RPE the Only Tool You need - to workout at the right intensity, and get fitter.
Workout intensity is vital to measure as it can tell you whether you are training too hard or not pushing hard enough.
Learning the range and different levels of intensity in different workouts is very important to last long in any sport. And to get results we have to last for some time.
One common example that I hear a lot is “I hate running”. Usually when I dig deeper and realise that some go out running at almost maximum intensity for longer than they could hold on to. Ouch! No wonder they hate running!
When You……
Do too much, you risk injury and/or burnout.
Do too little, you risk losing out on the benefits of your work. This could even mean your gains declining because you have plateaued and this is something you definitely don’t want.
A lot of people who I see take on their first CrossFit classes (ie High Intensity Training) tend to overdo it when they try to keep up with the person next to them.
So how do you ensure that you are hitting the right intensity? Without using any fancy equipment, or testing your maximum capacity and resting HR. Well the secret is to use something called the Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
So what is RPE?:
RPE is a subjective measure of how hard you are working during any type of workout. Doesn't matter if you are a beginner or more advanced. Regardless if your WORKOUT is crossfit, running, rowing, swimming or strength training.
You become an observer and learn to listen to your heart rate, breathing, muscle fatigue and other sensations to control the intensity.
Smart hey?
Now that you know what RPE is, I am going to give a bigger overview about why you should use it and how it can help elevate your fitness levels!
Let's dive in.
Short History
The RPE was developed from the BORG scale, a scale some of you might be aware of. It is a method of rating perceived exertion or the subjective feeling of the workout.
It can be used by anyone and everyone doing pretty much any type of physical exercise and can be very helpful for therapists, coaches and personal trainers to ensure they are working with their clients safely and effectively.
This scale can be used for all level athletes and clients - For example, on the low extreme end of the spectrum if you are working with a client that just got out of a coma or has been lying in bed for 10 weeks. This client's goal for the day is endurance. Just by walking supported 5-10 steps around the room might feel like 7 out of 10 effort. This could come in the way of their legs shaking, breathing heavy by the end of it and they might be able to repeat that 1 more time that day. This is a good amount of intensity and duration for this client.
On the other end of the spectrum you have the elite athlete whose goal is to increase endurance at a certain pace and they have 400m running intervals on their program. They are going to run at a 8-9 RPE (hard effort but not max) starting a new 400m sprint every 2 minutes until they cannot sustain the time and start to slow down. This person will also have reached a good amount of intensity and duration for their workout.
How is it built:
The RPE scale is a rating scale ranging from 1 to 10.
The numbers on the scale correspond to descriptive statements that rate how hard or difficult you find an exercise or physical activity.
The ratings are based on an array of feelings and sensation of physical stresses a trainee experiences during a physical activity.
These include increased respiration, increased heart rate, sweating, muscle fatigue, and discomfort.
For instance, a rating of 1 means you are putting in an effort, whereas a rating of 9 means you’re near maximal exertion.
I understand for first-timers, the RPE complex rating system can be quite overwhelming, but, with a little bit of practice and perseverance, one can learn how to correctly use this powerful tool.
As long as you are willing to listen to your body, you can make it work - no fancy or expensive equipment needed.
To get good at this, you need to develop the habit of asking yourself regularly during and after the workout to rate and note down your effort and sensations on a scale from 1 to 10 scale.
If you do this for 21 days, you will build your inner sensor that can both help you stay safe, injury free AND get the results you are after.
How to Use The RPE Scale?
Using it intentionally:
From the beginning of your warm up, aim to start at a low to moderate level of exertion.
Before the main part of your workout begins, set intentions for the workout. For shorter workouts you can aim for higher intensity and for longer duration workouts you can set expectations for a lower intensity sustained over a longer period of time.
During the main part, use your RPE to guide you. Should you be moving faster or do you need to slow down? Should you push the pace more on the run or burpees, or make sure that you take a minute to catch your breath and break the reps into smaller chunks.
If you’re feeling an intensity of 8 or 9, but you’re still mid-workout with plenty of time to go, you might want to slow down your pace until you’re back to the moderate intensity zone.
RPE & Heart Rate Zones
If you have a HR monitor, but also want to learn how to use RPE to create this self awareness, I have some goods for you. Research has found a strong correlation between your RPE ratings and your actual heart rate during exercise.
For instance, a hard interval run should be RPE 9-10 or 94 to 99 percent of your maximum heart rate.
On the other hand, an easy restorative workout should be RPE 3-4, which corresponds to roughly 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate.
(Just keep in mind that it’s only a rough estimate as physical conditioning, age, and other factors, vary from one individual to the next). I will cover more on HR zone training in a different blog post.
Below is a rough idea of the heart zones and where they fall on RPE scale. This will allow you to have more tools on hand to tune in more precisely.
2-4 – Very light zone – 50 to 60 percent
4-5 – Light zone – 60 to 70 percent
5-7 – Moderate zone – 70 to 80 percent
7-9 – Hard zone – 80 to 90 percent
9-10 – Maximum zone – 90 to 100 percent.
Put it all to work, I want you healthy, happy and pushing in workouts!
That's all for now, best of luck with your training
Let me know if you try it out and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
