Autoregulation
RPE Chart
Look up estimated percentages by reps and RPE, or add your max to print a personal load chart.
Reps × RPE percentage chart
Epley + reps-in-reserve estimate. This is not the RTS chart. Add your max to see personal loads, rounded down to your chosen increment.
Personalize with your 1RM · kg or lb
Choose a cell to inspect it. Reps are the repetitions you plan to complete; RIR is the estimated reserve after the set.
| RPE / RIR | 1 rep | 2 reps | 3 reps | 4 reps | 5 reps | 6 reps | 7 reps | 8 reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 / 0 | ||||||||
| 9.5 / 0.5 | ||||||||
| 9 / 1 | ||||||||
| 8.5 / 1.5 | ||||||||
| 8 / 2 | ||||||||
| 7.5 / 2.5 | ||||||||
| 7 / 3 | ||||||||
| 6.5 / 3.5 | ||||||||
| 6 / 4 |
5 reps at RPE 8: about 2 reps in reserve, estimated 81.1% of 1RM. Use this as a starting estimate, not a required lifting target.
Method: e1rm.com/rpe-chart/#method. Percentages are estimates, not individual strength measurements.
RPE to reps in reserve
Scroll table horizontally
| RPE | Reps in reserve | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | Max effort. No more reps possible. |
| 9.5 | 0-1 | Maybe one more rep with perfect conditions. |
| 9 | 1 | Heavy working set with one rep in reserve. |
| 8 | 2 | Hard, repeatable strength or hypertrophy work. |
| 7 | 3 | Moderate work for volume, practice, and accumulation. |
| 6 | 4 | Light technique work or early warm-up sets. |
| 5 or below | 5+ | Warm-up, recovery, speed, or very low-fatigue work. |
How this RPE percentage chart is calculated
The table uses an Epley + RIR planning model, not the traditional Reactive Training Systems (RTS) chart. We estimate reserve reps as RIR = 10 − RPE, add them to completed reps, and calculate fraction of 1RM = 1 / (1 + (reps + RIR) / 30). A maximal single (1 rep at RPE 10) is treated as 100% instead of extrapolated.
For example, 5 reps at RPE 8 means about 2 reps in reserve: 30 / (30 + 5 + 2) = 81.1%. With a 100 kg estimated max, that is 81.1 kg before rounding, or 80 kg rounded down to a 2.5 kg total-load increment. The RPE calculator uses the same model in reverse.
Research supports using RIR to describe effort; it does not validate every percentage in this generated table. Different lifts, lifters and fatigue levels can produce different rep capacity. RPE alone has no single percentage: five reps at RPE 8 and one rep at RPE 8 imply different loads. This table covers RPE 6–10 and 1–8 reps, keeping reps plus reserve at 12 or fewer.
Estimate your 1RM from a completed set, use a standard 1RM percentage chart, or compare the 1RM formulas.
How to apply RPE
RPE is most useful when you keep the lift standard consistent. A squat that changes depth or a bench that changes pause length cannot be compared cleanly, even if both sets feel like RPE 8. Start with a planned percentage, watch the warm-ups, and adjust the top set if the bar is moving much faster or slower than expected.
For strength work, most productive sets live around RPE 7-9. RPE 10 has a place in testing, but it is expensive. For hypertrophy and technique work, RPE 6-8 often gives enough stimulus without making the next session worse.
RPE, RIR, and percentage work
RPE is useful because fixed percentages do not always match the day. A planned 85% set might feel like RPE 7 after a deload, but RPE 9.5 after poor sleep and a hard work week. RPE lets you keep the intent of the session while adjusting load to the lifter in front of the bar.
RIR is the simpler version for most lifters. If you finish a set and believe you had two clean reps left, that is roughly RPE 8. If you had one rep left, it is roughly RPE 9. If you had no reps left, it is RPE 10. The goal is not to guess perfectly; it is to avoid turning every work set into a surprise max effort.
Common mistakes
- Calling every hard set RPE 10 even when another rep was clearly available.
- Changing technique to complete more reps, then treating the RPE as comparable.
- Using RPE to justify overshooting the plan every week.
- Ignoring warm-up speed and waiting until the top set to adjust.
Practical example
If your bench program calls for 3 sets of 5 at RPE 8 and the first set already feels like RPE 9.5, lower the weight by 2.5-5%. If the first set feels like RPE 6 and bar speed is sharp, keep the load or make a small jump. RPE should make the training target clearer, not more random.
Limitations
RPE skill takes practice. New lifters often underestimate how many reps they have left, while advanced lifters may be better at reading bar speed and fatigue. Video, consistent technique, and repeated exposure to hard but clean sets make the scale more useful over time.
Sources
- Zourdos et al. 2016 - Novel resistance training-specific RPE scale measuring repetitions in reserve.
- Helms et al. 2016 - Application of the repetitions in reserve-based RPE scale for resistance training.
FAQ
Is RPE the same as reps in reserve?
They are linked. In strength training, RPE 10 usually means zero reps in reserve, RPE 9 means about one rep in reserve, and RPE 8 means about two reps in reserve.
Should beginners use RPE?
Beginners can use simple RIR language first. It is easier to ask whether you had one, two, or three reps left than to rate a set perfectly on a 1-10 scale.
When should I lower the weight?
Lower the load when the planned RPE is exceeded early in the session or when technique changes enough that the set no longer matches the lift standard.