Wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.
At the end of a set is when I typically say, “Ok i think I could have gotten 2 more that’s an 8” and log it and continue.
When I get home and load up the footage from my GoPro I find the speed of the bar tells a different story and lifts that, while at the gym felt (or so i thought) like an 8 or 9 look more like a 6 or 7
Is bar speed a good indicator of difficulty or am I thinking too much about this and continue to judge with my gut?
I’ve seen Austin and Jordan talk about how bar speed and RPE are correlated, but that bar speed between individuals can vary a lot. One persons RPE 8 could be very fast, and another persons RPE 8 look like a grind. I’d go with gut instinct, but if you keep filming your sets, over time you can learn what your individual RPE 8 bar speed typically looks like, and then it can become useful tool.
Just a few weeks into RPE, but 5 years lifting. My observation is when I have to take multiple gulping breaths with 3 reps left in a set, I’m at 9. With 2 reps left, I’m at 8, 1 rep 7. And if i can finish the set without more than a single gulp between reps, I’m at 6. This has tracked pretty accurately with how i feel at the last rep. It’s like advanced notice of RPE.