056 - The Coach Up: RPE (What It Is & How to Use It)
Jul 15, 2024
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Explore the concept of Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and its applications in physical exercise. Learn how to accurately gauge effort levels for desired training adaptations. Discover the benefits of using RPE in training and life, emphasizing self-awareness and internal sensations over external metrics.
RPE provides a subjective metric for effort levels, crucial for balancing work and personal tasks.
Understanding RPE helps in achieving consistent progress by optimizing effort levels based on internal feedback.
Deep dives
Understanding RPE as Rate of Perceived Exertion
RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion, is a subjective metric quantified on a 0 to 10 scale that reflects the level of effort put into an activity. It goes beyond objective metrics and allows individuals to gauge how hard they are working, whether in physical exercise or daily life. By understanding RPE, individuals can prevent burnout, ensure they are working enough to reach their goals, and adapt their efforts based on internal feedback that factors in various external influences like stress, fatigue, and environmental conditions.
Implementing RPE in Training and Life
Using RPE effectively involves matching effort levels with desired outcomes in training and even broader life endeavors. RPE guides individuals in balancing their efforts, ensuring they do not overexert or underperform. This metric provides a nuanced approach to performance evaluation, helping individuals optimize their work-life balance by strategically managing their levels of exertion and recognizing when to push harder or ease off. RPE serves as a valuable tool in achieving consistent progress and personal growth through maintaining a diverse range of effort levels.
The Mastery of RPE and Self-Knowledge
Mastering RPE entails developing a deep understanding of one's effort levels, akin to gaining expertise in any field through a progression from simplicity to complexity and back to simplicity. By honing the ability to perceive exertion accurately, individuals can better tailor their efforts to achieve specific outcomes, whether in sports, work, or personal projects. RPE fosters a sense of self-awareness and embodied wisdom, allowing individuals to navigate challenges, adjust their pace, and avoid potential burnout by striking a balance between varying levels of effort.
We live in a data-heavy age, rife with smart watches and fitness trackers. But objective metrics have their limits (such as heat, fatigue, stress, technical difficulties, or when you forget your watch/tracker). In these cases, RPE can be a helpful metric to use, because it's based on feel. Today, Brad explains what it is, how to use it, and how it can be applied outside of physical exercise to life more generally.
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