So, Rate of Perceived Exertion (or RPE) – ever heard of this one? Or wondered what the heck it means?
Maybe a trainer has explained it to you somewhere along the way, but you still have no idea what using RPE looks like in practice.
Or maybe you’ve never even heard the phrase before! Regardless of which category you fall into, if you want to learn about a tool that helps you get the absolute most out of your strength training sessions, this is the blog for you.
If you’ve spent any time strength training — and especially if you’ve trained at Steel Strength Training — you’ve most likely seen the acronym RPE used fairly regularly.
It stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion, and it’s one of the best tools you can use to train smarter, not just harder. Using RPE can help you establish one of the five critical components to strength training.
If you’re new to strength training, deciding what weight to use for maximal results can be one more obstacle preventing you from adhering to a successful workout plan. Do you add weight today? Stick to the assigned weight? Go until you’re gasping for air? Or just call it a day when the reps start to feel a little bit challenging?
Which method is actually going to produce results?
RPE gives you a way to lift with intention, precision, and yes – even flexibility. It takes how hard something feels and turns it into a measurable, adjustable guide you can use every time you train.
In this post, we’ll cover the following:
- What RPE actually is
- Examples on how to use it
- Drills to help you get comfortable with it
- Why you should use it
- A few of the benefits
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
What Is RPE?
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion, and it’s basically a scale that helps you rate how hard a set feels. It helps you know how close you are to your physical limit, or how close you are to reaching failure.
In strength training, you will see RPE rated on a scale of 1 to 10, where the scale measures as follows:
- RPE 10 = Maximal effort. Even if you wanted to, you physically could not complete one more rep. You have ZERO reps left in your tank.
- RPE 9 = Close to maximal effort. You could’ve squeezed out one more rep, but no more. Just one.
- RPE 8 = You’re probably starting to slow down a bit, but you’ve got more to give. You’ve got two reps left in the tank.
- RPE 7 = You’re feeling the burn, but still feeling strong. At the end of the set, you have three reps left in the tank… starting to see the pattern?
- RPE 6 = Not a total cake walk, but not too challenging either. You’re leaving four reps left in the tank.
- RPE 5 and under = Easy peasy! Use this as your warm up weight.
Simple, right?
Examples of RPE in Real Workouts
Let’s say you’re doing barbell bench press, and you’re completing 3 working sets of 8 reps at an RPE of 8, which might be written like this:
Bench 3×8 @8
First, we want to start with some warm up sets (of course)!
You start off light, so your first warm up set may look like this:
Set 1: 75 lbs x 8 reps — felt super easy. You could’ve done 5 more. Call it RPE 5.
You add some weight, and complete another warm up set of 8 reps:
Set 2: 95 lbs x 8 reps — a little tougher, but still had 3 reps left in the tank. RPE 7.
You’re close to an RPE of 8, but not quite there yet, so you add a little more weight:
Set 3: 105 lbs x 8 reps — solid, grindy, but manageable. Could do 2 more reps. RPE 8.
Boom. You’ve found the weight that feels like an RPE of 8 for 8 reps. Consider this your first working set.
Since you’re completing 3 working sets, you’ll complete 2 more sets at RPE 8.
Now imagine doing that consistently over weeks. You’ll push when you’re fresh and back off when your body needs it. That’s sustainable progress.
How to Actually Use RPE in the Gym
We’ve defined RPE and given an example, but you might still be wondering “How do I know if I have one rep left?
Totally normal. The best way to get better at estimating RPE is by testing it and practicing. Just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it!
And, I’ll bet you a Starbucks gift card that the more you test it, the more you’ll realize you’re a lot further away from an RPE of 10 than you think you are, because your mind will tell you to give up before your body will – but that’s a lesson for another day.
To practice, try this drill:
- Do a set of an exercise (let’s say squats).
- Stop when you think you’re 2 reps away from failure (RPE 8).
- Rest, then do an AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible; a.k.a. until failure) with the same weight to see how close you actually were to failure.
So let’s put this into perspective. Let’s say you complete 1 set of 10 squats with 65 pounds, and you stop when you feel like you are two reps shy of failure, a.k.a. at an RPE of 8. This might have felt challenging to you.
After appropriate rest, you complete an AMRAP also with 65 pounds. You complete 20 reps before hitting failure. That’s a 10 rep difference! That means you’re way off the marker, and the next time you’re prescribed 10 squats at 8 RPE, you should significantly increase the weight.
Over time, you’ll build awareness of what different RPEs feel like. But unless you push yourself to failure, you won’t know what it feels like and therefore can’t know when you’re getting close, say 1-2 reps shy.
Why Use RPE?
RPE is just one tool of several that can be used to judge difficulty.
Traditional programs often prescribe weights based on a percentage of your 1-rep max (1RM). It might look something like this:
“Today: 3 sets of 5 reps at 80% of your 1RM (one rep max).”
But there are a couple of big problems with this method.
First, in order to lift at a percentage of your 1RM, you must know what your 1RM is for that exercise. While this may be easy to apply to your main lifts like bench, squat, press and deadlift, it’s not as easy to apply to your accessory exercises such as dumbbell curls, tricep extensions, hamstring curls or lat pull downs. Maybe some people are testing their 1RM for those… but I’ve yet to meet any of those people.
Second, the percentage method does not take into account environmental factors that can drastically affect your strength. This method can work great if your energy, recovery, sleep, nutrition, stress, hydration and caffeine intake are all perfectly dialed in every time you lift (spoiler alert: they’re not).
You may come into the gym super hyped one week and set a personal record of 250lbs for your back squat. Then two weeks later, after a weekend of travelling and eating on the road, and getting inadequate sleep, your 60% of that 1RM could feel like 90%.
And the opposite is true, too. Say you test your 1RM after a weekend of poor rest and diet. Then two weeks later, you’ve properly fueled and you got a whole 8 hours of great sleep, your 1RM could feel like 70%!
RPE gives you flexibility without losing structure.
RPE helps you auto–regulate based on how your body is feeling—not just what a spreadsheet tells you.
Why RPE Is Especially Useful for Hypertrophy Training
When your goal is muscle growth (aka hypertrophy), intensity and effort matter more than just weight on the bar.
Multiple studies have shown that training close to failure—say RPE 8 to 9—is the sweet spot for muscle growth.
You don’t have to max out every set, but if you’re finishing sets at RPE 6 or 7 all the time, you might not be pushing hard enough to trigger new gains.
RPE helps ensure you’re working hard enough to grow, but not so hard that you fry your recovery.
Common Mistakes with RPE (and How to Fix Them)
Guessing wildly and calling everything RPE 8
If every set “felt like an 8” but you could do 5 more reps, that’s not RPE 8. Just because it feels difficult does not mean it was an 8. The question is: how many reps shy of failure were you?
Track, review, and test yourself occasionally.
Ignoring it on accessories
RPE works on everything—not just your heavy lifts. If you’re doing curls, rows, or leg presses, you can still gauge effort and adjust volume.
For maximal results, apply this to your accessory work too.
Letting ego override RPE
Some days, you won’t hit your usual numbers. That’s okay. RPE teaches you to train based on how you feel—not how you wish you felt. It’s okay if the weight feels a little extra heavy some days!
Recap: Why You Should Use RPE in Your Training
- RPE helps you lift smarter by matching intensity to how you feel each day.
- It’s perfect for hypertrophy, strength, and fatigue management.
- It works great with any level of experience—just takes a little practice.
- RPE lets you progress steadily without burning out or second-guessing every set.
- And best of all: you’ll stop asking “Was that hard enough?”—because you’ll already know.
Final Thoughts: Train With Intention, Not Just Numbers
RPE bridges the gap between structure and intuition. It keeps your training aligned with your body—not just the plan on paper.
So next time you’re in the gym, try rating your sets. Trust your gut, test your limits, and enjoy the process of figuring out how hard is just hard enough.
Because lifting isn’t just about strength. It’s about awareness—and RPE is one of the sharpest tools you can add to your toolbox.
The best and SAFEST way to ensure you’re training at an appropriate intensity that will get you results is working with the right personal trainer. To get started, visit our website by clicking HERE and click the big green button that says “Book a Free Consultation”. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours!