RPE Calculator

RPE: What It Means and How to Use It

We all know the benefits of regular exercise for maintaining good health, but are we paying enough attention to how hard we’re actually working out? That’s where the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale comes in. This handy tool allows you to monitor the intensity of your workout without needing any fancy equipment. It’s also known as the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion, and it's a useful way to gauge how hard you're pushing yourself.

What Exactly Is RPE?

In simple terms, RPE is a scale that measures how hard you feel your body is working during exercise. Instead of relying on heart rate monitors or other gadgets, this scale uses your personal experience—your breathing, how much you’re sweating, and your muscle fatigue—as indicators of exertion. The Borg Scale is a more formalised version, created to help people gauge their intensity levels during physical activity.

The RPE scale ranges from 1 to 10, with each number representing a different intensity level:

• RPE 1 to 3: This is light intensity. You can breathe easily, talk normally, and feel comfortable.
• RPE 4 to 6: This is moderate intensity. Your breathing gets heavier, you can only speak in short sentences, but you're still in your comfort zone.
• RPE 7 to 9: Now it’s getting tough. You're outside your comfort zone, breathing heavily, and speaking more than a few words becomes a challenge.
• RPE 10: Maximum effort. You're at your limit—struggling to breathe and unable to speak.

What Is Perceived Exertion?

The idea of perceived exertion is that you assess how hard your body is working by how you feel physically. When you exercise, your heart beats faster, your breathing becomes more intense, you sweat more, and your muscles start to tire. These physical sensations help you understand how much effort you’re putting into your workout, without needing any external devices like a heart rate monitor.

While these feelings aren't as precise as using actual heart rate data, they're still a reliable way to determine your intensity level. So, even without high-tech equipment, you can have a pretty good idea of how hard you're working.

How to Calculate Your RPE

Calculating your RPE is quite simple. All you need to do is choose a number between 1 and 10 that best represents your current level of exertion, based on how tired your muscles feel, how fast your heart is beating, and how difficult it is to breathe.

For example:

• RPE 1: No exertion at all, you're essentially at rest.
• RPE 10: Maximum effort, you're pushing yourself to the absolute limit.

If you want to get a bit more technical, you can match your RPE to your heart rate. Here's how:

1. Find your pulse on the inside of your wrist, using the tips of your first two fingers.
2. Count the beats for 30 seconds and then multiply that number by 2 to get your heart rate in beats per minute (BPM).
3. Compare your RPE to your heart rate to ensure you're hitting the right intensity for your workout goals.

You can also just rely on your feelings and adjust your workout intensity as needed.

Why Is RPE Useful?

One of the biggest advantages of using the RPE scale is its simplicity. It’s a quick and easy way to ensure you're meeting the exercise guidelines recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense activity each week.

By keeping your RPE between 5 and 6, you'll hit the moderate-intensity range. If you aim for an RPE of 7 or 8, you’re in the vigorous-intensity zone.

Another benefit of RPE is that it helps you listen to your body. Instead of relying on fitness trackers or heart rate monitors, which can sometimes cause unnecessary pressure, you can focus on how you feel. If your body is telling you to ease off, you can do so without feeling guilty about the numbers on your tracker.

Additionally, RPE allows for flexibility in your training. Whether you're in the gym or outside, you can easily adjust the intensity of your workout based on how you're feeling that day.

Understanding the Borg RPE Scale

The Borg Scale was created by Swedish scientist Gunnar Borg in the 1960s to explore the relationship between perceived exertion and the body’s physical responses. His scale ranges from 6 to 20, with 6 representing no effort and 20 representing the maximum possible effort.

Each point on the scale correlates with certain physical signs, such as:

• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing
• Muscle fatigue
• More sweating

When using the Borg Scale, it’s essential to focus on your overall feelings of exertion rather than a single physical sign, like just your heart rate.

Learning to associate these numbers with your workout intensity can be extremely useful, especially when you don’t have access to a heart rate monitor. And the great thing is, anyone—from beginners to seasoned athletes—can use this scale to monitor their performance and adjust their intensity accordingly.

Comparing the Borg Scale and the 1–10 RPE Scale

Both the Borg Scale and the 1–10 RPE scale serve the same purpose: helping you gauge the intensity of your workout. However, you might prefer one over the other, depending on which is easier for you to use or makes more sense to your training style.

The Borg Scale has a strong correlation between your perceived exertion level and your heart rate. For example, if you rate your exertion as 13 (which corresponds to "somewhat hard"), multiplying this number by 10 gives you an estimated heart rate of 130 BPM.

On the other hand, the 1–10 RPE scale is particularly useful for weightlifters. For instance, if you rate your effort at RPE 8, this typically means you have about two more reps left in the tank before you reach muscle failure.

Both scales are great for measuring your workout intensity, so it really comes down to personal preference and the type of exercise you’re doing.

Final Thoughts on Using RPE

Whether you're new to exercise or a seasoned pro, the RPE scale is a fantastic tool to have in your fitness arsenal. It offers a flexible, intuitive way to measure your effort level, without being tied down by external gadgets or strict systems. By listening to your body and adjusting your intensity accordingly, you’ll be able to get the most out of every workout while avoiding overtraining or injury.

So next time you hit the gym or go for a run, remember: your body knows best!