A Halifax woman could soon join the ranks of Arnold Schwarzenegger as she heads to the biggest bodybuilding competition in the world.
Leah Johnson won the National IFBB Pro Championship in Vancouver this past weekend. The win gives her the chance to flex her muscles at the Olympia bodybuilding competition in September.
“It feels like a dream,” she said.
Olympia has been around since the 1970s and was popularized by Schwarzenegger. It’s considered by some to be the Olympics of the bodybuilding world.
Years of training
Johnson says she got her inspiration from watching her brother and other female bodybuilders.
“I remember looking at magazines as a kid thinking ‘I wanna look like that,’ and through a lot of years of training I have managed to put myself in the same stream,” said Johnson.
Both female and male bodybuilders face a lot of pressures when it comes to body shaming, Johnson said.
“While some find the sport benefits their life — and some will even say it’s saved their life — others can pick up disorders, eating disorders or anxiety, you know, enhanced depression based on those pressures,” she said.
Johnson maintained a rigid workout schedule and meal plan in the weeks leading up to her competition — sometimes spending more than 10 hours a week at the gym, as well as eating clean, organic foods.
After all of the training and strict diet before the competition, she says she’s most looking forward to eating pancakes and cheese.
Courtesy of: CBC News