Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Leonce.
Omar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in a single parent home for the first few years of my life, I was blessed to have a mother that realized the impact that sports could have on me. Through many sacrifices both to time and finances, my mom got me into a tee ball program and this is when fitness entered my life through sports at the age of 4 years old. A few years later I would take up basketball and track and field. At this young age, my career in basketball was short lived but I blossomed in track running the 100,200, and 400-meter events.
While I lived on the shoulder to shoulder competitive nature of sprinting, I also love field events. I still have fond memories of hitting my personal best on the same meet with a 6’2″ high jump and a 23’5″ long jump. I didn’t know it then but the competitive instinct was growing very strong within me. Later in my teenage years, I took up basketball again and played on my high school travel team. Though I would always love the sport, it was through training for it that I found my true passion.
The former Mr. Jamaica in bodybuilding became my mentor and I closely studied and learned everything I possibly could from him. Bodybuilding became my obsession! I would spend countless hours studying and mastering every movement from all of the greats in the sport at the time. I always found it mind blowing what the human body was capable of accomplishing. Throughout university and the years following, I was dedicated to weight lifting and becoming the biggest and strongest I could be.
I traveled a lot and have lived in some interesting places where I always was able to find the hardcore lifting scenes. Whether while in Korea, Wisconsin, or Texas I got to reach my peak in strength but also a belt-busting 6’2″ 283lbs of the walking tank. Then one day getting ready to leave for the gym while seated reaching to tie my shoelaces, my world came crashing down. I couldn’t breathe and lean over to tie my shoes at the same time! I had to hold my breath and hope to finish before I ran out of the air. It was an embarrassing and humbling revelation.
It took quite a few years of trial and error with food and exercise to begin to learn how to restructure my training approach. Like millions of people, I too fell victim to every fad diet and cheap empty training plan in the hope that something would work. Desperation turned into frustration, which translated into a dedicated effort to master fitness for my own body. Being patient and fair with myself and learning to accept that real results take time. I no longer wanted or searched for shortcuts, but embraced my roots of hard work and no excuses as an athlete.
If we fast forward a few years, the mother of my two beautiful kids got accepted into a prestigious law program that started a new journey for all of us here in Boston. What a change from Texas! But as a native New Yorker, Boston was more familiar than not. My first year here I spent focusing on my fitness and weight-loss journey again. I made a commitment to myself that I would pursue personal training again but had some weight to lose first. It took 4 months of unwavering focus and discipline, but I shed 40lbs and was ready for anything.
I started applying for training jobs and landed a position at a local gym where I spent the next 5 years mastering my craft even more. It was within this opportunity I was introduced to group fitness on a larger scale and my eyes were opened. I was extremely passionate about changing peoples lives through health and fitness, and this platform would jump-start what was to come. I designed and successfully implemented my own boot camp (BBO) Bodies By Omar that is still running strong to this day.
Just over two years ago I got the amazing opportunity to work with George Foreman III creator of EverybodyFights, as an instructor. Never before have I seen such seamless cohesion of Boston’s best trainers coming together in what was more like family than a job. George quickly became a mentor to me, as he is to so many others, where he challenged me to step further outside of my comfort zone and into my greatness. He might never have known it until now, but those words and hands-on experience working with him were a game changer for the way I approached group fitness forever.
My best friend, my brother (a financial analyst), and I speak almost daily about the absolute necessity of mastering one’s craft towards the goal of success in whatever you are doing. My followers @bodiesbyomar on Instagram hear me talking about it on my story often. This concept along with my passion and desire to sustainably change peoples lives has to lead to the expansion of the Bodies By Omar brand into my 100% Results Boot Camp in Brighton MA. Also as an FNX (Phoenix) brand ambassador, it is very important for me to always continue to be a part of representing fitness through honesty, hard work, and quality.
This is how I look at my experience so far. Life gives everyone lemons. Some people complain about how sour they are and find them pretty difficult to a palette. Others will collect the seeds and plant them creating more lemons where they can benefit and profit from. It’s all about perspective. I’ve been dealt some tough cards in life, but I do not want to use this opportunity to complain or focus on the negative, but to inspire someone to realize that the discipline that comes with a dedicated effort towards mastering your goals will lead you to success in whatever you do. I just happen to love kicking people’s butts in boot camp.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a dad is my greatest responsibility in life. This trumps everything else, but also comes with some unique challenges that not everyone can relate to. Factoring in drop offs, pick ups, sick days, play dates, sports & music, and the many other responsibilities that come with parenting, it is difficult at best to balance your schedule around training.
There are less room and a steeper climb at the peak of the mountain than at its base. To me, this represents the easy-going at the beginning. But the better you get at your craft, the bigger your presence becomes, and the higher you climb into being successful the less foot room you have. The fitness industry is extremely competitive and you have to remain grounded. Being successful at something doesn’t make your life easier right away. I’d argue you work even harder, put in more hours, and sacrifice more for your growth.
Bodies By Omar – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Bodies By Omar might have started as an Instagram page, but since grown into so much more. It was my expression of fitness training, cooking (I love to cook), and motivation for those needing that extra push every day. While Bodies By Omar is entering its 6th year of operation, my all new 100% Results Boot Camp has been running strong since November 2017. Whether personal training, athletic training, boot camp, or nutrition coaching, I’ve built a business that can support any active bodied individual anywhere they are. My mantra is, “Where average becomes extraordinary”, and my clients and campers live this every single day.
I run a boot camp like nothing else I’ve seen that makes hardcore functional fitness accessible to everyday people. It takes out the intimidation factor and slowly starts to build your confidence unlocking what you’re truly capable of. At BBO we are a family in fitness and the support network is incredible. A lot of places will gouge you for everything, but I pride myself in making learning through strong leadership a priority. In this were my clients and campers understand a very multi-dimensional approach to their health and making fitness a lifestyle.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me goes hand in hand with being able to impact other people. If I cannot leave an impact on the people I come into contact with whether personally or professionally, then I haven’t yet found my success. My success for me doesn’t truly have a measurable endpoint. The more that I have, the more I can give. I guess the greatest form of success form of success for me is to instill this in my children, clients, and people that I come into contact with.
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 Holton Street Brighton, MA 02135
- Website: www.Joinit.org/o/results
- Phone: 857-361-9804
- Email: BodiesByOmar@gmail.com
- Instagram: @BodiesByOmar
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
