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Maria Moore Salvetti

@mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

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50 years old Ifbb pro bikini competitor sharing my journey

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I’ve been off season since august- but with a 10 day trip and other small set backs- it feels like my off season/ improvement season just started two weeks ago -
Here some updates- 120 lbs, not very hungry and looking forward to some growth 😘 #bodybuildingjourney #believeinyourself❤️ #fitnessmotivation #ifbbbikinipro by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Almost two years ago, I booked a retreat to Morocco for after my boys left for college. I thought I’d need time to regroup, reconnect with myself, and grow.

Then bodybuilding happened.

My goals changed, my routines became sacred, and with my pro debut ahead, leaving my gym, food, and improvement season felt unbearable.

I cried. I procrastinated. I even called Maria to cancel.

Her response? “Those feelings are exactly why you need to come.”

So I listened.

Enter Jenny, a woman from Huntsville I’d never met, who planned my entire trip. I somehow convinced myself she was an old lady and dreaded traveling with her.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Jenny was young, beautiful, the perfect roommate, and is now one of my favorite humans.

And Morocco? Nothing could have prepared me for it.

Quiet mornings. Yoga. Bodywork. Fascia release. Adventures. Workshops. Conversations that went deeper than I imagined.

But the real magic was the women.

Fifteen successful women from different walks of life and corners of the world, each carrying stories of survival, trauma, love, heartbreak, and triumph.

We shared. We cried. We laughed. We healed. We held each other.

I’ve never felt so whole, loved, understood, or genuinely held.

The word “tribe” gets thrown around, but Morocco showed me its true meaning: women loving women softly, without competition, judgment, or expectations. Just showing up for each other.

I went afraid of losing progress in my physical goals and came home realizing how much growth I still had to do within myself.

Thank you, @awakenwithmariabrito , for knowing I needed this before I did.

To every woman in my life: book the retreat. Sometimes what you’re resisting is exactly what your soul needs. by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Wonderful last day in Morocco experiencing High Tea at the @royalmansourmarrakech ❤️ by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

This place just inspires sensuality and beauty! So fun to capture @huntsvilla1n for being the perfect model this morning to take the itch of creating some amazing art in this paradise @darsyada - 😘😘😘 Proves that you can create amazing photos without any equipment and just your iPhone! 😉 by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

I got to be honest - coming to Morocco has been the dream I didn’t knew I had. I came for a retreat and will leave with a sisterhood and a new goal to live my life the way I want. Unapologetically being myself. No more shrinking @awakenwithmariabrito I’m forever grateful for the magic 😘🤩 by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Just for fun and giggles - we had a tour guide 😂🤪- this place is magical - thank you @awakenwithmariabrito for the incredible experience 😘 by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Three days in Morocco, and already there have been so many moments that have made me stop, look around, and take it all in. The beauty, the colors, the energy, the people—it feels almost surreal to be here.

To see and do things I honestly never imagined I would have the opportunity to do feels so special. And somehow, in just three days, friendships are already forming, deep conversations and connections are happening, and we haven’t even officially started the retreat yet.

There is something truly magical about this place. About slowing down, stepping outside of what is familiar, being present, and opening yourself up to something completely different. I have a feeling the next seven days are going to be transformative in ways I probably can’t even imagine yet.

Thank you, Maria, @awakenwithmariabrito for pushing me beyond my comfort zone. For encouraging me to step away from my routines, my responsibilities, and the life I’m so used to managing every day—and for opening this door for me to be here.

So grateful I said yes. 🤍 by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Because I think we are all kinda addicted to the suffering…off season feels almost unhinged 🤪#bodybuildingjourney #trusttheprocess #ifbbbikinipro #believeinyourself❤️ by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Apparently when you’re a bodybuilder, a Saturday girls’ outing looks a little different. 😂

No brunch.
No shopping.
No mimosas.

Just three grown women driving WAY too far to go lift the exact same weights we have at home… but in a different gym. 🤣💪🏼

We packed our gym bags, grabbed our caffeine, and made a whole field trip out of it.

Because nothing says girls’ day like:
“Wait… this gym has a DIFFERENT leg press.” 😱😂

10/10 field trip.
Would travel unnecessarily for gains again. 💅🏼💪🏼
-link in bio for outfit 💙
#BodybuilderGirls #GirlsDay #GymFieldTrip #BikiniBodybuilding #gymgirls by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

How many missed workouts does it take to abandon your routine?

Sometimes, just one.

You miss a day because a kid gets sick. Then another because life gets busy. Before you know it, one missed workout has turned into a week away from the gym—and somehow, without ever deciding to quit, you’ve completely bailed on your new routine.

You know what I’m talking about…

You’re on track. You’re working out consistently. You’re feeling GOOD.

Then a kid gets sick. You skip the gym because you have to stay home.

Then something else comes up. That appointment you scheduled three months ago—before you were locked in 😂—is suddenly right in the middle of your workout time.

So you skip again.

Maybe you make it to the gym once that week.

And somehow, without ever actually deciding to quit, you realize…

You totally bailed on your new workout routine.

If this is you—and especially if this has been your pattern—the best thing you can do is establish some guardrails to protect you from yourself. 😂

A few of mine:

* Be flexible with your workout time, but not with whether you do it.
* On Sundays, map out your week. Look at appointments, commitments, kid stuff, work stuff—and carve out your workout times before the chaos starts.
* Protect that time. Treat your workout like an appointment you don’t casually cancel.
* After a vacation, sickness, crazy week, whatever… DO NOT miss that first day back.

Because I really believe the secret isn’t never falling off.

It’s how quickly you recover after you do.

One missed workout doesn’t ruin anything. But every time you let one missed day become two… then three… then “I’ll start again Monday,” you chip away at the trust you have in yourself to actually follow through.

And that self-trust matters.

You want to become the person who knows:

Even when life knocks me out of my routine, I come right back.

And if the entire week goes completely to 💩 and all else fails…

At least go walk before bed. 🤪

Something is ALWAYS better than nothing.#bodybuildingjourney #trusttheprocess #fitnessmotivation #ifbbbikinipro by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

For 20 weeks, I had one goal.

That made staying focused easy. Every meal, every workout, every step had a purpose because I knew exactly what I was working toward.

The off-season is a different story.

When the next time you step on stage feels so far away, motivation can fade. The goal is still there—improve, grow, get better—but there’s no immediate deadline pushing you forward.

And meanwhile, life doesn’t slow down.

Moving the boys to college. Watching your home get quieter. Running a business. Managing the million things that come with everyday life.

Suddenly, the routines that felt so easy to follow during prep can feel a whole lot harder.

And I think this is where the real work begins.

Because what you do when motivation fades is what separates stepping up to the challenge from slowly letting yourself slip.

For me, the answer is anchors.

Keeping a schedule. Staying consistent with my training. Prioritizing sleep and recovery. Eating well. Getting my steps in. Keeping the promises I made to myself—even when nobody is watching and there isn’t a stage waiting for me in a few weeks.

In fact, I think those things matter even more in the off-season.

Because discipline can’t always depend on having a deadline.

Sometimes the goal is simply becoming the person who doesn’t need one.

📸. @surraca by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro

Want the illusion of a smaller waist? Build your back. 🔥

One of my favorite things about bodybuilding is learning that creating the shape you want isn’t just about getting smaller—it’s about building in the right places.

Growing your lats and back shoulders can create more width through your upper body, which makes your waist look smaller by comparison. It’s all about proportions.

And if you’re chasing that feminine V-taper, don’t skip your back days!

A few things that have helped me:

✨ Train your lats with intention. Think about driving your elbows down and back instead of just moving the weight.

✨ Don’t neglect rear delts. They add width and roundness to your upper body and help create that beautiful shoulder-to-waist ratio.

✨ Use a full range of motion. Control the stretch and don’t rush your reps.

✨ Progressive overload matters. You don’t need to lift crazy heavy, but you do need to progressively challenge your muscles over time.

✨ Be patient. Building muscle takes time. The shape you want is built rep by rep, workout by workout.

And remember: you can’t change your bone structure, but you can build muscle strategically to enhance the shape you were given.

So if a smaller-looking waist is the goal…
stop obsessing over making your waist smaller and start building your back wider. 😉🔥

#BackWorkout #LatWorkout #RearDelts #BackDay #Vtaper by @mariamsalvetti.ifbbpro