Rate of Perceived Exertion (more commonly known as RPE) is a subjective means of measuring the intensity of physical activity. RPE training allows you to assess the individual difficulty of a workout based on how your body responds to the challenge of the athletic program. As a result, you can adjust the intensity of your training based on personal variables (sleep, stress) only you may be aware of. Although applicable for any type of athletic training, RPE programming has gained particular popularity in strength training and powerlifting for one simple reason - sometimes the weight you’re lifting feels like you expect it to feel, sometimes it feels too light, and sometimes it feels too heavy.
Here are a few example of RPE training:
Strength training - RPE is very similar to reps in reserve training. Reps in reserve measures the intensity of a lift by isolating how many extra repetitions could be performed before technical failure. RPE training measures the same way using 10 as your max output on a scale of 1-10. For example, you are doing squats and stop at 7 reps, but you could have done 10 with correct form. You have 3 reps in reserve. In RPE training that would be an RPE 7 - you could have done 3 more, therefore 10 minus 3 is 7 - RPE 7.
Cardio - RPE will typically refer to your heart rate and how hard you're breathing. A sprinter, swimmer, or kickboxer in competition will push themselves to the maximum and be massively out of breath, their heart would feel like it’s going to explode out of their chest. That would be RPE10.
Olympic weightlifting - measuring RPE when specific technique is also required can be tricky. If flaws in your speed and technique cause you to fail, that can make measuring RPE more challenging. However, the principals detailed under both cardio and strength training will each apply here. How does pulling that weight make you feel? Not a challenging weight to lift, but the speed needed to complete the clean and jerk has you massively out of breath? Both of those elements will need to be considered for you to find your RPE. Even small amounts of weight can cause dramatic failures in a clean and jerk, or a snatch.
How strong you feel on any given day can be affected by stress, sleep, eating habits and the unpredictability of daily life, like a long commute in bad traffic. RPE training helps individuals incorporate outside factors into their workouts and adjust accordingly. Coaches and trainers have found this kind of adaptable training to be beneficial for injury prevention, pushing athletes past ceilings and increasing motivation.
How to Measure RPE
In most cases, RPE is measured using a 1-10 scale. An example of an RPE scale for strength training is below:
1 – No effort
4 - Noticeable
6 - Warm up reps
7 - Somewhat heavy
8 - Becoming difficult
9 - Very challenging
10 - Maximum effort required
Using this scale, here’s an example of what an RPE program might look like for athlete X
Bench Press - work up to 5 reps for 3 sets at RPE 8
Let’s assume athlete X has a 1 rep maximum bench press of 100lbs.
We know that RPE 8 means athlete X is keeping 2 reps in reserve (He/She could perform 2 more reps so if they HAD TO).
In this example athlete X is projecting a max output of 7 reps for 3 sets, after keeping 2 reps in reserve they will be at 5 reps for 3 sets. Therefore, they may project 75lbs (75% of their 1 rep max) is the target weight for this exercise.
Here’s how to factor in variables
Teen athlete
If athlete X is a teenage boy with strength building testosterone pumping through his body, his coach may observe the lift and find it was not appropriately challenging enough.
In this case athlete X’s coach might insist the ease of the lift on that day was actually an RPE 6 effort, not 8. Therefore, athlete X could be instructed to add weight and continue until the coach is satisfied he has hit RPE 8 for that workout.
In this example RPE training has helped athlete X push beyond a perceived ceiling.
Adult athlete
If athlete X is a fifty year old male who has had a bad day at work after a poor night of sleep, he may find 75lbs to be too heavy on that particular day.
Given these factors, athlete X’s coach may inform him to attempt the program at 70 or 65 lbs, see how they feel and complete the program.
In this example RPE training has helped athlete X avoid injury while still completing the day’s programming
In summary, rate of perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working during a given workout. If you’re going to incorporate RPE into your training, honesty is important. This is not a free license for you to shortcut your training and rob yourself of the benefits of physical activity. When used properly RPE training will help you consider your mental and physical responses during physical activity. Some athletes will consider increased heart rate, perspiration, and being out of breath. Others may rely on more basic responses, feeling stiff and tired during a particular workout. It’s a completely subjective measurement.