Fitness competition

A Fitness competition consists of a swimsuit round, and a routines round. During the swimsuit round, the competitors wear a two-piece swimsuits with high-heeled shoes, presenting their physiques with a series of quarter- or half-turns toward the judges and audience. The physique guidelines for fitness competitions typicallycompose of a small amount of muscular mass; clear separations between muscle groups (but, no visible striations); and, leanness. The swimsuit should cover at least fifty percent of the gluteus maximus muscle; no thongs or G-strings are allowed. The routine round requires a physically-active stage performance; most competitors attempt aerobic, dance, and/or gymnastic routines.

 Figure competition

Figure competition is a new sub-category of the Fitness contests. Figure shows do notinclude the routines round common to Fitness shows. The competitors are judged solely on muscular symmetry and tone; as in Fitness shows, muscle size is downplayed. Figure competitions appeal most to women who want to compete in a bodybuilding competition, but wish to avoid the Fitness shows' additional athletic and creative demands (for the routines round), or bodybuilding's demands for heavy muscle mass.

A typical figure competition includes two rounds,which may vary by organization. In the symmetry round, the competitors appear on stage in high-heeled shoes and a one-piece swimsuit in a side-by-side line that faces the judges. They execute a series of quarter-turns to the right, allowing the judges to view and compare them from all sides for symmetry, presentation, and other aesthetic qualities such as skin tone, hair, make-up, and stylishness of clothing. In the next round (the group comparisons), competitors return in high heels and a two-piece bathing suit, executing a series of quarter-turns. At this stage, they are judged more critically against the others for conditioning, leanness, and how "feminine" and "athletic" (as opposed to brawny) their muscularity is. Included in either of these rounds, or perhaps just the evening show, the competitors come out individually on stage for a model walk where they are judged on presentation, gracefulness, confidence, poise, and professionalism.