IFBB Athletic Physique VS Muscular Physique

Hi Guys,

Again a total noob question but here goes.
I am looking to compete in mens physique next year, but I am struggling to understand what the difference is between athletic and muscular. Is there a general rule of thumb that says when you are too big for athletic or not big enough for muscular.

I don't want to put in all the work just to find out I am in the wrong lineup.

Stats: 176cm
81kg
7.2% BF
FFMI 24.5

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

I'm not sure if there are height/weight limits for physique, but as you've stated the more muscular guys go into muscular and the smaller, more beach body guys are in athletic. I'm also planning on competing in the athletic physique lineup early next year, similar stats. I'm 1,78 and hope to come in around 80-82kg.

Look under IFBBSA under the rules and regulation section all there in pdf format to download

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I had a few clients in the MPD at sa champs this year.

Mens Physique these days is if you have lean muscle but basically the waist that you could wear your girlfriends pants. They are looking for guys with incredibly tiny waists and decent muscle mass but not much more than your regular beach goer. So if your waist is like 28/30 inch and you are shredded to the bone but some what flat you are good to go. 2 of my other clients made top 10 in their class. But it wasnt condition and muscularity wasnt an issie, more so structure.

One of my clients is 187cm tall and came in shredded, full and dry at 87kgs and he has a wider waist and wide shoulders and he didnt even get top 10 placing. He does carry alot of back thickness and width and was told he needs to go to mens muscular. The guys winning the MPD are lean and semi flat, but bumblebee waists.

The mens muscular is pretty much guys who are on par with some of the classic bodybuilders interms of upper body size. Alot of guys over the age if 35 are doing this devisiin due to having the quality muscle mass that is looked for.

Hope this helps you out a bit.

It's definitely inconsistent with the Physique category overseas. Look at the Olympia Physique guys, they are massive. In SA the smaller guys are preferred but wouldn't stand a chance in the US. Muscular here is like physique there

The two most difficult divisions are Ladies Bikini and MPD.

Ladies bikini is they want you to have muscle but not have muscle and to be lean, but not be lean. This year they really fucked the competitors by changing the criteria as to what they are looking for. And it is so frustrating because they now want girls that are basically starved and tiny for the devision where as before they wanted some muscle to the girls. Its beyond a joke to be honest.

MPD is another story. I have seen guys placing 6th in a line up 1 show. Bring worse condition to the next show and end up winning, and its like huh?

And then our athletes go overseas and they are blown out the water. Its madness.