on episode 291 The Menace Podcast, Host Dennis “The Menace” James was joined by regular panelists Milos Saracev and Chris Cormier, and with competition season in full swing, the team also welcomed special guest Melvin Anthony as he discussed the importance of presenting like a professional. When it comes to this often overlooked aspect of competing in a competition, the team agreed that failing to seek advice from a professional, or learning routines based on social media posts, can jeopardize your success during competition.
How Melvin Anthony Became One of Bodybuilding’s Best Poseurs
While many bodybuilders were struggling to perfect their mandatory poses in the late 90s and early 2000s, “Amazing” Melvin Anthony was turning heads with dance-like expressions, offering fluid transitions and a level of control that seemed effortless and yet was difficult for other competitors to replicate. Anthony studied choreography and was trained by prestigious bodybuilders such as John Brown, but many competitors still fail to prioritize posing, causing significant losses.
“When someone poses well, it’s because someone taught them how to do it,” said Dennis James, who, despite his highly successful bodybuilding career, never had a formal posing coach. James told Anthony, “Because I never taught anyone how to pose, that’s why you see the difference between me and people like you.” “You can see the difference.”
Why does Dennis James recommend a professional posing coach?
“That’s why I encourage anyone; it doesn’t matter who you are. Get posing lessons from real people who can teach you,” The Menace implored. “Because it’s not all about looking at someone you admire because you like everything they do. Just because it looks good on them doesn’t mean you should do that pose, just because you don’t have the body.”
How Chris Cormier learned posing from John Brown
Chris Cormier agreed, saying that some of the information about posing that has gained popularity through Instagram can be misleading. “Also, when you see (posing coaching) presented on Instagram, with all these little green and red, it’s right, it’s wrong,” he said. “That’s nonsense,” agreed Melvin Anthony. Marvelous revealed that John Brown used to make him work hard, making him repeat intense posing routines after exhausting workouts. “He had that watch,” Anthony said, explaining that he would routinely do 20-second exercises for each strained muscle group. Cormier, who also learned to pose under Brown, says he always trusted his teacher, and never set a schedule. “I’ve got a lot of people today who have to tell me what they think I should do (as a posing coach),” Cormier said. “And I want, no, you just be a soldier.”
“And listen,” agreed Anthony.
Cormier and Anthony’s superior posing ability was also praised during the show by Saracev, who added his weight to the theory that a one-size-fits-all approach to posing may have its pitfalls. “You and Melvin are the only people, other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, to do the front to back twisting (pose),” reflected Saracev, now an experienced posing coach in her own right. “Not the side view, but you were in the front, with your legs crossed, and I tried to replicate that, and I looked like an idiot.”
To watch the full episode of The Menace Podcast But muscle and health Youtube channel, Where the crew also dissects the latest in bodybuilding, watch below.
