1) Who is Laura Hughes? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I am a CrossFit Athlete, recently moved back to my home in North Wales to put more emphasis on my business and training. As well as regionals, I competed at the commonwealth games this year for Wales, winning a bronze medal so there hasn't been much time for extra hobbies (ha) but in the spare time I get, I do love cooking healthy food, going to my favourite coffee shop and getting outside in the country side.
2) How many years have you been training?
I have always been active, I started to ride horses from around 4 years old and always had to be fit(ish) to play polocrosse. I started CrossFit in 2013 and haven't looked back.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Balancing CrossFit and Weightlifting this year proved to be more difficult than I imagined but I have a great support network that helps me to stay level headed and be able to focus on one goal at a time, to be able to enjoy each moment and be proud of the work that goes into preparing for any competition.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
I train 5-6 days per week. CrossFit, Weightlifting and I love to swim. My swimming session is probably my favourite session of the week. My nutrition is dictated by my training. I know how much I need to eat when training volume and intensity is high and I just have to monitor the foods I eat to make sure I am getting in quality produce.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
I cannot get away with going to bed late and the better and more consistent my nutrition becomes the harder it is to have a "treat meal". The better I treat my body, the better it performs and the more it rejects poor quality foods. So if I do have a cheat meal, I best be prepared to suffer for it. Haha
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
Hmmm.. Because of the above, I rarely do "treat/cheat" meals. I just choose to eat foods I really like every day. I love things like dates, nut butters, avocado and foods high in good fats but I don't get to eat them too often as they don't really fit into what I need for training. If I was going to have something thats a real treat, it would be fresh, homemade bread and brie!
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
I wouldn't say there is one thing in particular but I do love my post workout shake! I do 1:2 protein/carb after my most intense session of the day and really look forward to it haha
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Not to rush the basics. I came into CrossFit with quite a solid foundation so I think I rushed and trained a bit too much in the early stages. I would definitely take my time with mastering movement patterns.
9) Who do you look unto in the fitness industry and why?
I look up to a few people within in the CrossFit circuit, in particular Sam Briggs and Katrin Davidsdottir. You are so exposed on the competition floor and spectators and the media can read into situations that may not have gone too well of you but if you are someone who can walk away from what seems like a negative and come back with a positive, thats is something I really admire in people.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
If you have a goal don't be afraid to take it seriously. It can seem daunting to say big goals out loud but you have to believe it to make others believe it too.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
A little bit of down time for me. I am straight off the Commonwealth Games (April) into Regionals (May) so I am ready for some chill time with my family. I'll be ramping training back up in June ready for next season.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
@Laurahughes.1 is my personal instagram handle and my nutrition coaching page is @Laura_tmnutrition
