Exclusive Representation - Usually a Bad Idea!
Most models are represented by mutliple modeling agencies, at least one on the east coast and another on the west. However, it is becoming more common for model representatives to ask models to sign an exclusive representation contract. This means that all work the model does MUST be booked through that one representative. You cannot work with any other agent or agency. Think of it this way, imagine if you could only buy your favorite fitness magazine at 7-11. Contracts are only a good deal when they exchange things of like value: "I give you A, you give me B." Exclusive representation contracts very rarely give the model anything in return for signing over the right to other representation. Verbal promises are usually made about all the wonderful things they will do for you and the huge amount of work they will get you, but none of it will be spelled out in the contract (and is therefore only so much hot air). A good exclusive contract will give you the model something specific and quantifiable in return, typically a guaranteed minimum income. When someone offers you this kind of deal it says "We think you're huge. We're gonna work our asses off promoting you. And we're so sure of it, that if were wrong, we'll pay you out of our own pockets." This type of exclusive is worth considering. If the contract doesn't give you something clear and quantifiable in return, don't sign it. Oh... and "We'll promote you to the best of our abilities..." is neither clear, nor quantifiable.

Face Basics
The basics of caring for your face are really easy:
.....Cleanse
.....Shave
.....Tone (closes the pores)
.....Moisturize
.....Sunscreen (if not in your moisturizer and you're going out in the sun)
If you use an electric razor, shave before you cleanse (the skin oils lubricate the blade, making for an easier shave).

On Shoot Days, Elastic Is Your Enemy
Tight elastic creates indentations in the flesh and the leaner you are, the longer it will stay there. A really lean body can hold an elastic line all day. It is best to show up for a modeling assignment in loose fitting clothes and wearing no socks or underwear. If you screwed-up and you’ve got an elastic marking, you might try this trick “snap” or “flick” the line sharply with your finger. This will cause a minor irritation, causing blood to flood the area (this is similar to the standard tapping trick nurses use to raise a vein).

Tanning Advice
Whether in black and white or color, depending on skin tone, you will probably look better with a tan. It can be helpful to maintain a nice base tan year round. But don’t try to get one at the last minute by overdoing the tanning booth -- broiled model is not pretty (and very hard to fix)! On the other hand, some of the competition bodybuilding “tan in a bottle” products are quite good; ProTan™ is one I have used successfully. Neutragena™ and Nivea™ both make highly regarded self tanners. I myself have used Neutragena Sunless Tanning “Deep”, which was very easy to use and produced a very natural looking medium tan which lasted about 5 days fading gradually. I've also seen models get really good results with Clarins-Paris Self Tanning Gel and Self Tanning Milk. Regarding tan lines, they are generally bad. If you are shooting nudes, the problem is obvious -- they break the body in two. But even with respect to fashion or lifestyle work, they can be a problem. No matter how trim a suit you tan in, you might be asked to model something with a different cut, that reveals a bit of flesh previously hidden. Best to avoid the problem all together.

Body Hair
Most physique photographers prefer to shoot relatively smooth bodies. Personally, I prefer a mix of model types. Though it is true that the smoothness enhances muscularity. For this reason, more and more guys are going “smooth” as a personal grooming choice. Basically, the problem with body hair is that it casts little shadows obscuring the definition lines. To Solve this, many models shave or wax their bodies. Both can cause serious skin reactions and should not be done immediately prior to a shoot. One solution to this problem is to use electric trimmers. They can accomplish much the same effect without the risk of skin reactions. Norelco™ makes an excellent rechargeable, cordless, trimmer, the T7000.

Tattoos
Any visible tattoo you may have can affect whether or not you get a particular job. The Tattoo is your message to the world, not the artist's or advertiser's. While tattoos don't carry the extremely strong negative connotations they once did, they can still limit your ability to get advertising work. By the same token a cool tattoo might be what makes you stand out from the other guy and get you the job. Just something to think about. Also, there is now some indication that laser tattoo removal may convert the tattoo inks into toxic and carcinogenic compounds, so tattoo removal may be dangerous as well as expensive.

Vascularity
I know of two tricks to dramatically increase vascularity for a shoot. The first is a glass of red wine, drunk about 20 minutes before the start of shooting. This doesn’t work for everyone, and you also need to be aware of the circumstances, and how the alcohol will affect your energy levels and hydration if you are going to be out in the sun. The second is a posing oil call “Hot Stuff” used by professional body builders. This oil is very pungent and derives its effectiveness from a variety of herbal extracts. Try this ahead of time if you are going to use it, as some guys have a mild reaction to it and flush very red. This is not a problem if you are working in black and white, but could spell disaster if working in color.

Treat Your Face Gently
When drying your face with a towel, pat, don’t rub. Rubbing just stretches the skin, and it doesn’t get you any drier. Similarly for your hair; rubbing vigorously will just give you a bad case of split-ends.

Eye Cream
As the line in the old folk song goes... “She’d pass for 29 but for the eyes.” The most immediately noticeable sign of aging is wrinkles around the eyes. You can help stave off and reduce eye wrinkles by faithfully applying eye cream morning and night. Do this by GENTLY dabbing the cream under the eyes and around the outer eyes. Tap and dab rather than rub; if your application of eye cream stretches the eyelid skin, you’re defeating the point. Also, use your ring finger to apply lotion around the eyes; it sees less day-to-day use than your index finger and consequently is smoother and is less likely to carry any kind of infection.

Puffy Eyes
For years, a secret among models has been to use Preparation H for emergency relief from puffy eyes and dark circles -- really bad idea. This is kind or like using hydrocloric acid for a face peel -- didn’t exactly work for the Phantom of the Opera. A far better alternative is to use teabags and ice water as compresses. Select a strongly caffeinated tea like plain old black tea (Lipton’s etc.). Moisten the teabags with ice water and place them on the eyes as compresses. Relax for 10 minutes. Update: But now Garnier has come up with a great little product that does the same thing (caffeine included), without the mess, the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller. I've tried it and it works great.

Itchy Eyes
No matter how itchy or tired your eyes might get, NEVER rub your eyes. This does two bad things: first it stretches the delicate skin surrounding the eyes and can lead to premature wrinkling and aging; second, it grinds into your eyes whatever is irritating them, which will only make the situation worse. For itchy eyes, put several drops of artificial tears in the outer corner, blink it around and then allow it to flow out the inner corner of the eye, washing the irritants out of the eye.

Lip Balm
Most lip balms contain various ingredients (such as camphor) which actually make your lips dryer, thus you apply it more often and use more product; great for the manufacturer, terrible for your lips. Worst of all is a common brand (which shall remain nameless), that comes in a little yellow lidded glass tub. This stuff has a huge following. READ THE LABEL. It's actually for cold sores -- its designed to be drying. It contains both camphor and salycilic acid (acne medication). If you find yourself in the need of something for chapped lips, you are better off with something very basic like Vaseline™.

Applying Facial Moisturizer
This tip is one of economy. Most grooming products intended for the face are considerably more expensive than similar products intended for the body. So you really don’t want to use them for hand lotion. So, apply these products with your fingertips, not the whole hand. In this way, you’ll use a lot less product and your supply will go a lot farther. Additionally, moisturizer should really be called sealant. It doesn't actually add moisture, but rather seals it in. Apply it while your skin is moist. You may also find it helpful to wet the fingers before applying it. It will glide on mor easily.

Fast Body Moisturizing
Here's a really fast method of applying moisturizer. It's not for everyone, but if it works for you it is really fast. While still in the shower, with the water running, apply a thin film of plain old baby oil all over your body. Rinse off the excess and towel dry as usual. If you have normal to dry skin or shower more than once a day, this will probably work great for you. In the US, Johnson & Johnson makes a nice version of baby oil that adds aloe vera and Vitamin E.

Applying Body Lotions
When applying any kind of lotion to your body, whether it be moisturizer, sunscreen or self-tanner, rub the lotion ONLY in the direction that your body hair naturally lies. This rule applies even if you are smooth due to shaving or waxing. By applying the lotion with the direction of hair growth, you minimize the chance of the lotion clogging your pores and resulting in blemishes.

Scent Sense
We've all had the experience of walking passed a stranger and being nearly cold-cocked by their overwhelming perfume or cologne. Cologne should be subtle. It should be for intimate moments. It shouldn't announce your impending arrival when you are still 20 feet away. Trouble is, it is really easy to turn into one of these idiots who bathe in the stuff. You see, over time we get used to a scent and it doesn't seem as strong. Without realizing it, we use more. If you've been wearing the same cologne for a long time, switch for a while to give your nose a rest. With the new brand, pay attention to how much you use (remember to go for subtlety). Never use more than you use the first time. Now for a little trick -- at an intimate moment, nobody wants a mouthful of cologne. So where to apply it? Spray it on your hands and run them through your hair. Nice. Subtle. Intimate.

Pump Versus Definition
There is a natural inclination to want to get pumped up for a shoot, to “look your best”. But there is a tradeoff involved. When you are pumped up, you will look bigger, but you will also lose definition and appear “softer” or flatter. When the blood floods the muscles, it also flushes the skin. If you workout right before shooting, you will look bigger, but you won’t look as defined.

Posing, Flexing and Your Face
Posing is very physically demanding. Several of the professional bodybuilders I've worked with have told me that they don't work out and practice their posing routines on the same day -- it's just too physically demanding. Posing is essentially a matter of isometric contractions, tensing one muscle group against the opposing muscle group. While it is possible to isolate one group, without flexing any other muscle (say the triceps and biceps without affecting the forearm), this requires a degree of body awareness and control that is beyond most of us. Generally, this is not of importance; it would be unusual for a photographer to want one body part flexed, while another is relaxed. But like all rules, there is an exception. You typically want to be able to keep the neck and face relaxed. It is a hard skill to learn and will take lots of practice in front of a mirror. But here's a little trick that may help -- after flexing, jut your chin forward just slightly. This trick makes it harder to flex the neck and face muscles and also reduces the appearance of the muscular contraction in the face and neck.

Focus
When posing, regardless of where you are looking, it is important to actually focus your gaze ON something. If you simply look in a direction, without looking at anything in particular, your eyes will defocus and you will appear dimwitted and vacant.

Instantly Well-Hung
Okay, I exaggerate (and I’m stealing a line from Robin Williams), but most guys, all things being equal, would love to have an extra inch or two. Well here’s a couple tricks that will give the APPEARANCE of an extra inch or two. First, trim your pubic hair back at the base of the penis. This will clearly reveal part of the shaft that is normally obscured, giving the illusion of greater length. Second, remember the tanning advice above, well, use a bit of sunscreen on your penis. Besides protecting you from a burn where you REALLY don’t want a burn, it will also keep your penis a shade lighter in relation to the rest of your body, making it stand out a bit and appear larger. Finally a secret from underwear and swimsuit models. Gone are the days of the Sears catalog and the airbrushed, neuter model. Here’s the trick to showing a prominent, but not ridiculous bulge — a hair scrunchie. Put it around the goods and it tends to push everything forward a bit. By the way, the hair scrunchie tip is suggested for modeling swimwear or underwear... NOT as fashion tip.

Hydration
You’ve got to keep well hydrated. Your body is basically a chemical plant with raw materials coming in, being processed and waste products being sent out. Everything your body does requires water. Keeping well hydrated will improve your complexion, make your muscles work better, improve your fat burning both in action and at rest, and make you less prone to injury. And drinking lots of water does not cause water retention, in fact drinking more water is part of the cure. For the average person, the standard advice is 8-8 ounce glasses a day (one-half gallon). But, that’s for the average, sedentary guy. Add at least 16 ounces for each workout. Heavy coffee drinker? Well, caffeine is a diuretic, add some more. Take allergy medications or decongestants? Add some more. Here’s a clue... your urine should be no darker than the color of straw... if it’s darker than that, you need water. A trick suggested by several models is to drink a glass of water every time you take a piss.

Ketosis
If at any time while working out, you get a metallic taste in your mouth similar to the odor of nail-polish remover, IMMEDIATELY STOP YOUR WORKOUT! You have gone into Ketosis, which means you have used up all the other fuels available to your muscles and they have switched over to burning protein. In other words, the muscle itself is being consumed to fuel your workout. Go get something to eat ASAP. Simple carbs are the immediate need, to restore the muscle’s glycogen stores.

Getting More Ass
Everyone wants a great round butt whether on themselves or on their partner. Squat movements are the key to getting that killer ass. And there are two keys to a great squat movement -- never let the knees extend beyond the toes (too much shear force) and go deep as you can. As my trainer puts it “The deeper you go, the more ass you get. And the more ass you get, the more ass you get.” By the way, the knees never going over the toes thing goes for everyday use as well. Take note of how you climb stairs -- you might want to take them two at a time; it's much easier on the knees and improves that butt at the same time.

Gym Hygiene
In general, touching your face is a bad habit; just consider the places your hands have been between washings. Touching a doorknob and then touching your face is like having everyone who’s touched that doorknob recently touch your face; and consider where their hands have been. In the gym it's even worse. Your touching dozens of surfaces that have been handled by dozens of people in a given day. From the moment you step into the gym, until the moment you've showered, keep your hands away from your face. Also remember where you might be putting your face in the gym! Pressing it into the pad of a bench, leg curl or fly deck -- cover the pad with a towel. And by the same token, watch where you put towel. When your done your workout shower or wash your hands. And your gym towel goes into the laundry.

Tips for Living With a Healthy Lifestyle

1. Most guys who train seriously and eat right have little use for a flour or sugar canister or a cookie jars. But these make great stoarage alternatives to having a kitchen counter littered with big jars of protein powder, king sized canisters of oatmeal and piles of protein bars. Just because you live healthy doesn't mean your kitchen has to look like a pharmacy.

2. Commercial protein shakes are really pricey. They can run $3 and more when bought at the gym. A high quality protein powder bought in bulk runs around $1 a serving. So here's a little trick learned from my trainer -- get heavy duty ziploc storage bags and fill them with a single serving of protein powder. Throw them in your gym bag. When you are ready for one, just fill the bag with as much water as you want shake it up, drink it straight from the bag, then toss the bags. It's cheap. it's easy and theres no bottle to wash and drag back and forth.

3. Sticking to a workout plan and a diet plan can become an emotionally heavy burden. It can get to the point where you are constantly worrying about it. The stress isn't any fun and it is counter-productive. So instead of worrying about being responsible to do the right thing all the time, be responsible for to do the right thing, right now. It makes a huge daunting task into a little task. Don't think about eating right all the time, think about eating right at the current meal. Don't think about getting at least 8 hours sleep every night, think about getting 8 hours sleep tonight. And when you fail, let it go. You are only responsible for the present, and the failure is in the past.

4. Plans change. Be prepared. Sometimes social plans or work commitments may keep you from being able to go to the gym. But plans do change. So keep the loaded gym bag handy in your car or at work, ready to go if you are freed up at the last minute.

5. Guys are lazy. We hate doing laundry. So we tend to use things like towels for as long as possible. Nothing wrong with that. It saves time and money, and it's easier on the environment. But moist towels are a breeding ground for bacteria. If your towel "smells" at all, retire it to the laundry and grab a new one. And if we're talking about a towel you used at the gym, retire it after a single use no matter what.