RPE is Under Attack! My response to Will Ratelle

00:00-01:55 I am T.O.'d!
01:56-04:35 RPE/RIR/%
04:36-06:10 How I use RPE
06:11-07:51 RPE for a total beginner
07:52-10:00 Client RPE
10:00-13:42 Other uses for RPEs
13:24-14:59 Use RPE in retrospect

[AlanThrall]

If you watch Will’s video, there’s actually not much we disagree on. We basically agree that RPE ≠ RIR ≠ percentages, although they can be used together. The “rage” and “criticism” is all just a joke. I just used this as an opportunity to share how I view and apply RPE.

[Phreestyle]

'My wife just texted me. Shit, I forget today is Valentines Day. '

That's a RPE 9.5 on the warning scale.

[willratelle]

Been on the edge of my seat for this lol

[SlickRieck]

Will has an unreal under rated channel and I'm glad he's getting noticed

[roblifting]

Does Will have big multi colored knives in his office? Check mate RPE deniers

[grimtriggr]

55 y/o here, RPE has improved my training immensely. I no longer “reach” for over fatiguing percentages just because they are prescribed. I also take advantage of really good days, where a weight feels extra light, I will bump it up to a higher percentage. I haven’t had an overuse injury since starting to use it whereas when I was on Starting Strength, I constantly had knee and elbow tendonopathy that sidetracked my training.

It may not be a tool for everyone, but I believe it’s quite useful especially for masters athletes.

[Gargarks]

I'm a huge fan of auto regulation, and RPE is one way to do that. The only gripe I've ever had with it is how it's prescribed. Especially in strength circles. Trying to figure out ahead of time what weight at five reps will wind up being an RPE 8 for you is kind of a backwards way of doing it in my opinion.

[aesop]

How I've used RPE is as a way to note how my workouts are progressing. After everything is done I'll give a rating on how it felt. Sometimes you end up sitting with a weight for a little while and seeing the RPE drop even 0.5 is kind of nice, but I also then have little notes on how healthy I was or if my light day is too light. RPE is by definition an examination

[jackdemoguitar]

How I use RPE (I’m non-intellectual)

0-6 is a warmup
7-9 is hard but leave some in the rank
10 is “balls out”

[samuele.marcora]

I am an expert in perception of effort, and I can confirm Alan is right about the different RPE scales (RIR is only one of them and technically not even a rating of perceived exertion) and their use. I just want to add that RPE/RIR are just ways to assess or prescribe exercise intensity. The actual phenomenon that is being measured (perception of effort) is there and influences your training regardless of whether you are using the RPE/RIR scales or not.

[TheKurtlocker]

For RPE's scale, I find it to be a more concise way of communicating effort at a given load ie RPE 9 x12 could be 100 lbs give or take depending on readiness etc. RiR for me is more of a given load for an unspecified number of repetitions ie 1 Rir for a 100lbx~12 rep set could be 100x13, 14 or maybe even 11, or 12. My biggest critique is the difficulty in me actually calling my own efforts training by myself in a home gym. Valuable but I use a VBT sensor to help me gauge my actual effort

[yuriboyka]

Oh it's very useful when doing heavy singles, I like how you explained that. This single was at 0 RIR but 9 RPE = I can't do another rep with this weight but I can for sure add a little more.

[ryanfitzpatrick]

I'd add that it works so well to regulate fluctuations in strength from day to day and week to week.

[bobcat]

You taught me how to lift, Alan Thrall.

[acrobaticassault]

After 10 years of Powerlifting I agree with Will

[bluedogguy]

I like Alan. I dislike RPE. Without a doubt much more experienced lifters can probably make this work, but I just don't trust "feel". Every day is different.

[jakedragon]

RPE and RIR tend to be mostly interchangeable at lower reps....RIR tends to be better at higher reps cuz rep 17 and rep 20 of a set may feel almost identically bad...RPE is just often better as being an emotional guage of the lift...a normal person can picture that similar like you asking if the lift felt easy, hard or near impossible

[reygunz]

This is actually helpful. As someone stuck on numbers, I was thinking of RPE as RIR. It has become something I fixate on. Did I have 2 reps left in me or not? I think that changing my concept to simply applying a number simply to represent how hard that was is going to help me in the future.

[bigk]

I thought the globe on your desk was a worlds strongest man trophy 😂

[tysjt]

All systems have shortcomings and trade-offs. It's rarely that one is better than the other but more about what works for you. Use the one you like.