Esmey Leon

Photography by Jerry Fredrick at Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA

Height: 5’3”     Weight: 115

Age began training: I began training officially when I was 19 years old. I played all kinds of sports growing up—basketball, volleyball and track and field—but I never hit the weights until I went to college.

Reason you started lifting: I took a weight-training course at the University of Portland that sparked the fiery high any trainee gets after a great weight-training session. I loved the feeling of being on top of the world. It’s when you push for that last rep that your body is saying is impossible, but your mind power takes over and you just do it. It’s a reminder that you can always do more than you think you can.

Training: I train seven days a week. Not every day is high intensity, but I do try to get my blood pumping in some way or another every single day. I don’t break down my bodyparts by days. I assess my body and see what I’d like to improve on and make that my focus for the week while integrating my favorite bodyparts, such as biceps and back. I’ve heard great things about the body split method, but at the end of the day you have to evaluate your own body and see what works best for you.

Factoids: I grew up in the boonies in eastern Oregon in a town with a population of 1,000. I have seven siblings, so I always had someone to play with growing up. I didn’t know the meaning of privacy until I was 21 years old; that’s the first time I ever had my own room! I owned an exterior-house-painting business (brush and roll only) when I was 20 years old. I’m creating a fitness brand called OnePower, based on the idea that a sexy mind will bring about a sexy body.