Rpe is bullshit

[Dave_E]

@QWVwaXM

should i calculate rpe from the chart in the book using my maxes or just go by feel?

Dont bother calculating anything, you’re missing the point. RPE is totally about how you feel. Its a feelings based protocol based entirely on emotion. For example, I loaded the bar with 2 x 20 kg plates the other day and felt this to be an RPE 9.5. Thus I stopped at two plates as I had already over shot my RPE goals for that session and therefore, decided not to squat at all.

Because I now had to unload the barbell, this obviously focused on the more stressful concentric portion of the movement. I found this so emotionally draining (RPE 10) I decided to take a three week de-load and am currently doing nothing but three band assisted kipping pull ups every other day.

Peoples criticism of RPE is borne of ignorance and a kind of programming xenophobia if you will.

[Ryan_Hartigan]

@Dave_E are you trying to say that having target weights is bad or auto-regulating intensity is bad?

[MitchellCole]

@Dave_E

Dont bother calculating anything, you’re missing the point. RPE is totally about how you feel. Its a feelings based protocol based entirely on emotion. For example, I loaded the bar with 2 x 20 kg plates the other day and felt this to be an RPE 9.5. Thus I stopped at two plates as I had already over shot my RPE goals for that session and therefore, decided not to squat at all.

Because I now had to unload the barbell, this obviously focused on the more stressful concentric portion of the movement. I found this so emotionally draining (RPE 10) I decided to take a three week de-load and am currently doing nothing but three band assisted kipping pull ups every other day.

Peoples criticism of RPE is borne of ignorance and a kind of programming xenophobia if you will.

When the bar feels over RPE 9, I like to do a week of just visualizing doing squats. I feel I can LP these for a good while.

[teddyd]

I feel at an RPE of @10 that this is user error by QWVwaXM.
Computer says… no…

[Dave_E]

@Ryan_Hartigan

@Dave_E are you trying to say that having target weights is bad or auto-regulating intensity is bad?

I tend to have an auto-regulation target in mind rather than a target weight. Its like RPE taken to the next level. For instance, if I listen to the BBM podcast, I count that toward non productive stress, particularly if Feigenbaum keeps saying ‘nuanced’. This system allows me to set my RPEs before even touching a weight. Its a real time saver.

[mdelvecchio]

@Ryan_Hartigan

You also took a break at week 3, had poor compliance with the program in other ways and you’ve only been tracking macros since the start of the month.

I’d stop stressing and keep practicing. I also wouldn’t change many of the training variables for your next block of training because you haven’t got much good data from this block other than poor compliance can yield poor results.

I would also start an actual log of some description immediately.

You should input some training data (e1rm of all of the lifts you are currently doing on the bridge) into TRAC and use the training computer to give you target weights to hit in that session.

I can’t remember if you started using TRAC or not but if you are refusing, you should calculate target weights from the rpe chart using your maxes (TRAC training computer can do this for you.) to give you target weights to hit in that session and adjust accordingly.

TRAC is the app by RTS? Is it on the iOS App Store. I can’t find it via search and his website didn’t make it any easier. Where did you get it?

[jonathanfjallrud]

If you are failing reps, you are overshooting the RPE’s. There are no sets @RPE10+ on The Bridge.

Furthermore, I would guess that your weights have to go down week to week since you are fatiguing yourself too much by overshooting the RPE’s, and are therefore not able to progress efficiently. If this is not the case however, you might just need programming that you respond to better. I would try 12 Week Strength if you are already used to a lot of volume/intensity/frequency/training stress in general.