It sounds sophisticated. RPE – Rate of Perceived Exertion. What the fuck is it?

After two decades in the industry, I still can’t figure out my RPE. And I’ll tell you why: it’s not a system. Most novices use it wrong. It won’t make you stronger. It’ll just make you more confused than you already are about training.

RPE Is Not a Training System. RPE is often mistaken for a full-fledged methodology. In reality, it’s just a subjective way to gauge intensity, originally developed for cardiovascular testing and later repurposed for strength training.

Here’s a little Coach-Of-The-Year tip: lifting weights is nothing like running. Unless you’re stupid enough to do 20-rep squats. And please, don’t do 20-rep squats.

If you’re selecting weight based on last week’s numbers and increasing the load accordingly, you’re already using structured intensity-based progression, whether you admit it or not. Maybe you slap an “RPE 8” label on a set, but let’s be honest: you looked at your last session, decided you could do more, and added weight. That’s not RPE. That’s just structured progression disguised as subjective effort.

This ain’t Star Wars – you’re not “feeling the Force.” You’re just following the same principles that have built strong lifters for decades.

The Fatal Flaw of RPE: Human Nature. Lifters either overshoot or undershoot their true effort. It reminds me of the way people talk about communism. Stay with me here — it’s an ideology that sounds great in theory but never actually works in practice. The argument is always, “It just hasn’t been done properly.”

That’s exactly how I feel about RPE. The idea is clean and logical on paper, but in the real world, lifters – especially novices – apply it with zero precision. Because it cannot be applied with precision.

No Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy.

And in this case, the “enemies” are ego, fatigue, and poor judgment. A decade ago, everyone swore by Westside. Today, RPE dominates the conversation. But here’s the truth: Lifters – Not Systems – Succeed.

The strongest lifters in the world would succeed regardless of the method. These are the athletes who push themselves to limits most people are scared to attempt. The mistake is believing RPE is some one-size-fits-all solution.

If I, with over a decade of heavy lifting experience, still question my ability to apply RPE effectively, how the hell is a novice – someone who has never even touched a barbell – supposed to use it properly?

Let’s put it to the test.

A Simple Experiment

Take two identical twins with the same genetic potential. Both follow a basic, well-structured program, but under different guidelines.

The Training Program

Day 1

• Squat 3x5
• Press 3x5
• Deadlift 1x5

Day 2

• Squat 3x5
• Bench 3x5
• Deadlift 1x5

The program alternates like this:

• Week 1: Monday (Day 1), Wednesday (Day 2), Friday (Day 1)
• Week 2: Monday (Day 2), Wednesday (Day 1), Friday (Day 2)

Then the cycle repeats.

Now, let’s define the rules for each lifter. 

Lifter A – The Starting Strength Approach

• If all sets and reps are completed, add 5 lbs to the work sets next session
• When the press and bench press become difficult, microload
• If the squat or deadlift stalls, check the three questions:
• Are you resting enough between sets?
• Are the weight jumps appropriate?
• Are you eating enough?

Stick to structured, measurable progress.

Lifter B – The RPE-Based Approach

• Work up to an RPE 8 for all lifts
• Adjust the weight based on how it feels that day
• No fixed progression, weight selection depends on perceived effort rather than a structured increase.

If two identical lifters follow these two approaches, Lifter A will be squatting 315 far sooner than Lifter B, who will still be “feeling things out.”

The beauty of Starting Strength is its simplicity. It removes decision fatigue, eliminates subjectivity, and forces a novice to do what they need to do:

• Add weight
• Get stronger
• Adapt to heavier loads

RPE is a load of bollocks. It’s a marketing gimmick designed to scale online coaching without actually coaching. It allows trainers to take on hundreds of clients without:

• Watching their lifts
• Making real programming decisions
• Taking responsibility for load selection

And this isn’t speculation. It was openly admitted to Rip’s face that RPE was being used for programming to make coaching more hands-off and scalable. Sometimes, you just have to call a spade a spade. RPE is a snake-oil sales tactic – a way to disguise the absence of real coaching and programming scrutiny.

Why?

Because coaching 200 lifters with cookie-cutter templates is easy money. It’s an excuse to cash fat checks while giving lifters guesswork instead of data-driven programming. That’s too much workload for these guys.

That’s where we at Starting Strength draw the line. We’ll never use RPE because we deal in hard numbers, objective progress, and what actually works. Forget RPE. Follow the Program.

If you’re a novice, weak, or detrained, and you want to get strong fast:

• Follow Starting Strength 
• Trust the process 
• Add weight 
• Build a foundation 
• Follow the plan, not your feelings.

RPE won’t get you there faster. The barbell doesn’t care about your perception of effort. It only responds to objective intensity. That means lifting more weight than you did last time. And that's all it means.

---