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

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.