Kai Greene - "Why Posing Matters!"

POSING THE QUESTION

There’s little doubt that Kai Greene is the most innovative poser on the current pro scene— and maybe the most unique from any era. The thing is, with most pro shows (the Arnold Classic series is an exception) not scoring the posing round, competitors would be excused for not working too hard on their platform dancing skills. But Kai Greene is different, as he works long and hard to unleash entertaining and exciting posing routines. And Kai doesn’t have only one signature routine; every time out, he presents a new routine. For instance, last year he competed at three Arnold Classics in four weeks: the Columbus, Ohio, affair, the Melbourne, Australia contest and the Rio de Janeiro showdown in Brazil (in those contests the posing round was judged) For each, he produced a different routine. That is remarkable. Here, he explains his thoughts on the posing round. –Peter McGough

When I decided to become a competitive bodybuilder, I found inspiration in every photograph of anybody who showed me something different and how to best present their physique. And that spilled over into how I thought about posing. It didn’t matter that I was an unknown back then when I started. I told myself you don’t have to be a star; you just have to be an individual plying your own path. I took that into early contests with the thought that OK, this contest is the Mr. Local Nobody, the Mr. Basement Championships, the Mr. Who Cares contest. What was important was to make my mark, to make people notice me. And if my physique didn’t give that effect, then my posing would.

THE MOHAWK GUY

I vividly remember going to this local show in New York back in the early ‘90s when I was a teenager. This guy came out with a Mohawk, tattoos everywhere— when you weren’t supposed to have them— and he posed like a dervish, did the Michael Jackson moonwalk, did every damn thing— he just tore the house down.

I watched, fascinated as he took control of the stage and the audience’s attention. His body language screamed, “Look at me! I’m going to show you what I have! I’ll show you the absolute best I have to offer!”

Now, he didn’t care if he was dehydrated, feeling sick, had girlfriend problems— nothing else mattered. Not even the fact that he was destined— and he probably knew it— to finish fifth, and was disappointed about that. None of that mattered. He was into the here and now. At that point in time, on that night, at that hour, during those wonderful two minutes or so, his mission was totally fixed and simple. His mission was to get on that stage, take control of the audience and have them fixated on him. His concentration and focus was on unleashing a level of showmanship and excitement the audience would not forget. His inner being screamed, “OK, I’m not going to win, I’ll be as low as fifth, but right here, right now, you will focus on me 100 percent. I will entertain you, excite you and inspire you. This is my time to make an indelible impression on you. And you will remember me and this night.”

And he was right. Here I am, nearly 30 years later, even though I never saw or heard of him again, remembering that night and the effect he had on everyone— especially me— who was there. The Mohawk guy left me thinking, “I want to do that, I want to have that effect on the audience. You don’t have to be a star, a marquee name, you just have to perform and make your display that night live in the memory.”

LESSONS FOR LIFE

The Mohawk guy did have an effect on me, and how I wanted to make a statement with my posing. It was like, get a load of this— my posing— and store it in your memory bank. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. That’s what happened with the Mohawk guy and me. It was a lesson in showmanship, but more importantly it was a lesson in concentration and focus. What are you going to focus on? What do you focus on? What is important to you?

I don’t want to get too esoteric here, but I always look upon myself as an artist. [Indeed, Kai Greene is a talented painter and illustrator, his works having been exhibited in New York galleries]. I’m a great believer in imagery formed in your brain being a force for progress. Whatever goals I have— be them training, posing or whatever— I always visualize that goal as a prelude to making it happen. I believe that by first having a mental imprint of your target, you can, with proper application, make it a reality. One of my favorite sayings is, “Free your mind and your body will follow.” I believe bodybuilding is an art, your body is the canvas, weights are your brush and nutrition is your paint. We all have the ability to turn a self-portrait into a masterpiece. That’s why, whether posing is judged or not, I will continue to attempt routines that reflect who I am and will live in people’s memories. Thanks Mohawk guy.

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