A new study examined the energy demands of bodybuilding poses.
Last updated on October 4th, 2024
You’ve been doing it for years, probably — starting around age 10 or so, bodybuilding posing wormed its way into your brain when you noticed you could flex your biceps in the bathroom mirror.
- For physique professionals, posing is a form of living art; it’s how they present their hard work in the gym to a panel of judges. And as any bodybuilder will tell you, posing itself is hard work, too.
A new study from the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism took aim at the calorie demands of bodybuilding posing. The findings may stun the uninitiated, but probably wouldn’t surprise a physique pro. Posing, in some cases, can be as demanding as going for a jog.
Let’s put bodybuilding posing under the lens.
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Bodybuilding Posing as Exercise: The Science
The paper in question was published in July 2024 and is succinctly titled, “A quasi-experimental study on the energy expenditure, exercise intensity, and rating of perceived exertion of a male bodybuilding posing training,” by authors Peixoto et al. (1)
What They Did
- 15 male, steroid-using bodybuilders with an average body fat of roughly 7% were recruited by the authors.
- Researchers measured their oxygen consumption, metabolic equivalents (METs), and total estimated energy expenditure.
- Subjects performed several rounds of 12 bodybuilding poses. After each round, they provided an estimate of their rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
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What They Found
- RPE increased for the competitors between a four and six, roughly, out of 10, over the course of multiple rounds of bodybuilding posing.
- Participants’ average heart rate was roughly 135 beats per minute and peaked close to 160.
- Four rounds of posing, each lasting 15 minutes, burned about 100 calories on average.
- The participants’ maximum heart rate clocked in just shy of 77%, which is generally considered the threshold for “vigorous” physical activity.
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Conclusions
According to the authors, “bodybuilding posing training meets the criteria for vigorous exercise intensity and stimulant use and peak week significantly affect physiological responses and perceived exertion.”
- The bodybuilders’ maximum heart rate fell squarely in the range of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which some experts liken to the intensity of going for a jog.
This paper contained only 15 participants, a notably small cohort and one of extremely similar characteristics. That said, it’s the first of its kind and an invaluable look into the rigors of bodybuilding posing.
Flexing isn’t hard, but posing absolutely can be. The question is: Why and how?
Bodybuilding Posing, Explained
This paper was highlighted in the Oct. 2024 issue of the MASS Research Review. Contributing author, PhD, natural bodybuilding pro, and BarBend Expert Dr. Eric Helms had this to say:
- “[In a bodybuilding competition], your score is the judges’ aggregate perception from seeing you the entire time you’re on stage. Meaning, you must always display your physique to the best of your ability.”
- “A poor poser can appear smaller, less lean, and less proportionate than they actually are … it isn’t the best physique that wins, but the best physique display.”
Dr. Helms is right. Take six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates — in 1997, Yates tore his triceps nearly off the bone in the last weeks before competing at the Olympia.
It should’ve been the end of his campaign that year, but clever posing to hide the injury and draw attention to his strengths helped Yates clinch the win. It would be his final victory at the “O.”
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So, what does this mean for you? If you’re a hobbyist gymgoer just trying to get big, not much. Posing or flexing can help you establish a better mind-muscle connection, so it might be a worthwhile pursuit between sets at the gym.
If you’re prepping for a bodybuilding show, posing is or soon will be as much of a daily ritual as brushing your teeth. Just remember that it costs energy and plan accordingly.
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References
- Peixoto, D. L., Nascimento, D. D. C., Moura, R. F., de Moraes, W. M. A. M., Magalhães de Castro, B., Magalhães de Castro, Lima de Sousa, L., Rolnick, N., & Prestes, J. (2024). A quasi-experimental study on the energy expenditure, exercise intensity, and rating of perceived exertion of a male bodybuilding posing training. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 10.1139/apnm-2024-0151. Advance online publication.
Featured Image: @cbum / Instagram
