Please help - strength training for endorphins??

[Stoneyard]

I have broken my foot and cannot do cardio, which is a big part of my life. So now has to be the time to start strength training!

can anyone recommend a programme/ person to follow (upper body only of course) that does workouts that also raise the heart rate and release endorphins?

dh is a weightlifter so we have all the gear. But I have tried doing slow, heavy sets under his instruction and I just find it dull, don’t get any endorphins. I am really suffering through lack of exercise and wonder if there are some different techniques that are good for women?

im mid 40s, perimenopausal, in case that makes a difference.

thanks!

Have you tried something like a bodypump type class? I have Les Mills on Demand and do bodypump at home. Whilst it uses weights it’s light weight, high rep and set to music so is very much more cardio than strength work. Certainly the squat tracks get my heart rate right up.

I broke my foot a few years back and carried on with them in the gym - just subbing movements if needed (mainly doing no lunges and squatting instead).

If you have kettlebells you can do a decent cardio workout too. Bob Harper has some on YouTube.

Do you monitor your HR? For me I need to be at 90% max ideally to get the endorphins and I have never got there with weights 😔 not even close.

however if you don’t do any strength training I think bite the bullet- this is the ideal time to start!

Is there anywhere you could hire a Skierg from?
if you search upper body workouts on YouTube there will be so many. It takes me a while to find a voice I can listen to. Or you could search for wheelchair based programmes. You could lift lighter and do more reps for a more cardio based workout, you could lift a little faster in a safe way with the lighter weights.

I don't get the high from weights.
But cold water swimming...

Weights are well worth doing though, and I do feel satisfied when I realise I've lifted more/ longer than I had. Just not in an ecstatic way.

Highly recommend Apple Fitness +
You can filter the workouts to upper body only.

Thanks for recommendations. Does anyone follow any good strength training people using dumbbells? Can’t get out to do anything else at the moment and am feeling quite desperate

Have you got crutches? When I broke my ankle that was the biggest workout, had no idea they were such hard work.

The peloton app has loads of weights/dumbells classes. I love arms with Tunde