Home: San Antonio, TX
Gig: Personal trainer
Age: 34 Height: 5’3”
Weight: 112 lbs

Her favorite clean meal: Mercedes, who plans to pursue fitness competitions in the near future, keeps her physique lean with a hearty pre-workout bowl of oatmeal with sweetener, chopped almonds, cinnamon and fresh strawberries. “Yummolicious!” says Mercedes.

Her best move: For this personal trainer, it’s walking lunges all the way. “I love the roundness it gives my glutes,” says Mercedes, who started working out at age 23 after being inspired by the women she saw in fitness magazines. Since then, there’s been no looking back.

Her workout music: Mercedes prefers her workout au naturel, and just enjoys silence while training. “I get a better workout when I can hear myself think,” she says.

What’s your advice to women new to working out? “Hire a professional who can show you the ropes,” says Mercedes, who believes strongly in proper form to avoid injury.