Routine Round

Unlike the swimsuit round wherein contestants are judged mostly on their appearance, this routine round is designed for actual demonstration of athletic skills.  Some fitness competitions do away with the routine round.  Nevertheless, fitness demonstration through routines are undeniably important and are exciting parts of any contest.  If you aspire to win in competitions, you have to put strict attention on how you perform.

There are really no specified requirements on athletic moves or routines but contestants are expected to perform athletic skills within their field of expertise.  Therefore, a week or two of coming up with an athletic performance and rehearsing is certainly not enough.  Your lack of experience will surely show on the big night.

What judges look for

Judges will surely love to see physically active and energetic stage performances demonstrated with accuracy, precision, and incorporated with personality.  Among the popular choices include aerobics, cheers, dance, gymnastics, or any other display of athletic talent.  The beauty of execution and difficulty of your routine will surely earn you high scores from the judges.  Flexibility counts too.

Creativity is also very important in this round.  The totality of your performance is being judged so you must pay attention to details such as your theme, music, props, and, most especially, your outfit.  What you wear during the  round would matter a lot.  With regard to your props and costumes, make sure they conform to the competition’s rules.  G-strings and thongs are not allowed.  As for the foot wear, tennis shoes or athletic shoes are your best bets.  Be wary of the time limit allowed for each segment.

Some tips

While your athletic prowess is the highlight of this round, don’t think that it is all about performance.  Appearance still matters.  You must look good while performing.  Therefore, you must exude grace, poise, confidence, and femininity.

Your audience and the judges can have a glimpse of your personality with your performance–don’t be afraid to let it show.  Keep it clean.  Figure out for yourself what you are really good at.  Is it cheer dancing, ballet, or gymnastics?  The more experienced you are with your routine, the more at ease and confident you will be during the show.

If you have the means, hire a professional trainer or choreographer.  He or she may suggest ways on how you can improve your routine and correct your flaws for a more polished presentation.  Practice hard.  Prepare your music and costumes ahead of time and use them during your rehearsals so you’ll be at ease with them.  But more importantly, always have fun.  Be yourself and enjoy what you are doing.  When the audience sees that you are enjoying yourself, they will enjoy watching you as well.