On Episode 291 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis “The Menace” James was joined by regular panelists Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier, and with competition season in full swing, the team also welcomed special guest Melvin Anthony, as they discussed the importance of posing like a pro. When it comes to this often-neglected aspect of acing a contest, the crew agreed that failing to gain advice from a pro, or learning routines based on social media posts, could threaten your success when flexing.
How Melvin Anthony Became One of Bodybuilding’s Best Posers
While many bodybuilders were struggling to contend with hitting their mandatory poses in the late ’90s and early 2000s, “Marvelous” Melvin Anthony was commanding attention with a dance like expression, introducing fluid transitions and a level of control that appeared effortless and yet was difficult for other competitors to replicate. Anthony studied choreography and was coached by iconic bodybuilders like John Brown, but many competitors still fail to prioritize posing, much to their detriment.
“When somebody is a good poser, this is mostly because someone taught ’em how to do it,” noted Dennis James, who despite a highly successful bodybuilding career, did not have a formal posing coach. “Because I never had anyone teach me how to pose, that’s why you can see the difference between guys like you and me,” James told Anthony. “You can see the difference.”
Why Dennis James Recommends Professional Posing Coaches
“That’s why I encourage anybody; it doesn’t matter who you are. Get f***ing posing lessons from the real guys that can teach you,” implored The Menace. “Because it’s not all about looking at someone that you admire, because you like everything that he does. Just because it looks good on him doesn’t mean that you should do that pose, because you don’t have the body.”
How Chris Cormier Learned Posing From John Brown
Chris Cormier agreed, adding that some of the information about posing that is gaining popularity via Instagram can be misleading too. “Also, when you present (posing coaching) on Instagram, with all these little green and red, this is right, this is wrong,” he said. “That’s bulls**t,” concurred Melvin Anthony. The Marvelous one revealed that John Brown would work him hard, getting him to repeat intense posing routines after exhausting workouts. “He had that watch,” said Anthony, explaining that they would regularly practice 20 seconds of posing for each worn out muscle group. Cormier, who also learned posing under Brown, says that he always trusted his teacher, and would never dictate the schedule. “I find a lot of these guys today, they need to be telling me what they think I should be doing (as a posing coach),” said Cormier. “And I’m like, no, you just be a soldier.”
“And listen,” agreed Anthony.
Cormier and Anthony’s superior posing ability was also praised by Sarcev during the show, who added his own weight to the theory that a one-size-fits-all approach to posing can have its pitfalls. “You and Melvin, you are the only ones, besides Arnold Schwarzenegger, to do twisting back (pose) from the front,” reflected Sarcev, who is now an experienced posing coach in his own right. “Not the side view, but you were facing, with the legs positioned, and I tried to replicate it, and I looked like an idiot.”
To see the full episode of The Menace Podcast on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel, where the crew also dissected the latest bodybuilding new, see below.