Welcome my fellow No Pro Triathletes!
How do you measure your effort for a swim, bike or run session?
If you have a sports watch, you probably use your heart rate to set your workout plan.
But for me, living in hot and humid Thailand, my heart rate is 5-10% higher when I’m an Englishman running in the midday sun!
So on those crazy days I usually use the the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale.
So, in today's post I'll go over:
what is the RPE scale
using the RPE scale in training
tracking your fitness gains with the RPE scale
measuring your RPE accurately
using RPE in apps
Let's go!
What is the RPE Scale?
The Rate of Perceived Exertion scale is a simple and non-technical way to measure how much effort you are putting in during a workout.
The original RPE scale was developed by Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg in 1982 and rated exertion from 6-20.
A simplified version has since been introduced ranging from 0-10, with 0 being in "rest state" and 10 being an all-out, maximum effort that can only be sustained for a very short time of around 20-30 seconds.
You may see some scales which give criteria for each value from 1-10, for me I prefer to break the scale into chunks to make it easier to define.
You'll see this scale being used to describe the intensity of workouts in many YouTube videos and websites as an alternative to training with heart rate.
6 Tips for Using the RPE Scale
Unlike training with heart rate, the RPE scale is a purely subjective way to assess your intensity which requires you to rate yourself - so it's quite open to interpretation.
However, here are 5 of my "no pro" tips you can use to!
1. Breathing
Take note of how heavy you are breathing. Is your breathing controlled and relaxed, or are you gasping for air!
2. Talk Test
You'll hear the term "conversational pace" quite often. Are you able to have a conversation with another runner (or with yourself), can you put 4-5 words together, or are you unable to even speak! This is the talk test!
3. Endurance
Consider how long you've been exercising, how tired do you feel, and how long you could continue going at this pace. Could you continue for an hour or more, or does every second feel like a lifetime!
4. Forget your Speed
Don't look at your speed! The speed and pace at which you run can vary depending on your tired, so it's not always a solid indicator of our intensity.
5. Don't Compare
Don't compare yourself to others. A 7/10 for one person may not be the same as a 7/10 for another person.
6. Be Honest!
Last but not least, be honest with yourself!
I used to hate doing ab crunches at football training when I was younger, and sometimes I might try and sneak in a few half crunches! I always remember my coach saying "you're only cheating yourself"! The same applies when rating your perceived exertion.
You don't get any extra kudos from thinking your activity is a 3, when in reality it's a 7-8.
The goal is for you to use to track YOUR fitness gains and help you reach your goals.
How to Use the RPE Scale in Your Training
150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (RPE 4-6)
75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week (RPE 7-8)
or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
If this seems a lot, the good news is that it can spread out across the week, for example 5 sessions of 30 minutes.
Monitoring Your RPE in a "Moderate Intensity" Workout
First off. start with a warm-up (NEVER FORGET TO WARM UP!)
Assess your RPE after a few minutes as it will take some time to settle into your workout.
If you feel it's below a 4 then pick up the effort a little bit. If it feels too high, then slow it down a touch.
For a bit more info and some visual content, have a look at this useful video from The Run Experience channel on YouTube which covers the RPE scale and how to use it for your runs.
Track Your Fitness Gains with the RPE Scale
Recording and comparing your RPE for similar activities is an effective way to measure your fitness improvements.
For example, comparing a 30-minute jog with a 30-minute HIIT session isn't going to be a fair comparison.
So, instead compare your RPE with 30-minute run you did today and the RPE of a 30-minute run you did 2 months ago.
If you're comparing the intensity of HIIT sessions, then make sure it's the exact same workout.
As you workout more often, your fitness should improve and you should notice your RPE decreasing for the same activity. When this happens it's time to ramp it up!!
It's important to take your training up a notch to avoid "plateauing", which essentially means you stop seeing fitness improvements.
To improve our overall fitness we must gradually increase either the time, distance or intensity of our workouts.
RPE Scale in Apps
Some apps, such as Garmin Connect and Strava, will use a similar concept to the RPE Scale which you can use when creating or uploading your activities.
If you use Garmin Connect to track your workouts you can self-evaluate how you felt and your perceived effort.
Strava also has a similar feature with a brief explanation of what the scale means.
Adding your perceived exertion to your activities can help you track your fitness gains over time.
But remember that the best way to track those fitness gains is to compare similar activities.
Final Thoughts
The RPE scale is a good way to track your fitness gains over time without needing any equipment.
To accurately assess your RPE, remember to consider these things:
your breathing
the talk test
and how long you can maintain the intensity
I'm no pro or medical expert, so please do consult your doctor before starting any physical activity!
