How to Prepare for a Fitness Shoot

I take fitness shoots very seriously and I pride myself on always being prepared for them and I am incredibly meticulous when it comes to being at my best in front of a camera. So what should you do to come prepared for a fitness shoot? There are so many things but here are the basics.

Bringing many different colors of shorts, preferably dark-colored shorts, is a must. Also make sure you have practiced some poses you want to implement in your shoot. Great examples are picking up poses from the cover of previous fitness magazines. Don’t rely on the photographer always trying to direct you. You can really impress him if you know what poses you want to try. Also make sure you are shaved and I mean armpits, face, legs, forearms, etc. When you have seen a cover model with hairy legs or hairy arms?

Another thing that is incredibly important is make-up. You don’t how many guys snooze on this. It is so important to find a great make-up artist for your shoot. A great makeup-artist can literally make the difference between a good cover picture and a great cover picture and I am speaking from personal experience. I know many guys feel that they don’t have to put it on, but it is so important especially if you don’t have the greatest skin in the world. I’ve seen the difference between taking pictures with no make-up and with make-up, and it is almost a night and day difference.

One of the most, if not the most, important things is your conditioning. Are you in shape to shoot? Are your abs visible enough for a fitness shoot. If you come to a scheduled fitness shoot and you’re not in shape, I can guarantee you that you will not be called back. In fact, the photographer might cancel the shoot and hire another model. Also make sure you have baby-oil gel in your bag. Don’t rely on the photographer to provide that because the chances are he or she may not.

Just remember when you’re packing your war bag that you bring more stuff than you need. I know when I shot with Robert Reif back in April for Maximum Fitness magazine he was impressed with how much stuff I brought and I told him laughingly that I pack like a female and that I always bring more than I need. If you’re prepared for a fitness shoot and bring what you need and do the job well you will probably get called back again for another shoot. But if you come to a shoot unprepared the chances of being called back is very slim.