Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n- RPE is a 10-point scale traditionally used in weight training to track perceived exertion and reps in reserve on individual sets. An RPE 10 means you couldn\u2019t have done more reps; RPEs 9, 8, 7, and 6 mean you had one, two, three, or four reps in the tank, respectively.
<\/li> - RPE was originally a 6-20 scale created in the 1960s to track exertion during cardio training. Mike Tuchscherer, a renowned powerlifter and coach<\/a>, developed the 1-10 scale based on reps left in the tank that\u2019s widely used today.
<\/li>- Tracking RPE is generally a net positive because it helps you more accurately track your gym performance. However, beginners lack the experience to use RPE effectively and would be better off without it during their first one to two years of training.
<\/li> - You should generally try to stay within an RPE 7-8 (two or three reps in the tank) on most of your sets to promote muscle and strength gains while managing fatigue.
<\/li> - The Hevy app<\/a> allows you to record your RPE for any set you want and monitor your effort when reviewing workout details later.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hevyapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Img-6501-6502-1024x683.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is RPE?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
RPE stands for rate of perceived exertion<\/a> and is a subjective scale used to measure exercise intensity and effort. In traditional weight training, the scale goes from 1 to 10 and works like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- RPE 10 – couldn\u2019t do any more reps<\/li>
- RPE 9 – could have done one more rep<\/li>
- RPE 8 – could have done two more reps<\/li>
- RPE 7 – could have done three more reps<\/li>
- RPE 6 – could have done four more reps<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Anything below an RPE of 6 falls into the less challenging training category, is difficult to estimate, and is not worth logging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a subjective scale, RPE requires you to determine the rating for each scale, which can sometimes be unclear. For example, you may finish a set and conclude that you could have done one or<\/em> two extra reps. In such cases, you can use 0.5, as in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- RPE 9.5 – maybe could have done one more reps<\/li>
- RPE 8.5 – one rep left in the tank, maybe two<\/li>
- RPE 7.5 – two reps left in the tank, maybe three<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The Original Borg RPE Scale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg developed the original RPE scale in the 1960s to track perceived exertion levels during physical activity. It went from 6 to 20 and scaled with heart rate. An RPE 6 corresponded with a resting heart rate of around 60 beats per minute (no exertion), and an RPE 20 was the equivalent of 200 beats per minute (maximal exertion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Borg later made a simplified RPE scale that went from 1 to 10. Like his original scale, the objective was to measure exertion, with one being no exertion and ten meaning maximum effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mike Tuchscherer<\/a>, an IPF champion and renowned powerlifting coach, revamped the 1-10 RPE scale in 2005 and made it into the modern, more weight-training-specific version widely used today.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHis book The Reactive Training Manual introduced the modified RPE scale discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should You Bother With Tracking RPE?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At first glance, you might wonder if you should bother with the perceived exertion scale or leave that layer of complexity to more advanced trainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To answer your question briefly, yes. Logging RPE will typically be a net positive because the scale allows you to track your effort. This makes it easier to work out hard enough to see progress without constantly training to failure and risking overtraining.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nResearch shows<\/a> that training close to failure is just as beneficial as training to<\/em> failure but doesn\u2019t generate as much fatigue or affect your set-to-set performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor example, when logging my workouts in Hevy<\/a>, I can record my RPE on any set I want and leave the value blank when I want to. I typically log my RPE on compound lifts where I try to stay at an average of two reps from failure but leave the value blank on isolation exercises like the bicep curl<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hevyapp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Img-6490-6491-1024x683.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThat way, besides ensuring I train hard enough, I can more effectively track my gym numbers and how they relate to my effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say I did four sets of 10 reps with 60 kg at an average RPE of 8 on the bent-over row last week. If I can add a rep on each set this week while<\/em> keeping my RPE the same, it probably means I\u2019ve gotten stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOf course, week-to-week performance can fluctuate, so it\u2019s better to look at long-term trends. However, having an RPE value next to each set can provide additional valuable information and help me determine if I\u2019m improving or<\/em> just putting more effort into each set.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat said, while a valuable metric to keep track of, beginners tend to be bad at estimating their RPE<\/a>. This is simply because a gym newbie won\u2019t have as much experience or understand what it feels to train to failure (or close to it) to accurately gauge how close they are to their limit on each set.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, if you are relatively new to training, focus on the basics like learning proper form, training hard enough, gradually adding weight to the bar, and occasionally taking a set to failure to learn what it feels like, preferably on less complex exercises like curls, tricep pushdowns, and leg extensions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Use RPE in Your Training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Training close to failure is stimulative and doesn\u2019t generate as much fatigue as taking sets <\/strong>to<\/em><\/strong> failure. This means you should aim for an RPE 7-8 on most sets, regardless of whether your main goal is building muscle or getting stronger.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBy controlling RPE, you can do more productive volume, recover better, and get more out of your training. Here\u2019s a simple example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve put 200 lbs on the bar, and that\u2019s around 80% of your 1RM. You do a set of squats to failure and get 8 reps. The first set is so exhausting that your following sets look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Set 2 – 200 lbs x 3 reps<\/li>
- Set 3 – 200 lbs x 3 reps<\/li>
- Set 4 – 200 lbs x 2 reps<\/li>
- Set 5 – 200 lbs x 2 reps<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Mind you, this likely means training to failure across all sets<\/em>. You get 18 reps total and are ready to call it a day before doing other exercises. In contrast, if you stop at five reps, your RPE for the first set will be around 7. You won\u2019t get as fatigued, and you can get five reps across all sets, even if you climb to an RPE 9 on the last set. <\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a result, you would get seven more total reps and arguably feel fresher to continue your workout. Plus, you\u2019d be at a smaller risk of technique breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things are not that different if you primarily train for muscle growth. Leaving one to three reps in the tank means you get most of the gains from each set while controlling fatigue. That way, you can do more total volume, recover more quickly, train each muscle the recommended<\/a> two times per week, and likely grow better in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a quick side note, stopping two or three reps shy of failure (a genuine<\/em> RPE 7-8) is still hard training, especially on heavy compound lifts like the deadlift and low-bar back squat. Jeff Nippard recorded what a genuine RPE 10 looks like on multiple exercises, so you can see how much effort it takes to complete the last 2-3 reps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is RPE?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
RPE stands for rate of perceived exertion<\/a> and is a subjective scale used to measure exercise intensity and effort. In traditional weight training, the scale goes from 1 to 10 and works like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything below an RPE of 6 falls into the less challenging training category, is difficult to estimate, and is not worth logging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a subjective scale, RPE requires you to determine the rating for each scale, which can sometimes be unclear. For example, you may finish a set and conclude that you could have done one or<\/em> two extra reps. In such cases, you can use 0.5, as in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg developed the original RPE scale in the 1960s to track perceived exertion levels during physical activity. It went from 6 to 20 and scaled with heart rate. An RPE 6 corresponded with a resting heart rate of around 60 beats per minute (no exertion), and an RPE 20 was the equivalent of 200 beats per minute (maximal exertion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Borg later made a simplified RPE scale that went from 1 to 10. Like his original scale, the objective was to measure exertion, with one being no exertion and ten meaning maximum effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike Tuchscherer<\/a>, an IPF champion and renowned powerlifting coach, revamped the 1-10 RPE scale in 2005 and made it into the modern, more weight-training-specific version widely used today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His book The Reactive Training Manual introduced the modified RPE scale discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first glance, you might wonder if you should bother with the perceived exertion scale or leave that layer of complexity to more advanced trainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To answer your question briefly, yes. Logging RPE will typically be a net positive because the scale allows you to track your effort. This makes it easier to work out hard enough to see progress without constantly training to failure and risking overtraining.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Research shows<\/a> that training close to failure is just as beneficial as training to<\/em> failure but doesn\u2019t generate as much fatigue or affect your set-to-set performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, when logging my workouts in Hevy<\/a>, I can record my RPE on any set I want and leave the value blank when I want to. I typically log my RPE on compound lifts where I try to stay at an average of two reps from failure but leave the value blank on isolation exercises like the bicep curl<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way, besides ensuring I train hard enough, I can more effectively track my gym numbers and how they relate to my effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say I did four sets of 10 reps with 60 kg at an average RPE of 8 on the bent-over row last week. If I can add a rep on each set this week while<\/em> keeping my RPE the same, it probably means I\u2019ve gotten stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, week-to-week performance can fluctuate, so it\u2019s better to look at long-term trends. However, having an RPE value next to each set can provide additional valuable information and help me determine if I\u2019m improving or<\/em> just putting more effort into each set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, while a valuable metric to keep track of, beginners tend to be bad at estimating their RPE<\/a>. This is simply because a gym newbie won\u2019t have as much experience or understand what it feels to train to failure (or close to it) to accurately gauge how close they are to their limit on each set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you are relatively new to training, focus on the basics like learning proper form, training hard enough, gradually adding weight to the bar, and occasionally taking a set to failure to learn what it feels like, preferably on less complex exercises like curls, tricep pushdowns, and leg extensions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Training close to failure is stimulative and doesn\u2019t generate as much fatigue as taking sets <\/strong>to<\/em><\/strong> failure. This means you should aim for an RPE 7-8 on most sets, regardless of whether your main goal is building muscle or getting stronger.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By controlling RPE, you can do more productive volume, recover better, and get more out of your training. Here\u2019s a simple example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve put 200 lbs on the bar, and that\u2019s around 80% of your 1RM. You do a set of squats to failure and get 8 reps. The first set is so exhausting that your following sets look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mind you, this likely means training to failure across all sets<\/em>. You get 18 reps total and are ready to call it a day before doing other exercises. In contrast, if you stop at five reps, your RPE for the first set will be around 7. You won\u2019t get as fatigued, and you can get five reps across all sets, even if you climb to an RPE 9 on the last set. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, you would get seven more total reps and arguably feel fresher to continue your workout. Plus, you\u2019d be at a smaller risk of technique breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things are not that different if you primarily train for muscle growth. Leaving one to three reps in the tank means you get most of the gains from each set while controlling fatigue. That way, you can do more total volume, recover more quickly, train each muscle the recommended<\/a> two times per week, and likely grow better in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a quick side note, stopping two or three reps shy of failure (a genuine<\/em> RPE 7-8) is still hard training, especially on heavy compound lifts like the deadlift and low-bar back squat. Jeff Nippard recorded what a genuine RPE 10 looks like on multiple exercises, so you can see how much effort it takes to complete the last 2-3 reps.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Original Borg RPE Scale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should You Bother With Tracking RPE?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Use RPE in Your Training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n