Derval O'Rourke's beginner’s guide to strength training and recipe for vegan burrito bowl

Derval O'Rourke answers five common questions from beginners about strength training

Derval O'Rourke says the three pieces of equipment she uses the most at home are kettlebell, dumbbell and resistance bands.

Strength training can be intimidating but it’s one of the best forms for training. 

‘Resistance Training’ is just another name for exercising your muscles using an opposing force i.e., dumbbells, resistance bands, or even simply your own body weight. Some of the benefits may include improved fat loss, stress relief, increased energy and a healthy heart and bones. 

This week I’ll go through the most frequently asked questions about strength training and hopefully the answers will inspire you to get moving. 

Recipe-wise, I have a vegan burrito bowl, it’s delicious and easy to make.

Do I need special equipment or a gym membership?

In the short term you don’t. You can simply use your own body weight to get started. This will mean though that the number of exercises you do are limited. You will need to consider getting equipment as you progress so rather than adding more repetitions of exercises you can add more weight.
Gym membership isn’t essential to start strength training but if you feel that you need to be in that environment it can be beneficial, particularly if you are unsure of how to do certain exercises you can ask a member of staff.

What equipment is the best to invest in for home strength training?

The three pieces of equipment I use the most at home are kettlebell, dumbbell and resistance bands. Each of these are easy to pick up and often show up in the middle aisle in Lidl! They are not bulky so they can be put away easily when you are not using them.

What weight is best to use to get results?

This is dependent on multiple factors. Firstly, your pace should be slow and steady. The movement needs to have good form/technique. Whatever exercise you are doing start off with bodyweight and work up to adding weight from there, for example if you are squatting begin with 10 bodyweight squats. Judge how they feel and add in holding a kettlebell if they feel too easy. If you are aiming for a repetition range of 10-15 then you should be able to do this without your form breaking down, but it should feel challenging by the final reps. If it feels easy you need to increase the weight. When buying weights start at a low weight and work up to heavier.

How many days should a beginner do strength training?

Aiming for 2-3 days of strength training a week will help you to gain muscle and increase your strength. By training this much you should try to have a rest day in between these sessions to recover and get th most out of them. Plan out when in your week this is realistic.

I have no idea where to start, what can I do?

A beginner strength training programme can be as simple as 3 movements with sets of 5 done 3 times a week so yes, it is absolutely possible to get started no matter what your experience is.

The key is to understand what movements you are doing and how to do them effectively and safely. There are different ways to get started that are realistic. If you are in a gym, consider investing in personal training sessions to learn how to strength train.

Alternatively, you could pay an online personal trainer to do a consultation with you to take you through simple movements and ensure you are comfortable with them, they can give you a programme and you can work away with it before scheduling the next online check in. Secondly, there are lots of online tutorials that are super helpful done by qualified experts. A big tip I would recommend is to video yourself or use a mirror to see that you are doing the movements correctly.

So, it’s time to start lifting! No matter your goal, strength training will have you feeling strong, focused and confident. It’s well worth your time

Wellness Tip: Knowledge is power. Spend some time watching online tutorials on how to strength train, this will really help you incorporate strength training into your weekly schedule.

Exercise Tip: If you only learn one exercise make it squats. We all need the strength and mobility to do a squat to get us through everyday life.

Vegan burrito bowl

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This vegan burrito bowl is delicious and easy to make.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tin of cooked lentils drained and rinsed

• 1 tin red kidney beans drained and rinsed

• 3 tbsp coconut yoghurt

• 3 tbsp lime juice

• 3 tbsp tomato purée

• 60ml water

• 125g rice

• ½ iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

• 100g dairy-free cheese grated

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the cayenne pepper and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the kidney beans and lentils and cook for about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Mix the yoghurt and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.

3. When the lentil mix is cooked, stir in the tomato purée and water and heat through.

4. Divide the cooked rice between two serving bowls. Add a layer of iceberg lettuce to each one, followed by a layer of avocado slices and a layer of spicy lentil mix. Sprinkle the Cheese on top and finish with a dollop of the yoghurt.