To develop muscles and have a beautiful body, regular exercise every day with appropriate intensity is necessary. It sounds simple, but when starting to do it, many people encounter countless difficulties, especially those who are new to the gym.

The main reason is that newbies often don't know exactly what constitutes "heavy" enough exercise. To solve this problem, a metric was created, called RPE. So what is RPE and how to use it in the gym? Let's learn in detail through this article by Swequity to get the most accurate answer.

What is RPE?

RPE stands for "Rating of Perceived Exertion," which is a scale that helps evaluate exercise intensity based on the subjective feelings of the practitioner. This method helps practitioners adjust exercise intensity without having to rely on tests or measurement tools.

RPE uses a method of assessing exercise intensity based on the subjective feeling of the exerciser. Unlike other methods of calculating 1RM (One-Rep Max) percentage or performing 1RM tests, RPE does not require the use of any complicated tools or equipment. Instead, it focuses on observing the speed of movement of the barbell (Bar Velocity) and the level of exhaustion of the exerciser.
Initially, RPE was often applied in cardio exercises, but now it has been expanded to apply in bodybuilding and similar forms of exercise such as cycling, ...... With RPE , you don't need to use any assistive devices, just listen and feel your body.

Applications of RPE in Exercise

On the RPE scale of 1 to 10, 1 is very gentle and 10 is extremely difficult. (A scale of 10 is the most common scale). RPE not only helps regulate exercise intensity, but can also be used to estimate heart rate when a heart rate monitor is not available. For example, if you're exercising at an RPE of 6, your heart rate might be between 120 and 130 beats per minute.

Below is an RPE chart showing the level of difficulty on a scale of 1 to 10:

Benefits of Using RPE in Cycling

Using the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) method in cycling brings many significant benefits, helping you optimize training effectiveness and maintain a balance between intensity and body capacity.

Monitor Your Stress Levels

RPE is a useful tool for monitoring stress levels during each workout session. No need to worry about specific speed, distance or time, you can easily recognize the difficulty level of the workout based on your own feelings.

Maintain Rhythm With Your Body

RPE allows you to adjust exercise intensity according to how your body actually feels. This helps you avoid over- or under-training, ensuring that each workout session is consistent and effective.

Understand External Factors

RPE helps you better recognize and understand how external factors such as weather, terrain and fatigue levels affect exercise performance. This helps you adjust exercise intensity appropriately to maintain maximum effectiveness.

Illustration

Consider if you have a 5km riding session with the goal of reaching an RPE of 7. In hot and humid weather, you may need to slow down to maintain this RPE level. The reason is that hot and humid weather often makes you feel more tired, thus increasing your RPE. This illustrates how RPE helps you adjust exercise intensity based on actual conditions and how your body feels.

Applying RPE in cycling not only helps you accurately monitor and adjust exercise intensity, but also helps you better understand your body and the factors that affect performance, thereby optimizing effective training and ensuring health safety.

Reference: Beginner's guide to optimizinf cycling performance 

How to apply RPE in cycling and basic training

When building an exercise or training plan with the RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale, you need to consider several factors:

1. Assess Fitness Level

Beginner:

Start with lower RPE sessions to build a base of endurance and cardiovascular capacity.
People with experience:

You can start with higher RPE sessions depending on your training goals.
2. Determine Goals

Endurance:

If the goal is to build endurance for distance pedaling sessions, most workouts should be low RPE (slow pedaling).
Speed:

If your goal is to improve speed, you need to include some higher RPE sessions in your schedule.
A good running plan will integrate RPE along with a pace/time designed around your recent pedaling times. For example, long riding sessions should feel easy on the RPE scale, while fast or speed cycling sessions should have higher RPE levels.

Specific Examples of Using RPE in a Training Plan

Long Rides:

Target RPE: 4 to 6
Feeling: Comfortable and able to talk easily throughout the ride. This is an opportunity to build endurance and long-distance cycling ability.
Intervals:

Target RPE: 7 to 9
Feeling: Quite strong and a bit breathless. The rest time between high-speed pedaling intervals should be enough to allow you to recover a bit.
Sprints:

Target RPE: 9 to 10
Feeling: Extremely difficult and can only be maintained for a very short time. The goal is to develop maximum speed.
Recovery Rides:

Target RPE: 3 to 4
Feeling: Very comfortable and can talk easily. This pedal session helps you recover after intense training sessions.
 

Check out our Beginner's guide to optimizinf cycling performance  to speed up your improvement.

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