RPE

[Dalton Clark]

When you program set and reps for an advanced lifter at a given percentage, how do you dose the stress? Say, we're doing 75% established-1rm on the squat...how many reps per set? How many sets? What's your logic for these decisions?

I have no personal experience with advanced lifters, using Rip's definition of an advanced lifter. I myself am not an advanced lifter. However, to answer this question would require knowing the lifters past history. What did they get for a 1RM? What reps/sets and at what weights have they used before and what was the outcome? What volume was an excessive stimulus? What can they recover from? A one size fits all approach is incredibly ill-advised for an advanced lifter. I would need to know their training history to even take a shot at this. The best evidence for what you can do tomorrow is who you were yesterday.

Also: bar speed decay is pretty damned linear. Different sloped for different folks, but linear.

This could be the case, I am just going off of my own experience which might be invalid. I'll admit, I'm not a coach and I am a novice, just one who enjoys thinking too much

[John Hanley]

The best evidence for what you can do tomorrow is who you were yesterday.

Hmm. So you're advocating "real-time" dosing of stress. IOW, prescribing the stress dose (tonnage, intensity, volume) based on who I was yesterday.

Presumably, it would be even better to know what I can do right now, based on who I am right now & given anticipated quality of forthcoming recovery (always a best-guess).

If only we had some sorta tool that might help us with real time stress dosing. Maybe just a casual proxy that could indicate real-time fatigue & with which we might be able to measure fatigue incurred within a session.

[Charlie Davies]

I test my RPE gauge on a regular basis.

Me too. I allow myself a set to near-failure in each lift, every 3 weeks or so. This helps my sloppy RPE ratings stay moored to reality.

Lifting regularly but *not* going to failure too often is what keeps me healthy.

[AndrewLewis]

Also: bar speed decay is pretty damned linear. Different sloped for different folks, but linear.

Why do you think bar speed decay is linear?

Also, linear with respect to what? RPE? Weight?

[manveer]

How to create individualized exercise profile in strength training? Part 2: Load/Velocity Profile | Complementary Training



Some other reading for you guys: The Science of Autoregulation • Stronger by Science

[Dalton Clark]

Hmm. So you're advocating "real-time" dosing of stress. IOW, prescribing the stress dose (tonnage, intensity, volume) based on who I was yesterday.

Presumably, it would be even better to know what I can do right now, based on who I am right now & given anticipated quality of forthcoming recovery (always a best-guess).

If only we had some sorta tool that might help us with real time stress dosing. Maybe just a casual proxy that could indicate real-time fatigue & with which we might be able to measure fatigue incurred within a session.

It is impossible to know what a trainee is capable of doing at that exact moment. You are always saying "if I take who I was at my last workout, add in my presumed recovery, and the presumed training stress induced by the last work out, what should I be able to do now?" I just prefer to remove mental state from the equation. I want to be able to walk into the gym with a number written down saying that I am going to do X. Not a "RPE 7" set of however many. Largely because I should be able to predict the exact numbers within a reasonable margin based on my training history.

[Pawn]

What is the 'mind-set' during the set when doing RPE training?

For example you have a Rx of 1 set of 5 at RPE 8
during the exercise are you thinking:
- about getting the 5?
- about not going past RPE 8?
- repping to RPE8?

Am I confused about the Rx... is it just 1 set of 5 and you fill in the RPE afterwards?

[manveer]

It is impossible to know what a trainee is capable of doing at that exact moment. You are always saying "if I take who I was at my last workout, add in my presumed recovery, and the presumed training stress induced by the last work out, what should I be able to do now?" I just prefer to remove mental state from the equation. I want to be able to walk into the gym with a number written down saying that I am going to do X. Not a "RPE 7" set of however many. Largely because I should be able to predict the exact numbers within a reasonable margin based on my training history.

It is impossible to know what a trainee is capable of doing at that exact moment.

Largely because I should be able to predict the exact numbers within a reasonable margin based on my training history.

What? It's impossible to know what a trainee is capable of, but you should be able to predict exact numbers?

It's not that hard. Look at e1RM from the last session with the same exercise. Choose a target weight for your top set based on that e1RM (or add a little bit, round up, whatever). Perform work-up sets to the target. Adjust weight up or down (or not at all) based on RPE of work up sets.

For a novice, you hold some strong opinions on training tools for advanced lifters.

What is the 'mind-set' during the set when doing RPE training?

For example you have a Rx of 1 set of 5 at RPE 8
during the exercise are you thinking:
- about getting the 5?
- about not going past RPE 8?
- repping to RPE8?

Am I confused about the Rx... is it just 1 set of 5 and you fill in the RPE afterwards?

You think about technical cues and getting the reps done. Then rate afterwards.

[Dalton Clark]

How to create individualized exercise profile in strength training? Part 2: Load/Velocity Profile | Complementary Training



Some other reading for you guys: The Science of Autoregulation • Stronger by Science

Thank you for linking this. Great read and very helpful. I think it very much clarified that I have an issue with unanchored RPE rather than RPE performed by someone who is able to program the appropriate stimulus based on RPE. I feel like many people use RPE as a "walk into the gym and figure out wtf I'm doing" rather than "I know myself and know that I could do 6 reps with 2 more in the tank". Once again, Thanks!

Also I believe we were talking about bar speed from rep to rep within a set with load constant.

[John Hanley]

Also, linear with respect to what? RPE? Weight?

With respect to a few things, nut namely:

- with respect to loads at/over ~75%
- with respect to rep number in near maximal sets (@9-@10).

Why do you think bar speed decay is linear?

Observing lots of bar speed data (via a Tendo unit) on lots of lifters over several years.