How to Log RPE in a Workout Journal (Without Slowing the Set)
By Twaka team ·
The short answer: RPE is a rating of how hard a set felt. Write it on the line right after the set, like Squat 1x5 @ 100kg RPE 8. Rate it while you're still at the bar, not at the end of the session. Put it on your top sets, skip warm-ups, and use the same scale every time so your ratings stay comparable week to week.
The RPE scale, at a glance
The 0 to 10 scale many lifters use is the Borg CR-10. Here it is as printed in a review of RPE and resistance training load (Morishita and colleagues, Table 2):
| Rating | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 0 | Rest |
| 1 | Very, very easy |
| 2 | Easy |
| 3 | Moderate |
| 4 | Somewhat hard |
| 5 | Hard |
| 6 | (no label) |
| 7 | Very hard |
| 8 | (no label) |
| 9 | (no label) |
| 10 | Maximal |
The same review notes that you rate after each working set, with 0 as rest and 10 as maximal effort.
RPE vs RIR
RIR means reps in reserve: how many more reps you think you had left. A lifting-specific version of the 1 to 10 scale, from Zourdos and colleagues in 2016, ties each RPE number to RIR. The paper puts it as "RPE-10 = 0-RIR, RPE-9 = 1-RIR, and so forth":
| RPE | Reps in reserve |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 8 | 2 |
| 7 | 3 |
That study tested it on the back squat, with 29 lifters. Some charts add half steps like 8.5. We've kept to the whole numbers the paper states.
Pick one, RPE or RIR, and stick with it. Mixing both in one log gets confusing fast.
How to write it
Put it at the end of the line:
Squat 1x5 @ 100kg RPE 8
Bench press 1x5 @ 70kg RPE 9, last rep slow
In Twaka, you can write the rating on the line like any other note. Our shorthand guide shows the @8 style too, if you prefer it.
A worked week with RPE on top sets
Mon, Lower
Squat 1x5 @ 100kg RPE 7
Squat 3x5 @ 90kg
Romanian deadlift 3x8 @ 80kg
Wed, Upper
Bench press 1x5 @ 70kg RPE 8
Bench press 3x5 @ 62.5kg
Barbell row 3x8 @ 60kg
Fri, Lower
Squat 1x5 @ 102.5kg RPE 8
Squat 3x5 @ 92.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 130kg RPE 8.5
Only the top set gets a rating. Back-off sets don't. Next week, read the top set and its rating side by side. More kg at the same rating is progress. The same kg at a lower rating is progress too.
A hard top set is also a decent input for an estimated max. Try it in the one rep max calculator, or read how to calculate a 1RM in kg.
Rate it now, not later
Write the rating right after the set. In a 2004 study, lifters rated each set straight after it, then rated the whole session 30 minutes after it ended. The authors found the session rating "may meaningfully underestimate" the average of the ratings given after each set (Sweet and colleagues).
So don't fill in RPE from memory on the drive home. Our guide to logging between rest periods keeps it to a few seconds.
Is RPE actually valid for lifting?
Broadly, yes. A 2022 meta-analysis pooled 75 studies and found RPE "provides a valid measure of exercise intensity and physiological exertion during resistance exercise". Age, sex, training status and the scale used made no significant difference to validity (Lea and colleagues).
When to skip RPE
- Warm-ups. They're meant to be easy, so a number adds nothing.
- When you won't rate it straight away. A rating given later is less useful. In the 2004 study, the session rating came out lower than the per-set ratings (see above).
- When you'd rather not. RPE is optional. A word like
easyorgrindystill tells future you how it went.
One caution: results varied a lot between studies. The authors call the spread "very large". So treat one-off numbers as rough, and look at the trend instead.
Logging RPE in Twaka
Twaka is a training log you write in plain English. Type Squat 1x5 @ 100kg RPE 8 and Twaka reads the sets, reps and kg. When you start a lift, last time shows under the lift name, so last week's top set sits right there. One page a day, with a calendar jump. More in logging workouts in plain English, and see what to write in a gym diary for the rest of the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I log RPE?
Write it at the end of the set's line, like Squat 1x5 @ 100kg RPE 8. Rate it right after the set, and only on top sets.
What does RPE 8 mean in lifting?
On the 0 to 10 CR-10 scale it sits between "very hard" (7) and "maximal" (10). On the lifting-specific scale from Zourdos and colleagues, it means 2 reps left.
Should I log RPE for every set?
No. Top sets are enough. Warm-ups and back-off sets don't need a rating.
Is RPE accurate?
A 2022 meta-analysis found it a valid measure of intensity for resistance exercise. Results varied a lot between studies, so watch the trend, not single numbers.
Can I rate the whole session instead?
You can, but a session rating given later may come out lower than the average of ratings given right after each set.
Write it how you'd say it
Twaka is a plain-English training log for iPhone, now on the App Store. You need Twaka Pro to use it: US $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month, and local prices vary. New subscribers may get a 7-day free trial. Download Twaka on the App Store.
General training information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Morishita S, et al. Relationship between the rating of perceived exertion scale and the load intensity of resistance training. Strength Cond J (PMC5901652). Borg CR-10 scale, Table 2; rate after each working set: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5901652/
- Lea JWD, et al. Convergent Validity of Ratings of Perceived Exertion During Resistance Exercise in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine - Open, 2022. Validity r = 0.88 across 75 studies; no significant effect of age, sex, training status or scale; very large heterogeneity: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40798-021-00386-8
- Sweet TW, et al. Quantitation of resistance training using the session rating of perceived exertion method. J Strength Cond Res. 2004;18(4):796-802. Session RPE "may meaningfully underestimate" per-set ratings: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15574104/
- Zourdos MC, et al. Novel Resistance Training-Specific Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale Measuring Repetitions in Reserve. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(1):267-275. "RPE-10 = 0-RIR, RPE-9 = 1-RIR, and so forth"; back squat, 29 lifters: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26049792/
- Twaka App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/app/twaka/id6805823954
