THUNDER BAY - The sport of bodybuilding involves a lot more than just lifting weights. It can almost be considered an art form, where an athlete is both the sculptor and the art.
“Our body is a tool and we are trying to sculpt with it and be the sculptor ourselves and the portrait at the same time,” said Adrian Lesey, bodybuilder and promoter. “It takes years and years of dedication to create a physique that looks like this.”
On Saturday, 27 men and women bodybuilders took to the stage at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium for the third annual Thunder Bay Bodybuilding Championships.
Lesey, who is a promoter for the event, said the competition is through the Canadian Physique Alliance, which is an affiliate of the International Federation of Bodybuilding.
“That means a lot because there is a doorway to become a professional in the IFBB pro league through this show,” he said.
According to Lesey, the sport of bodybuilding has been growing exponentially in the last five years in Thunder Bay.
“Five years ago, I was the only competitive bodybuilder at any level, and now we have more than 40 people who compete on a regular basis,” he said. “Now that we brought a show here, it is starting to get a lot more notoriety and people are starting to see the benefits of the life style so we are getting a lot more people interested in it.”
And bodybuilding is about more than competition. While many may associate the sport with hours in the gym lifting weights, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes, and competitions are an opportunity to showcase just how much hard work goes into training.
“It is how we go from living a daily lifestyle to actually showcasing what our physiques mean to us,” Lesey said. “Everyone thinks it’s a very narcissistic thing we do. This is a lifestyle.”
Local bodybuilder, Andre Vaillant, has been training for the last 10 years and has been competing for the last three years.
He said he became drawn to the sport because of how it pushes individuals to reach that next goal.
“You always push yourself to get to that next level in training,” he said. “I wanted to create a goal to achieve, so I wanted to push my training to the next level. Competition in bodybuilding or physique is what pushed me to the next level with training.”
“The biggest thing when it comes to this is diet,” Vaillant continued. “Training is something we do year round and enjoy it, but when it comes down to the actual competition, it comes down to your diet, 100 per cent.”
Vaillant has competed in Toronto, but he said having a local competition allows him and other local bodybuilders to share just how much hard work they put in to a sport they love.
“I do enjoy having a local event and being able to show our city and family and friends what I have done and what has taken to achieve where I am today,” he said. “When it comes down to health and fitness, I recommend anybody to come out and get healthier and workout.”
