Trainers Say This ‘Universal Tool’ Can Help Anyone Improve Their Fitness

Whether you’re racking up miles for prepare for a half marathon or in the gym trying to beat your squat personal best, chances are you’ve heard (or read) the term RPE during your workout. And while it may have the gist of its meaning, RPE stands for rate of perceived exertionAfter all, there is so much more to knowing about the scale and how it can help you perform at your best.

A popular benchmark for coaches and instructors alike, RPE (in the most basic terms) is for determining how much effort you’re putting in while exercising, he explains. meg takacs, NASM-CPT, RRCA Certified CrossFit Trainer and Running Coach. RPE is usually measured on a scale of one to 10, where one is no effort and 10 is total effort. feeling.

Meet the experts: Gordon Bakoulis is an RRCA certified racing coach with the New York roadrunner. He has qualified for several Olympic marathon events and has run more than 35 marathons. meg takacs, NASM-CPT, is an RRCA certified CrossFit trainer and running coach. She is also the founder of the guided audio training app. run with meg.

Yes, RPE is based on “feel”, he explains Gordon Bakoulisan RRCA certified racing coach with the New York roadrunner and classifier of multiple Olympic tests. “It’s self-controlled,” explains Bakoulis. “It’s one’s own sense of how hard one is working.” RPE is a “universal tool”, which means that it can be used by any gender and at all ages, without the need for equipment.

It’s important to use RPE when tracking your workouts because there are so many variables that can affect your daily performance: weather, pain, nutrition, hydration, mood, and more, says Bakoulis. What weight, speed, or distance feels like an all-out effort one day may seem easier the next, depending on all of these factors. Using RPE helps you take all aspects into account, making your training more personal to you and helping you build your fitness in a healthy, injury-free progression.

Want to learn more about RPE, what it is, and how to measure it in your own efforts? Read on for everything you need to know about using rate of perceived exertion correctly, according to expert coaches and trainers.

How to measure RPE

RPE is measured on a scale of one to 10 and is largely based on feel. That said, sometimes the word “feel” is vague, so you can also think of it this way: One of the easiest ways to measure how you’re feeling is your heart rate, says Takacs. This means that the lower your heart rate, the less energy/exertion you’re probably using to complete your workout, he adds. The higher your heart rate, the more likely you are working hard and at a higher number on that scale. are you following?

If you don’t wear a heart rate monitoring device while exercising, that’s fine. You can also base RPE on the messages your body is sending you, says Bakoulis, answering these key questions:

• Do your legs hurt a lot and you have trouble moving?
• Is there a harsh wind or rain (or other weather) preventing your body from moving quickly?
• Did your work drain your energy levels today?

All of these responses are valid measures of exertion and contribute to your overall feel, meaning they count towards accurately judging RPE.

The RPE Scale

In addition to knowing whether a workout feels “hard” or “easy,” there’s a specific measurement scale for RPE, according to Bakoulis. You can use this scale to correctly measure your intensity and compare the sensation of different sessions:

• 1-3 RPE: For starters, level one is the equivalent of lying on the couch relaxing. Anything above this is very low effort and easy. It could be a rest interval between more intense training efforts so you can catch your breath before starting again, for example.

• 4-6 RPE: This is mid-range and what Bakoulis calls “somewhat hard” or “comfortably hard.” It can be used for a recovery interval or slow paced workout that you would do on an easy exercise day. Ultimately, it should be a level of exertion that you could sustain for a longer period of time if need be, and you should also be able to carry on a conversation on this RPE.

• 7-9 RPE: This is where things get distinctly “tough,” Bakoulis says, with level 9 being an all-out and extremely difficult endeavor. Your heart rate is high, you’re breathing heavily, and you may feel lactic acid (also known as pain) building up in your body from exertion. Think of it like sprinting, lifting your maximum weight, riding a bike up a huge hill, etc.

• 10 RPE: This is your level of effort at complete exhaustion, which you would only reach at the end of a race, competition, or lifting event of your personal best. It is the feeling of totally weakening your body. “When you’re at a 10, you can’t force your body any more,” says Bakoulis.

RPE Benefits

Now that you’re more up to date on RPE and the various ways you can use it to measure your workout efforts, it’s time to get into the specific benefits. The following are the reasons why RPE is an ideal metric for tracking your fitness goals, according to expert trainers.

• You can easily measure your level of effort. There is a high correlation between a person’s RPE rating and their actual heart rate, making it a great indicator of how much effort they’re putting into a workout without having professional tools by their side to measure, reports the Center for Disease Control.

• It could help heart health. If you have a heart condition that requires you to take heart medication, your doctor will most likely tell you to monitor your heart rate regularly, especially during exercise. The RPE scale is a great way to make sure you’re not dangerously overextending yourself while still getting the exercise you need. studies indicate.

• There is less risk of injury. “You increase your risk of injury by doing more intense exercise,” says Takacs. With RPE, you can better measure your efforts, keeping them at a more manageable intensity so you don’t overexert yourself and hurt yourself.

• Take note of your surroundings. “Doing an eight-minute uphill mile will feel a lot different than going at an eight-minute pace on flat ground,” says Bakoulis. RPE takes into account how your immediate environment or daily bodily conditions can affect how a workout unfolds, while simply following pace, mileage, weight, or reps does not.

RPE limitations

While there are many benefits to using RPE during your workouts, there are also some limitations to the metric that you need to be aware of. Some of the potential drawbacks to be aware of include:

• It can derail your strategy. Whether you’re running a long race or starting a tough weightlifting session, you may feel compelled to push yourself harder early on because you feel “good” and “fresh” at the start of a workout, Takacs says. This is where listening to his body has his limits: he doesn’t want to use up all his energy for the effort too soon. Be smart about his strategy and go slower than necessary at the start of a longer effort to make sure he can actually make it to the end.

• Newbies get annoyed with lower RPE. Look, it makes sense if you really want feel the intensity of your workouts by exercising at a high RPE each time. But contrary to what you might think, spending more time in a lower RPE is actually what helps you increase your performance by building your baseline level of fitness, says Takacs. So don’t skip those easier training days – they’re just as important as the high-RPE sessions.

• It may not be as accurate as the technology. Of course, getting away from what your body feels may not be as accurate as having a high powered watch that can give you timely metrics like your heart rate zone, VO2 max, exact pace, sleep level, recovery recommendations and more. . However, “RPE empowers people,” explains Bakoulis. There’s something to be said for straying from what feels best to your body (which people tend to ignore…), regardless of what a fitness tracker indicates.

How to use RPE during workouts

All the ins and outs of RPE may still sound a bit theoretical, and you’re probably ready to learn exactly how to use it IRL during your various workouts. Here are some examples of what type of RPE level might be best for your specific session…

• Strength training: When it comes to strength-based training, “look for the low-hanging fruit first,” explains Takacs. This means you want to start in a low RPE zone (between 1-3 and 4-6) before increasing efforts (7-9) towards the end of your workout to gradually build strength. You can cool down and stretch in the resting RPE to finish. This applies to workouts like: weightlifting, fitness classes, yoga, rock climbing, and the like.

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• speed work: For speed-based training, you want to start your RPE low by warming up (which can include jumping jacks, lunges, dynamic stretches, jogging, etc.) at a relaxed level, around 4-6 on the RPE scale, says Bakoulis. . Then he’ll get into that 7-9 range when he’s doing his real speed work. (And FYI, during the rest intervals of your speed work you’ll want to get back to that relaxed RPE.) After you’ve finished your speed training, you’ll cool back down to a low RPE. Speed ​​work can include workouts like: running, cycling, indoor cycling, swimming, and HIIT.

• Building strength: You can’t maximize your endurance without working out at a lower intensity, says Takacs. This means that resistance-based workouts will generally mean you’re working at a lower RPE (the 4-6 range) for most of the session. You can also exercise for a longer time. Towards the end of your workout, you’ll likely hit that higher RPE range as your energy depletes. As always, you can cool down in that lower RPE range to easily drop into recovery mode. Endurance workouts can include: running, cycling, swimming, walking, and the like.

Bottom line: RPE stands for rate of perceived exertion, and it’s often used during a variety of workouts to recognize the level of effort you put into an exercise, experts say. It can be an empowering training tool for people of all ages and genders.