Guide
RPE Chart
Quick answer
RPE in the gym, on this chart, is about how many reps you had left. RPE 10 means none. RPE 8 means about two. Reps in reserve is that leftover count. They describe the same set.
The table used on the RPE calculator is the one associated with Mike Tuchscherer and Reactive Training Systems. A cell is a percent of a one-rep max. It is a coaching chart, not a laboratory regression.
Estimates only. Testing a true max carries risk; use a spotter or safety arms. Not medical advice.
RPE calculatorLook up a percent or estimate a max from a rated set.Open →On this page
- How do you read an RPE chart?
- What is reps in reserve?
- Why do people mis-rate sets?
- Where does the chart stop?
- Key takeaways
- FAQ
How do you read an RPE chart?
Find the reps you did and the RPE you would honestly give the set. The cell is the percent of your one-rep max that set represents. Five reps at RPE 8 is 81.1% on this chart. Divide the weight by 0.811 if you want the estimated max.
Go the other way to pick a load. If the plan says 3 reps at RPE 9 and your max is 200 kg, the chart's 89.2% is about 178 kg. Round to plates.
What is reps in reserve?
Reps in reserve, or RIR, is how many more reps you could have done. Two reps in reserve is RPE 8. One is RPE 9. A half step means you are not sure you had the full extra rep.
The homepage calculator's RPE toggle is a simpler trick: it adds (10 − RPE) to the reps and runs the 1RM formulas. Use that for a quick adjustment. Use this chart when you want the published percents.
Why do people mis-rate sets?
They rate the set they wanted. A grind that almost stuck is RPE 10 or 9.5, not 8, even if the plan said 8. If you call everything a 9, the chart collapses into one column and stops helping.
Technique misses do not get an RPE. A clean you dumped in front is not 'RPE 8 because the pull felt okay.' Rate reps that counted.
Where does the chart stop?
Ten reps and RPE 6, on the table we publish. Below RPE 6 you are too far from a max for the chart to be the right tool. Above 10 reps, use a formula on the one rep max calculator and expect a wide range.
The chart does not know the lift. A squat and a curl at '5 @ 8' are not the same kind of effort even if the percent matches. Keep ratings inside one exercise.
If you do not want to rate the set, the seven formulas will still estimate a max from reps alone. The step-by-step is the same job without RPE. Either number can feed a percentage chart.
Key takeaways
- RPE 10 means nothing left.
- RIR is the same idea, counted the other way.
- Use the chart percent, not a round number you prefer.
- Do not rate a technical miss.
FAQ
Is this the Borg scale?
No. Borg RPE runs to 20 and is used in cardio labs. Lifting RPE here is the 1-to-10 reps-in-reserve scale from barbell coaching.
What is RPE 8 in reps in reserve?
About two reps left.
Can two people share a chart?
They can share the percents. Their honest ratings will not match, and they should not use each other's max.
Should beginners use RPE?
They can, but they are bad at it. A rep cap is simpler until they know what one rep left feels like.
Does the chart replace a tested max?
It estimates one. A tested single still wins when you actually need the single.