Recovery aids and building muscle: Welsh weightlifter Laura Hughes answers your questions

Recommended Health & Fitness Recovery aids and building muscle: Welsh weightlifter Laura Hughes answers your questions Commonwealth Games medallist Hughes hopes more women, of any age, can feel inspired to take up space in the gym Save Comment speech bubble icon Gift this article free Gift article Give full access to this article, free time. You have 15 articles left to gift, this month. Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Add us as preferred source Share article Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Ali Ball Show biography Ali Ball is a freelance journalist and presenter specialising in health, fitness and sport. Previously, she was E-commerce Editor at Runner's World, where she led product testing and buying guides across running and fitness. Her work has appeared in publications including Women's Health, Men's Health, T3, TechRadar and Live Science. She combines hands-on testing with expert insight, speaking to leading specialists in footwear, sportswear, fitness equipment, wearable tech and sports nutrition to help readers make informed decisions before purchasing. Published 28 July 2026 5:00pm BST Save Comment speech bubble icon Share article Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Gift this article free Gift article Give full access to this article, free time. You have 15 articles left to gift, this month. Log in or Subscribe Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email Add us as preferred source We caught up with Laura Hughes before she headed off to her second Commonwealth Games  Credit: Lorne Campbell, for The Telegraph Ali Ball Show biography Ali Ball is a freelance journalist and presenter specialising in health, fitness and sport. Previously, she was E-commerce Editor at Runner's World, where she led product testing and buying guides across running and fitness. Her work has appeared in publications including Women's Health, Men's Health, T3, TechRadar and Live Science. She combines hands-on testing with expert insight, speaking to leading specialists in footwear, sportswear, fitness equipment, wearable tech and sports nutrition to help readers make informed decisions before purchasing. Published 28 July 2026 5:00pm BST Laura Hughes first discovered weightlifting while training at her local Crossfit gym, making the transition from amateur gym-goer to competitive lifting. Now a member of the Welsh national weightlifting squad, the 33-year-old holds the Welsh record for both the snatch and the clean and jerk (the two official competitive lifts in weightlifting) and is currently third overall in the women’s Welsh rankings. Hughes won bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and was selected again for this summer’s Games in Glasgow. We caught up with her for our Readers Ask series, where industry specialists answer questions from our Telegraph Recommended Reader Panel. Who inspired you to get into weightlifting?Olamilekan, South East Originally, it was lots of different people, particularly general gym goers who were doing weightlifting at my gym. As I’ve grown as an athlete and become more competitive, I’ve had other inspirations. Most notably, coming into [the Commonwealth Games], it has to be Gareth [Evans], our coach. Looking back at his performance in 2018 when he won his gold medal is so inspiring. [English lifter] Emily Godley was another competitor in 2018. She won the gold medal in my category and I just remember thinking that she was on fire that day. What are the best exercises for you to build muscle mass?Norman, Wales We spend a lot of time doing our main lifts, so snatches, clean and jerks, but we also do lots of pulls and squats. I spend a lot of time doing accessory work to make sure that my body stays healthy, especially being an older athlete. I’ve put on quite a lot of muscle in this last block just from going heavier and pushing my limits with my main lifts. What advice would you give to people who want to improve their strength?David, North West The most important thing is consistency. As long as you’re doing something, do it regularly, even if it’s twice a week. Don’t be afraid of picking up some dumbbells. If you’ve got somebody that can teach you how to lift weights properly, that’s going to be the best option. Do it safely, do it consistently, and don’t be afraid to try new strength exercises. Laura first began weightlifting through visits to her local Crossfit gym Credit: Lorne Campbell, for the Telegraph Can you be too old to start weightlifting?Victoria, North West Absolutely not. You can get into strength training at any age. As long as it’s done safely and sensibly, I don’t think there is an age limit. What food and nutrition do you use to feel your body?William, East of England At the moment, it’s a lot of carbohydrates and making sure that I’m eating enough protein. I let the fats take care of themselves. I’ve increased carbohydrates quite a lot over the last 12 weeks, coming into peak preparation. Training is getting harder and recovery demands are higher, so it’s really important that I’m getting enough of the right types of food and the quality of food as well. Are there any foods you have to avoid?Kimberley, South West There’s nothing particular I actively avoid. There are foods that individuals will lean towards or away from at different periods, and some people can tolerate different types of foods differently. I generally don’t have huge amounts of processed sugar in my diet, but sometimes it’s necessary around training and to help with recovery. On the whole, my diet is a lot of whole food ingredients, lean proteins, starchy carbohydrates and healthy fats, and then getting in sugary carbohydrates around training, which feels like a bit of a treat. Is there any equipment you use to avoid damaging your body?Anthony, Yorkshire Not so much equipment, but I make sure I recognise my limits and how my body is feeling that day. I’m quite conscious of trying to minimise injury because I’ve been in those situations in the past, so I make sure that I’m moving well, preparing my body for training and then giving myself enough recovery time afterwards. Are there any accessories or tools that you use for recovery?Vicky, East Midlands I use things like a foam roller and a peanut, which is like two balls fused together. I also try to have a massage every two or three weeks, though I’m a little bit lazy with those sorts of things. Then, it’s just generally preparing my body as best I can for the session that I’m doing and stretching afterwards. Laura stresses the importance of proper recovery time Credit: Lorne Campbell, for The Telegraph How do you avoid strain on your back?Patrick, West Midlands Strong hamstrings, lots of glute work, managing imbalances and making sure that I’m lifting safely. What part of your preparation would surprise a non-lifter?Mark, London Close to competition, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it’s going to feel like walking onto the stage and putting myself in situations where I’ve felt nerves in the past. I try to visualise that experience, feel the adrenaline and have a strategy for the thoughts or the prompts that I’m going to have when I experience that. Another big part of the preparation is communicating with the right people who are going to be there with you on competition day. A big part of preparing is recognising that not everything is going to go to plan and letting that be okay. What keeps you motivated?Jean, London Seeing how your technique improves through repetition and getting that feedback from the results of training: for example, hitting PBs (personal bests). You also have to buy into the process to stay motivated. The end goal is always something that’s on my mind in terms of getting to the Commonwealth Games and doing as well as I can there. Weightlifting is also just such a big part of what I do that it’s less about motivation now for me, and more just a way of life. What legacy would you like to leave the next generation of female lifters?Abbey, West Midlands Being able to demonstrate that there is a place for all different shapes and sizes. Where we have different weight categories in weightlifting, it can encourage people to think about their bodies more. But through experience with [the sport] and over time, I’ve learnt that your weight doesn’t necessarily mean anything in terms of what you look like or your value as a person. It’s about accepting who you are, your size and using that to perform as best you can. For women in the gym as well, we’re seeing a shift in more people participating in strength training. I guess that comes from representation and seeing other women doing that. My hope is that more women feel inspired to take up space in the gym, recognise that there’s a place for everyone and that they deserve to be there. Recommended Would you like to ask the next expert a question? Join the Recommended reader panel Join the conversation Show comments The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Copy link X Icon twitter Facebook Icon facebook WhatsApp Icon whatsapp email The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy. Related Topics Commonwealth Games License this content You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Find out more here. Log In Subscribe Advertisement More Stories