Estimated Max Lifts:
With a lift of x @
Potential Max:
The RPE Calculator helps you understand and apply the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale in your workouts. It’s a self-assessment tool that estimates training intensity, allowing you to adjust your sets, reps, and weight based on how hard the exercise feels.
Simply enter:
The calculator estimates how many reps were “in reserve” (RIR) and how close you were to muscular failure, which helps guide optimal training load.
RPE | Reps In Reserve (RIR) | Effort Description |
---|---|---|
10 | 0 | Max effort – No reps left |
9 | 1 | Near max – 1 rep left |
8 | 2 | Hard – 2 reps left |
7 | 3 | Challenging but sustainable |
6 | 4 | Moderate – Easy effort |
If you perform 5 reps at RPE 8:
→ You likely had 2 reps left in the tank (RIR = 2).
→ Use this to estimate the weight for progressive overload in your next session.
Training by feel allows you to account for daily performance fluctuations due to sleep, stress, or nutrition. RPE-based training is flexible, evidence-based, and scalable for lifters of all levels.
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion — a scale from 1 to 10 used to describe how hard a set feels.
RPE 10 means maximum effort. You couldn't perform another rep with good form.
It helps track intensity, regulate volume, and avoid overtraining or undertraining.
Not better, just more adaptable. RPE adjusts for how you feel daily, while %1RM is static.
Yes, but it takes practice. Over time, beginners can accurately assess their effort levels using RPE.
Related tools: 1RM Calculator, Gain Calculator, FFMI Calculator.