Dennis James explains what bodybuilders should do if they disagree with a judge’s decision.
There’s no way to talk around it. At the end of the day, bodybuilding is a subjective sport. The judges have criteria on how to score the athletes – but how they interpret that criteria in the final details comes down to personal taste. This is countered by having multiple judges oversee a competition. Despite this there are still fans, athletes, and even some experts that will disagree with the outcome. Again – it’s all subjective. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Dennis James details his past experiences disagreeing with judges and reveals the biggest mistake competitors make after receiving lackluster scores.
Dennis James is a former competitive bodybuilder and current trainer/guru in the sport. He is often seen as a passionate voice of reason for many fans in the bodybuilding world. He holds nothing back in his assessment of athletes and competitions. He is a confident commentator on all things bodybuilding.
So with that in mind we wanted to know if Dennis James had ever personally disagreed with the judges decisions. He doesn’t even need to think for a moment. Of course he has. He thinks that it’s common for most athletes to disagree with results they receive at some point in their career.
But the problem he often sees, is how an athlete reacts to the judging afterwards. In a subjective sport, an athlete who feels they were overlooked or underscored can become frustrated with the whole process. James thinks it’s a mistake to speak out about it. That includes a trainer or coach that speaks on their behalf. At the end of the day, the judges will not go back and change the score sheet. Complaining about a bad results will do nothing but bring potential negative attention to your name. This could subconsciously have a negative effect the next time you step ion stage in front of those judges. Again, remember it’s all subjective.
What Dennis James thinks more athletes need to do – is speak directly with the head judge after a competition is over. The smartest insight a bodybuilder can get is finding out why the judges scored you low. A judge will openly tell the athlete exactly what hurt their score – whether it’s a specific lagging body part or perhaps overall conditioning. This isn’t a conflict of interest. This isn’t insider information. This is valuable insight that all bodybuilders should seek from the judges. It’s guidance to fine tune what they are exactly looking for. It’s a clear marker to move towards in improving your physique.
Social media has certainly made it easier to criticize establishments publicly. And there is a place for that of course. But far too often do individuals also air their frustrations out into the internet void for no other reason than to be heard. In the case of a competitor disagreeing with the outcome decided by judges – it’s more important to be constructive than destructive.
You can check out Dennis James’ full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
