RPE and RIR
Rate how hard each set felt in Metric Lift, as RPE or reps in reserve, and see where the rating shows up.
Stop recording, and Metric Lift asks how hard the set was while it processes the video. Pick a rating or skip it. Bar speed shows how the bar moved. Your rating adds how the set felt.
Turn on a rating
Open Account → Training preferences → Exertion metric and choose one:
- RPE — rate of perceived exertion, on a scale from 6 to 10.
- RIR — reps in reserve, the number of reps you had left.
- None — Metric Lift never asks. This is the default.
When you turn a rating on, Metric Lift adds an exertion column to your set rows. When you turn it off, the column goes.
Rate a set
- Tap Stop at the end of your set.
- The Enter an RPE sheet opens while Metric Lift processes the video. With RIR on, it reads Enter an RIR.
- Tap a rating, or tap Skip RPE for this set.
The rating saves with the set. On a set you log by hand, type the rating into the exertion column on the set row.
The scale
The RPE scale runs 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5 and 10, plus Under 5.5 (warm-up). Each RPE maps to a fixed RIR:
| RPE | RIR |
|---|---|
| 10 or 9.5 | 0 |
| 9 or 8.5 | 1 |
| 8 or 7.5 | 2 |
| 7 or 6.5 | 3 |
| 6 | 4 |
| Under 5.5 (warm-up) | 5 or more |
The scale follows the reps-in-reserve RPE scale of Zourdos et al. (2016). Where that scale gives a range, such as 1–2 reps left at RPE 8.5, Metric Lift uses the lower number.
Switch between RPE and RIR whenever you like. Metric Lift stores one value per set and shows it in the scale you chose.
Where your rating shows up
- Set rows — the exertion column in your workout and in history.
- RPE table — on the exercise card. Metric Lift estimates your 1RM from your top set rated RPE 7 or higher. It comes with Pro or Ultra. See Estimated 1RM.
- Data export — RPE is a column in the export.
To change a rating later, edit it on the set row. See Editing set details.
Read RPE and bar speed together
Zourdos et al. (2016) found a strong link between a higher RPE and a slower bar. When the rating and the bar speed disagree, look again at the set:
- High rating, fast bar. You may be rating effort too high, or it is a good day.
- Low rating, slow bar. Check the video for a technique problem, or note a poor day.
Watch the video before you trust either one.
When it goes wrong
- Prompts on warm-ups. The exertion metric applies to every exercise. On a warm-up set, tap Skip RPE for this set.
- Skipped sets. A skipped set stays blank, and the RPE table uses rated sets only.