Arm wrestling often evokes images of burly men straining in dingy bars, but a new documentary series focusing on Indigenous athletes aims to highlight the sport and the people who love it.

Trevor Sanipass, originally from Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton, first pitched the concept back in 2014.

A champion arm-wrestler himself, Sanipass envisioned a Canadian take on the American TV program Game of Arms. One night after a practice session in Lower Sackville, N.S., he came home and wrote a five-page outline. He fired off emails to production companies — proposing a series centred on faceoffs between regional clubs.

Picture This Productions, based in Montreal, liked the idea and ultimately secured a deal with APTN. Sanipass worked as a consultant on the series and is featured in an episode that debuts Dec. 8.

Mi'kmaw arm wrestling champion Trevor Sanipass says with the right guidance, competitive arm wrestling can change a person's life. (Nic Meloney/CBC)

David Finch, who associate produced and directed the series, said he was intrigued by Sanipass's pitch and quickly became captivated by a vibrant community of arm-wrestlers across the country.

He discovered the sport is "a fast-growing underground phenomena" that draws athletes from all walks of life — a far cry from the stereotype he first pictured, Finch said in an interview.

"It was skills, it was strategy, intelligence, training, really determination to prove yourself. It was a lot less slapdash than I thought it was," he said.

One arm-wrestler was battling cancer, others struggled with addiction. Some episodes highlight the challenges women face competing.

"The stories we were able to find were really compelling, personal stories of victory under all kinds of adverse conditions, whether it's physical or emotional. They're a cross-section of what the country is all about in terms of people just trying to make it," Finch said.

Different competitors from across Canada are profiled in the 13-episode season of Arm Nation. (Arm Nation/Facebook)

Sanipass said he helped connect the production's researchers with competitors and reviewed shows during production to give input on accuracy and language.

Arm Nation is not a reality show, which meant unexpected moments and twists. Often, the story arc of each episode wouldn't be clear until after the crew finished filming, Finch said.

"People would win or they would lose or they'd get hurt, and that would all happen in front of the camera," he said.

In Episode 1 of Arm Nation, Derek Spence talks about arm wrestling with a group of kids. (Submitted by Arm Nation)

This week's episode, shot over two weeks in the spring of 2017, features Sanipass hosting a workshop in Eskasoni with his friend Mark MacPhail. The pair were helping train Pasamay Doucette, who was relatively new to the sport.

"Picture This really wanted to capture the realism. They didn't want this script ... they wanted to see what actually unfolded," said Sanipass.

That episode also delved into his personal life. Finch said they didn't realize until they began shooting that on top of training and coaching duties, Sanipass was juggling a run as a candidate for the NDP in the 2017 provincial election.

"[It] provided a beautiful juxtaposition when we put the show together," said Finch, who travelled to Nova Scotia to direct the episode.

Sanipass has been travelling to First Nations communities around Mi'kma'ki (Nova Scotia) to encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles. (Nic Meloney/CBC)

Sanipass said after years of pestering fellow competitors to consider being part of the show, it has been satisfying finally seeing it come together.

He hopes the series will help introduce the sport to young people. Over the past few years, he's been hosting training sessions in Mi'kmaw communities across the region.

"I'm trying to get rid of that misconception that arm-wrestlers, they're not just big strong men. We got youth, boys and girls, men and women, who train devotedly ... These are athletes."