14+ Popular Gym Poses for Bodybuilders & How to Do Them

ACE-certified personal trainer Monica Morris goes over the best poses for bodybuilders

Co-authored by Monica Morris and Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA

Last Updated: April 14, 2026 Fact Checked

Are you looking for gym poses that show off your physique? Some of the most common poses were created as a way for bodybuilders to highlight their rock-hard bodies in competitions and photos. Moves like the front double biceps pose or the side chest pose accentuate muscles, balance, and strength. Whether you’re a professional bodybuilder or someone who’s put a lot of effort into your physical fitness, we’re sharing the most popular gym poses for men and women to try from our exclusive interview with a personal trainer. Plus, we explain how to do them so you can look your best.

Classic Bodybuilding Gym Poses

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An illustration of the traditional types of gym and bodybuilding poses.

ACE-certified personal trainer Monica Morris says the most common bodybuilder poses are the front double biceps, rear double biceps, side chest, abdominals and thigh, and side triceps. Bodybuilders pose for competitions and photos to show off their physique, as they accentuate muscle development and definition.

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Front Double Biceps Pose

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A front double biceps pose flexes your upper body muscles. Morris explains that this pose shows off your overall upper body development, specifically the definition of the biceps head.^{[1]
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Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview} This move also brings attention to areas like your quadriceps and front calf muscles.^{[2]
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Research source} It’s one of the most iconic poses in bodybuilding and one you’ve likely seen before.^{[3]
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Research source} To do a front double biceps pose:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms out to your sides and bend your elbows. Turn both hands into fists and bring them toward your head.
- Flex your biceps, chest, and shoulders while also contracting your abs and flaring your lats.
- If you’re participating in competitions, Morris says this pose is where the judges will look for the “X” development, which is the shoulder-to-waist ratio.^{[4]
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  Monica Morris
  ACE Certified Personal Trainer
  
  Expert Interview}
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Monica Morris is an ACE-certified personal trainer with over 15 years of fitness training experience.

2

Side Chest Pose

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The side chest pose highlights your chest and upper arms from the side. This stance shows off the girth of your chest, shoulders, and arms from the lateral (side) view, explains Morris.^{[5]
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Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview} With this movement, you can see the thickness and fullness of your pecs, biceps, triceps, and delts.^{[6]
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Research source} It also shows the definition you’ve built in your hamstrings and quads.^{[7]
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Research source} To do a side chest pose:
- Turn to your preferred side (left or right).
- Place one foot slightly in front of the other. Keep your front foot flat on the floor and the rear foot on its toes.
- Bend your knees slightly, tightening your hamstrings and quads.
- Turn your upper body so it’s facing forward and form a ninety-degree angle with one arm. Use your other arm to hold onto the wrist of this arm.

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Side Triceps Pose

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The side triceps pose accentuates the definition of your triceps. This stance mainly shows off your tricep head definition and chest development, explains Morris, but it also displays your thigh separation, which is where the quads and hamstrings create a line.^{[8]
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Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview} The pose also brings attention to the development of your side forearms, as well as your chest and shoulder size.^{[9]
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Research source} To do a side triceps pose:
- Stand sideways with one leg slightly forward and flexed.
- Stretch one arm across your back to grab the wrist of your other arm.
- Pull that arm down against your body to show your triceps.
- Make sure to keep your chest up and your abs tightened.^{[10]
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4

Rear Double Biceps Pose

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This pose demonstrates the size and symmetry of your back. This is one of the most important stances, says Morris, which displays your back development, glutes, hamstrings, and calf definition, as well as your biceps.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview} If you’re proud of the muscles you’ve developed on your backside, this pose will show them off.^{[12]
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Research source} To do a rear biceps pose:
- Turn your back so it’s facing out.
- Extend your arms out to your sides and bend them at the elbows, flexing your biceps.
- Keep your elbows higher than your shoulders and arch your back slightly. This helps define a V-taper physique.
- Flex the muscles in your back, glutes, and hamstrings to highlight the definition.
EXPERT TIP

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Perfecting your gym pose is a workout in and of itself. If you’re considering a photo shoot, practice your poses at least 4 times per week for 15 minutes each. In the beginning, the poses can be intense and you may get out of breath. But with practice, your muscles begin to remember the poses without as much effort.

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Abdominals and Thigh Pose

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The abdominals and thigh pose zeroes in on your abdominal muscles. Also known as the Quad Spread, Morris notes that this stance shows off your abdominal development (usually a vacuum display as well as flexed) and quadriceps definition.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview} Despite the name, the stance also gives an overall look at your chest, front arm and forearm size, and lat width. The pose can be done in a couple of different ways.^{[14]
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Research source} To do the abdominals and thigh pose:
- Reach both arms behind your head, clasping them together.
- Contract your abs as much as you can to emphasize their definition.
- Alternatively, you can place one hand behind your head, then flex your abs.

6

Quarter Turns Pose

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Quarter turns consist of turning your body at ninety-degree angles. The movement is repeated in four directions to show your physique from different angles. It’s a great way to demonstrate your body’s symmetry and conditioning.^{[15]
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Research source} To do a quarter turn pose:
- Start by facing forward with your feet shoulder-width apart. Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders back, and arms relaxed at your sides.
- Turn your body 90 degrees to the right, making sure you’re standing tall and maintaining good posture.
- Continue turning until you complete a full rotation and are facing forward again. In total, you rotate four times, so a different side of your physique is shown.
- For competitions, this pose is a way for judges to get an overall view of a bodybuilder's frame.

7

Front Lat Spread Pose

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The front lat spread emphasizes your upper body’s width and thickness. It’s ideal for accentuating a V-taper physique, which consists of a slim waist, broad shoulders, and a wide back that creates a “V” shape.^{[16]
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Research source} Former professional bodybuilder and eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Lee Haney was known for his V-taper.^{[17]
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Research source} To do a front lat spread:
- Stand tall with feet spread apart and toes turned out at an angle.
- Put your hands on your hips with elbows out and palms down.
- Flex your lats by bringing your shoulder blades down and back to accentuate your upper back’s “V” shape.
- Push your chest forward and tighten your abs to define your waistline.^{[18]
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8

Rear Lat Spread Pose

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The rear lat spread is another way to show off back definition. But, this pose focuses more on your lats, trapezius muscles, and the size of your arms from the rear. In professional bodybuilding competitions, it’s a way to measure the fullness and thickness of these areas.^{[19]
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Research source} To do a rear lat spread:
- Stand with your back facing outward.
- Put one foot back with the ball of your foot flat on the floor.
- Place your hands slightly above your hips and bring your elbows forward. This lets you flex and spread your lats.
- Round your back to accentuate definition.

9

Most Muscular Pose (Crab Pose)

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The most muscular pose highlights every muscle group. Also called the crab pose, it’s really about accentuating the musculature of your entire physique. It’s not a stance that’s widely recognized by bodybuilding federations, but it’s not uncommon to see it performed on stage by competitors.^{[20]
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Research source} To do the most muscular pose:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bring your arms in front of you, clenching your fists and flexing your biceps as much as possible.
- Bring your shoulders forward, flexing them as much as you can.
- Tighten and contract your whole body, including abs, thighs, and calves to highlight every muscle.

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Arnold Pose

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The Arnold pose is similar to the rear double biceps pose. It’s named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the person who popularized it, and is also known as the twisting rear double bicep. The key difference from the rear double biceps pose is that you have to slightly rotate your body. To do the Arnold pose:
- Stand to the side and twist your torso.
- Put one foot slightly in front of the other with your back foot on its toes. Your knees should be slightly bent.
- Push your hips forward and bring your arms up, flexing your biceps.
- This TikTok by @tiboinshape shows how to properly do the pose.

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Hands-on Hips Pose

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The hands-on hips pose looks just as it sounds when you do it. It’s considered a more classic pose that shows off the upper body’s symmetry and muscle development. Having proper technique and form helps highlight your body in the most flattering way.^{[21]
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Research source} To do a hands-on hips pose:
- Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Put your hands on your hips with your fingers wrapped around your front and your thumbs at your back.
- Keep your elbows and shoulders relaxed.
- Tighten your abs and flex your chest and shoulder muscles to emphasize their definition.

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More Bodybuilding Poses

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Other bodybuilding poses show off the physique in creative ways. These aren’t mandatory for professional bodybuilders to perform in competitions, so you typically won’t see them included as part of the core bodybuilding poses. If you’re new to bodybuilding, the following poses are still great to try if you want to test out different stances.^{[22]
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- Vacuum Pose: This pose involves powerfully exhaling and sucking your stomach in. It emphasizes a V-tapered physique and slims your waistline. Professional bodybuilder Frank Zane was known for this pose, as you can see in this Instagram post by @therealfrankzane.
- Crucifix Pose: Stand with your arms straight out, creating a “T” shape. Then, contract your chest, shoulders, and arms. This TikTok by @kylianortegaperez shares mistakes to avoid when doing this pose.
- Archer Pose: This stance looks as if you’re drawing a bow and arrow. Keep one arm flexed and extend the other. This TikTok by @..gymguru shares a clip of professional bodybuilder Mike Mentzer doing this pose.
- Mantis Pose: Bring your arms toward your chest, bend them at the elbows, and curl your wrists. Your arms should be slightly asymmetrical.
  - Arnold Schwarzenegger has one of the most famous mantis poses. This TikTok by @kylianortegaperez shows how to do the Arnold mantis pose.

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Aesthetic Gym Poses

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Aesthetic gym poses are artistic ways to highlight your physique. These nontraditional poses show off symmetry, balance, and finesse, focusing more on the body’s appearance as opposed to its muscle strength and definition. These poses embrace the concept of “bodybuilding as art” and are visually appealing. While some movements are based on classic bodybuilding poses, others are inspired by Greek gods or anime. A few aesthetic gym poses include the Icarus pose, Atlas, Attack on Titan Salute, and Orochi.
- This TikTok by @_itsnate demonstrates some of the best aesthetic gym poses.

14

Gym Selfie Poses

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Gym selfies let you share your fitness journey on social media. If you want to document your workouts, track your progress, and motivate others, why not snap some pics? Here are some of the most popular types of gym selfies:
- Mirror selfie: Stand in front of a gym or locker room mirror, and take a full-length photo of yourself.
- Swealfie: Snap a sweaty selfie after your workout.
- From the bench: Get a selfie in the gym mirror while you’re on the bench between sets.
- Flexing photo: Take a photo emphasizing your muscle definition after lifting.
- Workout selfie: Get a picture of yourself as you exercise.
- Gym outfit pic: Get a photo showing off your workout fashion style and gear.
- Fitness progress/transformation photo: Take pictures of different parts of your physique to document the change over time.
- Candid shots: Get pictures of yourself being natural at the gym, like when you’re taking a break or laughing with your workout buddy.

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If you’re interested in photographing your poses, Morris suggests finding a photographer who is familiar with bodybuilding. They will help you into different positions to accentuate and highlight your best features for the photos.^{[23]
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Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

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