Fitness Photoshoot Poses, Tips, Ideas For Your Profile

During a photo session with athletes, it is important to emphasize their bodies. To capture photos of the athletes’ physical form, check out fitness photoshoot poses beforehand.

Experienced photographers use pose and angle references that work great for coaches, sportsmen, and fitness models. If you are an aspiring photographer, read this article on the 14 best sports photography poses.

14 Tips to Build Stunning Fitness Photoshoot Poses

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If you are a professional sports model, we recommend creating a high-quality photography portfolio for your future growth. You can take pictures by using favorable angles to highlight each muscle.

In addition to professional photo shoots, some athletes need content for their blogs. I have prepared a list of the best fitness photography ideas poses to make the process easier for both photographers and athletes. Check out these posing tips to choose the best angles for a future photoshoot.

1. Correct Display of Body Proportions

fitness photoshoot poses female body proportions

It is important to maintain the correct proportions during the photoshoot. Female poses look great when models have a thin waist and rounded hips. To achieve this result, you can experiment with the position of a model.

She needs to lean forward and push her hips back. The model can hug herself or use one of these hand posing tips. To make her legs look longer, the model should put one leg forward or cross a knee in front of another leg.

If you want to highlight the athlete’s waist, ask her to place her hands on her hips. The model should leave one hand at the waist and put another one on the hip.

fitness photoshoot poses male body proportions

Male models need to look courageous. To demonstrate their athletic build, you can use male poses. Keep in mind that the shoulders should be noticeably wider than the hips. Photographers need to focus on the upper body to highlight the muscular arms. If an athlete has good and prominent abs, you can also take photos of his torso.

2. Tense Muscles

fitness photoshoot poses tense muscles

Male athletes need to demonstrate their muscles. To make the arms look even bigger, ask a model to contract muscles. Take shots when the athlete strains his biceps and uses additional equipment, including dumbbells. Holding the gear in the hand, an athlete can turn his head to one side or experiment with the other hand position.

To enlarge the athlete's body, keep the camera for sports below the athlete's eye level. This tip comes in handy for bodybuilders who want to seem even bigger in a photo.

To demonstrate the muscles, try using a flexible tripod. It significantly reduces shake during focusing. A tripod for fitness photoshoot is available on Amazon.

3. Flexing Movements

fitness photoshoot poses flexing movements

If you are interested in athletes photo shoot poses, try taking photos of the models when they do exercises. These model poses will look more natural in the frame.

You can also ask an athlete to keep their hand a bit away from the body. Pay attention to the position of the arm, it should form a right angle towards the camera. Although most neglect the position of the head, a model shouldn’t look into the camera if the body is turned the other way.

4. Tiptoe Standing

fitness photoshoot poses tiptoe

If you are taking photos of female athletes, there is a great way to make their legs look longer. Ask the model to stand on tiptoes. This position will make their legs slimmer and help define calf muscles.

The advantage of such fitness model photoshoot poses is that they create an effect of movement. Alternatively, you can use stairs or the gym to take a more natural shot. If the model is standing on the stairs, you can take a shot focusing on the legs. For an enhanced effect, place the camera in the lower position.

5. Keeping the Back Straight

fitness photoshoot poses straight back

For sports photoshoots, models need to keep their backs straight. Unlike yoga photography, where the focus is on flexibility, sports photography emphasizes strength.

The position of the shoulders is another important aspect to consider. Pictures of a moving athlete allow a photographer to demonstrate the model’s shoulders at different levels or strongly pulled up to the neck. If an exercise allows, ask the athlete to relax and lower their shoulders to make their neck look longer.

I recommend ordering FixThePhoto services if you need to enhance your photos or perform retouching.

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6. Horizontal Position of the Body

fitness photoshoot poses horizontal

Take a photo of a model while they are doing some exercise on the floor, including push-ups and planks. This is one of the best fitness photo shoot poses. You can experiment with arm and leg poses while the model is lying down.

A close-up will help you capture individual muscles during exercise. To get more attractive shots, you can use additional props or organize shooting in an unusual location.

7. Near the Wall

fitness photoshoot poses near the wall

The wall is a great background for sports photography. A relaxed position of an athlete leaning against the wall perfectly emphasizes their physique. Shots near the wall work especially great if you need to showcase uniforms or equipment.

You can find a variety of reference photos taken next to the wall during exercise or rest time. If you want to achieve a natural effect, ask the model to lean sideways against the wall, tilt their body slightly, and drink water without looking into the frame.

8. Inverted Poses

fitness photoshoot poses inverted

If you are planning an unusual photoshoot with complex elements, ask the model to stand upside down. Such positions as a handstand or somersault will look spectacular in the frame. These pictures work great for social networks. You can also use other Instagram photo ideas to make your pictures more eye-catching.

Take photos of professional acrobats or gymnasts when they are doing the exercise. If a model is unable to perform the trick, they can use the wall as support. Since the main load is directed to arms and shoulders, we recommend focusing on these groups of muscles.

9. Athlete Group Posing

fitness photoshoot poses group

Group shots always get more attention from viewers. The models need to do one exercise in sync. Your goal is to make sure all the athletes fit in the frame. If you want to shoot the stretching process that requires more space, I recommend working in groups of up to 3 models.

fitness photoshoot poses group showing the physique

Group shots can also include multiple exercises, with each athlete demonstrating a specific technique. Decide on the exercise for each model, for example, someone can sit down, another can bend over, and the third one can raise his leg. Alternatively, you can use these group photo ideas for a creative and interesting shot.

fitness photoshoot poses a couple

If you are planning a romantic photoshoot, you can use these couple photo ideas. Make the pair do sports together. Encourage them to work on common exercises and interact in the frame.

10. Formation of Triangles

fitness photoshoot poses triangles

One of the most commonly used fitness photoshoot poses allows athletes to demonstrate athletic and beautiful curves of their bodies by using triangles. Even a simple standing position with legs apart (shoulder-width and wider) creates a triangle shape and shows a beautiful sporty body.

You can create triangles with more than just legs. Ask the model to bend their arms at the elbow. When an athlete is drinking water or straightening hair, their arms form the same triangle. Thus, the frame focuses on the beautiful shape of the upper shoulder.

11. Moving During the Photoshoot

fitness photoshoot poses moving

Since sport is an active process, dynamic shots help show the athlete's build, muscles, and shape in the best way. If the athlete exercises during the shooting, you will get great pics with a motion effect.

Any exercise, including squatting, running, or jumping works here. If you want to make the shot as natural as possible, take photos of athletes while they are working out in the gym or on the sports field.

Such shots look harmonious and natural. While the athlete is doing his basic workout, you can experiment with angles.

12. Playing with Props

fitness photoshoot poses props

Any photographer strives to create pictures that tell a story. Try using props to make your shots more unique. You can take any equipment, including balls, rubber bands, dumbbells, mat, or rackets. If you are working with a professional athlete, he can take equipment from the gym. Let him throw a ball, do exercises using a rubber band, and more.

Make sure that the model’s face is not tense since a relaxed pose looks better in the frame. Shoot from multiple angles to capture natural poses and free movements.

13. Focus on Physique

fitness photoshoot poses focus on physique

Before you start shooting, decide which body parts and muscle groups you will focus on during the process. It’s important to select the desired athletes photo shoot poses beforehand and work with them.

When shooting a bodybuilder, you probably want to draw attention to his shoulders and torso. If you are taking football photography or working with runners, focus on the legs. Make sure there are both legs and arms in the frame so as not to distort the body proportions.

14. Attention to Details

fitness photoshoot poses details

If you want to take natural photos while working with athletes, pay attention to the details. If during the exercise a model holds their arms incorrectly, point this out. If the position of the fingers on the racket is wrong, make things right.

You will hardly face these problems when working with professional athletes. However, if you are just shooting a model with an athletic build, you should pay attention to such moments.

If you're shooting content for a portfolio, technique plays an important role. When working on lifestyle photography for a blog, pay more attention to an athlete's appearance, clothes or hair. You can make hair look slightly messy or wet to create a more realistic effect. Alternatively, you can spray the athlete's body with water and take a picture while a model is drinking water. You can also use various ideas that will allow you to learn how to look good in pictures.

Bonus Tools

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After taking fitness photos, you need to edit your shots. You can use these presets to enhance your photos. This collection will help you quickly perform color correction, adjust the white balance, increase exposure, and get rid of imperfections. This bundle is also great for retouching.

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