R.P.E.

Out of 10, how hard are you working right now? A rating of 10 means feeling like your spleen is going to vacate your body if you do 1 more rep. A 1 might be sitting on the couch. A 0 would be a similar sensation to sitting on the beach sipping piña coladas or nutcrackers (if you know you know). 

If you have taken a class with us before, you most likely heard us say something like this. You might wonder: why? It helps us figure out if we need to increase, or decrease, the intensity of the exercise program for you. And it helps you make a more tangible connection between what you are doing and your body's ability to meet the demand. 

What is RPE? 

Short for Rate of Perceived Exertion, RPE is a tremendous tool for learning how hard you are working and deciding if that effort is in line with your goals. Of course, nowadays there is fancy and expensive equipment that can rate your effort in real time. But really, once you learn how to perceive it, your body will tell you exactly what you need to know. You're most likely not a professional or Olympic athlete. So don’t go and buy this fancy equipment. Just honestly ask yourself how hard you are working out of a scale of 10. Simples. 

How do I use it?

Using the RPE scale is tied into what you are trying to do for the day. Maybe you look at the chart, and it confirms your feeling that you need to take it a little easy today. Then you would adjust how hard you are working to align with that idea of going a little easier. Or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe today you are looking forward to really pushing yourself. 

However, in general, in Uptown Movement classes, we are going to be working in the 6-8 out of 10 range. This is where the majority of solid work comes in. It is unlikely that anything less than a 6 will provide enough stimulus for adaptation. And it is likely that anything higher than an 8 will provide too much of a stimulus for you to fully recover in 24 hours. 

Is it that simple?

Basically, yes! The RPE scale is a really easy and quick tool. Use it to help give you information about how hard you are working. We use it all the time at Uptown Movement, and it will help you an awful lot if you understand why.