Wait, What Is RPE? Rate of Perceived Exertion Explained

You've probably been told to "push yourself" in a workout. But how hard is hard enough? And how do you know when you've actually crossed the line from challenging yourself to overdoing it?

This is where RPE comes in. Once you get your head around it, it can seriously change how you train.

RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. It's a simple 1–10 scale that measures how hard a workout feels, and it's one of the most effective tools you can use to make sure you're getting the most out of every session.

What is RPE?

RPE is a self-rated scale from 1 to 10 that reflects how hard you feel you're working during exercise, both physically and mentally. It's not about what the numbers on the barbell say, or what your watch tells you, or what the person next to you is doing. It's about how hard your effort feels.

Here's a quick guide to the scale:

• RPE 1–2: Barely moving. Think resting or a very gentle stroll.

• RPE 3–4: Light effort. You could chat away, no problem.

• RPE 5–6: Moderate. Breathing harder, but holding a conversation.

• RPE 7–8: Getting tough. You can say a few words at a time, max.

• RPE 9: Very hard. Almost all-out effort. You won't last long here.

• RPE 10: Maximum effort. Everything you've got.

When you first start using RPE, picking a number can feel a bit abstract, especially if you haven't pushed to your max much before, so you don't know what that actually feels like. That's completely normal. The more you train, the better you get at reading your body's signals, and RPE becomes far more intuitive. As your fitness improves, your RPE benchmarks will shift too.

Why use RPE instead of just tracking your heart rate?

Heart rate monitors have their place, but they don't tell the whole story. Your heart rate is influenced by a lot of things that have nothing to do with your actual fitness, like where you are in your menstrual cycle, how stressed you've been, how well you slept, or how much caffeine you've had.

RPE cuts through all of that. It's a direct check-in with how your body is actually responding to the work in real time, which makes it a smarter and more flexible way to gauge your effort.

It also means you can adjust your training on the fly. Last week, when your program had you doing deadlifts at a 7 RPE, you were lifting 70 kg. This week, you're feeling tired, and if you're being honest with yourself, training at a 7 RPE would mean dropping your weight to 60 kg.

As women, our bodies change every week and month, and RPE is an extremely useful way to honour how our bodies feel on any given day. It means you can dial back without guilt, knowing you're still training smart and challenging yourself at the right level. And on the days you feel amazing? RPE helps you recognise when you've got more in the tank and can push further.

How to use RPE for strength training

For weight training, RPE recommendations in the Sweat app help you choose the right weight for each set so you're challenging yourself without burning out or compromising form.

Aside from how your effort feels from 1-10, here's another simple way to think about it: how many more reps could you have done at the end of your set?

• Could do 3–4 more reps? You're probably sitting at about 6–7

• Could maybe squeeze out 1–2 more? That's RPE 8

• Absolutely nothing left in the tank? Now you're in 9–10 territory.

Here's a general guide for your lifts:

RPE 5-6 is great for warm-ups, activation work, or when you're learning a new movement. You're working, but technique is the priority.

RPE 7-8 is generally the sweet spot for building muscle. You're pushing hard enough to create an adaptation but still have enough control to train safely and not be completely wrecked the next day.

RPE 8-9 is where you get into heavy territory with strength-focused lifts with lower reps. Use this intentionally, not every session.

RPE 9-10 is your maximum effort. This is used sparingly for testing your limits, definitely not a place you want to live.

If you're doing circuit-style resistance training, sit at around RPE 6–7 so you can maintain form and keep moving throughout.

How to use RPE for cardio and HIIT

For cardio, the talk test is your best guide. Can you hold a full conversation? That's a lower RPE. Struggling to get a sentence out? You're in the 7–8 zone. Can't speak at all and you're gassed in 20 seconds? That's a 9–10.

• Low-intensity cardio (walks, easy cycling): RPE 3–4

• Moderate cardio: RPE 5–6

• HIIT working intervals: RPE 7–9

You don't need to be at a 9 every session, and you shouldn't be. Maxing out every session isn't smart or sustainable, and a well-structured training week includes a mix of intensities. Those lower-intensity sessions aren't "easy days"; they're when much of the real recovery and aerobic adaptation happens. Treat them like part of the plan, not filler or laziness.

What can affect your RPE?

Because RPE is subjective, it shifts with your circumstances and physiology. It's supposed to. RPE allows you to honour exactly where you're at on any given day. Factors that can influence your RPE on any given day include:

• Sleep: Poor sleep makes everything feel harder. Science backs this one up.

• Nutrition and hydration: Training under-fuelled or dehydrated will push your RPE up even at lower intensities.

• Stress: Mental load has a very real physical effect on your body.

• Your menstrual cycle: Hormonal fluctuations throughout your cycle can affect energy, strength and recovery. If you're interested in training according to your cycle, we recommend keeping track of your daily symptoms (energy, sleep, hunger, pain, mood, etc.) for at least three months, then trying to identify patterns.

• Illness or fatigue: If you're run down, your body will let you know. Rest!

Factoring in all these different influences helps you make smarter decisions about how hard to push on any given day or why you might feel better or worse. Some sessions are about grinding; others are about showing up, doing what you can and giving yourself some grace. RPE helps you know the difference and not beat yourself up on days when it feels like you've gone backwards.

Elevate your training

RPE is one of those tools that sounds simple but genuinely elevates your training. It puts you in charge of your intensity rather than rigidly chasing a level of effort that might not reflect what your body actually needs that day.

The more you use it, the better you get at listening to your body, and that skill pays off well beyond the gym.