If you are new to competing, you might not know what type of bikini you should pick, but maybe you did noticed that there are different bikini styles. The style of the bikini depends on multiple details, such as the federation, the category you compete in and even your body type. In this article I’ll share some important information on how the pick the right type of competition bikini.
The federation.
The most important factor is the federation (league) within you’ll compete. This can be for example NPC, IFBB, INBA (PNBA), WBFF of PCA. They all have rules when it comes to attire. I’ll write a separate blog about attire rules later, but in the meantime I advice you to check the rules on their official websites. Rules may also vary based on the country you compete in. So I suggest to check the rules for the local federation too.
The category.
Rules for attire also vary on the category you compete in. A bikini for Bikini had different rules than Wellness of Body Fitness/ Figure. For example the official rules state that for NPC wellness the bottoms should not have connectors on the hips in contrary of the bottoms for Bikini. Body Fitness, Figure and Physique require cross back suits and als the amount of glute coverage is different for each category.
Bottom style and Glute Coverage.
As I mentioned in the previous section, the amount of glute coverage varies. I recommend to look them up on the official pages but here are some examples.
NPC: Thongs are prohibited, there is no such thing as official NPC Pro cut. Bottoms must be V-shaped.
IFBB: Official rules state a glute coverage of at least ⅓ of the glutes for Bikini and ½ for Wellness, Body Fitness and Figure. Connectors on the bottom are prohibited.
INBA: Official rules state a glute coverage of ⅓, no thong or t-backs.
Cup style.
None of the federations have rules about the shape of the cup, however the (non official) prefered look for NPC is a triangle shaped bikini top in Bikini, Figure and Physique, and for Wellness both round and triangle. IFBB Bikini and Wellness athletes wear mostly round cups, although connectors on the bikini top are allowed I think to honor the IFBB preferred look, it's is best to have a bikini without connectors. Body Fitness can wear both triangle and round bikini tops and for Physique I would recommend triangle shaped cups.
Your most important take away from this article must be that you have to know your federation’s rules regarding attire, always use the official website to look up these rules and make sure you use the current rules.