shorts, which must conform to the following criteria: 1. Material and colour can be of the athlete’s personal choice. 2. No tight, lycra style shorts are allowed. 3. Board shorts should not cover the knees. 4. Personal Sponsors logos are not permitted on the board shorts. However a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike, Adidas or Billabong are accepted. |
| CPA | Posing Shorts: Contestants will be asked to walk in board shorts . Shorts must be just above the knee in length and can be one inch below the belly button. No spandex and no logos are permitted on the board shorts however a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike symbol or Billabongs are acceptable. |
| OCB | Board shorts (loose shorts that come down to around the knee) are worn for both parts. Shorts can be of any color and pattern. |
Based on the rules of the various federations noted above, the expectation for competition board shorts is essentially the same. The IFBB does not allow cambered ornamentation.
In practice, mens physique contest athletes wear the shorts at the hips rather than one inch below the belly button. In addition, some of the board shorts have some spandex material (Darc Sport, Bro Activewear, Mens Physique Board Shorts, and Alphalete).
Miami Pro Mens Physique Rules
For the Miami Pro competition, the mens physique category has
- weight classes (under 75 kg, over 75 kg to 90 kg, and over 90 kg to 100 kg) and
- more emphasis on seeing leg development with tighter legs on the stage shorts.
| Federation | Mens Physique Board Shorts Rules (as of May 9, 2021) |
| Miami Pro | Swimwear details: Men’s physique competitors should wear board shorts that are waist high and about an inch shorter than the knee. Tight fitting to allow some glutes and legs definition to show. |
The posing routine for the Miami Pro is different from the other federations discussed in this post.
ROUND – Men’s physique athletes perform 1 MINUTE free posing in the middle of the stage showing off their front and back and side muscles. Then walk back to the stage to wait to be called out to do quarter turns. Men Physique are to wear board shorts (about an inch above the knees), and are judged based upon muscularity, body conditioning, symmetry, and stage presence. Individual I walk and then quarter turns (front and back turns) and quarter turns when judges do compassion for top 5 placing).
Miami Pro, mens physique
Why Board Shorts?
I could not find the reason why the IFBB chose the board shorts for mens physique. I guess that the board shorts were widely available.
The Board Short, Made for Surfers
Board shorts was created for surfing, but the style and fabric of the shorts have evolved. For more about the board shorts, you can read a blog post on the Old Bull Shorts webpage.
The board short does not come with a liner and fits on the hips.
Board shorts come from big brands (Quiksilver, Hurley, Billabong) that come from surfing. You need wide legs to make it easy to move on the surfboard. However, mens physique competitors are focused on physique display on a stationary stage. Some brands have made alterations to the board short focused on that competition goal (for example, coloring, tapered leg).
Mens Physique Board Shorts Style
According to a YouTuber, Hart’s Physique Channel, some of the mens physique board shorts are tapered to show the outline of well-trained thighs. This is a recent development as board shorts are made for surfing and thus have a wider leg opening.
Best Board Shorts for Mens Physique
Mens Physique Stage Shorts: Brands and Creators
Below is a chart showing the brands and creators of men’s physique stage shorts.
| Type | Name of Creator or Brand | Website |
| Custom-Made Stage Shorts | ||
| Ulises Moreno, Monterrey, Mexico (Example of his work on a post for Andrei Gutierrez.) | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pepe_venganza/ | |
| Pre-Made Stage Shorts | ||
| Alphalete | https://alphaleteathletics.com/collections/mens-boardshorts | |
| ALTA | https://altathletics.co.uk/collections/board-shorts | |
| BroActiveWear | http://broactivewear.com/shop/ | |
| Chula Wear | https://teamchulafitness.com/collections/men-mens-physique | |
| Ismael Martinez (IM) Coleccion | https://imcoleccion.com/shorts/ | |
| Live Fit | https://www.livefitapparel.com/collections/mens-shorts/products/signature-pro-boardshorts-black-maroon | |
| Mens Physique Board Shorts | https://www.showshorts.co.uk/pages/our-vision | |
| Narcizo | https://www.narcizo.com/en/our-mission | |
Ulises Moreno
Ulises Moreno, a designer from Monterrey, México, creates men’s physique stage shorts as well as posing trunks for classic physique and bodybuilding competitors.
Live Fit Brand
Live Fit brand is based in California, United States. The founder, CEO, and designer is Randall Pich. (He created a video on how to create a muscle tank from an old t-shirt.)
On December 25, 2020, the brand released a new mens physique contest stage short (signature pro series (maroon and teal), which feature a signature from IFBB Pro Anthony Woods). The price of the shorts is 60 U.S. Dollars.
Chula Wear
Chula Wear is a brand based in the United States. The sizing of the brand’s mens physique board shorts is 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36.
Narcizo
Narcizo is a brand based in Hungary. The brand’s goal, as described on its website, is to create stage (board) shorts that suit the goals of physique competition. The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is 28, 30, 32, and 34. The offers two styles—unicolor and patterned. The price of unicolor shorts is 69 euros. For the patterned shorts, the price is 89 euros.
Mens Physique Show Shorts
The Mens Physique Show Shorts brand is based in the United Kingdom.
According to its website, the focus of the brand’s board shorts is to have the right fit and colors (the brand used a horizontal stripe pattern) to make the result of the contestant’s hard work—his physique—stand out to the judges.
The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is 28, 30, 32, and 34. The price (on the day of the post) is 39.99 Great Britain pounds.
Ismael Martinez Colección
Ismael Martinez is an IFBB pro (mens physique), father, and YouTuber who lives in Mexico. His brand, IM Coleccion, has a number of items for sale, including mens physique board shorts.
His website is in Spanish and English.
The sizing of the shorts tends toward the smaller-sized waists and hips–small (chico)-27″-28″, medium (mediano)-29″-31″ and large (grande)-32″-33″.
BroActiveWear
BroActiveWear is a brand based in the United States. The brand states that it creates distinctive styles in its clothing. The sizing of the brand’s board shorts is small (28-30), medium (30-32), and large (32-34). The price of the brand’s board shorts is 100 U.S. dollars.
Alphalete
Alphalete is a brand owned by Christian Guzman, and the brand is based in the United States. The brand started its board shorts offering (Titan) on September 12, 2020.
The sizing of the brand’s board shorts has the widest range of waist sizes (28-40). The price of the brand’s board shorts is 55 U.S. dollars.
ALTA
ALTA is a brand owned by IFBB Pro Ryan Terry, and the brand is based in the United Kingdom.
The sizing of the brand’s board shorts have these waist sizes (28-36). The price of the brand’s board shorts is 55 Great Britain Pounds.
Alite Wear
Alite Wear is a new brand within the mens physique stage shorts category. The brand’s founder is IFBB Pro Mens Physique Bilal Ali.
There is a large selection of board short styles available of the brand’s website. The sizes of the shorts tend to be smaller (29, 30, 32, and 33 (in inches)). There are two lengths available, 15 inches and 17 inches.
The price for the stage shorts is 88 U.S. dollars.
Growing Importance of Leg Day for Mens Physique
I mentioned that there is interest in having the mens physique board shorts be more tapered to show some evidence of thigh development (with the muscle filling the leg of the board shorts).
For example, Kim Angel, a mens physique pro competitor from Spain has notable thigh development. He is a skilled weight trainer, who is able to keep up in an intense leg training session with Canadian pro bodybuilder Regan Grimes.
Fernando Valdez, IFBB pro (mens physique) from Mexico, works with his coach to improve his leg development.
Perspectives of Mens Physique Competitors
Bilal Ali
Bilal Ali is an IFBB Elite Pro from Afghanistan and lives in Belgium. He owns Alite Wear.
Dylan Felgueiras
A mens physique competitor from Canada, Dylan Felgueiras, provided his observations to help new contest participants.
Although some of the advice was meant for guys with some contest experience, Dylan provides a perspective that is helpful for newbies.
Christian David
Christian David is a personal trainer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. He made a video to document his first men’s physique competition.
Jakob Bergen
Jakob Bergen is a mens physique competitor and YouTuber.
He made a video that documented his first show.
Posing Routines Compared: Mens Physique versus Bodybuilding
The purpose of the Mens Physique Division was to showcase less muscular yet aesthetic physiques. What that has meant is the development of the upper-body muscles, especially abs, and a v-taper–slim waist and wide shoulders. As a result, the low waist of the board shorts helps to display the athlete’s contest conditioning of the abdomen. A muscle group on the sides of the torso, the external obliques, also becomes prominent with training and at lower body-fat levels (the so-called v-line) and emphasizes a v-tapered look.
Rich Gaspari, a retired professional bodybuilder and owner of Gaspari Nutrition, commented on men’s open bodybuilding and mens physique. Gaspari admired mens physique competitors because the posing in mens physique requires a powerful physique. (A competitor cannot use angles to de-emphasize weak areas on the physique.) However, he feels that more-bodybuilding style posing would allow more “drama and excitement” in the competition.
If mens physique were to add more-bodybuilding-style posing, then it would be another move toward bodybuilding. The muscularity of mens physique competitors beyond the local level is moving toward Classic Physique (without the weight and posing trunk requirements).
Posing in Mens Physique Compared with Bodybuilding
In bodybuilding, several poses display the muscularity of various muscle groups. For example, the double-biceps pose.
Mens Physique Posing
Bodybuilder and Contest Preparation Coach Damien Patrick provides tips on mens physique posing for beginners.
In mens physique, the total physique is assessed. The IFBB rules that the judges will ask the competitors to make four quarter turns (IFBB rules (2019), mens physique, article 5, paragraph 4).
Author’s note: See related information in a blog post about a Canadian mens physique competitor, Kyle Hynick, which discusses in part the distinction between mens physique and bodybuilding.
Muscle Size and Mens Physique
In 2021, Ryan Terry, married and a father, assesses his experience at the 2020 Olympia (eighth place). Ryan also owns a men’s physique stage shorts company, ALTA.
Ryan acknowledged the role that muscle size is playing within mens physique. (Read the comments on the video.)
Mens physique pro Andrei Dieu took fifth place at the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
Mens Physique Pro Ismael Martinez displays notable muscle density during his shoulder workout in May 2021.
Mens Physique Pro Mauro Fialho and Classic Physique Pro Jorge Tabet discuss the difference between mens physique and classic physique (in Spanish).
The size and condition of professional-level men’s physique athletes increase each year. For example Riccardo Croci from Italy. The upper body is very close to a bodybuilder (muscle development and density).
(Both Ryan and Elton are now professionals in mens physique.)
2020 Mr. Olympia Men’s Physique Top Five
- Winner — Brandon Hendrickson, $35,000
- Second Place — Raymont Edmonds, $12,000
- Third Place — Kyron Holden, $8,000
- Fourth Place — Jeremy Potvin, $4,000
- Fifth Place — Andrei Lincan, $2,000
Source: BarBend.
Conclusion
There are many steps in the journey toward your contest. Participation is the best teacher. You will learn how you handle pressure while maintaining focus to achieve the goals that you want. I hope that this article just a couple of topics—board shorts and posing—helps you with your contest preparation path.
Any successes and teachable moments that you learned during contest preparation, contest, and post-contest, please share them by email or in the comments section.
The Menswear Newsletter 
Andre, this long surfer shorts needs to be gone! Lol They need to be in tiny posers.
Blocked my sight and nobody fits in those, not even surfers! Lol
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Hi, Chris. Lol, you will love the WBFF. WBFF guys (like fitness model pro, Diego Sechi, https://menswearnews.com/2020/01/23/male-fitness-model-diego-sechi-italy/) wear swim briefs.
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