Use The RPE Scale To Rate How Hard You Should Work Out

[Admin]

The RPE scale challenges you to gauge how hard you think you’re pushing yourself, based on a numeric scale. The American College of Sports Medicine defines RPE as “feelings of effort, strain, discomfort, and/or fatigue experienced during both aerobic and resistance training“, but uses a scale of 6-20.
Strength coach Mike Robertson uses a more practical 1-10 scale, with slightly more concrete differentiation on the higher end, that you can apply as well.

RPE of 10 — Max effort/limit lift. This is either one heckuva grinder, or they flat out miss a lift.
RPE of 9 — Heavy lift, but one rep left in the tank.
RPE of 8 — Heavy(ish) lift, but two reps left in the tank.
RPE of 7 — Moderate weight, multiple reps left in the tank
​

It might remind you of the pain chart at a doctor’s office: on a scale of 1-10, how hard do you think you’re working? In other words, measure your perceived intensity, with one being “Wow, I can do this in my sleep,” to five feeling like “OK, it’s getting pretty warm in here…” to a 10 that’s essentially “@$%#! asdsfgjffffff.”
It’s not perfect, but it can help someone better modulate their workout intensities based on how she feels. Plus, it’s a great encouragement to aim to hit an attainable “intensity” goal.
Intensity is relative and subject to many variables. As Robertson mentions: “It’s not just about the weight on the bar, but how the weight on that bar feels right now.”
Everything You Need to Know About RPEs [Robertson Training Systems]

 

[Goosey]

More often than not it's a 10 for me.

 

[spartacus]

hardly ever 10's for me.

 

[Repacked]

 

[Fadi]

Use The RPE Scale To Rate How Hard You Should Work Out

RPE of 10 — Max effort/limit lift. This is either one heckuva grinder, or they flat out miss a lift.
RPE of 9 — Heavy lift, but one rep left in the tank.
RPE of 8 — Heavy(ish) lift, but two reps left in the tank.
RPE of 7 — Moderate weight, multiple reps left in the tank.

I don't like the word "should" in the title, and (for me), I'd prefer to see it like this instead : Use The RPE Scale To Rate How Hard You Are Working Out

I'd like to think that I train using the whole length of this RPE scale; everything inclusive yet at the appropriate time.

 

[Jungnaut]

Everything feels like a 10 after a week off training lol.