Carmella is a WWE wrestler who loves spending quality time with her family. Recently, she shared some heartwarming highlights on Instagram, showcasing special moments with her kids and parents. The post, titled “Making memories,” captures her love for both her career and her family. Carmella, whose real name is Leah Van Dale, has spoken openly about her passion for wrestling and performing. As a former dancer and NBA cheerleader, she enjoys the energy of the crowd and the thrill of performing live. Her dedication to fitness and wellness has been a consistent theme throughout her life, thanks to her upbringing in a health-conscious family. With a balanced approach to her diet and fitness routine, Carmella strives to maintain her physical and mental well-being while pursuing her career and making time for family.
Carmella shared what she loves about being a WWE wrestler with Muscle and Fitness. “I was a dancer for over 20 years. And then I was in the NBA itself, and it was more to me about performing. I love the feeling of being in front of a live crowd, and performing and just kind of letting loose and getting the crowd involved, and I got to perform at the Superbowl, and at the Staples Center, you know at the Lakers game, which was amazing. You know, being in front of those crowds, there’s celebrities everywhere, it’s just like this big show I’m putting on every single night. I love the energy of the crowd. So to be able to be in the WWE and do that, and now it’s not just a team, now it’s just me, it’s just Carmella! [laughs] So I really strive off that and I really enjoy it.”
Carmella also tells Muscle and Fitness that she’s consistent with her wellness routine. “One thing that I’m super fortunate of, I grew up in a house where it was all about health and fitness, my dad was wrestler, he was a boxer, he’s always been into working out, and so I was the only kid in the first grade that got carrot sticks at school instead of chips. So, luckily enough it’s been instilled in me from a very young age, how important like a healthy and fit life style is. So for me it’s not an option to not be in shape and to not work out. I just always try to make time for it and strength train four or five days a week and I’m always eating clean, so don’t get me wrong though I love a good pizza and some wings every now and then.”
When Carmella is ordering food, she knows what the healthy options are. “My entire life is takeout,” she told Parade. “I am on the road five days a week. It’s super difficult to meal prep, then take everything on the road when I’m constantly on airplanes and don’t get to hotels until 2 a.m. I try to find a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or any natural market I can when I’m on the road. When I’m in pinch, I rely on egg white bites from Starbucks. One of my favorite go-to snacks is fresh fruit.”
Carmella tells Parade that she does a lot of different things to stay in shape. “When I’m on the road, I do 30 minutes of empty stomach cardio on the bike or treadmill in the morning. I try to weight train 4-5 days a week. When I’m home, I train with my personal trainer and really try to ramp up my workouts because it’s hard to get them in on the road and really push myself when I’m alone and tired.“
While Carmella eats healthy, she doesn’t like to deprive herself. “I don’t follow a specific diet,” she told Parade. “I try to eat clean 70% of the time; fruits, veggies, nuts etc. The other 30% of the time I eat what I want. It’s important not to deprive yourself because then you overindulge when you give in. At least that’s how it works for me. So now I’m finally at a point in my life where if I want to eat something, I will.”