Note: The minimum age is 16 years old. The age on the day of competition is decisive.

Note: Use of subcategories is dependent on the amount of athlete registrations of the category, the use of subcategories will be announced when the timetable for the competition is released (after the pre-registration deadline).

First timer: You have never competed before in any federation. You are entering your first contest; therefore, you are only a First Timer once in your life. However, you can enter multiple divisions on the day of your first contest.

To best protect this category, when you register you declare that you are indeed a first-time competitor. If you are nevertheless not honest about this, your result will be deleted and you’ll be suspended for life within the organisation.

Junior:  this category is mandatory as a first category for all athletes who are younger than 23 years on the day of competition (with the exception of First Timer athletes who only compete in 1 category).

Master I (Weight): this category is mandatory as a first category  for all athletes who are between 40 and 49 years old on the day of competition (with the exception of First Timer athletes who only compete in 1 category). There are 2 subcategories: minus and plus 75kg (measured at the registration/weigh-in).

Master II (Weight):  this category is mandatory as a first category for all athletes who are between 50 and 59 years old  on the day of competition (with the exception of First Timer athletes who only compete in 1 category). There are 2 subcategories: minus and plus 75kg (measured at the registration/weigh-in).

Master III (weight):  this category is mandatory as a first category for all athletes who are 60 years or older on the day of competition (with the exception of First Timer athletes who only compete in 1 category). There are 2 subcategories: minus and plus 75kg (measured at the registration/weigh-in).

Open (Weight): Athletes can be divided into subcategories according to bodyweight measured at the registration/weigh-in. There are 3 subcategories (minus 68kg, between 68kg and 80kg and plus 80kg).

(An athlete can register for as many categories he prefers across multiple divisions as long as he qualifies for the above regulations of the specific category.)

Overall: All winners from the above categories are put into this category to decide the best athlete of the division in a competition. The athlete does not have to register for this category himself and is free of charge.

PRO: NCOBB/ICN Belgium does not host PRO shows at the moment. All PRO athletes are automatically signed up in the Overall category. Please contact info@ncobb.com when you are a PRO athlete looking to compete in our shows.

The most muscular and extremely conditioned of all divisions. Bodybuilding is the highest degree of muscle development and refinement. Requiring large muscle groups, with extreme balance and symmetry top to bottom, side to side and front to back. Degree of conditioning should include good vascularity, separation and definition between muscle groups, and visible striations of the main muscle groups such as legs, glutes, chest back and shoulders. 

Symmetry > conditioning > muscularity (Symmetry is most favourably judged, followed by conditioning and muscle mass.)

A muscular physique that is extremely well conditioned (vascularity and muscle striations) on the upper and lower body all the while being overall evenly developed and well proportioned.

• Athletes wear Posing Trunks:
  • Unicolor with no patterns
  • Shiny glitter effect is allowed
  • Side width between 1 and 2 cm 
  • G-strings forbidden
• Jewelry and piercings are allowed but without excess.
• Athlete number must always be visible at the left side of the waist and on the back.

N.B After inspection of the posing attire at the registration, any objection will automatically result in disqualification of the athlete if no remediation is possible before the start of the contest (first category of the day).

Images below are all allowed posing trunks. Regulatory posing trunks, unicolor and side width is between 1 to 2 cm centimeters.

Athletes of the same category present themselves backstage in their competition outfit. 

Under the direction of the stage director all the athletes of the same category come on stage. The stage director presents each athlete in ascending order of athlete number.

Under the orders of the stage director, after presentation at the back of the stage, and having advanced on the comparison/judgment line, the athletes perform:

A quarter turn to the right so as to appear in profile, then again a quarter turn to the right so as to stand facing the judges, then a quarter turn to the right to present their other profile, and finally the athletes finish with a last quarter turn to regain face to face position with the judges. 

Depending on the number of athletes a new order of numbers can be made. All athletes perform all (or several) quarter turns again in the new order of athlete numbers. After being put back in the original order of the athlete numbers, the athletes are aligned in the background. This ends the first round.

Below images of the 4 quarter turn poses. Feet placement should be identical as on the pictures provided.

• Personal posing routine 
• Duration: maximum of 90 seconds.
• Free choice of music.
• Same outfit as the other rounds.
• No accessories allowed (costumes, attributes)

International ICN contests may differ in the inclusion of an individual posing round.

Music can be sent beforehand in .mp3 format to music@ncobb.com (with name, category of athlete and when to start music (before or on podium). We advise you to send one e-mail for every category you participate in where individual music can be prepared. Athletes can choose to let their music be played before they step up on stage, or when they’re standing ready on stage. This is decided in the e-mail sent beforehand.

Sending in your individual music has to be done before the official athlete registration deadline. The athlete will have to pay a late registration fee (+25EUR per category) when music is sent in after this deadline. The athlete will receive a confirmation if the individual music is valid for competition by e-mail.

• Athletes who present no music (or not valid) will perform their second round on music selected by the DJ.
• Athletes who do not perform an individual posing routine will be sanctioned with points.

Below an example of a personal posing routine.

After the second round, the line up is once again formed on the backline of the stage in ascending athlete numbers. All athletes are moved to the front of the stage, the stage presenter will call for 8 mandatory poses. Front double biceps, front lat spread, preferred side chest, preferred side triceps, back double biceps, back lat spread, abdominals and thighs pose and lastly, preferred variation(s) of a most muscular pose. Slight variations in foot and hand placements are allowed.

Note that these muscularity poses are judged to look for the specific Men Bodybuilding judging criteria and should differ in presentation from (classic) physique muscularity poses.

Below photos of all muscularity poses.

At the end of the third round (muscularity round), comparisons by 3 can then be requested by the judges in order to better estimate the athletes’ physique and refine the ranking. Requests for comparisons will be made by the head of the jury table. The comparisons of these 3 athletes will be with the same poses as the third round (muscularity round).

After the judges have asked for call-outs, 1 minute of free posing is offered to all athletes on stage. The posedown is competitive, but friendly in nature, overly aggressive behaviour will be sanctioned by the jury.

Image below: Posedown! 1 minute of free posing for all athletes together on stage!