When designing training programs, there are many acute program variables that have to be taken into account. From exercise selection to total volume to intensity, all these variables play a large roll in whether or not your training program is successful. One big obstacle in creating a training program is how to assign and track intensity accurately. You can define training intensity as the amount of effort one puts into an exercise. When it comes to lifting weights, people often use a percentage of a one-rep max to measure intensity.

There are a lot of different variables that go into a successful program.

Photo taken from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Frank_Marino/publication/7583080/figure/fig1/AS:394470102192128@1471060409258/Proper-programme-design-of-resistance-exercise-for-specific-training-outcomes_Q320.jpg

Unfortunately, this method of assigning intensity has a few pitfalls. Using a percentage of one-rep max does not consider many factors such as daily fluctuations in strength, non-training related stressors, and whether or not you have gotten stronger (or weaker) since testing your maxes. It is also hard to choose, and track weights, needed for accessory movements that one does not have an actual one-rep max.

Usually, when you find a one-rep max, the programming peaks you to perform the best you can on that day. You are well-rested and are in an ideal situation to show all of your fitness. Unfortunately, in training, you are rarely in this peak condition to perform. You probably are fatigued from previous training sessions, or maybe you didn’t sleep well the night before. For any number of reasons, the maximum amount of weight you can lift changes from day-to-day. On any given day, the maximal amount of weight you can lift on any given lift can fluctuate as much as 10-15%. When using percentage-based programming, it is hard to make sure you are producing the correct amount of stress with your workout. One day 80% might be more like 85%, while on another day, 80% maybe more like 70%.

Enter RPE. RPE stands for rating of perceived exertion and is an alternative method of assigning intensities to our workouts. RPE is a numeric value graded between 0 and 10 to determine how hard you are working. 0 represents complete rest. 10 represents maximal effort. RPE can allow us to more accurately measure the stress we are placing on the body in each workout. RPE also solves some other common pitfalls of percentage-based programming.

RPE is a scale from 1-10 based on how hard you are workingPhoto taken from: https://denverfitnessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RPE-Scale.jpg — **RPE is a scale from 1-10 based on how hard you are working**
*Photo taken from: https://denverfitnessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RPE-Scale.jpg*

Autoregulation

The main advantage of using RPE is that it allows us to autoregulate our training. When we talk about autoregulation from a training standpoint, what we are really saying is that it enables our training to adjust based on how we feel that day. It gives you the chance to push the weights when you are feeling good and pull back when you’re feeling tired or run down. Because you are not tied into a certain percentage, you can adjust the weights to make sure you are giving the correct effort. This will allow us to work the right intensity regardless of how you feel that day or where you are in your training cycle.

When measuring the intensity by the effort given and not the weight on the bar, we can be more accurate with the amount of stress the training program is placing on the body. An RPE of 8 is always the same effort level regardless of the weight on the bar. Our bodies do not know what weight is on the bar, as weight is an arbitrary human-made unit to track progress. Our body does not know the weight on the bar, only how much effort we are exerting. So, by tracking the effort given to each set instead of weight on the bar, we can be much more accurate with the stress applied to the body.

The number one factor in seeing progress in the gym is long term adherence. RPE allows us to continue to train hard in less than ideal situations. When using a percentage-based program, if you have one bad day, you will have to work extra hard to hit the prescribed percentages, thus putting more stress on the body then initially intended. This will lead to a more considerable accumulation of fatigue, which will then have a subsequent effect on the next training day, and suddenly you are in a hole that you cannot get out of without a serious deload. As mentioned above, by letting us adjust the weights based on effort, RPE allows us more control of the stressors we are placing on the body and run longer training cycles without needed to deload. More time training hard and less time deloading = more gaaaaiiinnnnzzzzzzz

RPE also allows us to continue to train successfully through times we are not 100%, such as when we are sick, injured, or returning from a long break from training. Typically, when one gets hurt or, ill training stops completely, which is the absolute worst thing you can do. Continuing to train through injury is vital for a variety of reasons that we could write a whole separate article on. The problem is someone gets hurt and can no longer hit their prescribed percentages, so they get frustrated and quit. By using RPE, you can adjust the weights to what is appropriate for where you currently stand. If your knee is bothering you, it is probably detrimental to stop squatting entirely, but by using RPE to autoregulate, we can continue to train the movement and let the weight be adjusted based on how we feel. RPE can allow us to push still the areas that feel good and get a good training effect while continuing to work the movements that don’t feel great at an appropriate weight to promote confidence and safety in those positions. This also holds after an extended time off from training. If you try to just jump right back into your old percentages, you will most likely put too much stress on the body and run yourself into the ground. By using RPE, we can more greatly control the stress and more successfully build someone back up after a long period of time off.

On the flip side of things, RPE allows us to push the weights when we are feeling good and hit PR’s we might not have otherwise hit. If you come in feeling great and have five reps at 80% and smoke it, you are probably not putting the necessary stress on the body and under-dosing your training for that day. Whereas, if you had five reps at RPE of 8 and things were feeling good, you could be in a position to hit a huge PR! Percentage based programs can hold you back from progressing at your most efficient pace. RPE will allow you to take the progress when it is there and move forward at an optimal pace

Lastly, RPE keeps you from missing weights. In training, we want to avoid missing weights for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, to start to build confidence and get into that mindset of being able to complete the lift every time you step to the bar. You will very rarely see a lift prescribed with an RPE of 10. With percentage-based programming, it is easy to miss a weight on a day you are not feeling great and are fighting to keep to the percentages. RPE allows us to auto-regulate the days we are not feeling great, which will lessen our likelihood of missing a weight. Since we prescribe the majority of work in that 7-9 rep range, even if you overshoot your weight selection a little bit, you should not be missing weights!

Accurate Weight Selection

Another advantage of RPE is it allows us to choose accurate weights in a variety of situations were percentages don’t do justice. First off, not everyone has tested one rep maxes, and not everyone wants to test their one-rep maxes. RPE will allow people to make weight selections without actually having to test their one-rep max.

This is especially important for people who are new to lifting weights. They may have no idea how much weight they can lift, but can always give a rating of how hard they are working. RPE gives new lifters an easier entry to strength training and helps newer athletes have direction in their weight selections, and we all know that decreasing the barriers to fitness is one of our main goals at Resilient Training Lab.

Even as a newer lifter finds their one-rep maxes, those maxes are unlikely to work well with percentage-based programs as newer lifters will take a long time to hone in on the skill of doing a 1-rep max. When you see a beginner lifter max out, they leave a lot of weight on the platform due to less than ideal technique, not knowing how to exert their maximal force all at once, faulty bracing patterns, and a variety of other factors. Because of this, you’ll often find beginner’s able to do multiple reps with a weight very close to their one-rep max. This means when using percentages, the athlete will often be left under-dosed and under-trained.

This can continue even as lifters advance. Some lifters are great at reps while others are not. Some lifters thrive in specific rep ranges while other lifters struggle. There are standards out there when it comes to percentages, but these are just averages and not absolutes. For example, let’s look at the chart below, which signifies the number of reps it is expected you can perform at a certain percentage.

*Photo taken from: https://acewebcontent.azureedge.net/blogs/blog-examprep-021414-2.png*

While these are the averages among everyone, any given individual can vary greatly. As we mentioned before, you might see a new lifter take 96% of their max for 5+ reps, whereas if you asked me to do five reps at 87%, I can guarantee you I would not make it. RPE allows us to adjust to the individual in front of us more easily. If we assign three different lifters five reps at 80%, all three lifters could be exerting varying amounts of effort and placing different stressors on the body, but by assigning five reps at RPE of 8, we can be sure that all three lifters are putting in the same effort.

Beyond the individual variation, percentages don’t account for you actually getting stronger, and if our training program is working, that should be happening! Percentages from months ago could lead to less training stress than desired as you get stronger and stronger. With RPE, you will be able to progress the weights as you get stronger since you are basing your weight selection off of effort and not percentages. As mentioned above, this will also allow us to take into account daily fluctuations in strength.

Another area percentage-based programs tend to be less than ideal is in exercises performed later in a training session. Percentages become less accurate later in a training session. Through a session, you accumulate fatigue, and something that would have been 70% at the beginning of a workout might be more like 80% at the end of the workout. RPE allows you to more accurately judge the intensity of movements later in the workout because it takes your current level of fatigue into account. RPE can also be used to adjust the weights between sets when you have multiple sets of the same exercise. If you are prescribed five sets of 5 reps at 85%, you might be able to get through the first 2-3 sets fine but then end up grinding through the last two sets whereas, if you were prescribed five sets of five reps @ an RPE of 8 and set one you do 200 lbs x 5 reps at an RPE of 8 and the second set the same, but then the third turns into an RPE of 9 you know to adjust the weight for the next set

Lastly, RPE allows us to accurately choose weights for accessory movements that we don’t have an exact one-rep max. Outside of the main lifts you are training, you don’t test one rep maxes very often or at all. I hope no one here is doing one rep max bicep curls. RPE will allow us to accurately judge the intensity of accessory movements and lead to more systematic weight selection. This also holds for accessory movements that are close to the main lifts. Often we will hear things like your front squat should be 20% less than your back squat, but the problem is some people are good at front squatting and front squat very close to their back squat whereas some people are not great at front squats and there is a larger than 20% gap, whereas an RPE of 8 is always an 8!

Track Progress

The last significant advantage to using RPE is it allows us to track progress more accurately. If you do 400 lbs. for 5 one day, then 400 lbs. for 7 reps the next day; Did you get stronger? Well, we don’t know unless there is an effort or RPE attached to those sets. If on day one the 400x5 was an RPE of 7 and then on day two 400x7 was an RPE of 10 we can’t say that you actually made progress. Whereas, if on day one 400x5 was an RPE of 8, and on day two 400x7 was an RPE of 8, we can be pretty damn sure you have gotten stronger. By attaching an RPE to sets, we can more accurately track our progress.

Furthermore, RPE allows us to start using the concepts of daily singles and the daily minimum. These are both methods that enable us to practice the skill of doing a single, dictate our warm-up process, as well as track progress exceptionally accurately. Keep an eye out for more about daily singles and the daily minimum as our RPE series goes on.

Overall, RPE allows many benefits over percentage-based programs. Now that we have looked at all of the advantages of using RPE, be sure to check in next week when we go over the history and origins of RPE and how to properly apply RPE to your training. We will then go over some methods to help you be more accurate at gauging RPE as well as the concepts of daily minimum and daily singles. We will then finish with some practical applications of RPE. By the end, we should have one of the more complete resources on everything RPE!

The Ins and Outs of RPE: Part 1: Why RPE?