Eligibility & Drug Testing

All ANBF competitors must be age 16 or older unless stated otherwise for Teen or Kids Fitness. Current membership in ANBF is required of all competitors to participate in ANBF events. The ANBF is a drug tested organization via urinalysis. The ANBF adheres to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited Substance List as its drug free standard.  The WADA prohibited substance list is updated at least annually and can be found at https://www.wada-ama.org. The ANBF enforces this standard through urinalysis testing of winners as well as randomly selected competitors in a specific event. Winners at events offering a pro card must submit to urinalysis and pass drug screening in order to be awarded pro status. Additionally, the ANBF executes an “off season” urinalysis drug testing program. The ANBF may grant Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) for certain substances necessary for the treatment of illness or medical conditions, including hormone deficiencies. The full text of the ANBF Drug Policy is available at www.anbfnatural.com.  All ANBF members are required to read and agree to this policy in order to complete their membership purchase. Violations of this policy will result in a period of ineligibility for ANBF events as defined in the ANBF Drug Policy.  Additionally, if the ANBF is notified of a competitor’s failure in another drug tested organization, the ANBF will match that organization’s sanctions starting from the date of notification.  

ANBF Show Format

In an effort to condense the prejudging and night shows into one and make the show more streamlined and entertaining, all ANBF sanctioned events will adhere to a straight-through format as indicated below.

Individual Presentation – Introductions

As each class is introduced, competitors will be announced individually by name. Each competitor will proceed to center stage and be given 10-15 seconds of free posing. Competitors can perform any poses of their choice that display their physique in the most favorable manner. Once complete, the competitor will remain on stage and line up on a diagonal line placed in the back corner of each side of the stage.

Group Comparisons

After the individual presentation for each competitor is complete, the class is brought to front center stage and is guided through mandatory poses as specified for each division (see division specific criteria).

Note: Competitors not following ANBF posing guidelines may, at the discretion of the head judge, be corrected. If the competitor fails to adjust when corrected, then judges are instructed to address this in their scoring. Failure to comply with ANBF posing guidelines may result in a lower placement in the presentation/posing round. This applies to group comparisons as well as individual presentations (stage walks and routines).

Individual Presentations – Stage Walks and Routines

The presentation portion will immediately follow group comparisons for the class. After a class files off, the first person in the class will return to the stage to perform their individual stage walk or routine. Individual presentations must be done tastefully and be conducive to a family atmosphere. If a competitor’s stage walk or routine is deemed inappropriate, the competitor, may, at the discretion of the head judge, be disqualified from the competition.   Competitors will be allowed 60-90 seconds to complete their individual presentations (check with the individual promoter for time restrictions). All competitors may use the music of their choice for their presentation round. Stage walks and routines are performed according to their division rules. See below for specifications:

Stage Walks

• Bikini
• Figure
• Men’s Physique

Routines

• Women’s Physique
• Men’s Classic Physique
• Men’s/Women’s Bodybuilding

Note: If a competitor has already performed a stage walk or routine in a previous class, they will not do the stage walk or routine a second time. If the competitor has crossed over to another division, Figure to Women’s Physique for instance, the competitor may perform their walk/routine in subsequent class.

Stage Walk Diagram

Finals

Finals for all ANBF events will commence immediately following a short intermission once judging is complete. During finals, all competitors are called to the stage for one final presentation to the audience. Competitors are then asked to file off stage, where the top five will be called in numerical order, where each competitor in the top five will receive a trophy or medal.

Judging Criteria & Scoring

Judging Criteria & Scoring

Judging for placements within each class will take place during group comparisons. Each judge will assign placements for competitors based the criteria below. The highest and lowest placement for each competitor in each criterion is dropped as a safeguard against bias, whether intentional or on a subconscious level.  The remaining judges’ placements for each criterion are then summed.

Judges will evaluate competitors on the following criteria:

• Symmetry (40% of overall score) – Symmetry is a measurement of the evenness of development of the competitor’s physique and how well the parts of the physique flow together. It includes the balance and proportion of the competitor from side to side, top to bottom and front to back. Symmetry is a measurement of evenness of development between all muscle groups and proportion when viewed from all sides. No body part or muscle group should stand out from the rest.
• Muscularity & Conditioning (40% of overall score) – Muscularity refers to muscle size and development relative to the competitor’s frame, including shape and size. The level of muscularity is determined by the extent of development in relation to the size of the competitor’s skeletal structure. Also to be considered is the shape and contour of the developed muscle and muscle groups. Conditioning refers to the level of differentiation between adjacent muscles delineating sections or fibers within the same muscle group and the degree of firmness (hardness) of muscle tone. Leanness is important but an overly dieted appearance is neither advantageous nor desirable.
• Posing & Presentation (20% of overall score) – Posing/Presentation score is a measurement of how well the competitor presents herself and displays their physique on stage as well as adherence to ANBF posing guidelines. Competitors should present themselves with poise, good posture and confidence and should utilize posing that enhances their physique (i.e. no overly pointed elbows, arms too far from midline of body, or inability to display symmetry (lats flared except in bikini). Competitors should be able to quickly and smoothly transition between poses. Judges should be careful not to confuse this score with the routine score, which will be scored separately. Violations of division standards regarding suits (e.g. patterned suits in classic physique or classic bikini) and jewelry (e.g. flashy jewelry in classic bikini) should result in marking the competitor down in this criterion.

Routines and stage walks will be judged separately as part of the competitor’s presentation.  Each stage walk/routine will be scored using the following system: -1 (no effort, bad choice of poses to display physique), 0 (good overall display of physique utilizing proper choices of poses to show strengths, nice effort), +1 (excellent display of physique, good choice of poses), +2 (exceptional display of physique with exceptional choice of poses to highlight strengths). The stage walk/routine scores will be combined with the competitors score from group comparisons to determine final placement.

Note: The same procedure is followed for judging of overall winners during the awards.

The expected level of muscularity and conditioning for each division can be found in the specific division guidelines which are listed on the ANBF website, anbfnatural.com.  If there is a question please free feel to contact the division representative for that division.

Divisions

The ANBF offers the following divisions at all shows, click below for division specific criteria:

• Classic Bikini
• Wellness
• Fitness
• Bikini
• Figure
• Women’s Physique
• Women’s Bodybuilding
• Men’s Classic Physique
• Men’s Physique
• Men’s Bodybuilding

Classes

The ANBF criteria for classes is as follows:

• Debut – For any individual who has never competed before in their division in any An exception to this is if an individual is competing in a new division for the first time. For instance, a bikini competitor who is competing in Figure for the first time.
• Novice – For any individual who has never placed first in their division in any An exception to this is if an individual has placed first in bikini, for instance, but is competing in Figure and hasn’t yet placed first in a Figure competition.
• Masters* – For any individual who is 40 years or older.
• Open* – For individuals of any age or experience level.

*Open and Masters classes are eligible for Pro qualification at specified events.

Cross Overs

Amateur Cross Overs

In amateur events, competitors are permitted to crossover between divisions with the following division crossovers allowed:

• Classic Bikini > Bikini
• Bikini > Figure
• Figure > Women’s Physique
• Women’s Physique > Bodybuilding
• Men’s Physique > Classic Physique
• Men’s Physique > Bodybuilding
• Classic Physique > Bodybuilding

Competitors are permitted to crossover to any class they are eligible for within their division; for instance: Debut, Novice, Open and Masters.

Pro Cross Overs

In pro events, competitors are permitted to crossover between divisions with the following division crossovers allowed:

• Classic Bikini > Bikini
• Bikini > Figure
• Figure > Women’s Physique
• Women’s Physique > Bodybuilding
• Men’s Physique > Classic Physique
• Classic Physique > Bodybuilding

Pro athletes are NOT permitted to crossover into amateur divisions in the same event in which they are competing as a Pro. If a Pro athlete wishes to compete as an amateur in another division they must do so in a separate event.

Pro Qualifications

In ANBF Pro Qualifier (PQ) events, any athlete competing in the Open and/or Masters classes for their division (where available) is eligible to earn Pro status. In Open classes where there are five or more athletes, the person placing first will qualify for Pro status. If there are multiple Open classes for a division (i.e. Figure Short/Tall), the top two athletes from each class will compete in an Overall comparison during finals. The winner of the overall comparison will earn Pro status.

Note: In the event there are fewer than five athletes in an Open or Masters PQ class, the first-place winner will be subject to additional voting (yes/no) by the judges to deem if they are qualified to compete as an ANBF Pro.

Once competitors have earned Pro status, they are permitted to compete as a Pro in any division (i.e. competitor earns pro status in Figure, they are also permitted to compete as in pro women’s physique.) without having to earn pro status in other divisions.

There is currently no time limit for new ANBF Pros to compete in order to maintain their Pro status. This also applies to those athletes who have competed as Pros previously in any organization.

Tanning Products

Competitors are encouraged to use stage tanning products, but should remember to be careful not to wipe such products on competition facilities’ surfaces such as walls, floors, and auditorium seats.

Classes

At the promoter’s discretion, classes may be split by height or weight depending upon the number of competitors registered for a particular class.