Hi, I want to know what posture do the experts take on when RPE scale early on the prescribed reps/sets, I know this has been answered before but I don’t seem to find the correct blog/thread.
Let’s say I have tod do 4 sets x 5 reps @8, what should I do if the RPE scales up to @8.5 - 9 in the third set, should I take off ~5% off the bar?, or do the last set with the same weight? or don’t do the last set?
Thanks.
There are many posts here on this subject, so if you want more information, I would recommend doing a more thorough search. It takes a bit of time, but worth it. You can also use google using, “site:barbellmedicine.com” at the end of any search to search the website directly.
However, to answer your question, you are trying to stay in the same RPE to manage fatigue. Most people I have read here (including myself) keep it constant at 8.5 but if it creeps to a 9, then the next set we take the weight off. 5% is a good place to start, but remember you want to manage RPE (not percentage), so the % could change.
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I’d take weight off the bar. The goal isn’t to do sets across at a given absolute load. It’s to do set’s across at a given RPE. So if you’re going to exceed that RPE, drop the load so you don’t.
That being said, I think generally speaking, one could do 4 sets across at RPE 8 such that the load doesn’t have to change. Maybe you were a bit aggressive on the load and you could consider using slightly less load next time.
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You would adjust the weight down to maintain the rpe 8 . 5% is fine if you feel the last set was an rpe 9
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I’ll search more on this topic
okay, so the goal as @Dave_Hahn said is to stay within the RPE range, not a certain load. I’ll deload 5% since it’s what most people do, but maybe that % will change overtime. This is my first time doing an RPE based program I hope I could rate it well, for my starting loads I’ll use the calculator from the template of The Bridge 1.0.
thanks to all
There is a nice online RPE Calculator that I use during my workouts to adjust sets on the fly.
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Hey thanks man, I’ll check it out.
another question, what do you do if you do a weight and it’s lighter than the RPE specified, do you count it as a working set or just fixed that in the next set?
I am currently on my 3rd week of The Bridge, so I am a newbie myself. If the set in question is supposed to be my first working set I just count it as warm up. So if it’s supposed to be @7 and it feels more like @6 I’ll just calculate the new weight and do one more set. If it’s in the middle or end of my working sets I count it as a working set and adjust the weight on the following sets.
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Usually, if you’re 0.5 above or below, you’re OK. If the prescription is 4 sets @8 and you get a 7, I don’t see that big of a deal, also. Adjust and carry on.
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There are a few ways I do this depending on the situation. Lets take a hypothetical situation of a lift with 5@7, 5@8 x3 sets and the different potential outcomes and how I personally adjust.
Case: First set comes in @6. I would count this as a warmup add 5% and the next set should come in @7.
Case: First set comes in @6.5 or @7.5. I would count this as the first working set, but add or subtract ~2.5% from my next set to try to hit exact @8.
Case: One of my @8 sets hits @9. I would pull 5% off and finish out the sets.
Case: One of my @8 sets comes in @7.5 or @8.5. I would do nothing and carry on.
Case: This should never happen if you rated your first @7 set properly, but say your first @8 set should come in @7 or @9 I would count the set but adjust weight 5% for the remaining sets.
I think that covers all the bases, and what I personally do in each situation.
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Thanks @mica , @t_angeiras and @PWard , really helpfulul your advices, it will become very handy, maybe I’ll usethem today in my first workout if I fail to rate properly my sets.