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RPE and RIR chart
RPE rates how hard a set was from 1 to 10, and in lifting it counts the reps you had left: RPE 10 is none, RPE 8 is two. This chart turns reps and RPE into a percentage of your one-rep max, and the calculator uses it to turn one set into the load for your next.
Calculate the load for your next set
The set you are planning
Load for 8 reps at RPE 8
91.1lb
That is 73.9% of an estimated one-rep max of 123.3 lb. From a set of 5 reps or fewer, a close estimate. Round to what your plates allow.
8 reps at each effort
| RPE 10 (0 left) | 96.9 lb |
|---|---|
| RPE 9.5 (0 left, could add load) | 95.4 lb |
| RPE 9 (1 left) | 94 lb |
| RPE 8.5 (1-2 left) | 92.6 lb |
| RPE 8 (2 left) | 91.1 lb |
| RPE 7.5 (2-3 left) | 89.1 lb |
| RPE 7 (3 left) | 87.2 lb |
| RPE 6.5 (3-4 left) | 85.6 lb |
| RPE 6 (4 left) | 83.8 lb |
Show your whole chart in lb
| Reps | RPE 10 | RPE 9.5 | RPE 9 | RPE 8.5 | RPE 8 | RPE 7.5 | RPE 7 | RPE 6.5 | RPE 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reps left | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 2 | 2-3 | 3 | 3-4 | 4 |
| 1 | 123.3 | 120.6 | 117.8 | 115.8 | 113.7 | 111.8 | 110 | 108.3 | 106.4 |
| 2 | 117.8 | 115.8 | 113.7 | 111.8 | 110 | 108.3 | 106.4 | 104.8 | 103.2 |
| 3 | 113.7 | 111.8 | 110 | 108.3 | 106.4 | 104.8 | 103.2 | 101.6 | 100 |
| 4 | 110 | 108.3 | 106.4 | 104.8 | 103.2 | 101.6 | 100 | 98.5 | 96.9 |
| 5 | 106.4 | 104.8 | 103.2 | 101.6 | 100 | 98.5 | 96.9 | 95.4 | 94 |
| 6 | 103.2 | 101.6 | 100 | 98.5 | 96.9 | 95.4 | 94 | 92.6 | 91.1 |
| 7 | 100 | 98.5 | 96.9 | 95.4 | 94 | 92.6 | 91.1 | 89.1 | 87.2 |
| 8 | 96.9 | 95.4 | 94 | 92.6 | 91.1 | 89.1 | 87.2 | 85.6 | 83.8 |
| 9 | 94 | 92.6 | 91.1 | 89.1 | 87.2 | 85.6 | 83.8 | 82.2 | 81.9* |
| 10 | 91.1 | 89.1 | 87.2 | 85.6 | 83.8 | 82.2 | 81.9* | 81* | 80* |
| 11 | 87.2 | 85.6 | 83.8 | 82.2 | 81.9* | 81* | 80* | 79.1* | 78.3* |
| 12 | 83.8 | 82.2 | 81.9* | 81* | 80* | 79.1* | 78.3* | 77.4* | 76.6* |
An estimate to start from, not a prescription. If the weight moves differently on the day, go by the day.
RPE chart: percent of one-rep max
Find the reps you did down the side and the RPE across the top; the cell is the share of your one-rep max that set represents. 5 reps at RPE 8 is 81.1%, so 100 kg for 5 at RPE 8 points to a max of about 123.3 kg, and 8 reps at RPE 8 would be about 91.1 kg.
| Reps | RPE 10 | RPE 9.5 | RPE 9 | RPE 8.5 | RPE 8 | RPE 7.5 | RPE 7 | RPE 6.5 | RPE 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reps left | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 2 | 2-3 | 3 | 3-4 | 4 |
| 1 | 100.0% | 97.8% | 95.5% | 93.9% | 92.2% | 90.7% | 89.2% | 87.8% | 86.3% |
| 2 | 95.5% | 93.9% | 92.2% | 90.7% | 89.2% | 87.8% | 86.3% | 85.0% | 83.7% |
| 3 | 92.2% | 90.7% | 89.2% | 87.8% | 86.3% | 85.0% | 83.7% | 82.4% | 81.1% |
| 4 | 89.2% | 87.8% | 86.3% | 85.0% | 83.7% | 82.4% | 81.1% | 79.9% | 78.6% |
| 5 | 86.3% | 85.0% | 83.7% | 82.4% | 81.1% | 79.9% | 78.6% | 77.4% | 76.2% |
| 6 | 83.7% | 82.4% | 81.1% | 79.9% | 78.6% | 77.4% | 76.2% | 75.1% | 73.9% |
| 7 | 81.1% | 79.9% | 78.6% | 77.4% | 76.2% | 75.1% | 73.9% | 72.3% | 70.7% |
| 8 | 78.6% | 77.4% | 76.2% | 75.1% | 73.9% | 72.3% | 70.7% | 69.4% | 68.0% |
| 9 | 76.2% | 75.1% | 73.9% | 72.3% | 70.7% | 69.4% | 68.0% | 66.7% | 66.4%* |
| 10 | 73.9% | 72.3% | 70.7% | 69.4% | 68.0% | 66.7% | 66.4%* | 65.7%* | 64.9%* |
| 11 | 70.7% | 69.4% | 68.0% | 66.7% | 66.4%* | 65.7%* | 64.9%* | 64.2%* | 63.5%* |
| 12 | 68.0% | 66.7% | 66.4%* | 65.7%* | 64.9%* | 64.2%* | 63.5%* | 62.8%* | 62.1%* |
The chart runs on one rule: a rep done and a rep left in reserve cost the same. 5 reps at RPE 8, 6 at RPE 9 and 7 at RPE 10 are all 7 reps to failure, and all read 81.1%. That is why each diagonal of the chart holds a single number.
RPE to RIR conversion
From RPE 7 to 10, reps in reserve is 10 minus RPE: RPE 9 is 1 left, RPE 8 is 2, RPE 7 is 3. Half points sit between two counts, and under RPE 7 the scale stops counting single reps. This is the scale as published (Zourdos et al., 2016), with the one-tap effort stop that stores each rating in Top Sets.
| RPE | What it means | Top Sets effort stop |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Maximum effort | Fail |
| 9.5 | No further repetitions but could increase load | |
| 9 | 1 repetition remaining | Hard |
| 8.5 | 1-2 repetitions remaining | |
| 8 | 2 repetitions remaining | Good |
| 7.5 | 2-3 repetitions remaining | |
| 7 | 3 repetitions remaining | |
| 5-6 | 4-6 repetitions remaining | Easy (stored as RPE 6) |
| 3-4 | Light effort | |
| 1-2 | Little to no effort |
In the app, Easy stores RPE 6, Good stores RPE 8, Hard stores RPE 9, Fail stores RPE 10. You can also type an exact RPE in half steps.
Where the percentages come from
From a coaching chart, not a laboratory. The percentages follow the chart Mike Tuchscherer published for Reactive Training Systems (Tuchscherer, 2008), which powerlifters have used since. The scale itself was studied by Zourdos and colleagues in 29 squatters: the slower the bar moved, the higher the RPE lifters gave, with correlations of −0.88 in experienced lifters and −0.77 in novices (Zourdos et al., 2016).
- It is an average, not your curve. Helms and colleagues, publishing a chart of the same kind, warn that it is not an absolute conversion: people differ in how many reps they can do at one percentage, and the numbers came from trained lifters squatting (Helms et al., 2016). Machine and single-joint lifts may not follow it.
- The starred cells are the model’s own. The model stores the chart up to 12.5 reps to failure. Past that, in 16 of the 108 cells here, it continues on a curve shaped like the Epley formula. Some printed versions of the chart go further and read lower there, down to about 57% at 12 reps and RPE 6, where this model says 62.1%. Read the starred cells as the high end.
- No RPE means RPE 10. A set logged without an effort rating is treated as taken to the limit, the assumption every classic one-rep max formula makes.
To turn a set into an estimated max with the rep maxes that follow from it, use the one-rep max calculator. To load the bar, use the plate calculator. To count how many hard sets each muscle gets in a week, use the weekly sets per muscle calculator.
How accurate are RPE and RIR?
Good near failure and poor far from it. Pooling 414 lifters, a 2022 meta-analysis found people guessed 0.95 of a rep fewer than they really had left (95% CI 0.17 to 1.73). Guesses were better closer to failure, in sets of 12 reps or fewer, and slightly better in later sets; training experience made no clear difference (Halperin et al., 2022).
Distance from failure matters most. When 25 trained men squatted 70% of their max to failure, about 16 reps, and called out RPE 5, 7 and 9 on the way, the calls were out by 5.15, 3.65 and 2.05 reps (Zourdos et al., 2021). And at a true one-rep max, novice squatters rated the lift 9.0 on average where experienced ones said 9.8 (Zourdos et al., 2016).
- Ratings near failure are the ones to trust. Far from failure a rating is a guess: at RPE 5 the calls above were out by 5 reps.
- Low-rep sets rate better. A triple at RPE 8 pins your max more closely than a set of 12 at RPE 8.
What RPE should you train at?
For muscle, close to failure without needing to reach it; for strength, how close you go matters less. A 2024 series of meta-regressions found that muscle growth improved as sets ended closer to failure, while strength gains were similar across a wide range of reps in reserve. The authors call the analysis exploratory, because the reps in reserve were estimated from each study’s description (Robinson et al., 2024).
Going all the way is not required. A 2023 meta-analysis found no evidence that training to momentary failure builds more muscle than stopping short of it (effect size 0.12, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.37) (Refalo et al., 2023). Helms and colleagues suggest most muscle-building work at RPE 8 to 10, mainly in sets of 6 to 12 reps (Helms et al., 2016).
RPE, RIR or percentages?
RPE and RIR are the same information; percentages are a different way to set the load. A percentage plan fixes the weight in advance from a tested max. An RPE or RIR plan fixes the effort and lets the weight follow how strong you are that day.
- RPE. How hard the set was, 1 to 10.
- RIR. How many reps were left: the same scale read from the other end.
- Percent of 1RM. The load as a share of a tested or estimated max. This chart is the bridge between the two.
Lifting RPE is not the Borg scale
The RPE scales used for running and cycling come from Gunnar Borg and rate how hard the whole effort feels, on a scale of 6 to 20 or a later one of 0 to 10 (Borg, 1982). The lifting scale borrows the name and the 10, but its upper half counts reps left in reserve. A cardio chart will not tell you what to put on the bar.
Questions
What does RPE mean in lifting?
RPE is rating of perceived exertion: how hard a set was on a scale of 1 to 10. In lifting the top of the scale counts reps left in reserve. RPE 10 means no rep was left, RPE 9 means one was, RPE 8 means two (Zourdos et al., 2016).
What is the difference between RPE and RIR?
They are two ways of saying one thing. RIR, reps in reserve, is how many more reps you could have done; RPE is 10 minus that number. Two reps in reserve is RPE 8. Below about RPE 7 the count gets vague, and the published scale groups RPE 5 to 6 as 4 to 6 reps left (Zourdos et al., 2016).
What percentage of my one-rep max is RPE 8?
It depends on the reps. On this chart RPE 8 is 92.2% for a single, 86.3% for 3 reps, 81.1% for 5, 73.9% for 8 and 68.0% for 10. One more rep at the same RPE costs about 2 to 3% of your max.
How accurate is an RPE rating?
Close near failure, loose far from it. Across 414 lifters, people guessed about 0.95 of a rep fewer than they had left, and were more accurate closer to failure and in sets of 12 reps or fewer (Halperin et al., 2022). In sets averaging 16 reps, a call of RPE 9 was out by about 2 reps and a call of RPE 5 by about 5 (Zourdos et al., 2021).
Should I train to failure?
You do not have to. A 2023 meta-analysis found no evidence that taking sets to momentary failure builds more muscle than stopping short (Refalo et al., 2023). A 2024 analysis found muscle growth improved as sets ended closer to failure, while strength gains were similar across a wide range of reps in reserve (Robinson et al., 2024).
Does Top Sets use this chart?
Yes. The chart and the calculator on this page are generated from the same code the app runs on every set you log, so the page and the app give the same number for the same set. A set logged without an RPE is treated as RPE 10.
Sources
- Borg GAV (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 14(5):377-381. doi:10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012
- Halperin I, Malleron T, Har-Nir I, et al. (2022). Accuracy in predicting repetitions to task failure in resistance exercise: a scoping review and exploratory meta-analysis. Sports Medicine 52(2):377-390. doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01559-x
- Helms ER, Cronin J, Storey A, Zourdos MC (2016). Application of the repetitions in reserve-based rating of perceived exertion scale for resistance training. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38(4):42-49. doi:10.1519/SSC.0000000000000218
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, et al. (2023). Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine 53(3):649-665. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y
- Robinson ZP, Pelland JC, Remmert JF, et al. (2024). Exploring the dose-response relationship between estimated resistance training proximity to failure, strength gain, and muscle hypertrophy: a series of meta-regressions. Sports Medicine 54(9):2209-2231. doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02069-2
- Tuchscherer M (2008). The Reactive Training Manual: developing your own custom training program for powerlifting. Reactive Training Systems. Chapter 2 is excerpted by EliteFTS. elitefts.com/education/rate-of-perceived-exertion-rpe/
- Zourdos MC, Klemp A, Dolan C, et al. (2016). Novel resistance training-specific rating of perceived exertion scale measuring repetitions in reserve. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(1):267-275. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000001049
- Zourdos MC, Goldsmith JA, Helms ER, et al. (2021). Proximity to failure and total repetitions performed in a set influences accuracy of intraset repetitions in reserve-based rating of perceived exertion. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(Suppl 1):S158-S165. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002995
Each figure quoted from a study was checked against the paper, or its abstract where the full text could not be read. Found an error? Email founder@topsets.app and the page will be corrected and its date updated.