We sat down with Team Yolked athlete, Angela Salveo, to take a look inside her training and weightlifting recovery strategies as she prepares for the IWF World Masters Championships competition representing Team USA as a Masters Athlete.
Angela, tell us a little bit about your background. How did you get into the weightlifting?
I have always been extremely goal-drive. Growing up in small-town Iowa, I had the luxury to participate in as many activities as I wanted. Whether that was running high school track, cheerleading from junior high through college, or doing figure competitions, I’ve always stayed active.
I actually graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology from Iowa State University and opened a CrossFit box (CrossFit Salus in Middletown, NJ) with my husband in 2013.
It wasn’t until 2015, that I started getting more serious about weightlifting and began competing locally to mix in with some other local CrossFit competitions. A few years ago, I decided to put CrossFit aside and focus on qualifying for Worlds.
Right now, I’m actually ranked number four in the World in my age/weight class, which is pretty cool.
What does your training schedule look like?
I have been weightlifting four times a week. We have a weightlifting platform in my office and my husband built me a weightlifting platform in my backyard, so I have no excuse!
I also mix in CrossFit once or twice a week. But most importantly my training has been focused on maximizing recovery.
I have to prioritize sleep, nutrition and body work or I wouldn’t be able to train as intensely I as I do.
I stretch and do mobility work for about 20 minutes every night before bed and meditate almost daily (I’m still working on this’ it’s tough to find quiet time with twins). I also get massages or preventative physical therapy treatment regularly.
What are some of your “secrets” to staying motivated?
It’s important to notice that there is a distinction to staying motivated for aesthetic reasons vs performance reasons. They don’t necessarily go hand in hand. I believe a lot of people who exercise for aesthetic reasons have a hard time sticking to a plan because their picture of perfect is so far reaching.
But, the moment you throw a performance goal in the mix, everything changes.
My focus is on having better quality workouts, prioritizing recovery, and fueling my body with the right nutrients.
As a mom of twins who also works full time and owns a small business, I know a thing or two about navigating obstacles and hard work. I thrive on setting goals to keep me motivated.
I’m so passionate about it, that it literally wakes me up every morning with a fire burning in my soul.
What is your view on weightlifting recovery for muscles?
As a masters athlete (I’m 43), nutrition has been a HUGE part of my recovery strategy. I eat whole, unprocessed food – mostly organic – and have really dialed in to my nutrient timing surrounding my training sessions.
My nightly stretching sessions and sleep have also become extremely critical to recovering right.
Do you take any supplements to help you recover?
As I’ve been training for such a high-level competition, it’s important to me that whatever supplement I put in my body is NSF Certified for Sport®. I recover my muscles with YOLKED’ because I know their ingredients are held to the highest standards. Plus, it’s delicious!
Of course, it’s important to note that everyone’s needs are unique, but I also include an intra-workout carb drink. I aim to get most of my vitamins and minerals through the food I eat, but I also take daily multivitamins including: fish oil, probiotic, Vitamin B, Vitamin D.
Becoming a Team YOLKED Athlete
For Angela, it’s clear that muscle recovery has been essential to her overall training strategy. Recover clean with YOLKED, scientifically proven to help your body utilize protein more efficiently to build lean muscle and improve recovery.