NPC BODYBUILDING DIVISION RULES
NPC MEMBERSHIP
Each competitor must be a member of the NPC.
NPC Bodybuilding Division Rules
Check-Ins
Competitors will be checked in and weighed
POSING SUITS
All suit bottoms must be V-shaped, no thongs are permitted.
Suits worn by male competitors at the prejudging and finals must be plain in color with no fringe, wording, sparkle or fluorescents.
Suits worn by female competitors at the Prejudging must be two-piece and plain in color with no fringe, wording, sparkle or fluorescents.
Suites worn by female competitors at the Finals must be two-piece but may include a printed design with fringes, lace, sparkle or fluorescents that are in good taste.
All Prejudging suits will be checked at the morning check-in.
Competitors are not permitted to alter the fit of the posing suit by hiking it up in the back or by pulling up the sides during Front and Rear Lat Spreads.
POSING MUSIC
Posing music will be used at the Finals only with the exception of Mixed Pairs competitors who will use music at both the Prejudging and the Finals.
Posing music must be on a cassette tape or CD and must be the only music on the tape or CD.
Posing music must be on Side A and should be cued to the start of the music.
Posing music must not contain vulgar lyrics. Competitors using music containing vulgar lyrics will be disqualified.
ONSTAGE
During the Prejudging male and female competitors are not permitted to wear any jewelry onstage other than a wedding band. Decorative pieces in the hair are not permitted.
During the Finals female competitors are permitted to wear earrings.
No glasses, props or gum are permitted onstage.
Any competitor doing the “Moon Pose” will be disqualified.
Lying on the floor is prohibited.
Bumping and shoving is prohibited. First and second persons involved will be disqualified.
Competitors numbers will be worn on the left side of the suit bottom.
BACKSTAGE
The only people permitted in the backstage area are competitors, expediters and NPC officials.
COMPETITORS HEALTH
Any competitor who appears to be disoriented, light-headed or experiences undue cramping will not be permitted to compete.
Any competitor disqualified for health reasons must be checked by the attending EMT and, if it is advised by the EMT, must go to the nearest hospital for evaluation.
Competitors who refuse to be evaluated by the EMT or at the hospital will be suspended from competition for a period of one year from the date of the occurrence.
WEIGHT CLASSES
Male Competitors (All contests that are pro qualifiers)
Bantamweight – up to 143 ¼ lb
Lightweight – Over 143 ¼ up to 154 ¼
Middleweight – Over 154 ¼ up to 176 ¼
Light-Heavyweight – Over 176 ¼ up to 198 ¼
Heavyweight – Over 198 ¼ up to 225 ¼
Super Heavyweight – Over 225 ¼
Male Welterweight Class for USA and National Championships
Bantamweight: 143-1/4 lbs. & under
Lightweight: over 143-1/4 lbs. to & including 154-1/4 lbs
* Welterweight over 154-1/4 lbs. to & including 165-1/4 lbs
Middleweight: over 165-1/4 lbs. up to & including 176-1/4 lbs
Light-Heavyweight: over 176-1/4 lbs. up to & including 198-1/4 lbs
Heavyweight: over 198-1/4 lbs up to & including 225-1/4
Super Heavyweight: over 225-1/4
*The Welterweight is optional at local, regional and national qualifying contests.
Male Weight Classes
2 Classes
Lightweight – up to and including 176-1/4
Heavyweight – Over 176-1/4
3 Classes
Lightweight – up to and including 165-1/4
Middleweight – over 165-1/4 up to and including 187-1/4
Heavyweight – over 187-1/4
4 Classes
Lightweight – up to and including 154-1/4
Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-1/4
Heavyweight – over 198-1/4
5 Classes
Bantamweight – up to and including 143-1/4
Lightweight – over 143-1/4 up to and including 154-1/4
Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-/14
Heavyweight – over 198-1/4
6 Classes
Bantamweight – up to and including 143-1/4
Lightweight – over 143-1/4 up to and including 154-1/4
Middleweight – over 154-1/4 up to and including 176-1/4
Light-Heavyweight – over 176-1/4 up to and including 198-1/4
Heavyweight – over 198-1/4 up to and including 225-1/4
Super Heavyweight – over 225-1/4
Note: At the Team Universe Championships there is no Super Heavyweight class but there is a Welterweight class that is over 154-1/4 up to and including 165-1/4 for a total of six (6) classes.
Female Weight Classes
2 Classes
Lightweight – Up to and including 125
Heavyweight – Over 125
3 Classes
Lightweight – Up to and including 125
Middleweight – Over 125 up to and including 140
Heavyweight – Over 140
4 Classes
Lightweight – Up to and including 115
Middleweight – Over 115 up to and including 125
Light-Heavyweight – Over 125 up to and including 140
Heavyweight – Over 140
Note: Class winners of the drug-free NPC Team Universe Championships go on to represent the United States in the IFBB World Championships that follow the IFBB weight limits below and for all polygraph tested events.
Lightweight – up to and including 114-1/2
Middleweight – over 114-12 up to and including 125-1/2
Heavyweight – Over 125-1/2
National level contests do not permit competitors to cross over into fitness, figure or bikini at the same event. All other competitions are permitted to have crossovers at the discretion of the promoter with appropriate approval.
THE PREJUDGING POSING ROUNDS FOR MALE AND FEMALE COMPETITORS
Judges will score competitors according to the NPC “total package” which is a balance of size, symmetry and muscularity.
Relaxed Round
Keep your feet flat
Keep your heels together
Hold your arms at your sides
No twisting
Your head must be facing the same direction as your feet.
Individual Round
Begin when ready – no signal is necessary from the Head Judge.
Maximum of 60 seconds with a warning when 10 seconds remain.
You are not obligated to use all 60 seconds.
Lying on the floor is not permitted.
Mandatory Round
Front Double Bicep
Front Lat Spread
Side Chest
Side Tricep
Rear Double Bicep
Rear Lat Spread
Abdominals with one thigh
NATIONAL LEVEL BODYBUILDING CONTESTS
Junior USA Championships
Junior National Championships
Masters National Championships
USA Championships
IFBB North American Championships
Team Universe Championships
National Championships
ELIGIBILITY
An athlete must be a citizen to compete in the following national competitions:
Masters National Championships
USA Championships
Team Universe Championships
Nationals Championships
Proof of citizenship must be one of the following:
A birth certificate
A voter’s registration card
Military discharge papers
Naturalization Papers – Form N560
Consular Service Form FS24 for those born outside of the United States to US parents
Residency is four (4) months prior to a contest or must be a full time student in the area.
Bodybuilding Qualifications
Bodybuilding competitors that place in the top five (5) in each class at a national qualifying contest are qualified for the Junior USA, Junior Nationals, Team Universe and North American Championships. Competitors that place in the top three at a national qualifying contest are eligible for the USA and Nationals. All National level qualifications are good for one year including the USA and Nationals. Those athletes that qualified for the USA and Nationals will be grandfathered in for the 2014 USA and Nationals.
Definition of Novice
If an athlete has placed in the top ten (10) of any national event (including the IFBB North American Championships), the athlete is no longer considered a novice.
A true novice is an athlete that has never entered an NPC event.
Who Qualifies for National Level Competitions:
A competitor must place in the top two (2) in their weight class of the Men’s Open or in the top three (3) in their weight class of the Women’s open division in a contest that has been sanctioned as a national qualifier.
First overall in an area championship of the open division.
Top two (2) in a weight class from an area level national qualifier
Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier.
Winner of the weight class in a regional competition designated as a national qualifier.
Weight class winners from the Armed Forces.
This qualifies the competitor for competition on the national level for a period of one (1) full calendar year after the year that the qualification took place
Only if a competitor’s one (1) year qualification has expired can an athlete enter a state or higher level national qualifying competition even if they have already won the overall title.
My placement qualifies me for the following national events.
To enter the Junior USA, Teen and Masters Nationals you must place as follows:
Top five (5) in a weight class from a national level competition
Top three (3) in a weight class in the Teen or Masters Nationals
Class winner in the Armed Forces
Top three (3) in a weight class from an Area national qualifier
Top two (2) from a district level national qualifier
To enter the USA and Junior Nationals you must place as follows:
Top five (5) in a weight class from the Nationals, USA, Team Universe or Junior Nationals
Top three (3) in a weight class from the Teen, Collegiate Masters Nationals
Class winner in the Armed Forces
First overall in an area level national qualifier
Top 2 in an area level national qualifier
Weight class winner from a district level competition designated as a national qualifier
To enter the Nationals and North American Championships you must place as follows:
Top five (5) in a weight class from the Nationals, NPC USA or North American Championships
Top five (5) in a weight class from the Team Universe, Junior Nationals or Junior USA
Top five (5) in a weight class from Teen Collegiate Masters Nationals
Top two (2) in a weight class in the Armed Forces
Top two (2) in a weight class in an area level national qualifier
Overall winner in a district level competition designated as a national qualifier
Class winners at the USA and Nationals will be given five (5) years of eligibility.
ENTRY INFORMATION
The following must be provided with your entry:
NPC contest you entered
Date of contest
Contest promoter
Your weight class and final placing
RULE FOR EVENTS WHERE ONE COMPETITOR COULD WIN TWO PRO CARDS DUE TO CROSSOVERS – NPC MASTERS NATIONALS AND IFBB NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
When an event that is a pro qualifier such as the Masters Nationals and the IFBB North American Championships has the possibility of the same competitor winning two divisions and also two pro cards, the pro card that is awarded last in the Schedule of Events will be awarded to the second highest placing in the Overall judging of the last judged division.
For example, at the Masters Nationals, if a competitor wins the Overall of the Men’s over 50 division he is awarded an IFBB pro card. If the same competitor wins the Overall of the Men’s over 40 division, the pro card in the Men’s over 40 division which is judged after the Men’s Over 50 division, will go to the second highest placing competitor in the Overall judging of the Men’s over 40 division.