if you are a body-building competitor, don’t even think about it. The appropriately folded moon posenamed for its iconic rear end hip hinge The pose where the athlete leans in to “catch” the audience is one of the few poses you’ll (almost) never see during a modern physique competition.
That’s not single because certain parts of the bodybuilding community consider it lewd: the moon pose is formally banned by the National Physique Committee, the IFBB Professional Leagueand many other major bodybuilding organizations.
What is the position of the moon?
Historical information on the moon pose is scant, but it can be traced back at least to his bodybuilding career. Tom Platz. If you know his bodybuilding history, you know that Platz is among the most famous physique stars to ever grace the stage, despite never have won the Mr. Olympia (however, he placed third in 1981).
Platz is widely regarded as possessing the the most impressive pair of wheels in the history of bodybuilding. Part of that reputation is due, of course, to his ability to pose and pose.
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“The Quadfather,” as he is known, helped popularize the moon pose as a way to display his marble carving. posterior chain. By facing away from the audience and bending from a standing position, Platz could reveal each individual groove on your buttocks, hamstringsY calves.
Eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman He also struck the pose in the competition, though he hardly made it his calling card. Coleman is famous for having perhaps the better rear overall in bodybuilding; the crazy musculature of him made him a perfect candidate for the moon pose.
The moon pose is also very similar to the forward fold. section in yoga, in which the practitioner bends at the waist, trying to surround the calves with the arms or touch the ground with the palms of the hands.
This stretch not only highlights the muscles in the back leg, but also provides a tremendous stretch in the soft connective tissues around the ankle and knee.
The dark side of the moon (Pose)
in a sport that celebrates form and condition of the human body, it may seem a little curious to prohibit a pose that actually shows a significant part of the body. Regardless, bodybuilding federations have taken a stance against athletes performing the act on stage.
Some within the larger bodybuilding ecosystem consider the pose unnecessarily vulgar or inappropriate. Bodybuilding organizations may wish to avoid any unwanted attention that the most muscular in the world men can inadvertently draw by exposing themselves so fully in little more than posing trunks.
There is little in the way of formalized reasoning behind banning the moon pose on stage, but some competition regulation characterize it as a “lewd act”.
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Regardless, there is various other poses in bodybuilding that more than adequately highlight the musculature and definition of the glutes, hamstrings and calves; bodybuilders get blasted from head to toe during poses like the rear double biceps.
The moon pose, while outlandish, could also be considered redundant in this regard. It’s far from the only way show your legs.
What are the mandatory bodybuilding poses?
Make no mistake: Competitive physique athletes have never been directly ordered to do the moon pose on stage. Bodybuilders are often allowed to perform freestyle posing routines, and some athletes take this opportunity to inject their own personality or artistic vision in the presentation of their physiques.
However, the Men’s Open and 212 divisions in the IFBB Pro League they demand another eight varied poses that, in their entirety, reveal almost every muscle fiber in the body:
Lateral triceps
The lateral triceps stance highlights the arm musculature, chest and shoulders. The athlete assumes a perpendicular or three-quarter stance to the judges and wraps their arms behind their back, sharply flexing the elbow to flex the triceps brachii.
side chest
The lateral chest stance is similar to the lateral triceps stance, but requires a fully perpendicular stance. To demonstrate the size, shape, and definition of the pectorals (and arms too), the bodybuilder bends the arm closest to the judges while pressing the far arm against the torso to flex the pecs.
rear side parting
The width of the back and the silhouette are evaluated during the rear lateral extension. Athletes will keep away from the judges and expand your latissimus dorsi muscles as wide as possible, creating the coveted “V” shape from shoulder to hip.
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Judges will often consider lower body shape and proportion during the rear lat extension, including the same muscles shown in moon pose.
Double Biceps Back
Similar to the lateral extension, bodybuilders emphasize the size of their arms, shoulders, and upper back performing the double biceps back pose. Additionally, athletes will “dig” one of their legs by pressing their toes firmly into the floor to tighten their calves and glutes.
front double biceps
Frontal poses like the double biceps put the entire physique of a bodybuilder on display. Athletes raise their arms and contract their bicepsflatten their stomachs and contract their quadriceps muscles all at once.
side front extension
The front side extension pose demonstrates the back width and thickness when seen from the front. Athletes assume roughly the same posture as the rear lat extension but also incorporate some abdominal and thigh flexion into the mix.
abdomen and thigh
Bodybuilders show their abdominal thinness and leg gains with the Abdominal and Thigh pose. They lift their arms out of the way, placing them behind their heads, contract their abs to Bring out every cut and crackand then flex your quadriceps and calves equally.
more muscular
The most muscular pose is an opportunity to show off how much muscle size has a competitor. It also happens to be quite an interpretive move, allowing the athlete to flex their entire body in various ways.
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Some athletes stand upright with their arms outstretched and their entire bodies tense. Others will lean forward and join hands to contract their arms and reveal their trapeze muscles too. The most muscular pose is considered the athlete’s masterstroke: his chance to reveal all of his hard work at once.
waxing and waning
You will probably get very different answers if you ask about the moon pose on a bodybuilding show. Some consider it essential bodybuilding traditionwhile others consider it unnecessarily cheeky.
Regardless, the pose has been consigned to the history books. Platz and the other practitioners of the pose enjoyed long and storied careers in the sport; despite its twisted reputation, the moon pose was not a death sentence. It just turned out to be a dangerously effective way of showing your legs.
Featured Image: @golden_era_of_bodybuilding on Instagram // Mahmudul-Hassan on Shutterstock (“banned” image)
