Section 1: Introduction
This rulebook summarizes IFBB Federation Rules, Section 2: Men's Bodybuilding, 2026 Edition, published by the International Fitness & Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB), headquartered in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain. It covers senior, junior and master Men's Bodybuilding at world-level competition (Article 3). The document does not print a separate effective date; it is labelled "2026 Edition".
Men's Bodybuilding was recognized as a sport discipline in its modern form by the 1970 IFBB International Congress in Belgrade. Women's Bodybuilding was recognized by the 1982 Congress in Brugge and cancelled by the 2013 Congress in Marrakesh, being replaced by the Women's Physique division (Article 1).
Administrative and technical rules that appear in Section 1: General Rules apply equally to Men's Bodybuilding and are not repeated in Section 2 (Article 1.2).
Bodybuilding is a judged physique sport. Competitors do not lift or compete in a physical contest; they are ranked by a panel of judges on the appearance of their physique.
Section 2: Equipment
Bodybuilding has no playing implements. The only item a competitor must have to compete is posing attire, which applies to all rounds (Article 6).
- Posing trunks (Article 6.1.1): one-coloured, opaque, clean and decent. Colour, fabric, texture and style are at the competitor's discretion. The trunks must cover a minimum of ¾ of the gluteus maximus, the front area must be covered, and the side of the trunks should be at least 5 cm (about 2 in) wide. Padding anywhere in the trunks is prohibited.
- Alternative (Article 6.1.1, Note 1): where a contest is held in a country in which posing trunks are prohibited, competitors may be obliged to wear gymnastic shorts with sides at least 15 cm (about 6 in) high, covering the whole gluteus maximus and the whole frontal area.
- Headgear (Article 6.1.3): generally prohibited. If required by the official rules of the competitor's country or by religious principles, a small, tight cap with no visor may be used. It should be shown at Official Athlete Registration and approved by the designated IFBB official.
- Jewelry and accessories (Article 6.1.2): except for a wedding ring, competitors may not wear footwear, glasses, watches, pendants, earrings, wigs, distracting ornamentation or artificial aids to the figure.
- Props (Article 6.1.4): the use of props during the Prejudging or Finals presentation is strictly prohibited.
Tanning and oil are governed by Articles 6.2 and 6.3, covered in Section 7.
Section 3: Playing Area
The 2026 Men's Bodybuilding rules do not specify stage dimensions. They describe how competitors are positioned on the stage:
- Line-up (Article 5.2): in the Elimination Round, the entire line-up is brought onstage in numerical order in a single line, or two lines if necessary. In Round 1 it is brought on in a single line (Article 8.1).
- Comparison layout (Article 8.1.1): the line-up is divided into two equal-size groups, one to the left and one to the right of the stage. The center of the stage is left open for comparisons.
- Center-stage (Article 8.1.4): groups are directed to the center-stage area to perform poses, and all comparisons are carried out center-stage.
- Backstage (Article 5.1): competitors should be in the backstage warm-up area at least 45 minutes before the start of judging of their category.
Section 4: Players & Officials
Categories (Article 3)
World-level Men's Bodybuilding has nine weight categories and three height categories (Article 3.1).
- Bantamweight: up to and including 65 kg (Article 3.1.a)
- Lightweight: up to and including 70 kg (Article 3.1.b)
- Welterweight: up to and including 75 kg (Article 3.1.c)
- Light-Middleweight: up to and including 80 kg (Article 3.1.d)
- Middleweight: up to and including 85 kg (Article 3.1.e)
- Super-Middleweight: up to and including 90 kg (Article 3.1.f)
- Light-Heavyweight: up to and including 95 kg (Article 3.1.g)
- Heavyweight: up to and including 100 kg (Article 3.1.h)
- Super-Heavyweight: over 100 kg (Article 3.1.i)
Height categories are up to and including 170 cm, up to and including 178 cm, and over 178 cm. By agreement between the IFBB and the Organizer, one additional category may be opened (Article 3.1, Note 1).
Junior (Article 3.2): ages 15 to 20 and ages 21 to 23, each split into Lightweight (up to and including 75 kg) and Heavyweight (over 75 kg).
Master (Article 3.3): fourteen categories. Ages 40-44 and 45-49 are each split into Lightweight (up to and including 70 kg), Middleweight (up to and including 80 kg), Light-Heavyweight (up to and including 90 kg) and Heavyweight (over 90 kg). Ages 50-54 are split at 80 kg, and ages 55-59 at 75 kg. Ages 60-64 and 65 and over are each one open category.
Minimum entries (Article 3.4): except at World and Continental Championships, a category is run only with at least 3 athletes. At World and Continental Championships the minimum is 5. Where there are fewer, categories are combined wherever possible. Junior and Master age divisions are not combined.
Officials
- IFBB Chief Judge: decides whether the Elimination Round and Round 1 are held, forms the comparisons and may disqualify a competitor (Articles 7.2, 8.1.3, 6.4 and 10.1).
- Judges: each judge places every competitor individually. Scoring is defined for a panel of nine judges or fewer, and only the nine regular panel judges, not alternates, count in tie-breaks (Article 9.1).
- Statisticians: collect the judges' forms, transcribe the placings and calculate subscores and places (Article 9.1.2).
- Master of Ceremonies or Announcer: introduces competitors and announces the finalists' placings from 6th to 1st (Articles 8.1 and 15.1).
- Stage Director: finalists must follow the IFBB Chief Judge's or Stage Director's commands during the photographs after the awards (Article 15.1).
Section 5: Rules of Play
Rounds (Article 4)
Prejudging has an Elimination Round (four mandatory poses) and Round 1 (four mandatory poses plus comparisons of seven mandatory poses). Finals consist of Round 2 (seven mandatory poses and a posedown). Article 4.1 says "four rounds" but lists three; Article 11.1 states that the Finals consist of one round, Round 2 (Article 4.1).
Elimination Round (Article 5)
- It is held when a category has more than 15 competitors. The IFBB Chief Judge may lower the semifinal number to 10 or raise it to 17, in which case the round is held with more than 10 or 17 competitors respectively. The decision is announced after Official Athlete Registration (Article 5.2).
- Competitors are called in numerical order in groups of no more than eight and perform four mandatory poses: front double biceps, side chest, back double biceps, abdominals and thighs (Article 5.2.3).
- Competitors may not chew gum or any other product, or drink any liquid, while onstage (Article 5.2.3, Notes 2-3).
- Competitors are solely responsible for being present and prepared when called, or they may be eliminated (Article 5.1).
Round 1 (Article 8)
- Round 1 may not be held if there are 7 or fewer competitors in a category; the Chief Judge decides and the decision is announced after Official Athlete Registration (Article 8).
- Groups of no more than ten perform the four initial mandatory poses (Article 8.1.2).
- The judges submit propositions for the first comparison of the top five athletes. The Chief Judge forms the comparisons, each with no fewer than three and no more than ten competitors, until every competitor is compared at least once (Article 8.1.3).
- In comparisons, the seven mandatory poses are: front double biceps, front lat spread, side chest, back double biceps, back lat spread, side triceps, abdominals and thighs (Article 8.1.5).
Finals: Round 2 (Articles 11-12)
- The top 6 from Prejudging advance and are introduced by number, country and name (Articles 11.1 and 12.1.1).
- The finalists perform the 7 mandatory poses as a group, at the same time, in the middle of the stage. After the 7th pose the Chief Judge reverses the order of the competitors and the seven poses are repeated. This part is scored (Article 12.1.2).
- The Chief Judge then calls a 30- to 60-second posedown to music of the Organizer's choice. It is not scored (Article 12.1.3).
- Competitors may wear different trunks from Round 1, provided they meet Article 6 (Article 11.2).
Seven mandatory poses (Appendix 1)
- Front double biceps (Appendix 1, 1.1.1): facing front, one leg 40-50 cm forward and to the side, both arms raised to shoulder level and bent at the elbows, hands clenched and turned down.
- Front lat spread (Appendix 1, 1.1.2): facing front, legs and feet in line and up to 15 cm apart, open hands or fists against or gripping the lower waist or obliques, latissimus muscles expanded. Pulling up the posing trunks to show the top inside of the quadriceps is strictly forbidden.
- Side chest (Appendix 1, 1.1.3): either side, arm nearest the judges bent at a right angle with the fist clenched, the other hand grasping the wrist, near leg bent at the knee and resting on the toes.
- Back double biceps (Appendix 1, 1.1.4): back to the judges, arms and wrists bent as in the front pose, one foot back resting on the toes.
- Back lat spread (Appendix 1, 1.1.5): back to the judges, hands on the waist with elbows wide, legs and feet in line and up to 15 cm apart. The competitor should display the opposite calf to the one shown in back double biceps. Pulling up the trunks to show the gluteus maximus is strictly forbidden.
- Side triceps (Appendix 1, 1.1.6): either side, both arms behind the back with fingers linked or the front arm grasped at the wrist by the rear hand; near leg bent at the knee with the foot flat on the floor, far leg bent at the knee with the foot on the toes.
- Abdominals and thighs (Appendix 1, 1.1.7): facing front, both arms behind the head, one leg forward, trunk "crunched" slightly forward while contracting the front-leg thigh muscles.
Section 6: Scoring
Criteria (Articles 7.1, 10 and 14)
Judges assess the overall physique for proportion, symmetry, muscle size and quality (density, separation, definition) and skin tone (Article 7.1.1).
The judge favors a harmonious, classical physique with good posture, athletic bearing and correct anatomical structure. Judges should look for good skin tone, with an absence of surgical or other scars, spots, acne or tattoos, which the IFBB considers skin blemishes, as well as tidily dressed hair and well-shaped feet and toes (Article 10.2).
Assessment starts with the primary muscle group displayed, then a downward head-to-toe survey of the whole physique (Article 10.1).
Round 2 must be judged from a "fresh" perspective, because a competitor's condition may differ from Prejudging (Article 14.1).
Elimination Round (Article 7.2)
Judges select the top 15 by placing an "X" beside competitor numbers on Form 1. Statisticians tally the selections on Form 2. Tied athletes are brought back onstage and the judges reassess the four mandatory poses to break the tie. The top 15 advance (Article 7.2).
Round 1 (Article 9)
- On Form 3 each judge awards every competitor an individual placing from 1 to last, with no two competitors given the same placing (Article 9.1.1).
- Statisticians transcribe the placings onto Form 5. They discard the two highest and two lowest scores if there are nine judges, or one highest and one lowest if fewer than nine, then add the remainder to produce the "Round 1 Subscore" and "Round 1 Place". The lowest subscore takes 1st place (Article 9.1.2).
- Ties are broken with the Relative Placement method. Each judge's placings for the tied athletes are compared column by column and a dot goes to the better-placed athlete. All nine regular panel judges' scores are included, but not alternates. The athlete with more dots wins the tie (Article 9.1.3).
- The top 6 advance to the Finals and start with zero points. They are announced just after Prejudging (Article 9.1.4-5).
Finals (Article 13)
Judges place the six finalists 1st to 6th on Form 6 with no shared placings. Statisticians transcribe them onto Form 5, discard the two highest and two lowest scores (nine judges), or one of each (fewer than nine), and add the rest. Prejudging points are not carried forward. Ties in the "Round 2 Subscore" are broken by Relative Placement (Article 13.1).
Overall Category (Article 16)
The Overall Category covers senior (up to nine champions), junior (up to four) and master (up to fourteen) divisions (Article 16.1).
Category winners perform the 7 mandatory poses center-stage, with comparisons if needed, then a 30-60 second posedown. Judges place them on Form 6, the two highest and two lowest scores are discarded with nine judges, and ties are broken by Relative Placement. The "Overall Champion" receives the IFBB Overall Trophy (Article 16.2).
Teams (Article 17)
Best National Teams scoring at the World Championships counts the top 6 Men's Bodybuilding athletes. For Juniors it counts the top 1 from ages 15-20 and the top 2 from ages 21-23. For Masters it counts the top 3 from each of ages 40-44 and 45-49 and the top 1 from each of the 50-54, 55-60 (as printed), 60-64 and 65-and-over categories. Calculations are detailed in Section 1: General Rules, Article 18 (Article 17.1).
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
- Not ready when called (Article 5.1): a competitor not present and prepared when the category is called may be eliminated from the competition.
- Prohibited body alterations (Article 6.1.2): implants or fluid injections that change the natural shape of any part or muscle of the body are strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.
- Attire (Article 6.4): the IFBB Chief Judge, or a delegated official, decides whether attire meets the criteria and acceptable standards of aesthetics. The athlete may be disqualified if it does not.
- Tans and bronzers (Article 6.2): tans and bronzers that can be wiped off are not allowed, and a tan that comes off by simply wiping bars the athlete from entering the stage. Artificial colouring and self-tanning products may be used, and professional airbrush or cabin spray tanning is allowed if applied by professional companies and qualified personnel. Sparkles, glitter, shiny metallic pearls and gold coloring are prohibited, whoever applies them.
- Oil (Article 6.3): excessive oil is strictly prohibited. Body oils and moisturizers may be used in moderation.
- Props (Article 6.1.4): strictly prohibited in Prejudging and Finals.
- Pulling up trunks (Appendix 1, 1.1.2 and 1.1.5): strictly forbidden in the front and back lat spreads.
- Chewing gum or drinking (Article 5.2.3, Notes 2-3): not allowed onstage.
- Exceptional cases (Article 10.1): where a competitor's anatomical structure drastically differs from accepted criteria of body condition (for example an extended belly, unnatural shape of muscles, gynecomastia or too high a bodyfat level), the Chief Judge may prevent the athlete from competing or disqualify them at any moment of their stage presentation.
- Awards ceremony (Article 15.1): competitors may not display their country's flag. A competitor who ostentatiously shows disapproval, or leaves the stage before the end of the ceremony, may be disqualified.
Section 8: Safety Considerations
The 2026 Men's Bodybuilding rules contain few explicit safety provisions. The following are the ones stated:
- Warm-up time (Article 5.1): competitors should be in the backstage warm-up area at least 45 minutes before judging starts, to allow time to warm up and change into posing attire.
- No liquids onstage (Article 5.2.3, Note 3): competitors may not drink any liquids while onstage.
- No chewing onstage (Article 5.2.3, Note 2): chewing gum or other products is not allowed while onstage.
- Body-shape alterations (Article 6.1.2): implants or fluid injections that alter the natural shape of body parts or muscles are strictly prohibited.
- Chief Judge authority (Article 10.1): the Chief Judge may stop a competitor from competing where body condition drastically differs from accepted criteria.
This section does not itself address anti-doping, medical care or eligibility; it refers shared administrative and technical rules to Section 1: General Rules (Article 1.2).
