Trying to understand RPE right now and how it feels for me.
My squat max is around 240, so for RPE 6 I thought 160 would be light enough, but it actually feels heavy. Further, nothing even moves quickly. maybe i can move 95lbs quickly? I only know how far i am from absolute failure, and i feel that maybe i need to turn my RPE 8’s into 7s, because of how hard they feel, i just know i can always get another if i really really push against it. I read that you want to keep good form, and i can during those grinders.
So basically my issue is that no matter the weight it feels slow, and i feel that RPE turns into grinders that i could get out 4 more times if i had to. I know my max is 240, so i just feel that it is unacceptable to be working with below 170lbs on any RPE 8 set for squats. Is that wrong? Am i ego lifting with 170lbs?
If your true squat max is 240, 160 lbs is about 66% of that. This is a weight you should probably be able to perform something like 13-15 reps with. This should not “feel heavy”.
Additionally, if you are going to use RPE in your training over the long term, stop focusing on whether it “feels heavy” and focus more on how many more clean reps you could perform with good technique.
It’s getting weaker, but it was 240 (tested). Every week i am forced to drop the weight to hit the RPE, i just have less strength in me and mental strength too.
I’m 20, i started lifting a year ago @ 115lbs, i weigh 166 @ 5’9.
My maxes went from all sub 80 with poor cheating form, to good form @ SBD ~240, 185, 330. (remember really injuring my leg squatting 70 when i first started, couldn’t walk for weeks).
I’m listening to that advice, and i’ve been listening to the advice of the nocebo stuff. I’ve training through any odd feelings and it’s been working. I’ll take further ego hits if necessary, maybe i just need to give it more time to adapt to the higher volume?
I tried canditos for a while and stayed with it since i was adding 30lbs on squat and deadlift per month, but it was really low volume. I had no problem hitting 250 2x6 on deadlifts on that program, but i really struggled to hit 225 for 3x5, combined with the first two sets.
Canditos was an ignorant decision of mine when i jumped off of GSLP.
I figured i would give a better reply.
Age: 20
Height: 5’8-5’9
Weight: 167
Lifting experience: 1 year
Starting weight: 115
Starting maxes: all below 80, squatting caused a muscle tear at like 70lbs when i first began. (stupid i know)
I’ve been training consistently, i’ve ran GSLP for a few months but i kept stalling, so i ignorantly ran canditos 6 week program. I made decent gains on my lower body, around +20-30 per month.
I realized i could benefit from running the bridge (what i consider a less advanced program) after educating my self somewhat.
Currently i don’t feel like i’m recovering very well, i’ve been bulking but i’ve chose to maintain slightly, or to bulk very slightly - the weight gain is hard to notice but i am not losing weight.
For the first time i’ve been experiencing pain in my knees, my whole knee, and in my right hamstring. I go through it, i think i’ve been hitting depth harder than usual. Maybe that is why. This is only when doing bodyweight or warmups, i don’t feel it otherwise, and i don’t feel it on heavy sets.
Maybe i haven’t adapted to the continual volume, i’m used to it only for two weeks on canditos, and it had less frequency. The majority of it was high intensity lifting.
You should probably get your form checked, you should ensure you are not grinding (i.e., regularly overshooting in terms of difficulty), and you should continue gaining weight.