strenosTrain by feel, with exact numbers.
RPE tells you how hard a set should feel. This chart turns it into weight: enter your 1RM or a recent set and get every rep count at every RPE, rounded to your gym's plates.
- free, same RTS table as the Strenos app
- from your 1RM or a recent set
- prints on one page
Every weight, every RPE
Weights for 1 to 12 reps at RPE 6 to 10, worked out from your max and rounded to the plates in your gym.
RPE in one minute
RPE rates how hard a set was on a scale of 1 to 10. RPE 10 means another rep wasn't happening. RPE 8 means you had two left. Coaches program by RPE so the work adjusts to how you feel that day. On a rough day the same RPE 8 means less weight, and on a great day it means more.
Use it when
- Your program calls for sets like 5 @ 8 and you need to know the weight.
- You want to know what today's set says about your max.
- You're planning a top set followed by back-off sets.
- Your recovery swings from day to day, and fixed percentages don't fit.
Not the best fit when
- You're in your first few months of lifting. Judging reps in reserve takes practice, so start with fixed weights.
- Your sets run past 12 reps. The table stops at 12.
- The lift is a weighted pull-up or dip. Use the belt calculator.
What to expect
- Being off by a rep is normal at first. Rate every set, and within a few weeks your calls get sharper.
- Short sets are easier to judge. RPE is most accurate on sets of 1 to 6 reps. On long sets, fatigue blurs the feeling.
- The weight moves with your day. If you hit RPE 8 with more weight than last week, you got stronger. You don't need a max test to see it.
- Half steps matter. RPE 8.5 means you had one more rep, maybe two. The chart has every half step from 6.5 to 9.5.
Reading the scale
Here's what each RPE means in reps left in the tank.
- RPE 10 No reps left
- RPE 9 1 rep left
- RPE 8 2 reps left
- RPE 7 3 reps left
How to use RPE well
- Rate it right after the set. Do it within a few seconds, before the feeling fades.
- Ask how many reps were left. Don't ask how hard it felt. Two clean reps left is RPE 8.
- Open with a top set. Work up to your target RPE, then drop the weight for your back-off sets.
- Stop when RPE spikes. If the same weight jumps a full point from one set to the next, you're done for the day.
- Keep a recent set handy. Pick "A set", enter it, and the table rebuilds around today's strength.
- Pick your smallest plate. Then every cell rounds to a weight you can actually load.
How the chart works
The percentages come from Mike Tuchscherer's RTS table, the same one Strenos uses, in half-rep steps. A single at RPE 10 is 100%, and 5 reps at RPE 8 is 81.1%. Each cell is your 1RM times that percentage, rounded to the plates in your gym.
From a recent set
Enter a recent set, say 120 kg for 5 at RPE 8. The table puts that at 81.1% of your max, so your 1RM is about 148 kg, and every other cell is worked out from there. It's the quickest way to set today's weights by how strong you are today.
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Then run every session by RPE
In Strenos you rate every set by RPE or effort, right on your watch. The exercise dossier uses the same RTS table to build a top set and back-off sets, and the readiness score tells you which days to push.
- Rate every set's RPE right on your wrist
- An RTS top set with back-off sets
- A readiness score that says push or hold
Free on the App Store. The dossier is free 5 times a month.
On a computer? Point your iPhone camera at the code to open Strenos in the App Store.
Common questions
What is RPE in lifting?
It stands for rate of perceived exertion. It's a 1 to 10 score for how hard a set was, counted in reps you had left. RPE 10 is a true limit, and RPE 8 leaves two reps in the tank.
RPE or RIR?
They're two sides of the same scale. RIR, reps in reserve, is 10 minus RPE, so RPE 8 is 2 RIR.
Why does it stop at 12 reps and RPE 6?
That's where the RTS table ends, and the Strenos app uses the same range.
Is it the same table as in the Strenos app?
Yes. The values are the same, and we checked them against the app's code.
Can I print it?
Yes. The Print button fits the whole table for your max on one page.
Your next set is already worked out.
Strenos runs five programs on iPhone and Apple Watch. You log sets on your wrist, and the weights are ready before you chalk up.
Free on the App Store.