How Much Weight Should I be lifting?
Follow the RPE Scale.
The Rate Of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE Scale) and is a common way for trainers to be able to set the intensity of your workouts by how the training feels to you.
Below is how the scale is measured and how you should follow it.
RPE Scale:
RPE 10: Complete Failure
RPE 9: 1 rep left in the tank
RPE 8: 2 reps left in the tank
RPE 7: 3 reps left in the tank
RPE 5: Final warm up weight
RPE 4: Second warm up weight
RPE 3: Starting warm up weight
RPE 1: So light that there’s no point working at this scale
Generally you are looking to train around the 7-8 range when building muscle. It has been shown that you don’t need to constantly train to failure and always maxing out your lifts can decrease your recovery time with no added benefit.
If you are relatively new to the gym then we suggest starting around the RPE 5-6 range. This way you can learn the movements patterns of your exercises safely. As you become more confident, you can increase the weight into the RPE 7-8 range.
Happy Lifting!
