RPE is a 1 to 10 rating of how hard a set was. What RPE means covers the scale. This guide covers how to use it with clients.
Where to use it
- Top sets and back-off sets on the main lifts.
- Accessories, where reps in reserve are easier to judge than a weight.
- Not on warm-ups. Nobody needs to rate those.
Teach the scale first
Spend the first two weeks teaching it. Tell the client an RPE 8 set leaves two more reps in the tank.
Ask for the rating straight after the set. Waiting lets the client talk themselves into a number.
Start with a load as a guide
New clients tend to misjudge effort. Write a load and an RPE together. Ask them to report how the set felt.
Once their ratings match the loads, move to RPE alone.
Read the answers
- Effort above what you wrote for two sessions in a row: lower the next load.
- Effort below what you wrote: add a little weight next time.
- Ratings that never change: ask the client what they are using to judge.
Keep a baseline
A client who rates every set 8 tells you little. Compare ratings with the reps they got.
Where Trainersight fits
Trainersight asks for an RPE on working sets of main lifts. The coach sees the gap between written and reported effort.
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