Breanna Leblanc | Figure Out Your Why
What got you into weight lifting?
I was a dancer for twelve years. I did it competitively for seven, and I was even on a professional hip hop company for eight months. When I started weight lifting, I had actually just met my boyfriend who I have now. He was really big into the gym, so I was a little bit influenced by that. My dance career was also coming to end, because I was getting a little bit older. My brother had been going to the gym for a year before I started. I saw his progress, and was influenced to start going myself. I just decided to move on from dance, and started to go more to the gym to see what journey that would bring me on.
How do you find time to balance work, the gym, meal prep, etc?
I live a different lifestyle than most people would because I only work on the weekends, so it's not hard to balance. I wake up at 5:45 every single morning, and I strive to get in the gym by 7-7:30. That way I'm out by 9-9:30 depending how long I stretch for so it doesn't take much out of my day.
In regards to training, can you give an overview of your week?
I'm not in school right now, I work for a youth employment program that employs disadvantaged youth. Outside of that, I spend a lot of time training. My training is basically Monday through Friday.
What is your favorite muscle group to work out and why? What is your most impressive body part?
I already had a good base in my lower body from genetics and dance, especially my quads. That's why I don't work my quads that much. I don't want them to dominate too much, so when I started I had to work more on hamstrings and glutes. I had to work on my upper body more because my lower body already had a strong base.
What is the number one philosophy you live by?
My main philosophy is to find what you're passionate about and go after that no matter what anybody says. All that matters is that you believe you can do it. Another thing is growth, if you're passionate about something learn about it. There's always room to learn. The more you know, the more you know that you don't know anything at all. My english teacher used to say that all the time, and the older I get the more I realize that is so true. I just love learning about all aspects of life, and learning about health and fitness has really opened my mind and changed my life. So just find your passion, and go after that.
Who are your favorite female figure/physique competitors?
I'm still really new to the game so I don't know that many people, however I do follow Jennifer Dorie. She won her pro card in 2017, she has a really nice physique. The people I look up to are my coach Nathalie Savoie. She's been a super big help to me, and she's really helped me grow my muscles, and learn about health. I really look up to her. I also look up to Ms. Olympia, Angelica Teixeira. Her build and shape is incredible, and something I strive towards.
What are the contents of your fridge?
Honestly, it's pretty boring. We keep things simple around here. Basically what my diet consists of is for my meats I eat chicken, extra lean ground turkey, sometimes I get red meat like bison. I like to get the organic, grass-fed, no antibiotics, that kind of stuff just because they're better for you. Also I like that the animals are treated better. Those are my proteins, I do also take protein powder. I eat egg-whites sometimes, and eggs. For carbs I eat oatmeal, rice, rice cakes, sweet potato, and fruits in smoothies. For my fats I use coconut oil for cooking, I also like peanut butter. I also don't drink any milk, I drink almond milk. I am lactose intolerant so I don't have any dairy. I used to when I lived with my parents, but now living in Ottawa with my boyfriend I cut that out, and feel so much better.
What tips would you give to other females starting to get into lifting?
Just educate yourself because you don't want to go to the gym and lift too heavy, or do the exercises incorrectly and get hurt. That is the last thing you want. Also, figure out your goals. Figure out your why. Why are you there? What do you want to achieve? We all have different body types, we all have different metabolisms, we all have different lifestyles, and we all have different goals. Do you want to gain weight? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle? You have to figure that out and do your research. There's so many videos online of different exercises you can do, and people who can inspire you. So yeah, just find out what you want from it.
What are some of your hobbies outside of the gym?
Like I said, I work for a youth employment program, so that's something I'm really passionate about. I used to dance, and I wish I could more of that but I haven't in about a year. I like shopping, shopping makes me happy. Honestly, my life is not that exciting right now. I'm focused on working on my business, and working on myself. I want to eventually travel. I am going to Las Vegas, and it will be my second time in the States. My boyfriend and I will go to the movies sometimes, we like to go get sushi. I also spend a lot of time researching, writing and learning about health and fitness.
What was an obstacle you’ve had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest obstacle was my last prep. I had lost 12 pounds for that competition. For my first competition I was seventeen, so my coach didn't want to push me too hard. I had only been going to the gym for roughly six months so I didn't cut that many calories. This time I went hard, I was cutting out my carbs, my fats and was doing two hours of cardio. I had like no energy, but I still had to get out of bed. I had to push myself so hard. That was a big obstacle because I had no energy, I wasn't eating anything. I couldn't lay down without drooling thinking about food. I had to continuously be doing stuff. Whether that meant cleaning my condo ten times in a row in order to keep my mind busy. That was super tough, it was just mentality and discipline. I knew I wouldn't be satisfied getting on the stage without giving my best.