RPE

RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion.

It's a scale of 1-10 to estimate the difficulty of your sets while training in order to make more informed choices about weight selection and applying intensity. It's very easy to just go through the motions in sessions, and hit the reps it says on a programme without giving enough thought to how hard a session actually is. That's a pretty important thing to keep in mind if your goal involves building muscle or getting stronger.

An important thing to remember about RPE is that it's subjective. So mine and your RPE 10 on an exercise are not the same as Ronnie Coleman's RPE 10 on that same exercise. It's prone to error but, as with most things in life, the more you practice it, the more accurate it can become

So, how do you use it?

(Credit to the above chart for Revive Stronger)

Well, if you look at the chart above you'll notice that each number on the RPE scale corresponds to an estimate of how much more work you could have done after a particular set. In this sense, it's a great tool to add more context to your sessions, and if you train with a coach, can give them a lot of useful feedback that allows them to advise on weight increases and appropriate level of effort.

Using RPE or any other training intensity metrics is a form of autoregulation.

Autoregulation is, in a nutshell, a form of adjusting your training and nutrition based on a variety of different factors. As a newbie lifter, your ability to autoregulate is terrible, especially when it comes to training effort, no point sugar-coating it. The longer you train, however, and the more experience you gain through pushing yourself to your limits from time to time, the better you get at autoregulating.

Why is it important to autoregulate though?

Here's an example that will hopefully make it easier to grasp its importance.

You lift 100kg on the deadlift for 6 reps. You do that for 3 sets. At no point during the sets do you ask yourself how that feels, you just go through the motions. Remember, that in order to progress in the weight room and build muscle and strength, we need to be applying a progressive stimulus each time, otherwise our body sees no need to adapt to become better. If you asked yourself the following questions:

"How did those 6 reps feel?"

"Could I have gone heavier?"

"Could I have done more reps?"

And answered:

"Felt OK, not too bad."

"I could probably add another 10kg or so."

"I think I could have got another 3-4 reps."

This is being engaged in your training with the intention of getting more out of the work you're putting in.

In the above example, the first set was probably a 6.5 on the RPE scale. There are a handful of instances where training at a low RPE like that is useful, but probably 90% of your training should be spent around 8-9 RPE.

I know what you're thinking. What happens when I go for that RPE 10 though...

Those sets are the ones that put some hair on your chest. Think Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. and you've got it.

There are times to go for broke and experience what RPE 10 feels like. It's useful because then you have more context and accuracy for gauging where other sets land on the scale, and also sets taken to the limit are a potent stimulus that will make you stronger and more muscular.

Takeaway message?

RPE is a useful tool in any serious trainer's arsenal. It takes practice to get good at gauging your level of effort, but the results are worth it.

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