What is RPE?
RPE is short for Rate of Perceived Exertion, which in layman’s terms means ”How hard was that?” We’re simply asking you how you felt about that set you just did. It’s a totally subjective rating and it’s up to you to decide.
There are two major benefits of using RPE:
- Relentless can measure your progress. If you did 5 sets of 5 squats two weeks ago at 100 kg and it felt really hard, you’d probably rate it 8 or 9 out of 10. Today when you did the same set at the same weight, it felt really easy so you’d give it an RPE of 7. That will tell the system that you’re making progress and it’s challenging you appropriately.
- The app can stop you from over-training. If you’re in a period where sleep is bad, recovery is not sufficient, and your body is aching, you will probably rate a lot of sets at 8 or 9 every workout. The app will notice this, recalibrate, and ask you to ease off for a little while until you feel better.
The scale
We’re using the 1-10 scale to rate RPE, meaning:
- 1-4 doesn’t really count as exercise so we’re not even giving you the option
- 5 is a warm-up
- 6 is pretty easy, more like speed training than strength
- 7 is moderately heavy, you could probably do 3 more reps
- 8 is getting hard, you could’ve only done 1 or 2 more reps
- 9 is really heavy, you might have been able to do one more rep
- 10 is your absolute max, or even a fail
Be true to yourself
A key thing to remember is that RPE is only about you and how you feel right now. It’s not about what your buddy would think or what you think you should have been feeling. It’s about right here and right now. So be true to yourself and honest about the numbers – the app will understand and your body will thank you.
