Calculator
RPE Calculator
Quick answer
Enter a weight, the reps you did, and the RPE. The page reads Mike Tuchscherer's chart and divides the weight by that percent to estimate a one-rep max.
The other mode starts from a known max and returns the load for a rep target at a chosen RPE. RPE 10 means nothing left. RPE 8 means about two reps in reserve.
Need a 1RM first? Use the one rep max calculator →
Estimates only. Testing a true max carries risk; use a spotter or safety arms. Not medical advice.
81.1% of 1RM on the Tuchscherer chart for 5 reps at RPE 8.
Full RPE chart
| Reps | 10 | 9.5 | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 97.8 | 95.5 | 93.9 | 92.2 | 90.7 | 89.2 | 87.8 | 86.3 |
| 2 | 95.5 | 93.9 | 92.2 | 90.7 | 89.2 | 87.8 | 86.3 | 85 | 83.7 |
| 3 | 92.2 | 90.7 | 89.2 | 87.8 | 86.3 | 85 | 83.7 | 82.4 | 81.1 |
| 4 | 89.2 | 87.8 | 86.3 | 85 | 83.7 | 82.4 | 81.1 | 79.9 | 78.6 |
| 5 | 86.3 | 85 | 83.7 | 82.4 | 81.1 | 79.9 | 78.6 | 77.4 | 76.2 |
| 6 | 83.7 | 82.4 | 81.1 | 79.9 | 78.6 | 77.4 | 76.2 | 75.1 | 73.9 |
| 7 | 81.1 | 79.9 | 78.6 | 77.4 | 76.2 | 75.1 | 73.9 | 72.3 | 70.7 |
| 8 | 78.6 | 77.4 | 76.2 | 75.1 | 73.9 | 72.3 | 70.7 | 69.4 | 68 |
| 9 | 76.2 | 75.1 | 73.9 | 72.3 | 70.7 | 69.4 | 68 | 66.7 | 65.3 |
| 10 | 73.9 | 72.3 | 70.7 | 69.4 | 68 | 66.7 | 65.3 | 64 | 62.6 |
On this page
How does the RPE calculator work?
The chart is the one published by Mike Tuchscherer at Reactive Training Systems and republished, with the same diagonal, across coaching sites. A cell is a percent of one-rep max. Five reps at RPE 8 is 81.1%. If you lifted 100 kg for that set, the estimated max is 100 / 0.811.
Half steps (8.5, 9.5) mean you might have had another rep. They are not a lab measurement. The chart stops at 10 reps and RPE 6. Below that, the page will not invent a percent.
What inputs does it need?
Weight, reps from 1 to 10, and RPE from 6 to 10 in half steps. Kilograms or pounds. The math is a percent, so the unit only changes the label on the result.
To prescribe a load, switch to the second mode and enter a max you already trust. That max can come from the one rep max calculator or from a tested single.
Worked example with sample numbers
Example only: 100 kg for 5 reps at RPE 8. The chart says 81.1%. Estimated max is about 123.3 kg. The same lifter, asked for 3 reps at RPE 9, would look up 89.2% and load about 110 kg if that max held.
If the fifth rep was actually a grind, call it RPE 9.5 or 10 instead of 8. The estimate drops because the percent goes up. RPE is the part you can get wrong. The arithmetic will not rescue a generous rating.
What is on the RPE chart?
Rows are reps. Columns are RPE. The number is the percent of a one-rep max. RPE and reps in reserve describe the same set: RPE is roughly 10 minus the reps you had left. A set with two reps left is RPE 8.
This is not the simple 'add (10 − RPE) to the reps and run Epley' shortcut used on the homepage. That shortcut is fine for a quick adjustment. This page uses the chart. Read the longer version on the RPE chart guide.
Common mistakes
Rating every hard set as RPE 9. If you do that, every estimate clusters too low and the chart stops meaning anything. Rate the set you finished, not the set you wish you had done.
Mixing a touch-and-go bench with a paused bench, or a high squat with a deep one, and then treating the RPEs as one max. The chart assumes the reps match the max you care about.
FAQ
What is RPE in lifting?
A rating of how many reps you had left. RPE 10 is a max effort. RPE 8 means about two reps in reserve. The scale used here is the one from Reactive Training Systems, not the medical Borg scale.
Is RPE the same as reps in reserve?
They point at the same set. Reps in reserve is the count of reps you did not take. RPE is 10 minus that count, with half steps when you are unsure.
Why is 5 reps at RPE 8 not 80%?
Because the published chart says 81.1% for that cell. Round numbers in a program are a separate choice. This page shows the chart value.
Can I use this for a set of 12?
Not on this chart. It ends at 10 reps. Use the homepage calculator for higher-rep sets, and treat the result as loose.
Does the chart know my technique?
No. A missed clean at RPE 8 may have been a technical miss. Rate only reps that counted.