Varga prioritizes healthy eating and exercise habits, and understands the way bodybuilders look onstage is not realistic in the long term. However, it's what you do after the competition, which is the most important part." "I struggled with body dysmorphia and this is definitely something that has been a challenge … Is it healthy sometimes? No, it's not so healthy eating minimal amounts of calories and doing excessive workouts. Varga says bodybuilding is a way to focus on herself. "It's definitely been life-altering," said Varga, who has lost 100 pounds in what she calls a healthy way, aware of some of the pressures women in bodybuilding face. She plans to compete in the transformation category at the upcoming competition.
to get two hours of training before heading to the ICU. She does another hour at the end of her 12-hour shift. Varga begins working out at home at 3:30 a.m. It was a way of networking with other people who understand the type of training that I'm doing, the dedication, the commitment." Realistic transformations You're competing against yourself to improve yourself, to get the best physique you can get," she said. "When I started, I found that it was a very isolating sport. Eighteen months ago, the 45-year-old ICU nurse and mom took up bodybuilding, and says the connection with others has helped. Gabriella Varga always had an interest in fitness, but struggled to stay on course. Harrison says her approach has attracted a range of women, including those new to bodybuilding. With this new federation, she worked to build community at a social distance, holding outdoor boot camps and posing seminars and online meal prep workshops, and helping women connect with each other on social media. Harrison says the best part about competing has been the other women she's met.Īs a psychotherapist and bodybuilder, Harrison says she ultimately wants to help women connect and build relationships. "A more empowering version of this sport was needed." © Francis Ferland/CBC It would not be unusual for women to be sitting backstage for eight hours waiting to go on," she said, adding male categories seemed to take precedence at these events. "Typically the men's categories run first. 11 where, unlike other competitions, women's categories won't be pushed to the back of the show even when they represent most of the registrants.Įveryone from the master of ceremonies to the sponsors to the judges are women. The group holds its first competition on Sept. Harrison says women support women and the emphasis is on the sport and physique over looks. It took Harrison three years and some pandemic downtime, but this past March she launched a new federation dubbed Women's Community of Bodybuilding. "I had a really interesting conversation with myself where I thought, if my girls wanted to get into bodybuilding, would I want this?" she said. That didn't stop the psychotherapist from continuing to pursue her fitness goals, but then she started to think about her daughters, and decided to do something about it. When Christine Harrison started competing as a bodybuilder four years ago, she wasn't surprised to enter a male-dominated world.
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