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RPE, RIR & Training Intensity
Three ways to talk about how hard something is—and why they aren't the same thing.
"How hard was that?" sounds like a simple question. In training, there are a few different ways to answer it, and they don't always agree.
The three terms
RPE
Rate of Perceived Exertion. How hard the effort felt to you.
RIR
Repetitions In Reserve. How many more good reps you think you could have done.
%1RM
The load as a percentage of your known or estimated one-rep max.
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In the rest of this guide
- They overlap, but they aren't identical
- Foster 0–10 RPE
- Why the same workout feels different on different days