How the H E double FUCK do I use RPE?
Shhhh sweet child, daddy Jop is here.
First thing, RPE is Rate of Perceived Exertion. You/Coach are rating how hard a set of Squats/Bench/Deadlift, Rows, a run, a sprint, a medley, etc was. We are quantifying (giving a number to) something that is qualitative based on how it looked and how it felt.
Second thing, it isn’t for pussies, its just NOT for people that need to shut their brain off in order to have good sessions. Now, before one of you morbidly obese sub-1400 total white dude with a goatee and cut off shirt go off about how % is king and proceed to name a few also obese white dudes with goatees that hit 2000 in wraps only using %s, aka not you. Wanna know why % programs exist? Because the internet needed an easily digestible version of how the Lilliebridges got strong. It’s much easier to just say “use 75% of your max to do this 5x5” to 50,000 people vs saying “leave 5 reps left in the tank for this 5x5” to another 50,000 and expect group B to figure it out as easily as what I told the % group, despite these two statements being the same thing (powerlifters rank as one of the dumbest populations among all sports, I invite you to fight me on that). The statement “RPE is for pussies” came around because smart powerlifters thought about “how can lifters adjust their training within the session” and then began writing about it, probably because they were more literate and tech savvy than your average Westsider in the olden days of powerlifting. Enter Mike T, essentially the creator of RPE as we know it today. Here he writes about how to use it, I’m just attempting to dumb it down even further in less words and also expand on its use in supplementary exercises and other non barbell work.
Third thing, our bodies adapt to stress, it doesn’t adapt to numbers. The body knows “Hey there’s weight on my back and I’m squatting. It feels light/moderate/heavy/maximal. If I do it for 6 reps and rack it I could’ve done 1/2/3/4+ more reps.” RPE is a RANGE of weights for that day. There is no definitive way we can wake up and know with absolute certainty that 320lbs x6 will be an @7. We can say that an @7 today is definitely somewhere between 295-345 based on previous weeks/months progression and adaptations to the program.
So, how to use it
RPE Calculator web app. You plug in the weight, RPE, and reps you did then you can see what a 1RM would be, what your next set should be, etc.
RPE @1-5 are irrelevant, probably see speed reps placed here.
RPE @6 - basically a final warm-up, likely a back off set, Looks fast, feels very light. 4 more reps left in the tank.
RPE @7 - not much straining, looks fast, feels light. 3 more reps left in the tank.
RPE @8 - some straining, looks fast, feels moderately heavy. 2 more reps left in the tank.
RPE @8.5 - a combo of 8 and 9, you’re not ready to say you could’ve done DEFINITELY 2 more reps but it still felt heavy and there’s definitely some slow down. Can plug in this same thinking with @6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5. The ONLY reason I’m bringing up .5s is for doing micro increases set to set on the day, this skill will improve and prove useful for choosing attempts in a meet. Singles just move differently and some people just aren’t good at reps at the top end of their lifts but can keep adding weight for more singles. I can bench 440 for a single @9 but I can’t do an additional rep despite what every calculator says I should be able to do, because my @10 is 463.
RPE @9 - definitely straining, looks slow, feels heavy. Probably 1 more reps left in the tank.
RPE @10 - Absolutely straining, hyped out of your mind, looks slow, feels very slow.
As the load on the bar increases this becomes much more stressful to the body, RPE + bar load’s stress effects are not entirely linear. It’s more like a logarithmic curve.
A movement with multiple sets
Top Set work 1 set x 5 reps @9
Easiest way to know if you have no previous week’s to base this on is simply use the RPE Calculator posted above as your base number, it’s best to undershoot a bit if this is the route you had to take
Otherwise, how’d last week go? How do warm ups feel? The right number may not exist but you can get close to it, again it’s a small range of numbers that are acceptable for this training session. Use your recent numbers to determine today’s load.
Backoff work 3 sets x 5 reps @7
Typical set up right? I like my people to ramp up about .5-1% each set within these three sets. You can argue that a @7 can be the result of a small range of weights.
Use set one as an indicator for what to do for the next set (you’ll be repeating this on set two), goes really well, can argue it was a 6? add 1.5-3%.
Set 1 315 @6, set two 335 @6.5, set three 350 @7
Can argue it was a 6.5? add .5-2%.
Set 1 315 @6.5-7, set two 325 @7, set three 330 @7-7.5, you’ve essentially averaged out to a @7.
Already at a @7? Keep it the same, maybe set two will go better. if set two sucks drop weight a bit, indicator of overtraining, overreached, maybe you overshot last week and refuse to acknowledge what the actual RPE was, today/yesterday/week was stress and you didn’t recover well, etc.
Set one 315@7, set two 315@8 but got out of position on that second rep, set three 295-315/call it a day if set two was excruciating, one of those “if I do another set my body is gonna die” things, be smart.
Accessories, Machines
I prefer straight weight. It just much less able to be loaded and we’ve already got barbell fatigue setting in. We’ve also likely got more sets here. Lot of things that don’t make it ideal to keep adding weight unless you’re on more of a low volume high intensity type of programming. Let’s say the prescription is “work up to a @9 on T Bar row” Just add that weight the next set or next week. The same “how to use it” still applies but it’s just more reps so it’s probably a bit hearder to know early in a set what you’ll probably end at. That being said as long as you’re in the range of an @8-9 with no breakdown in technique and the target muscle(s) are being stressed, with the occasional 10/failure, you’re fine. Basically what I’m saying is you should be straining on all accessory work, if you find you’re having recovery issues here, maintain the intensity but drop some sets.
Additional interpretations
Ben Pollock - V+E=SP
John Meadows - up to RPE 13
