RPE Scale: What Does Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Mean?

The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is a subjective method used to measure how hard an athlete feels they’re working during physical activity. Rather than focusing only on external metrics like heart rate or speed, the RPE scale allows you to gauge intensity of your workout based on internal sensations. For coaches, understanding RPE is essential to help optimize athlete training, prevent overexertion, and improve outcomes in both in-person and online coaching environments. The RPE scale is a powerful tool for measuring perceived exertion and exercise intensity.

Understanding RPE and RPE meaning

What is the Rate of Perceived Exertion?

The RPE is a scale measuring exertion during exercise. It gives coaches and athletes a shared language to estimate how demanding a workout feels. Whether in resistance training, strength training, or endurance sports, RPE lets you assign a numerical value to effort, helping adjust intensity levels on the fly. For example, an RPE of 10 means going to complete failure, RPE 8 means a hard effort with about 2 reps left, and a lower RPE like 5 means a moderate effort you can sustain comfortably.

History and Development of the RPE Scale

The RPE scale was developed by Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg. Borg’s original 6–20 scale was designed so multiplying the RPE by 10 gave you an approximate actual heart rate. Over time, the more intuitive 0–10 scale emerged and became widely used. Both scales allow for measuring exercise intensity, with the 0–10 version offering finer granularity for weightlifting, cardio, powerlifting, and other sports.

How the RPE Scale Works

The 1-10 RPE scale ranges from 1 (minimal effort) to 10 (maximal effort where you can’t continue). To use RPE effectively, athletes should pay attention to internal cues such as breathing rate, muscle fatigue, mental focus, and whether they’re able to hold a conversation.
In weightlifting and bodybuilding, RPE is closely linked to Reps in Reserve (RIR) — estimating how many reps are left in the tank. For example, an RPE of 7 means around three reps left before failure, and RPE 8 typically leaves two reps in reserve. Importantly, occasionally training to failure (RPE 10) is a powerful way for athletes to sharpen their ability to gauge lower RPEs and understand their true limits.

How to Use the RPE Scale Effectively

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the RPE Scale

Start by teaching athletes the scale of 1–10 and what each number represents. During exercise, encourage them to regularly assess:

• Is your breathing steady or labored?

• How fatigued are your muscles?

• Can you maintain proper technique?

• Are you able to hold a conversation?

As a coach, you should occasionally push your clients to a 10 RPE effort to help calibrate their sense of their own body and understand how hard they are actually training.

This process helps athletes measure RPE consistently. Remind them that RPE ratings are subjective and vary based on fitness level and exercise type.

Common Mistakes When Using RPE

Common pitfalls include overestimating effort (especially during a lifting session) or using RPE as a measure of ego rather than honest exertion. Another mistake is focusing only on heart rate monitors, fitness watches, or external loads. Coaches can help athletes improve by combining subjective feelings with objective markers and providing ongoing feedback.

Integrating RPE into Your Workout Routine

Incorporate RPE by programming target intensities. For example, set RPE 7–8 on heavy days and lower RPE zones like 5–6 on recovery days. The StrengthLab360 app lets coaches and athletes input and track RPE across an entire mesocycle, giving a clear picture of trends and adjustments over time. Log RPE ratings in StrengthLab360 or a training journal alongside sets, reps, and loads. This helps you adjust training variables and autoregulate based on daily readiness.

For coaches, applying RPE systematically allows better management of client fatigue, recovery, and performance. Whether coaching in-person or remotely, you can use RPE feedback to fine-tune training loads in real time, helping clients progress without burning out. StrengthLab360 enhances this by providing real-time RPE feedback, athlete progress tracking, and data-driven adjustments, making online coaching more precise and individualized.

Benefits of Using the RPE Scale in Training

Advantages of RPE Over Traditional Measures

RPE offers flexibility because it accounts for day-to-day fluctuations in sleep, stress, and recovery. Unlike fixed percentages of one-rep max, RPE allows you to adjust training loads in real time. Best of all, the RPE scale requires no specialized equipment—you can apply it anywhere, whether in the gym or remotely with online clients.

RPE in Strength Training and Weightlifting

In strength and conditioning, RPE is an excellent tool for autoregulation. For example, targeting RPE 7 means choosing a load with three reps in reserve. This balances intensity and volume, promotes strength gains, and reduces injury risk. Going to 9 or 10 RPE occasionally recalibrates the athlete’s effort sense, improving their daily ratings. StrengthLab360 enables coaches to oversee RPE data across multiple athletes, ensuring they stay within the right effort zones for optimal results.

How RPE Helps Monitor Progress

Tracking RPE over time reveals how an athlete’s fitness level evolves. As athletes adapt, the same workload may result in a lower RPE, signaling progress. Monitoring RPE during exercise allows coaches to fine-tune programs, avoid burnout, and maintain progressive overload.

The Borg Scale and Its Relation to RPE

Understanding the Borg RPE Scale

The Borg RPE scale (6–20) is the foundation of exertion measurement. Developed by Gunnar Borg, it correlates well with heart rate, making it useful in both clinical and sports settings. Today, the 10 RPE scale is often favored for its simplicity, but both scales help measure exercise intensity and improve coach-athlete communication.

Comparing Borg Scale and RPE Scale

While both scales serve similar purposes, the Borg 6–20 scale was designed for cardiovascular exercise, while the 0–10 RPE scale is often used in strength settings. Both allow coaches and athletes to regulate effort, monitor adaptation, and prevent overtraining.

Applications of the Borg Scale in Fitness

From endurance sports to resistance training, the Borg scale helps assess effort. Coaches use RPE to adjust intensity, balance workload, and track athlete progress. By combining subjective feedback with tools like fitness tech, coaches get a fuller picture of athlete readiness and recovery.

Measuring RPE: Techniques and Tools

Self-Assessment Techniques

Effective self-assessment involves athletes regularly checking breathing rate, muscle burn, focus, and ability to continue a set or interval. Ask them: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is this right now? With practice, they’ll become more precise in assigning RPE ratings.

Using Technology to Measure RPE

While RPE is subjective, technology like heart rate monitors, fitness watches, and training apps can offer supporting data. The StrengthLab360 app, for example, helps coaches ensure athletes consistently hit the right RPE, monitors accumulated fatigue, and tracks trends across sessions. These tools help contextualize perceived effort but should complement, not replace, internal awareness.

Incorporating RPE into Fitness Assessments

Integrating RPE into assessments (like VO₂ max or threshold tests) offers valuable insights into objective performanceand subjective experience. Coaches using RPE can make smarter programming decisions, keeping athletes within ideal intensity zones and reducing injury risk.