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.